Korg Pa5X 88 Musikant

Entertainer Workstation with Features for the German-Speaking Region!

The Pa5X Musikant from Korg is the localized version of the Pa5X for the German-speaking region and BeNeLux. It is the new flagship of the Korg professional arranger series with countless innovations as well as additional styles and sounds tailored for local entertainers.

The newly developed sound engine, streamlined, color-coded user interface, and many labels in German ensure easier and better operation and also deliver a new sound experience that will inspire your creativity and performance!

Simple. Better.

The Pa5X Musikant contains thousands of inspiring sounds and several hundred new styles that you can call up lightning-fast and precisely thanks to the new user interface. The control panel has also been completely redesigned, featuring a versatile pad matrix and a new mixer section, multicolored LED buttons, and a large tablet-quality touchscreen for intuitive control over your music.

The Pa5X MUSIKANT feels equally at home on stage and in the studio, inspiring you at all times.

Localized Version for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and BeNeLux

Many new styles and timbres specially produced for the local cultural area, such as a cappella band, party choirs, accordion, orchestra sounds, scat sounds, and much more, are additionally included in the Pa5X Musikant. Also included are acoustic and electric piano sounds from the KORG SV2 stage piano, with synthesizer sounds coming from NAUTILUS, wavestate, ARP2600, for example.

A special round-robin function ensures ultra-authentic and lively drum sounds. All these new sounds are, of course, also found in the styles specially programmed for the Korg Pa5X Musikant and the German-speaking entertainer.

Premium Quality in an Elegant Design

In developing the Pa5X Musikant, both the look and durability played an important role: The robust aluminum housing is equipped with real wood side panels and has a correspondingly noble appearance.

All keyboard variants of the Pa5X offer authentic response and expressive control for every application. The 88-key keyboard provides an authentic piano touch, while the 76- and 61-key versions are lightly weighted. All keyboards feature aftertouch!

Contemporary, Uncluttered User Interface

At the center of the Pa5X Musikant is a large, tiltable 8" touchscreen display with a completely redesigned GUI (graphical user interface). This allows lightning-fast access to all sounds and functions of the Pa5X Musikant in live and studio use. The color coding on the display is reflected by the LEDs of the programmable buttons. It simplifies keyboard operation and also adds color to your music.

Powerful EDS-XP Sound Engine for an Inspirational Boost

Korg’s professional arrangers have long been the benchmark for musical instruments, not least due to their outstanding sound quality. The EDS-XP sound engine (Enhanced Definition Synthesis - Expanded) of the Pa5X Musikant uses the technology introduced with the Pa4X but combines it with high-end hardware and a powerful operating system. This makes the Pa5X Musikant sound even richer than its predecessor.

Thanks to 24 stereo oscillators and 160-voice polyphony, lush and high-quality sounds are available for a wide range of musical styles.

Additionally, the EDS-XP sound engine offers groundbreaking features such as drum and percussion parts with round-robin technology, smooth sound transitions, three sound controllers, and more.

The sounds of the Musikant therefore come across as authentic and expressive.

Real-Time Control

The Pa5X Musikant is equipped with a control section containing 9 buttons and 9 sliders. Any functions can be assigned to these: volume for the mixer, drawbars, mute/activate microphone, bass inversion, lyric scrolling, and much more. The assignments are displayed on the new strip display, so you always see which function the controls have.

For expressive playing, there are numerous performance aids as well as Korg’s DNC (Defined Nuance Control), which allows you to trigger many distinctive articulations of the selected instrument. Faders, buttons, physical and virtual controls, the joystick, and the ribbon controller are available for modulating almost all parameters. This is one reason why the sounds of the Pa5X Musikant sound so authentic.

Advanced Chord Recognition and Numerous Chord Sequences

The chord recognition system of the Pa5X Musikant is one of the most advanced available. It offers an expert mode where virtually all jazz piano harmonies are possible. The chord recognition can be as simple or sophisticated as you want – if needed, you can even play chords with one finger!

With automatic harmony voices, a chord sequencer, and groundbreaking chord recognition, the Pa5X Musikant provides the tools for perfect arrangements in almost any music genre.

Seamless Transitions Between Sounds, Styles, and Songs

The Pa5X MUSIKANT also uses our Smooth Sound Transition technology (SST), which ensures that transitions between timbres, styles, and songs happen seamlessly. When selecting a different style element, sounds, effects, and parts naturally fade out: no transition is marked by abruptly ending notes or cut-off effects.

Powerful Players with Crossfades

The Pa5X Musikant can play two styles, MIDI files, or MP3 files simultaneously thanks to two independent players – in all possible combinations (Korg XDS, Crossfade Dual Sequencer/Player). The crossfader allows real-time crossfades between two styles/files, as well as preparing a song while the previous one is still playing.

The sound engine of the Pa5X Musikant is dimensioned so that both the effect processors and polyphony almost never get overwhelmed.

Lyrics, chords, notes, and markers can be displayed either on the large display or on an external screen with HDMI input. Numerous lyric formats are recognized immediately, and the instrument can display the notes of a MIDI song in real time as sheet music.

Using markers, you can repeatedly jump to marked passages with the style element buttons, which can be invaluable when learning new songs, rehearsing, jamming, and performing live.

Creating Your Own Styles and Songs

Of course, you can create your own styles and record your creations as MIDI or MP3 songs. Thanks to numerous functions, all recorded events can be edited down to the smallest detail. The transposition table running in the background ensures that the accompaniment parts sound convincing in every key.

Furthermore, you can record your playing with the fully equipped sequencer as MIDI songs. To share your music and vocals with others, recording all parts (including MP3 songs) in the popular MP3 format is recommended.

The SongBook: The Musical Library

Songs and styles can be saved in the so-called "SongBook," a database whose entries can be easily synchronized with lyrics or sheet music on a tablet. This allows controlling the Pa5X Musikant with a "digital songbook."

The songs in the music database can be saved in additional setlists for different occasions (tour playlists, dance rounds, presentations) in a specific order. When selecting a SongBook entry, all necessary sounds, the style, the song, the effects, and even the chord sequence are loaded.

Sounds for Every Situation

The internal sounds include not only realistic acoustic tones but also electric vintage keyboards, synth classics, as well as novel sounds and sound effects for gaming, multimedia, and film productions. The timbres cover several centuries and cultures and can be expanded if needed.

For the piano and electric piano sounds, Korg went the extra mile: They come from the acclaimed SV-2 stage vintage piano and can be played incredibly nuanced with the 88-key hammer action keyboard (in the 88-key version). Selected sounds from our synth workstations KRONOS and NAUTILUS also join the lineup. The Pa5X Musikant additionally features other sounds/samples such as a cappella band, party choirs, orchestra sounds, scat sounds, accordion, and much more.

The completely new drawbar organ section can be operated exactly like a tonewheel organ thanks to the sliders and buttons on the control panel. The matching effects were simply adopted from the legendary KORG CX-3 combo organ.

The new drum kits use a new round-robin technology, where every hit sounds different at every dynamic level. These usually subtle differences contribute decisively to a natural-sounding drum part. It is ensured that no sample (up to 32 samples per drum instrument) ever sounds twice in a row!

If the immense sound selection still leaves wishes unfulfilled, a sampler is available for additional sounds, drum kits, and audio loops. You can either record new sounds yourself or import them from one of the supported formats (AIFF, WAV, and SF2).

The samples can also be edited in detail. Two highlights here are fine-tuning the samples and the lightning-fast conversion of an audio loop into a percussion kit (time-slice).

Intuitive Mixer with Effects Galore

The timbres of the Pa5X Musikant can be polished with studio effects on multiple levels: up to 10 insert, 3 master effects, and 1 finalizer are available for each of the two players. For keyboard sets, there are additionally 3 insert and 3 master effects.

Directly before the audio outputs of the Pa5X MUSIKANT, mastering effects are available for a high-end studio sound. These effects were developed by Korg engineers in collaboration with Waves Audio, the studio reference for professional effects par excellence.

Separate Microphone & Guitar Input with Suitable Effects

The Pa5X Musikant offers separate inputs for a microphone and a guitar. Both signals can be processed with suitable effects: vocal harmonies in Korg quality as well as powerful guitar effects.

MIDI, USB, HDMI, Audio In/Out & Pedal Connections

The Pa5X Musikant offers numerous audio, control, and storage connections. Controllers and storage media can be connected to the MIDI sockets or USB ports. The HDMI connection allows connection to an external screen, and for audio connections, XLR, jack, and mini-jack sockets are available for external keyboards, a condenser or dynamic microphone, guitars and bass guitars, smartphones, and tablets.

Via the balanced outputs, the instrument can also be connected to active speakers or a PA system. Four also balanced individual outputs with line level allow separate output of desired parts.

For control, there are connections for a damper pedal (including "half-pedal" models), a footswitch, and a volume or expression pedal on board. Simply use your existing pedals or choose the right one for your needs from Korg’s extensive accessory range.

Standard File Formats

The file formats .MID, .MP3 as well as .WAV, .AIFF, and .SF2 for samples are supported by almost all instruments and external players and allow easy data exchange. The MIDI and USB connections are intended for connecting external storage media, computers, smartphones, tablets, and external controllers.

The HDMI connection finally supports current screens and video networks, which is invaluable especially for live use of the Pa5X Musikant.

Elegant, Powerful, User-Friendly

The Pa5X Musikant is Korg’s most elegant, powerful, and user-friendly professional arranger to date, offering a wide range of possibilities at the highest level. The successful combination of the outstanding sound selection for the local cultural area with an intuitive user interface and a rich feature set makes the Pa5X Musikant an exceptional instrument.

System Update OS 1.1.0

The first system update since launch, v1.1.0 brings numerous new functions and improvements to the Pa5X system performance. New features in this free update include a new list view, a mixer tab, simple style synchronization between Player 1 and 2, and much more. Whether selecting styles, songs, or keyboard sets or navigating through the SongBook or setlist: you will clearly notice the improvements in overall speed and performance in the Pa5X with OS v1.1.0! More new and exciting software features will be announced next year and beyond to ensure the Pa5X remains the best arranger keyboard in the world!

More information and the download link for the current version can be found here: Korg Pa5X

The New Generation of Entertainer Workstations from Korg!