If you're shopping for an arranger keyboard in the UAE, the Korg PA series is almost certainly on your radar — and for good reason. Korg's Professional Arranger lineup has earned a loyal following among musicians across the Middle East, thanks to its exceptional oriental and Arabic style libraries, realistic sound engine, and deep performance features. But with multiple models in the range, the question every buyer faces is the same: which one do I actually need?

As the official Korg distributor in the UAE, Gigstore carries the full PA lineup across our showrooms in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In this guide, our team breaks down the Korg PA300, PA700, and PA1000 side by side — comparing specs, features, and real-world performance — so you can walk in with confidence and walk out with the right keyboard.

A Quick Overview of the Korg PA Series

The Korg PA series is a line of Professional Arranger keyboards — instruments designed to accompany a solo performer with a full backing band at the touch of a button. Auto-accompaniment styles, vast sound libraries, built-in speakers, vocal processors, MP3 players, and sequencers are all part of the package. They're built for live performance, home practice, and studio work alike, and they're especially popular in Middle Eastern music scenes thanks to dedicated oriental styles and quarter-tone scale support.

Here's how the three models in focus compare at a glance:

Korg PA300 — The Entry-Level Professional Arranger

The PA300 is where many musicians begin their Korg journey, and it's easy to see why. It offers a genuinely professional feature set in a compact, lightweight body at the most accessible price point in the PA range.

Powered by Korg's RX (Real eXperience) sound engine, the PA300 delivers over 900 factory sounds, more than 310 accompaniment styles, and a 64-voice polyphony engine. It has a colour touchscreen display, a built-in MP3 player, a fully programmable SongBook database, and support for karaoke lyrics — making it a versatile all-in-one performance tool.

The PA300 is also notable for its Arabic and Middle Eastern style content, including quarter-tone scale support via the Arabic Scale function — a key feature for musicians performing maqam-based music in the UAE and wider region.

Who Should Choose the Korg PA300 ?

• Beginners picking up their first arranger keyboard
• Home players who want a full-featured instrument without a large budget
• Musicians who primarily play at home or in small gatherings
• Students of Arabic, Turkish, or Middle Eastern music styles

Note: The PA300 has been discontinued by Korg. Stock is limited — if you're interested, speak to our team at Gigstore about availability.

Korg PA700 — The Mid-Range Powerhouse

The PA700 is a significant step up from the PA700, and for most working musicians and enthusiasts, it hits the sweet spot between price and performance. Built around Korg's more advanced EDS-X (Enhanced Definition Synthesis – eXpanded) sound engine, the PA700 delivers a noticeably richer and more realistic sound than its entry-level sibling.

Key upgrades over the PA300 include:

• 1,700+ factory sounds including a multilayer stereo grand piano with damper and body resonance, electric pianos from the acclaimed Korg SV-1 Stage Piano, digital drawbar organ with rotary speaker emulation, and new wind instruments, strings, and guitars
• 370+ factory styles with 1,152 user style locations
• 128-voice polyphony — double that of the PA300
• 50W amplification system for a much fuller on-board sound
• Full 16-track sequencer with up to 200,000 events
• Style Creator Bot — converts any standard MIDI file into a full Korg arranger style
• MP3 recording — record your entire live performance directly to a USB device
• KAOSS effects for real-time performance manipulation

The PA700 also comes in an Oriental version (PA700 Oriental) — a variant specifically designed for Middle Eastern musicians, featuring a dedicated mini-keyboard on the left side for quick access to quarter-tone scale presets and an expanded library of Arabic, Turkish, and regional styles and sounds. This is an incredibly popular model in the UAE market.

Who Should Choose the Korg PA700?

• Intermediate to advanced players ready to upgrade from a beginner model
• Working musicians performing at weddings, events, and venues
• Players who want Arabic and Middle Eastern styles with more depth and variety
• Those who want to record their performances in MP3 format
• Musicians who need a powerful on-board speaker system for live use

Korg PA1000 — The Professional's Choice

The Korg PA1000 sits at the top of the accessible PA range (above the PA700 and below the flagship PA4X), and it shows. This is the instrument for the serious performer who demands the best sound quality, the most expressive keyboard action, and the deepest feature set available.

The most significant upgrade the Korg PA1000 brings over the PA700 is its 61 semi-weighted keys with aftertouch — a game-changer for expressive playing. Aftertouch allows you to add vibrato, modulation, or volume swells simply by pressing into a key after it's been depressed, adding a level of expressiveness that unweighted keys simply cannot match.

Other notable Korg PA1000 highlights include:

• 1,750+ factory sounds — the most in the range, including two multilayer stereo pianos with damper and body resonance
• 430+ factory styles — the widest selection of accompaniment content in the PA lineup
• 640 user sound locations — more room for custom and downloaded sounds
• 66W amplification — the most powerful on-board speaker system in the PA series, capable of filling a room on its own
• TC•Helicon® vocal harmonizer — professional three-voice harmonizer built in, ideal for solo performers who sing
• 48kHz/24-bit audio recording — higher quality audio output than the PA700's 16-bit recording
• Richer EDS-X sound engine implementation with enhanced reverb algorithms and triple FX chain capability

Who Should Choose the Korg PA1000?

• Professional musicians and performers who need the best available in this price range
• Solo artists who sing and perform simultaneously and will benefit from the built-in TC•Helicon harmonizer
• Players who prioritise keyboard feel and expressiveness — the semi-weighted keys and aftertouch make a real difference
• Musicians recording at home or in a studio who want higher quality audio output
• Performers who need maximum power from the on-board speakers without connecting to external PA

PA700 vs PA1000 — Is the Upgrade Worth It?

This is the most common question we hear at Gigstore, and the honest answer is: it depends on how you play.

If you primarily use the auto-accompaniment features and styles, perform live at events, and don't sing while playing, the PA700 is an outstanding instrument that will serve you extremely well. The difference in sound library size between the two models is relatively minor in practice.

However, if you're a serious performer who sings on stage, records at home, cares about the feel of the keys under your fingers, or needs the most powerful on-board sound possible, the PA1000's semi-weighted keys, aftertouch, vocal harmonizer, and 66W speaker system make it worth the investment.

A Note on Oriental Versions

For musicians in the UAE and the wider Middle East, it's worth noting that the PA700 Oriental is a dedicated variant built specifically for Arabic and Middle Eastern music. It includes additional maqam scales, regional styles and sounds, and a secondary keyboard strip on the left side for instant quarter-tone access — features that aren't found on the standard PA700.

If Arabic and oriental music is your primary style, the PA700 Oriental is worth considering alongside the standard models. Ask our team at Gigstore about current availability.

Try Them In-Store at Gigstore UAE — Official Korg Distributor

Reading about keyboards only gets you so far — the best way to choose is to sit down and play them. As the official Korg distributor in the UAE, Gigstore carries the full PA lineup with genuine warranty coverage and full after-sales support. Visit our showrooms in Dubai (Hor Al Anz, Deira) and Abu Dhabi (Dalma Mall) to try the Korg PA series in person, with our team on hand to walk you through the differences and help you find the right match.

Buying from an official distributor also means you get genuine Korg products, valid UAE warranty, and direct access to manufacturer support — peace of mind that grey market purchases simply can't offer.

Can't visit in person? Browse the full Korg PA range online at gigstore.ae with fast delivery across the UAE.

Gigstore Dubai: Al Yasmeen Building, Hor Al Anz, Deira | +971 4 2801500
Gigstore Abu Dhabi: Dalma Mall
info@gigstore.ae | www.gigstore.ae