Korg PX-3

It's easy to get good useful sounds, presets aren't bad & can easily be customized once familiar with the manual.

I use through Fender hot Rod deluxe, Roland Blues Cube & Peavey Envoy. Sounds are good with any amp I've tried. I use mainly Strats. I like the modulated effects best for quality - chorus, delay, tremelo, phaser, flanger. Distortion acceptable but could be improved on.

I have used in live gigs many times with no back up. I built a stand for it using black aluminum tubing so it's handy on stage. No problems so far with reliabilty after 3 years.

Never needed

I play classic rock, blues, some country. I bought it mainly for size & the rythym functions. I would like better drum sounds & the ability to select Bass pattern separately from Drum pattern but for it's size & price, it's an excellent product. I found I stopped using my various Boss footpedals since this would do so much well in suh a convenient size.

This product is very easy to use. I bought it without trying anything relitively like it, and I learned it in less than an hour. The manual is good, but you don't really need it.

This box has a great sound! The effects with it are very strong. You cann play along with awsome guitars like Hendrix or Clapton. Jeff Beck is one of my favorite guitarists and he sounds just like his guitar with this box. Theres no way to tell. The Pink Floyd feature is very good because it has a heart beat after it just like one of his songs. You get great song out of this box.

I've had Pandora's Box for a long time and it's never broke down. It is very dependable.

Never needed to.

I play alot of rock guitar, and this is a great match. I can play along to my favorite guitarists. I've been playing for about 20 years, and the only other gear I own is the older Pandora's Box. This is a huge upgrade from the other one with up to 50 styles you can play with! If someone stole it I would surely buy another one because it is one of the greatest effects box I have ever tried. I love playing along with Jimi and Ray Van. The only thing I don't like is that some of the light effects on it all sound the same. It's not something I would play with in a consert, but its great to practice with because it makes you want to play more. It will sound great no matter what guitar you have, or what amp you have. It's super reliable and it's worth buying!

Very easy to use. I just plug it in a have fun. Manual is easy to understand.

Great sounds! Not noisy. Cool effects. I use it with a 52' Telecaster RI with both my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Amp and headphones. Headphones are the best!!! I play lots of vintage rock from the 60s and 70s (and 80s like REM).... and can find most of the grooves I need, but of course, would like more!

I would not gig with this without a power supply. The battery drain is fast and furious if you use the back light in the LED. It seems fragile, so if you step on it it would surely break; but, when I dropped it a few times off the kitchen counter, it survived without a scratch.

No opportunity to deal with Korg.

I play vintage rock and it works fine. I've been playing on and off for 30 years. I had a Boss Metal Zone stompbox and like the Pandora much better (got rid of the Boss Metal Zone, use the Pandora every day!) If it were lost of stolen I would buy the new PX4. I love it because I can sit on the couch or in the bed with headphone and this little wonder-of-a-box and be in guitar-heaven. I don't like the battery drain but like power adapters even less, so I just buy lots of batteries!! I wish it had more patches out-of-the-box because I'm really lazy to create them. I program and work on computers for a living so when it comes to music, I just want to plug-in and ROCK! It certainly helps make music and I think everyone should have one if they like to practice with headphones. I've written a a few very cools guitar tracks with this magic-box and recorded the tracks with Calkwalk Guitar Tracks 2.... great combo! My advise is to purchase the PX4 now that the PX4 is coming out in Feb 2002, if you can wait a few weeks.

Depends how deep you want to go... out of the box you can get some useable noises, along with some rather more 'outre' tones that you first categorise as 'wacky' before considering them 'grating'.

Nonetheless, you can have a simple blues rhythm, bassline and a.n.other guitar effect of you choice going in seconds and, wa-hey, instant band!

It's a small unit, and Korg have crammed a lot in, so by it's nature it can be a little elaborate to edit, but you can save your revised patches, so it's not too much of a pain.

I bought this as a headphone amp, and play an Epiphone Les Paul and a Yamaha 102s (tele-style single coil). There can be a hum with the single coils - the cure? Twist your body around until you're standing at a different angle to the Pandora (or just move a little further away).

The effects' qualities are variable - don't even TRY using autowah!

I'm not overly sold on the end sound for a performance basis - it sounds 'processed', but for practicing it's fine. For the price, what do you want? Blood?

Battery life is a pitiful 9 hours. GET A POWER ADAPTER!!

Interesting note - the unit uses 4xAAA batteries for power, so that's 1.5V x 4 = 6 volts. BUT the DC input jack asks for a 9 volt supply, so make sure you match your power adapter correctly.

Battery life aside, it's dependable, sure, but I'm not sure that it's a gigging box, really.

I've been playing a year, and have yet to adopt a style of music. The different sounds you can get out of the Pandora mean I keep on exploring different sounds and such (for a while, I made a point of ALWAYS using a new setting for practice every night).

If it were lost/stolen...hmmm If I could afford it, I'd probably consider getting a POD - but then I'd need a drum machine too. Alright, the end result would be more flexible, but also damned near quadruple the price!! There lies the beauty of the Pandora, an attraction only added to by its tiny size and hence great portability.

If I ruled the world, I'd make it possible to splice the different rhythm and bassline patterns together to form song sequences, and would add some kind of interface to allow 'deep editing' via the PC. Oh, and infinite battery life, and the ability to endow upon the user godlike playing talent...

For a headphone amp/practice tool, for the money, I don't think this can be beaten, but if you're looking for something to use live, maybe you should look elsewhere.

I own both the PX2 and the PX3. I loaned my PX2 to a friend and missed it so much I bought the PX3 - even better. It's really easy to program, once you get the hang of it (read the manual, it's very detailed). I can get numerous great tones out of this little bitty box.

I own a variety of tube amps, but have been looking for a way to reduce the weight and still capture a great tone. The combination I found is this PX3 through a Polytone MegaBrute (75W, 2-channel, 8" speaker - really wicked little amp!). I can get great tone out this thing. If I need more ooomph, I just plug a cabinet or two into the Polytone. Although limited in the number of effects combinations, I can easily dial in something I like. I just set up six patches with varying combinations of distortions and effects and set the unit on top of my amp (which has a channel footswitch, so I can switch to a louder, heavier channel). I've been using the PX2 and PX3 live for quite a while. The unit is not very noisy. I use a Schectar custom shop strat with two Humbuckers and single coil in the middle, with a coil splitter for the buckers. My favorite setting for the PX3 is a slightly modified Blues patch. I also use the Angus patch, the R N B patch and a few others. The Unit is also a wonderful practice tool, with the ability to change pitch without changing speeds for the cd input, and the ability to switch off the center channel of the cd input. It has a metronome and a tuner built in, also. I like the effects and the simplicity of using them. For the size of this unit, it sure packs a whallop. The only effects I've not been fond of are the pitch shifter presets. I haven't spent any time messing with them yet, so I may find some functionality there later. The PX3 has no preference for pickups, even providing a switch for low or high input. I can use it with any of my guitars. Like any of my other preamp type effect/modelers, it needs to be used with the right amp to give me what I need. It works well with some and not with others. I think it gives me really great tubey sound when used into the Polytone. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the output impedence of the PX3 and the input impedence and type of IC or transistors used on the amp. Try it in various combinations and I'm sure you'll find one you really like. For ease of use, size and functionality, this little beast can't be beat.

I've never had a problem with either the PX2 or the PX3.

Never dealt with them.

I play blues, rock, soul, and whatever else I find myself doing in fill-ins. The PX3 can cover all the bases. I've been playing for 35 years and own tons of tube and solid state gear and lots of guitars. If I lost this PX3, I would DEFINITELY get another one. If you have the opportunity, try it with a good solid state amp. Find one that is light, with a great clean tone and plug the PX3 into the front end, mess with it a little and VOILA, you have TONE! For quick gigs, auditions, or rehearsals it is a great, lightweight way to go. In combination with more speakers and the right amp, it kicks serious BUTT. The only thing I wish it had was a way to switch patches via footpedal, but how are you going to program that into a box the size of a cigarette pack? Maybe the AX1500 will work for that....This unit is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, whether you play out a lot, or just sit in your room with headphones.

Beginners can use this little gem, though once you start exploring its capabilities, the sky is the limit. I've had the Pandora PX3 for 2 years and I'm still juicing it for sounds.
Editing patches are good, the only thing i really wanted to mess around with is get arena reverb with delay, which you can't set.
Firmware wise, im not to sure about, though i do know there have been 3 Pandora effect proccessors, each sound a little different though there are more options on the latest model. Better backlight on the latest model

sound quality is really crisp, makes my playing sound good! i use a marshall 2 x 12 inch combo, but I can also use the effect box on its own with headphones with its volume control and battery pack. It also plugs into a stereo for home recordings.
10 different distortion/ overdrives, multiple effects including flanger, pitch shifter, chorus, vib, etc, different reverb settings from room to arena and dig. delay plus cabinet simulator. few other things like dolby nr

you can combine all these and save your setting, put your headphones on and have your own personal concert in the privacy of your room.

The auto wah sounds a little poxy, but thats personal opinion. I rather use a wah pedal.

I am pretty much positive i can rely on it in a gig, battery wise there are no problems. I havent tested it with an adaptor yet.

I play a mix of rock metal to neo classical. I either like my tone high and clean or heavily distored and clean with a little experimenting with flanger and mild overdrive. most of the time I use generous amounts of reverb to make my playing sound good! The pandora is capable of meeting my needs.
I've been playing for 8 years, though I have only used analogue delay, compressor and wahwah pedals in the past and distortion direct from the amp. the amp is a 2x12 marshall combo, my 2 guitars are a 'les paul copy' sammick and a carson.

If my Pandora had vanished I would definetley buy another one, depending on money surplus.
Its all good, it has all the effects I mentioned, metronom and other bass and drumbeats to practice and jam along to. Auxilary input so you can plug in your discman and jam along, phrase trainer to record a small section of your favourite cd and change the tempo or key. Also a chromatic tuner.
I like it for its portability with battery support, headphone output or being able to plug it into your stereo or computer to make recordings.
The px2 had a slight different sound when you softly touched a string, making a nice soothing violin sound which the PX3 has changed, but no big deal. It's like water off a duck's back as a friend of mine says
Price wise, its worth it in the long run

OK. REVISING THE PATCHES IS EASY. FOR HEADPHONES USE CAB SIMULATOR. FOR AMP TURN OFF C/S. BY TWEAKING PRESETS I LIKED, I WAS ABLE TO SET UP USEFUL BANKS (AS IN GROUPS)OF USER PATCHES. ONCE YOU ALTER A PRESET AND SAVE IT, IT BECOMES A USER PATCH, LEAVING THE PRESETS AS THEY WERE ORIGINALLY. HAVEN'T TRIED THROUGH AN EFFECTS LOOP YET. WE NOW BUG KORG TO INSTALL MIDI CONTROLLER PATCH.

FOR HEADPHONES, XLNT. FOR AMP, OK. I VELCRO IT TO THE INSIDE OF MY GUITAR STRAP AND SET UP THE PATCHES IN SMALL GROUPS SO I CAN CHANGE PATCHES DURING A SONG BY THUMBING THE SWITCH. VELCRO RULES. XLNT DELAY AND CHORUS. DISTORTIONS OKAY. FOR CLEAN, ADJUSTING THE EQ AND MINIMIZING THE NR AND USING SMALL CABS WITH LOAD AT HALF OR LESS GIVES GOOD BRIGHT CLEAN TONES. I'VE MODED FLOYD AND JAZZ AND ARENA TO SEVERAL VARIATIONS.
AS FAR AS THE DISTORTS, I LIKE ONLY ONE OR TWO WHICH I USE OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH VARIOUS LEVELS OF LEVEL. MY FAVORITE ARTISTS ARE ME, JH, JB AND ME AGAIN. SO I CAN GET 2 OR THREE OF THOSE FOUR AND THEN I DON'T KNOW WHO SOUND LIKE WHAT, SO I GIVE UP. I USE SONY HEADPHONES OR A PEAVEY BASS AMP OR A DELUXE DEVILLE. RUN PRE OUT FROM DEVILLE TO A BASS AMP WITH THIS AS PREAMP. I'VE YET TO TRY THE LOOP AS I HAVE OTHER STUFF THERE.

IT WORKS FOR ME. I'LL BE IN GOA FROM NOV 12 TO NOV 24 SO CHECK ME OUT AT THE WEDNESDAY SWAP MEET. I'LL BE PLAYING A TRAVELER ELECTRIC GUITAR (THE ELECTRIC NECK AS I CALL IT).
USE THE RHYTHM PATCHES OFTEN, REMEMBER SOME OF THE PATCHES HAVE SIMPLE BASSLINES THAT WILL WORK FOR HARMONIC CHORD CHANGES EVEN THOUGH THE BASS NOTE IS CONSTANT. GOA RAVES AWAY!!!! YEAH.

EMAILED SEVERAL TIMES ASKING, IS THERE A KORG PEDAL BOARD WITH SAME QUALITY SOUNDS. THEY RESPONDED DAILY. (NO!)

I PLAY ROCK, BLUES, JAZZ, HOP, HIP HEP AND SOMETIMES HUP TWO THREE FOUR SORT OF HOPPED UP ( AS MY MOMMA USED TO SAY) SINCE THEN I'VE BOUGHT THREE ANALOG PEDALS (vintage ones, baby) AND WILL DUMP AT LEAST TWO OF THEM WHEN I RETURN FROM THE ARABIAN SEA. A MIDI PATCH FOR A FLOORBOARD MAKES THIS FINE. COMPARE THEN BUY THIS ONE. I'LL BE SPONSORED BY KORG.

Out of the box, it's got lots of good patches, both of the usable kind and of the kind that, while not terribly usable, illustrate various effects.

Editing patches is pretty easy, though a tad tedious. You get the difficulty that comes with putting everything in here in a box the size of a deck of cards. Not a lot of parameters for each effect--only two (type and level, rate, depth, depending on the effect), in fact, except for the EQ (three--high, low, level). But pretty good.

At times, it can get a little confusing--do I use the value dial, the +/- buttons, or the < and > buttons--when editing. But it just takes a bit of getting used to.

The manual covers everything, and is easy enough to get through. I wish it had about 20% more depth, but it's good enough to get in and get going.

The machine has a good selection of use options. A switch for pickups--one position for weaker single-coils, one for pickups with more output. Light or no light. You can reprogram the value wheel's functionality.

The interface for editing and moving around is a little confusing, though very compact and efficient. 6 buttons, three of which are multifunctional. The multi buttons have more functions than are shown on the unit, and you just have to get used to using them. But they pack a lot of power into a few buttons. It's a good trade-off.

The screen is excellent--informative, easy to read--the backlight is very cool, and you can turn it on and off at will (uses batteries faster).

Excellent. I use it with a Japanese strat, 1986, with humbucker in bridge position. Lots of good tones with this guitar.

Noise is more a function of where and what you're playing than the box itself, I find. (Play around fluorescents, computers, or other big electronic things, and you're going to get some noise. Otherwise, not much.) The Noise Reduction effect is very effective.

The quality of the various distortions is very good to my ear--lots of choices, and they range from spanky to insane. You can get good clean sounds (I had read somewhere that this is hard; I haven't found any difficulty getting good clean sounds), get it to just break up when you attack it hard, or a range of out-and-out overdrives and distortions.

The other effects are pretty decent too. Smooth chorus, good vibrato, good phasing, adequate (not great) autowah, decent reverbs, and a large selection of delays. I would prefer a couple more parameters to the reverbs and delays, but . . . look, it's a little box, and it can't have everything.

The rhythm unit is a cool feature. The sound quality's not realistic, but for just noodling and jamming, it's pretty good, and to fit it in the box... well, see above.

Just got it, can't say. Would I use it in a gig? Haven't even plugged it into an amp. It's probably not intended as a gigging machine, but it does have some great sounds, and you could probably do it.

Haven't needed any, so I can't rate support.

I was looking for a good box I could carry around the house and practice with--I just don't have a set and good practice space. I also wanted to be able to plug a CD player in, and to be able to plug the unit into a BOSS JamStation JS-5 (which lets you plug in a guitar, but only dry). This meets my needs and exceeds them. I can plug in the CD player, and it can even change song keys on the fly (with darn good quality)! Stevie Ray often plays tuned down half a step; I can bring him up to standard tuning with this. Very cool.

Oh, it also looks great.

i bought it in Japan and they don't have an english manule. but this unit is very easy to use, it took me only 5-10 min to figure out how to use it. easy to edit the patch, just roll the rotary switch for add&name the effect.

the preset's sound are pretty good. though u might have to EQ them little bit. editing patch is very easy, thanks to the rotary switch, it's very usefull. the distortion is pretty good for practicing. but i don't like the chorus and other effect are useless. the rythm function are very usefull for me, i can practice scale, arpeggio, phrasing or what not. the key-change function is good but sound little bit fake.

i bought this unit for practicing only so it satisfy me! i really like it becoz i can take it and practice anywhere i want.

i've composed an e-mail to the company about the english manule but they haven't reply so i went back to the shop where i bought this unit and i gotta pay 2,500 Yen for the english manule. it's very non-sence. i bought their product and i still have to buy their manule?

mostly i play rock&roll stuff but i also play blues and Jazz. this unit match good for practicing only! i used Ibanez jem with Marshall MG15RCD amplifier, sound ok for me but not enought for a gig. if it were stolen i'd try the other practicing unit. i like this unit becoz it's very easy to use and easy to bring it anywhere. i wish i can edit my own chord progression for bass or more drums sound. if u have any question i'll be welcome to answer.

Very easy to use presets. Just click on the switch. Editing
is not that hard, but the unit is very small and nothing can
make it as easy as a large rack mounted unit. The manual is
ok.

The sound is excellent for playing out of a headphone and more
importantly, recording. It is a little noisy. The clean effects
are great. The distortion is OK for recording or headphones.
The doubled notes effects (several of them) where you pick a note
and another note in harmony comes up is totally worthless. It is
a piss-poor imitation of Queen's Brian May guitar overdubbing.
Very important - the unit SUCKS with an amp. I even tried it
in 2 amps and it was stereo, but sounded very FAKE. The presets
sound like a parody of the artists. I found the Stevie Ray,
Jeff Beck, and Van Halen patches very amusing. But, there is
something about the presets that make you want to play for hours
and hours. I think the unit is VERY gimmicky, but lots of fun.
The presets are sort of like the artists sound. For example,
the Stevie Ray preset has a Vibrato that is supposed to sound
like a Leslie. It is a cheesy version of a Leslie. But, I
don't expect Korg to duplicate a real Leslie or Hughes and K.
$300.00 Leslie simulator in a little headphone amp!

Have no idea, since I just got it.

Have no idea, yet.

I record weird music and play in a more conventional band.
Check out
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/16/the_thereminbilly_explosion.html
and click on Pandora Blues and Pandora Blues Part 2 to get an
example of what the PX-3 sounds like, since I play guitar using
the unit on those tracks.

OH man this thing is simple, takes about 15-20 minutes to master, then you have every little control at your finger tip. the jog dial is very helpfull and speady and everthing is intuitive. nothing to learn!!

the sound is pretty damn good. the distortion is a little lacking, but hey, come on man this unit rocks for practicing. dont go into a record contract with it but its a damn good tool. the rythms are really good, fun to jam along with, making this a good practice tool!

built pretty solid, nice colors!

dont know, its too good for me to call em up

this thing rocks, dont hesitate if you need a little sized (pod is too big) modeler, its worth the money, come on go get one NOW!!!!!

I bought the first and thought it was average. The PX3 however is capable of so much more. It's rhythm section is ideal for playing along to an sharpening your chops. It's easy to edit once you've remembered all the short cut buttons etc but the manual is wellindexed and takes you through t hings step by step. I do think the PX3 produces better clean sounds than overdriven ones. The clean sounds are sparkley and transparent and I found them really inspiring to play with. The overdrive sounds are not bad 9often have to add a little chorus to get a fuller sound) and just show the limitations of a solid state derived distortion. This is a practise tool and not a substitute for 'proper' gear. I never travel anywhere without my PX3!

I used a Hohner GT-3, Ibanez 540 Radius and Ibanez J-Custom.

Dependable, but can be battery hungry. i wouldn't gig with this as it'sa practise tool.

N/A

I play rock.

Figured out most things without the little book. Instructions are well written, and in several languages. controls are easy and changeable (you can swap the roles of the up/down arrow and the wheel). Not perfect, there is no way to use a foot controller or any means of attaching it. Too light to sit on the floor by it self. I put Velcro on the back of mine and stick it to the music send or the guitar strap. Works OK.

I use both a Strat and a 335. through various headsets the sound is fantastic. The better the headset the better the sound. It sounded wimpy through the practice amp at the store. In the effects loop of my Fender amp didn't work too well either. It looses body, sounds AM radio like. Between the guitar and the clean channel it is OK but not as fantastic as in the head set. Direct for recording or direct to PA for gigging works great. If I could change voices or turn effect modules on and off while I play it would by perfect. But that isn't part of the sound quality.
I play bass sometimes, I have a cheep P-bass copy without an amp. I used the "Jazz" preset. Minor eq tweaks and direct to the PA. Everyone was very impressed, even me. I have never heard a bass amp sound so clear and alive. An amazing little box.

Great. Mine has been dropped, left on until the batteries died, left plugged it for three days, spilt on, rained on and it still works.

I play swing, rock, blues and jazz. this little guy is a great practice tool the phrase trainer works well. The only thing better is Slow Blast on the computer. The rhythm section is great too. I haven't used the center channel cancel feature. the effects, though limited, sound great with both guitar and bass.
If you use it through an amp as an effects unit you will be disappointed. The box was designed to feed a full range source: headphones, PA tape direct. Any of these full range devices will sound great.
This is a practice tool. As a practice tool, it is the best around. I was not meant to be something to gig with. It does sound great going direct to the board. I put a piece of Velcro on the back of mine. There is a corresponding patch on the top of my amp, on a cloth sleeve I can put on any guitar strap and on one of the music stands at the church I play in. As long as you only need one voice per song and there is time between songs to find the next voice, it works to gig with. Just remember, it wasn't ment to do this.

I got this thing used so I didn't have a manual, and it took me a few hours to get the hang of it, but it's really easy to use. The phase trainer is easy to use, and editing patches is even easier. The only reason I'm giving it a 9 and not a 10 is because I haven't seen the manual for it.

I no longer own the PX-3, but this was my setup when I was using it. Gibson Les Paul DC Standard --> Morley ABY Box --> (A) Used for clean channel Marshall JMP Pre-Amp --> Marshall VS256R Amp (B) Used for PX-3 --> Marshall VS256R Amp. The sound quality was really good. Very low noise. I gig a lot, so the PX-3 wasn't great for me. I used an A/B box so that I could change from the PX-3 to clean (I had to use a pre-amp for clean, because the signal get split in half...) I was really happy with the sounds I got out of the PX-3, but I ended up selling it because I need pedals, because I gig a lot. But, the PX-3 is great for recording. I wish that I still had the PX-3 for recording, becuase I bet it would sound sweet with my new amp (Fender HotRod 2x12 Deville.) My favorite settings had to be the Hendrix and Van Halen patches. The distortion sounds really good on the PX-3, and even comes close to a Metal Zone. The 90's patch on it is perfect for Nirvana sounds. When I had the PX-3 I was in a band that played a cover of Smells like Teen Spirit and the 90's patch was perfect.

The pandora seems very reliable. I only owned it for a few months, and I giged without a backup.

I play blues, classic rock, shred, pop/rock, rock, jazz, and a little hard rock. The PX-3 is good for any style of music. I've been playing for 7 years. I wish that korg would build a pedalboard like the POD so that it could be used for gigging!!! The thing is really made for recording, not gigging. It would be nice if it had a belt clip.

i just got this a few hours ago, i haven't looked at the manual yet but it's pretty easy to use. i just plugged in and started playing with the buttons. i really like the rotary wheel, it makes adjusting the volume and tempo very user friendly. i haven't tried to edit the presets yet, but i'm sure it's not difficult.

i never write reviews, but i liked this thing so much that i have to give it an endorsement. i'm using a fender strat. the sounds on this are pretty clear, i'm really happy with this and have no complaints. the effects are fantastic for what this is, a little all-in-one effects box to be used with a good set of headphones. most of the presets on this are very usable. with a little imagination, i'm sure even the cheesy ones could be cool, although limited in what you could do with them. what i liked most is its versatility. it has a pretty good dirty sound as well as heavy distortion. the rhythm patterns aren't great, needless to say i'm not as thrilled about them as i am with the effects, but they are fun to jam over.

don't know, just bought it.

don't know

i play a lot of different styles - classic rock to metal. i've been playing for 10 years now, i have no aspirations of playing out or anything like that. i just enjoy jamming along with my favorite tunes or coming up with my own stuff. i've owned a fender blues jr. (back when i didn't live in an apartment), various transistor amps, and countless pedals. if i lost this i would get another one. i really like the versatility of this thing, as well as its size which makes it very portable an easy to store. i've looked at the zoom 505, and i found that to be somewhat limited in it's range when looking for a sound that wasn't heavily distorted. it wasn't bad, but the px3 is just that much better. far more versatile.

so to sum up, if you're like me and find yourself having to live in an apartment, want some effects and a cool sound but you also want your neighbors to have peace and quiet, this thing is perfect. i'm not disappointed in least, but instead pleasantly surprised (how many times can you say that about something!!!)

Straight forward to use and immediately usable through 50 preset patches. Easy to get the hang of editing and saving user made patches. Other features are easy to use although some which sound a great idea I rarely use. Used on stage but can be tricky, could do with belt clip. I eventually hooked the end of mine under the strap for carrying my amp, it certainly didn't budge then. Like to use batteries but can run out quickly especially if backlight is on. Manual is clear and easy to follow.

Effects tend to be good and most are in some way useable although my biggest complaint is which effects can be used simultaneously. The effects are all broken into groups of which usually only one in each group can be selected. For example, If you want a compressor you can't have any of the distortions. They are in the same group! Also, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Autowah, Pitch Shifter share a group. Only one of these at a time. Also, noise reduction slightly deadens note sustain.

This is my second Pandora 3 due to major malfunction of the first (constantly resetting, screen displaying garbled info, after about 6 months). Was replaced by dealer under warranty. Have had replacement for 1 year and is functioning fine, don't know if I fully trust it though.

Although replaced by dealer after malfunction, this was after the dealer returned the unit to Korg who refused to take responsibility for the unit failure. The dealer replaced it through good will and customer loyalty.

Enjoy using Pandora, useable amongst various styles. If lost or stolen would consider replacing with the same but would have a look at other available alternatives. Like the practicality (Size, few buttons, clear backlit display). Wish it had belt clip. Saves a fortune considering what effects it does contain, but not as flexible as individual pedals (obviously). Worth considering but try before buying if possible.

Very easy to use. If all you want is to use the presets on it, it has a total of 50 programed patches and a lot of them are pretty cool. You can also edit and program 50 user patches and name them whichever way you want to name them so you can know what they are. It is very easy to edit and program your own patches and sounds once you read through the manual which it's pretty easy to understand. The manual looks intimidating at a first glance because it seems pretty thick, but that's only because it's written in about 3 different languages. The phrase trainer feature is great and easy to use, and the tuner, rhythm, and metronome features make this unit even that much more versitale and fun to use.

I use an Ibanez Prestige USA Custom 6 string and an Ibanez RG 7 string through a Mesa/Boogie 3 channel Dual Rectifier head, a 4x12 Mesa Recto cabinet with vintage 30's, and a Line 6 AX2-212 combo amp for most of my wet sounds. I haven't tried using the PX3 in a live set up, but that's something I might want to try out to experiment with the Mesa head. This unit is not noisy, although it has a very faint buzz that you won't hear as you are playing. Most of the effects sound very nice for the price of the unit, sometimes you can tell cheap effects versus expensive ones, but this unit sounds a heck of a lot better than some other effects that cost more. If you want to get the sound of some of your favorite artists with this unit, you might get close depending on who you are trying to emulate. I would find it very hard to emulate a tone from someone like John Petrucci, Frank Gambale, Scott Henderson, or Greg Howe with this particular unit....Rather than doing that, I would prefer to set my own unique tone with it, but you might have to spend some time tweaking to get that "special" tone you want, just as you would with any other effects processor. Overall, the sound quality of this compact unit is very nice.

I haven't had it for very long, so I don't know how reliable this unit is through some years of use and normal abuse. I might use it on a gig as tone experimenting in conjuction with my Mesa Dual Rectifier head....But it might be a little difficult to change patches in a live situation since it's not really made for that purpose....Unless you leave the same setting during your whole live performance.

I never had to deal directly with Korg in the past.

I play lots of styles of music, from flamenco-classical guitar to funk, blues, fusion and heavy metal. I am in a cover band, so we do cover a lot of heavy material. I've been playing for a total of 9 years. This unit is a good match as far and a practice tool, I don't know how reliable it would be on a live situation, but that's something I'm willing to try out. If stolen or lost, I would buy it again because it's just a nice piece of equipment to own, it does many things in one pocket size lite weight unit. I love the size of it and the lite-screen, and how I can use it as a metronome to practice accuracy.

I had the first generation of Korg's portable effects boxes, the PX-1. I upgraded to this because I needed more patch locations - the PX-1 had 20, this has 50 user and 50 preset. It's pretty easy to use. The wheel is a big help in getting changes done quickly. It does have a lot of features, so the manual (which is excellent) is important, at least at first. You get the hang of making changes quickly. I was creating new sounds within half an hour. There are some limitations, though. Each component of a patch has only one adjustable parameters, and there are certain combinations that you can't use - compression with distortion or delay plus reverb, for example. There are an awful lot of features packed into this box - tuner, metronome, and built-in drum and bass patterns that you can jam along with.

I use a wide variety of guitars (and more importantly, pickups). There is a low/high gain switch which can adjust to different sorts of guitars. The sound quality is excellent, but will vary based on pickups. Using very quiet pickups (Lace Holy Grails) it is hard to get a good distorted sound. Using high gain humbuckers, it is hard to get a good clean sound. With most pickups, both are possible, and there are many useful sounds. I found about half of the presets useful (I don't have much use for the pitch shifted ones). This is very quiet for an effects box, and the stereo output is a great plus through headphones. I have also run it through solid state (Fender Amp Can and a variety of mini amps) and tube amps (Laney LC15) with no problems. One of my favorite setups is a Parker guitar through the PX-3 into a Fender Mini-Twin amp. Ultra lightweight, portable, and all battery powered. Forget havng to carry an acoustic for playing by the campfire! I find the effects comparable to what you'd get from a (non-boutique) stompbox. There is a wider variety of distortions than on my PX-1. I particularly like Tube, Crunch, Valve, and Crush.

Never had any problem with my PX-1 and this looks at least as solid. It is not great for a gig because it's hard to adjust parameters on the fly, it's light enough to be yanked all over the stage unless you tape it to your guitar strap, and the parameters are less adjustable than most of the alternatives. However, it makes a SUPERB backup to a bunch of stompboxes or another multi-effects box. It's very small and light, and, if you're going to carry a tuner anyway, why not use this, which offers you an awful lot more flexibility.

Not very good. Korg's Web site has little information and doesn't have the manual available on line. Even the third party Web sites I've seen for this are pretty poor. I may have to start one myself...

I play rock of all different types. Stylewise, this would be useful for almost anything from jazz to metal. I wish it could take a foot controller, which would make stage use more practical. This is one of the best products I've ever bought. My uses for it are: 1)headphone practice - I can avoid bothering my wife and the stereo sound is great, 2)playing along with the drums and bass to practice improvisation, 3)ultraportable electric guitar rig as described above, 4)onstage tuner/backup effects box, and 5)use at home as a regular effects box (get an AC adapter for this). There are sounds on this which just aren't on my other boxes, so I use this rather than trying to reprogram the others. That's an awful lot of value, and the fact that it fits in your pocket is a huge plus.

He comparado la programacion de este efecto con el ZOOM 505 y definitivamente la programacion de KORG es muy superior en cuanto a su facilidad de uso, rapidamente uno ya puede estar creando sus propios sonidos o modificando los ya existentes, el manual si no es muy util no trae mucha informacion considerando que mas que un manual es un folletin, mas facil es meterse directo al aparato y empezar a pasear por las opciones, le pondria un 10 pero el manual le quita puntos, no hay informacion sobre el firmware de la maquina y menos is es posible su actualizacion.

Los sonidos son muy buenos, asimismo la calidad de los chorus, delays y distortions tambien son buenas, el noise reduction es bastante bueno y se puede graduar de una manera mucho mas suave que en otros efectos que poseen saltos parametricos, el unico detalle es que cuando hay determinados golpes de la pua con determinados efectos como chorus o delay solos hay un peque?o zumbido que no lo he escuchado con otros efectos pero esto es casi imperceptible yo lo notado usando auriculares y tocando solo guitarra ya que con los demas sonidos de un acompa?amiento esto queda opacado.

El equipo es muy confiable se puede usar tambien baterias aunque usa las AAA las cuales son mas caras y mas dificiles de conseguir (sobre todo alcalinas) en cambio las AA se encuentran en cada esquina de mi ciudad, no he probado aun usar el equipo en un concierto solo con pilas ya que he escuchado que no duran mucho tiempo y no quiero arriesgarme aun tenre que probar.

Comparandolo con el ZOOM 505 lo siento mejor en muchas cosas parametros de programacion, memorias de usuario, facilidad de uso, sin embargo le veo como desventaja en que no se le puede conectar un pedal externo o un switch externo que pueda servir como pedal, para detarminadas ocasiones es mas util que estarlo accionando con la mano, sin embargo todas las demas caracteristiscas de sampler que permite grabar la entrada de musica por el auxiliar y reducirla en velocidad sin alterar la tonalidad son realmente EXCELENTES!!! para sacar canciones y practicar solos, la modalidad de supresion del canal central es aceptable y sirve tambien para practicar pero puede mejorar en la calidad del sonido resultante, tambien es muy buena el acompa?amiento de bateria y bajo estas cosas la verdad no las he visto en otro efecto, creo que compraria otro igual pero buscaria una pedalera tambien porque para practicar y ensayar el PX3 es fabuloso!! no hay comparacion pero para excenario en vivo creo que preferiria una pedalera. aun me falta probar esto en vivo, todavia no lo he hecho...

Well, it's really simple to use for a first approach. The doc is quite good, the quick select is a good feature regarding PX-2.
The edit patch is classical, you select an amplifier type, set the gain, then set the equalizer, choose an effect (chorus, flange, wah...) and set the level, select the reverb/delay, select the speaker.

I heard it on Marshall, Peavy bandit, Peavy Chorus 212, it always sounded great. In fact, there are so different effect embeded, that some seem useless but I can't tell.
My teacher went through all factory settings and for each did a demo of the style. How impressive ! Already I found it great, myself playing, but definitively I was proud I bought it !
The delays are very good, the distos also, with several flavours, lot of reverbs also, all very good. I couldn't imagine so many quality effect in such a small single box.

I can't say anything about it because it's a practice tool.
So not gig. Otherwise, quite reliable.

never dealt with korg

I play Pink Floyd, AC-DC, Trust, Gun's Roses, Hendrix, and it fit all those. It's the only effect I have, I use also my Bandit 112 disto and reverb, very good both.

I first wanted to buy a Zoom GFX 707, but I tried it and the PX3 just after and there was no comparison. Ok , 707 is a pedal, so you can select patches while playing, but nothing to do regarding the sound quality, Pandora overrides its competitor, for drum machine also.

I advice you test it, and after buying it becomes obvious. I just finished playing AC-DC with the CD, the sound is the same (but it's not Angus playing !).

I think the price is due to the fact it's not a pedal, but for the sound, you get it for the bucks !

I stolen or lost, I would immediatly buy the same, it's so cool practicing anywhere with the good sound !

Ah some people say it's better to conect it on the effect loop out, but I get a better sound on the classical guitar input of my amp.

Ease of Sound: Very easy to get sounds.
Editing: you must use the manual.
Manual: Foreign Languages are mixed with english--should be separate.
Firmware: Don't know.

If you view this as an inexpensive practice tool, it can't be beat. That's what it is. It is not going to work live, it might work in the studio, but it is not going to sound as good as separate, high-quality boxes and an amp is going to sound. IT IS A PRACTICE TOOL! Thas is why I give it a 10.
My setup is an Es-335 and an SG.
It is not really noisy.

YOu should create your own patches!

It seems to work without a hitch. I have dropped it 2x.

It IS cheaply made and lacks rubber feet to keep it stable on a table (hey, that rhymed!).

It should have a belt clip as well.

Haven't needed to.

Practice tool!

this thing is pretty easy to use.most of the patches sound pretty good.and editing the patches are simple.the manual will clear up everything.i only had to read it once.the only complicated part is the phase trainer. and that is still easy

i have mainly been using it and old kramer with a humbucker.and it is pretty quite.i played it with my fender with the single coils and it is a little noisy but it does have a noise reduction feature and it helps.the px-3 sounds a lot better through headphones then an amp.it is the only way to hear the difference in the amp modulation.the distortion is a little lacking it is either too much or not enough.there is really no bottom end to it.but you can find something to work. i really like the chorus sound and the reverbs,and i was really suprised with the auto wah. it is one of the best i ever heard.i have a dod effecs board and the auto wah sucks so i bought a cry baby.the patches are mainlt for soloing and learning licks. the s.r.v.,jeff beck,jimi.and eddie patches sound pretty close to thier sound.also i really liked the octave features and harmonies.
the rhythm and bass patters are a joke.like something off an old keyboard.but there are alot to choose from and you can change the basskey,and tempo.the phase trainer is neat it hase a center cancel with take the lead guitar and vocals out of the recording.you can record up to 16sec. in a loop and then you can slow it down with out changing the pitch.or you can change the pitch of the recording to match the tuning of your guitar.
but all in all it sounds really good

i have only had it a short time but is seams really reliable but it does eat batteries so get the adaptor. i would never gig with it. it would be really hard to use,but i will record with it

the korg web site sucks and i bought the thing used off e-bay.the manual gives you alot of information.i think i'll get better support from the guy i bought it off of then the korg website. the support rating is so low just because the korg site sucks.

i play alot of different types of music so the px-3 really suits my needs. i have been playing guitar for more then 15 years and this is the best personal playing devise i have ever used.if i ever broke of lost it i would replace it.i wish the distortion was alittle better.and the volume was alittle louder.but for the price and the size of this thing you can't really beat it.this this i just fun to play around with. i highly recomend it you will enjoy it

You will probaly need the manual, but all and all its pretty simple.

For such a extreamly small device and considering the price the sound is good to excellent. I use a standard mex. Strat, and a Gibson 330. People need to understand that the px-3 was intended for practice use and not giging. For this purpose the sound can't be beat considering the price and portability. I have heard lower end stomp boxes that can not compare in soud quality. I also own a DOD fx7 and the Korg blows it out of the water.

I have droped the unit a number of times, with no ill effects. It has a plactic casing that I doubt would take any serious abuse.

Never had any dealings direct with Korg

I play just for self enjoyment, and experiment in many styles of music. for this purpose the PX-3 suits my needs perfectly.

The PX-3 is very easy to use, but it is not totally intuitive so you will need to read the manual. Once you know how to navigate the buttons, the thing is a piece of cake to operate. I read through the manual once & have not had to go back to it. For the features it has & it's size, I don't think it could get much easier than this.

The manual itself is pretty clear and is printed in four languages, so it's not quite as big as it may seem at first glance.

Editing patches is very easy and the effects are set up to enable you to dial in a decent sound quickly and without having to know a lot about how to get a good sound. This is good & bad, which I'll comment on under "Sound Quality"

The phrase trainer is incredibly easy to use. The only other one I've used is on a BOSS ME-30, and this one is better all around.

For what this is, the sounds are fantastic. I'm using the PX-3 as a practice amp with headphones, and I might record a bit with it. Compared to other effects rigs, this doesn't have the best sounds. On the plus side, the sounds are quite good and you can dial in a good sound quickly, without having to know a lot about what you're doing.

The distortions sound a bit harsh to me, but I find them to be more than useable for my purposes. (My preference is for the Tube Screamer or Marshall Tube amp type of sound.)

For EQ you get 2-bands, Hi and Lo, and a Hyper-Bass-Boost feature. You don't have total control of your sound, but you can get a good sound out of it and it is easy to use. I think that adding more bands would be a bad idea, as that would get too cumbersome to deal with in a package this size.

The modulation and delay effects are quite good. You get 4 chorus sounds, all of which sound lovely! I have noticed that the modulation effects, particulary the choruses, tend to introduce a bit of noise into the sound. (The unit has a noise gate that allows you to achieve complete silence, but you can still hear the chorus noise on top of your sound.) The delays allow you to select from several of the most common delay times from 20ms to 2 seconds, so you can get slapback and echo. The effects are limiting in that you can't tweak every parameter. For example, you can't get a 93ms delay time - you have to choose from the options given. You also cannot change the feedback on the delay, or at least I haven't found a way to do that. You can change the level of delay signal to dry, but that's about it. Again, the setup is not as flexible as other rigs, but it's really not designed to be. Adding such tweaks would make it more cumbersome to use.

The best thing on the PX-3 is the "Key Transpose" feature, which lets you alter the pitch of the signal that is plugged into the "Auxilliary" jack, like a CD player. I didn't expect this feature to work very well at all & it's pretty much flawless. You'll get a bit of audio degradation if you try to drop things more than a step, but for moving a few cents either way it works great!

The metronome is great & is pretty ear friendly through headphones, which is unique among the electronic ones I've tried in the past. The drum machine & bass accompanyment are alright. It's not a sequencer and it is not even remotely close to a DR-5 or anything like that. It's not something you would ever perform with, but it's great for practicing with.

The cabinet simulator is, well, okay. It sounds pretty good & is rather flexible. I also have a J-Station, so I feel that I'm a bit biased in this area. The best way to put it is that compared to the J, the Px-3 cab simulator definitely comes in second. If I were to compare it to the cab simulator on my ME-30, the PX-3 wins hands down and by several laps!

The overall sound quality does not compare well to what you'll get out of a high-end rack, a POD or J-Station, but it is very nice. If my rating were comparative to those types of devices, I'd have to give this unit a 6 or 7 at best. I would not recommend using this as an effects unit for a live rig. It will work okay, but there are other devices better suited to that purpose. If that's what you're looking for, you should look elsewhere if you have the means.

Compared to other devices of it's kind, like a Rockman or other headphone gear, the PX-3 rules. It far exceeded my expectations! I'd give it a 10, but I think KORG can improve on the noise issue I mentioned so I'll say 9.

I haven't had mine very long, so I can't say a whole lot. It's mainly plastic, so I wouldn't want to drop it from 6 feet onto a cement floor. It seems pretty solid and well made though.

I have not had to contact Korg with any issues or questions, so I'm no help here either. I was able to find out some decent information about the PX-3 from Korg's web site prior to purchase. so they were quite helpful in that regard.

I like to play a variety of stuff, mainly Rock and Jazz, and this is certainly a flexible little unit capable of delivering lots of good sounds. I'd buy this again in a heartbeat if I had to replace it.

There are some things I initially thought I'd like to add, such as MIDI or the ability to tweak additional effect parameters, but I've now come to think that doing so would spoil what the PX-3 is and make it harder to use. It is not a POD-type device or big effects rig, and shouldn't be viewed as such as it will definitely leave you wanting. However, it is a cute and friendly little practice partner, and in that realm I don't think I've seen better.

I am a keyboardist/acoustic guitarist who has also been playing Rhythm Electric for the past 11 years. My overall style is in the vein of Journey/Rick Springfield. This unit is very easy to use and edit. To me, there are an awful lot of parameter settings in a such a small box. The manual leaves a bit to be desired in terms of descriptions and elaborations, but the diagrams are self explanatory. I found it a breeze to get clean sounds and chorused sounds, but have yet to be able to get a good distortion sound that will reproduce in computer speakers, the headphones, and also an amp. Instead I have to constantly tweak settings for each, as what sounds great in headphones tends to suck on computer speakers. Is this normal?

I am a keyboardist/acoustic guitarist who has also been playing Rhythm Electric for the past 11 years. My overall style is in the vein of Journey/Rick Springfield. I generally run a Roland XP-10, my Takamine EF381C Acoustic/Electric 12 String, Ovation CC0026 Acoustic/Electric 6 String, and my Cort Strat Faker Electric Guitar through my keyboard amp with the PX-3 in between for live performances.

For home recording I run direct through the PX-3 into a mixer and then into my DMAN PCI soundcard into Cakewalk output through PC speakers.

I found it a breeze to get clean sounds and chorused sounds, but have yet to be able to get a good distortion sound (either of my own or my favorite artists) that will reproduce in computer speakers, the headphones, and also an amp. Instead I have to constantly tweak settings for each, as what sounds great in headphones tends to suck on computer speakers. Is this normal?

I have used it in both professional studios, and live and would continue to do so.

Have had no problems as of yet.

I am a lead vocalist/keyboardist/acoustic guitarist who has also been playing Rhythm Electric for the past 11 years. My overall style is in the vein of Journey/Rick Springfield. I like the size and portability, the multitude of features. The factory presets all need tweaking, but I think you can get a good sound. I just wish I could understand why I can't seem to get any good distortion sounds. Before buying it, I spent 3 weeks trying out every floor multi effects pedal. To me this one won hands down. But opions vary.