Korg PX4B Pandora – multi-effect and trainer for bass players.
Life as a bass player is not easy. Heavy guitar, the amplifier and bass speakers break off their paws. And there is nothing to dream about practicing at home on a bass connected to our "monsters" - unless, that we want to cause the building to collapse. There are two outputs - or a small practice combo amplifier, or… a tin of woes, tragedies and dramas. That is Pandora 😉
First impressions: EYE.
Device at a glance, gives the impression of an elaborate tuner or drum machine. Attention is drawn to two large knobs and a fairly legible display. The upper part of Pandora is a simple but quite effective concealer. Below are the buttons for operating the drum machine, an extensive system of. trainer and bypass/tuner. So what is Pandora? Maybe that's a risky statement, but the most suitable - a must-have for every bassist! It's an effects processor with a preamp, extensive effects processor and bass column simulator, drum accompanist with metronome and headphone output and AUX input, e.g. to a CD or mp3 player. All in one. And how do you work with it?
In general, the first contact with the device is not easy - especially, that the manufacturer or distributor (at least in my copy) did not provide a Polish manual. There are two switches on the sides – signal sensitivity (for guitar with active or passive electronics) and a switch (on/off) with the additional option to turn off the display backlight, which is quite important because the manufacturer does not offer a power supply in the price. Pandora can be powered by batteries (4 AA sticks). The bottom of the Pandora features two 1/4” stereo output jacks, mono input, AUX 1/8” and power supply socket (Okay, at least there is a socket).
Also worth mentioning, with a strap mount and an infrared transmitter for dedicated headphones which… is not complete.
First impressions : EAR
every cable, second cable, by the way, i suggest you be careful. Pandora is small and light, which in combination with a stiff guitar cable guarantees a fall, e.g. in a car. from the table. Here we go…
The device has two modes of operation: Preset and User. For the uninitiated - Preset is an operating mode in which we have programs preset by the manufacturer at our disposal, User are programs modified by the user.
For PX4B, we have available 50 programs (preset) and 50 User programs. The modification of each preset effect is automatically memorized and saved in the user bank under the same name.
Each program is built on the basis of 122 effects with which it can work simultaneously 7. We have compressors/limiters at our disposal, reverb effects, distortions, special effects etc. In addition, Pandora has a bass column timbre simulator in various configurations, e.g. 4X10; 2X10 etc.
First sound impression, when Pandora is turned on, it is quite a high noise level, which makes it difficult to use the device to work on stage. It's a pity. Some effects are truly amazing.
The big shock is the presence of synthesizer effects on board, some programs for solo play work great, chord and automatic "duck". Of course, as always, when the producer wants too much, we also have programs bordering on the absurd. There should be a "how to use this in practice" contest for some.
Everyday Pandora.
In my opinion, the real work with this device begins when you turn on the drum machine with the ability to record phrases from various sources! I suggest connecting to the AUX jack, e.g. mp3 player. Using the Phrase Trainer button, set the recording from this source i 32 seconds of Marcus Miller's favorite solo is on board. Then press the AUX Pitch button to slow down the whole thing while keeping the original pitch! Really cool thing.
We can also record a phrase with a drum machine (by the way, very good for the class of the device) np. akordami na chorusie, we loop the whole thing and add solos on stereo delay, practicing e.g. rocks. Generally after two hours of repetition 30 sek. the family will get a piece, sorry for the expression, that's why I suggest using headphones, especially since the game is really addictive.
Summary.
The PX4B is a must-have for a bass player as a personal trainer. PX4B must have. It is a small device, user friendly and all. However, the price of such relatively expensive toys should include a power supply. Well, it could be less noisy - or not at all 😉