Korg Mini-Key PA50SD Arranger
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Your New Composing Assistant
Each time an original melody or tune comes to mind, it may often require substantial expertise, equipment, and time to turn that idea into a complete song in the same way that a professional musician or arranger might do. Korg's microARRANGER offers an easier way for you to enjoy the satisfaction of composing original music.
Even with modest keyboard skills, you can simply choose a musical Style to match your idea, tap in the tempo, hold down the chords with your left hand and pick out the melody with your the right hand, and listen as your musical idea takes shape! From the keyboard novice to the seasoned professional, the microARRANGER can transform your ideas into a more complete, fully realized, and more impressive song than you might ever imagine.
Compact and Complete
The microARRANGER features 61 Natural Touch mini-keys proportioned for comfortable playing. The stereo speaker system is conveniently contained inside the microARRANGER's compact body. Lightweight and portable, the overall length is only 87 cm, and the microARRANGER weighs a mere 5 kg. Just turn the power on, and start turning your ideas into reality immediately; there's no need to connect any other equipment. Whether you use it as a convenient musical notepad or as a full-fledged compositional tool, the microARRANGER is a powerful platform for your creativity in many ways.
Changes, Styles, and Music
Just set the tempo, play a few chords, and the Style Play function will begin to create music. With each Style, the microARRANGER follows your chord changes, voice leading, and the tempo you set to create additional musical parts to enhance your song. This can be something basic like a drum and bass rhythm section, an extra guitar part, all the way up to a stompin' R & B combo with a full horn section. The choice is always yours. You can develop your song by selecting a Style that's appropriate for the melody you have in mind, or try selecting various styles and playing around to see what melodies your imagination will come up with. You can also try different Styles with the same melody, to see if a different arrangement may better serve your song. By allowing the microARRANGER to take charge of the accompaniment and arrangement, you're free to concentrate on your songwriting without losing that initial flash of inspiration. It's an easy way to complete a rough sketch of your entire song.
Interactive Styles Inspire Your Creativity
The microARRANGER provides 304 Styles from such diverse musical genres as jazz, piano ballads, Latin, pop, and rock. Each one can assist you in producing pro-quality songs. Each Style includes intros, endings, fills, and breaks that can be used to accent a section or change the course of the song. Four variation of each backing Style are provided; each offers a different level of instrumentation or activity, allowing the song to build and alternate between sections. These backing variations can be quickly switched simply by pressing a button on the panel. The microARRANGER's sophisticated chord scanning function detects not only standard chords such as major and minor, but also complex ones such as 9th or 11th chords as well as inversions ensuring that the musical parts generated by the Style will correctly follow the most ambitious chord progressions. You are free to edit these styles, and store up to 48 of them in internal memory. New styles will also be available for free download at korgpa.com. By adding your own favorite Styles allows you to "customize" your microARRANGER for even more enjoyment.
Capturing Your Ideas, Recording Your Songs
The microARRANGER is equipped with powerful tools to capture your musical performances; and with different modes optimized for different uses.
Backing Sequencer
There are two ways to record using the backing sequencer. Realtime Recording captures everything in one pass, as you play. Each part you play, and each part the microARRANGER's Style engine plays, will be captured on a separate sequencer track. This allows any part to be edited independently at a later time.
With Step Recording, the chords can be entered one at a time, and you can tell the sequencer how long to play each chord, specified in beats and measures. Additional parts, fills, variation changes and other musical information can all be entered in this way. This method is ideal for creating a step-by-step foundation for your song, without needing to rely on advanced keyboard skills.
Song Sequencer
This is a conventional one-track-at-a-time sequencer, like those found in a computer program or a workstation keyboard, with 16 tracks and a capacity of 56,000 notes. Using the Song Sequencer, you can layer additional melodic parts onto a song created using the backing sequencer. This is a convenient way to add the finishing touches required for full-fledged song production.
Sequence data created on the microARRANGER is also compatible with Standard MIDI Files, so you can import it into your DAW or software sequencer. In your PC you can perform further editing or add vocal tracks to bring your song data to its final stage of completion.
Advanced Korg Sound Engine
The microARRANGER is packed with the high-quality 662 sounds, 33 drum kits and 89 effects you've come to expect from Korg. There's a great selection of the sounds that pro musicians and producers use in the professional workplace pianos, electric pianos, and organs; thick basses; realistic winds and strings; and tight drums all instantly available for your immediate use. Also included are numerous high-quality effects, rivaling the quality of dedicated processors. These effects allow the creation of finished productions and audience-ready songs, without the need for any additional equipment.
SD/SDHC card data storage & transfer
Using the microARRANGER's SD card slot, additional style data can be loaded directly from your PC via SD card; it's also easy to transfer data to your PC.
Realtime performance
Although the microARRANGER's mini-keyboard is compact, it has been designed for great playability and a comfortable touch, with box-shaped keys and careful consideration of the proportions of the white and black keys. With a 61-key range, you'll be able to play using both hands for musically rich performances, or easily provide backing for a guitarist or vocalist --- a great way to experience the enjoyment of playing in a band. Another great feature for realtime performance is the panel crossfader that controls the XDS crossfade dual sequencer, letting you control the volume of both sequencers with a single knob for smooth transitions between songs. The compact size allows the microARRANGER to be taken anywhere for your musical enjoyment.
Features & Highlights:
- Compact composing/performing keyboard that acts as your musical arranger
- 61-key Natural Touch mini keyboard; Velocity sensing
- Built-in stereo speaker system
- 4 Stereo Effect Processors with 89 effect programs.
- 304 Styles; each is a complete and interactive musical environment for capturing your inspirations
- Each Style includes Intros, Endings, Fills, and four Variations, all are completely editable
- Styles follow your chords, voice leading, and tempo settings you are always in control!
- 660 Preset Sound Programs and 128 User Programs provide excellent Korg sounds
- 32 Drumkits; 64 User Drumkits;
- SD/SDHC card slot for data storage, importing Styles, sharing data with a computer DAW, etc.
Q & A
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Protect your investment with the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty
A warranty can be a very important factor when making a buying decision. Because repairs can be very expensive in terms of parts and labour costs, manufacturers usually only provide one year limited warranties that generally only cover items that malfunction due to a manufacturer’s defect. With an important purchase such as a musical
instrument or piece of studio gear, however, many people want to have the peace of mind in knowing that their investment will be protected should the product no longer be performing at 100%.
Because of this, Long & McQuade provides our customers with a FREE one-year Performance Warranty on most of our products. The Long & McQuade Performance Warranty supplements the manufacturer’s warranty to ensure that our customers receive complete “no hassle” warranty coverage within their first year.
How does the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty differ from most manufacturers' warranties?
- Performance Guarantee: Normal wear and tear is covered, so your product will be performing as well as the day you purchased it for the entire duration of the coverage. Band and Orchestral Performance Warranty does not include replacing pads or cleaning for woodwind instruments, unless deemed necessary by our repair staff. Ultrasonic cleaning for brass instruments will be provided if deemed necessary by our repair staff, but is not routinely offered under the Performance Warranty.
- Product Replacement: If your product cannot be fixed or costs too much to fix, we will replace it with the equivalent model for no additional charge. If this is not possible, a full refund will be provided.
- No Lemon Policy: Your product will be replaced should the same problem occur multiple times.
- Convenient: Easy drop off and pick up of the product at any Long & McQuade location.
- Guitar Setup: Guitars purchased at Long & McQuade come with 1 free setup, to be redeemed within 1 year for new guitars and 90 days for used guitars.
- Loaners Available: A loaner product may be given while the product is being repaired.
- Power Surge Protection: Your product is covered even if damaged from a power surge.
- Accessory Coverage: Any peripheral devices or accessories that come with your product (i.e. foot pedal, case) are also covered.
- Commercial Use Coverage: Music and recording professionals who purchase gear for “heavy-use” commercial purposes will still be covered.
Long & McQuade reserves the right to restrict the purchase of additional years of Performance Warranty. Used products come with a 3-month Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Some products (i.e. computers, software, cymbals and other items) are covered only by the manufacturer‘s warranty. Consumables (i.e. strings, reeds, drum sticks, batteries, tubes, cross faders) are excluded as they are designed to be replaced. Cosmetic Damage, Accidental Damage, or problems caused by Humidity or Temperature Issues are not covered. Speakers damaged by overpowering are generally not covered. Our coverage does not provide compensation for loss of use. As of June 2018 the Performance Warranty is no longer transferable. The warranty is only valid in Canada.
Purchasing additional years of coverage
Some manufacturers provide warranties for longer than 1 year; however, these are usually limited warranties that do not provide the same coverage as the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Customers interested in more complete and convenient (but not necessarily longer) coverage are still able to purchase additional years of the Performance Warranty.
If you are interested in receiving this coverage for longer than one year, you have the option of purchasing additional years of the Performance Warranty. The pricing is as follows:
- NEW products: Starting at 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. Starting at 4% for each additional year.
- USED products: Starting at 4% of the current new selling price to increase the warranty from 3 months to 1 year. Starting at 4% for each additional year.
- GUITARS: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year. $45 maximum. An additional free setup is not included with additional purchased years of Performance Warranty.
- BAND and ORCHESTRAL instruments: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year.