# Converter

Convert one style between KORG Pa (.STY), KORG PA5X (.stg), Yamaha, Medeli AKX, Ketron and MIDI — with section mapping, previews, warnings, a fidelity check and per-track settings. Plus a look at the Sampler Converter that is coming soon.

Web page: https://pasetexplorer.com/tutorials?c=converter

In this chapter:

- Which formats you can convert from and to
- Converting a style step by step
- Reading the section map, warnings and target capabilities
- Fine-tuning the result with Style Settings (tracks, chord rules, hand sounds)
- Checking the result with Verify Fidelity

## What the Converter does

The **Style Converter** takes **one style** in any supported format and writes it in another format, so you can play a KORG style on a Yamaha, a Yamaha style on a KORG, a PA5X style on an older Pa, a style on a Medeli AKX, and so on.

1. **Import** a style (.STY, .stg, Yamaha / Medeli .sty, Ketron .kst or .mid)
2. **Choose the target** keyboard / format
3. **Check** the section map, warnings and previews
4. Optional: **Style Settings** and **Verify Fidelity**
5. **CONVERT** and choose the output folder

> **One style at a time:** The Converter section converts one style at a time. To convert **many** styles at once, use one of these:
> • **Import Style** on an empty slot in SetManager — any format becomes a style of your SET.
> • **Convert** in SetManager — converts a whole SET.

## Supported formats

| Format | Import (source) | Export (target) | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| KORG Pa .STY (PA300 – PA4X) | ✔ (a bank: you pick the style) | ✔ “KORG PA700/1000/PA4X (.STY)” and “KORG PA300/600/900 (.STY)” | Multi-CV, NTT/ranges, any meter. |
| KORG PA5X .stg | ✔ | ✔ “KORG PA5X (.stg)” | Multi-CV, NTT/ranges. Per-track EQ is not carried. |
| Yamaha .sty (SFF) | ✔ | ✔ “Yamaha Style (.sty)” | 1 CV per part (+1 alternative), CASM chord rules, OTS. |
| Medeli AKX10 .sty | ✔ | ✔ “Medeli AKX10 (.sty)” | 1 CV, rules via CASM, Quick Settings, 4/4 grid only. |
| Ketron / Audya .kst | ✔ | ✔ “Ketron / Audya (.kst)” | MAJ/MIN/SEV built from the CVs, no NTT/ranges. |
| Standard MIDI .mid | ✔ only with section markers (Main A, Intro 1, Fill In AA…) | ✔ “Standard MIDI (.mid) — up to 2 CVs” | One marker per section. |
| PA SET EXPLORER MIDI .mid | ✔ | ✔ “PA SET EXPLORER MIDI (.mid) — edit in a DAW, convert back” | Every CV is a segment and the original style travels inside: convert it back after editing in a DAW. |

*Roland, Yamaha .prs/.sst/.fps and pad files are not style sources in the Converter.*

> **The PA SET EXPLORER MIDI trick:** Want to edit a style in your DAW (Cubase, Reaper, FL Studio…)? Convert it to **PA SET EXPLORER MIDI (.mid)**, edit the notes, then import that .mid again and convert it back to the original format. If you did not touch the notes, the result is byte-identical to the original; if you did, your edits are patched into the original style.

## Convert a style, step by step

**Step 1 — Open the Converter**

Click **Converter** in the sidebar. Make sure **Style Converter** is selected at the top.

**Step 2 — Import the style**

Click **⬆ Import Style/Mid…** and choose where the style comes from:

![Screenshot](https://pasetexplorer.com/images/docs/conv-import.webp)

Numbered marks on this screenshot:

1. **Community** — one of the styles you downloaded from the Community.
2. **Browse…** — any style or MIDI file on your PC (.STY, .sty, .stg, .kst, .mid).

> **Tip:** If the file is a KORG .STY bank with several styles, a list appears: pick the one you want.

**Step 3 — Choose the target and check everything**

Pick the target in **Target:**. The screen fills with the section map:

![A PA5X style (“Draga tata”) ready to become a Yamaha style.](https://pasetexplorer.com/images/docs/converter-main.webp)

Numbered marks on this screenshot:

1. **Style Converter** / **Sampler Converter** (the second one is still in development).
2. Import another style.
3. What you imported: format and name (here a PA5X .stg).
4. **Tempo A** — tempo for previews of the source.
5. **Target** — the format to convert to.
6. **Tempo B** — tempo written into the converted style.
7. **Target capabilities** — what the target can and cannot store (here: Yamaha keeps 1 CV, uses CASM rules, OTS…).
8. **Warnings** — everything that will change or be simplified for this target. Read them!
9. A **source section** with its bars, time signature and number of Chord Variations (CVs).
10. Choose which **CV** you preview / export.
11. **▶** preview the section (click again to stop).
12. **.mid** — export just this section as a MIDI file.
13. Arrows show where each source section goes (blue = same place, orange = moved).
14. Each **target section** lets you choose which source section fills it, or “— (empty) —”.
15. **▸ Advanced options** — output name and special switches.
16. **⚙ Style Settings** — tracks, chord rules and hand sounds of the result.
17. **✓ Verify Fidelity** — convert in memory and compare.
18. **⚡ CONVERT** — write the file.

**Step 4 — Optional: Advanced options**

Open **▸ Advanced options** to rename the output or use the special switches:

![Screenshot](https://pasetexplorer.com/images/docs/conv-advanced.webp)

Numbered marks on this screenshot:

1. Open / close the options.
2. **Output name** — leave empty to keep the source name. If the file exists, “(1)” is added.
3. **Relocate ACMP-Perc track** (Yamaha / Medeli targets) — moves melodic ACMP-Percussion content to a free melodic channel so the target does not play it as drums.

> **Tip:** For KORG and PA5X targets the switch is **Faithful ranges (no widening)**: it keeps the source keyboard ranges exactly. It is ticked automatically when the source is KORG.

**Step 5 — Press ⚡ CONVERT**

Choose the output folder. If the source has KORG **Guitar Mode** tracks and the target is Yamaha, Medeli or Ketron, you are asked “Transcribe Guitar Mode Tracks?” — **Yes** rebuilds them as real guitar notes, **No** keeps the raw KORG trigger notes. For Medeli targets you may also see “No free part for a chord-following track” (see the FAQ). When it is done, a message shows “Style converted: <file>”.

## Style Settings — fine-tune the result

**⚙ Style Settings** changes **only the converted output** — the source file is never modified. It has three tabs.

![Style Settings → TRACKS.](https://pasetexplorer.com/images/docs/conv-settings-tracks.webp)

Numbered marks on this screenshot:

1. **TRACKS**, **CHORD RULES** and **HAND SOUNDS (OTS/STS/QS)**.
2. Changes apply only to the output. `Ctrl+Z` restores a deleted track.
3. **⚠ Analyze layout** finds role conflicts for the target · **✨ Auto-fix** applies the suggested fixes.
4. The sections of the style — click one to edit it.
5. **Edit scope**: change the track in **All sections** or **This section only**.
6. **ROLE** — auto (detected) or force drum / perc / bass / acmp / guitar.
7. The track’s notes and sound (read-only).
8. **OCT** (−3…+3), **VOL** (0–127) and **VEL%** (10–200) of the track.
9. **▶** — listen to this track alone.
10. **Swap with…** — exchange two tracks.
11. **🗑** — remove the track from the output (↩ brings it back).
12. **Reset all**, **Cancel** or **💾 Save & Close** — saved settings are used by Convert and Verify.

![Style Settings → CHORD RULES.](https://pasetexplorer.com/images/docs/conv-settings-rules.webp)

Numbered marks on this screenshot:

1. **CHORD RULES** (only for Yamaha and Medeli targets).
2. What each column means.
3. **NTR** — how the phrase follows the chord root: Root Trans or Root Fixed.
4. **NTT** — how notes adapt to the chord type: Bypass, Melody, Chord, Bass, Melodic Min, Harmonic Min.
5. **RTR** — what held notes do on a chord change: Stop, Pitch Shift, P.Shift>Root, Retrigger, Retrig>Root.
6. **HIGH KEY** — the octave-fold limit.
7. The note range of the track (read-only).
8. **Apply this section’s rules to ALL sections**.

![Style Settings → HAND SOUNDS. Not available for Ketron and MIDI targets.](https://pasetexplorer.com/images/docs/conv-settings-hands.webp)

Numbered marks on this screenshot:

1. **HAND SOUNDS** — written as OTS (Yamaha), QS (Medeli) or STS (KORG).
2. Program = General MIDI number, Vol = volume.
3. Four setups, each with Right 1, Right 2, Right 3 and Left.
4. **GM** program number (0–127).
5. **Vol** (0–127).

## Verify Fidelity — check before you convert

**✓ Verify Fidelity** converts the style in memory, reads the result back and compares it with the source:

![Verify Fidelity: PA5X → KORG Pa .STY, 100% of the notes kept.](https://pasetexplorer.com/images/docs/conv-verify.webp)

Numbered marks on this screenshot:

1. Target: KORG PA700/1000/PA4X (.STY).
2. This target keeps every CV, the NTT and ranges, and any time signature.
3. **Faithful ranges** is ticked automatically for KORG targets.
4. Press **✓ Verify Fidelity**.
5. Result: **Sections kept 10/10**, **Notes 100%**, **Ranges 100%** — a perfect conversion.

> **Why other targets show lower numbers:** Yamaha and Medeli store fewer Chord Variations per part, and Ketron has its own MAJ/MIN/SEV system. For those targets the note percentage can be lower because the converter has to **reduce** the variations (the Warnings box explains exactly what). Read the warnings, listen to the previews and decide.

## Sampler Converter (in development)

![The Sampler Converter tab today.](https://pasetexplorer.com/images/docs/conv-sampler-dev.webp)

Numbered marks on this screenshot:

1. **Sampler Converter**.
2. The feature is being built and will arrive in a coming update.
3. **IN DEVELOPMENT**.

> **Dev:** The Sampler Converter (SoundFont hub with an advanced waveform editor) is **in development**. Meanwhile you can already convert sounds in other ways:
> • **Export** a sound as .sf2, .voi/.kit, KORG sampler or WAV from the [Sound Library](https://pasetexplorer.com/tutorials?c=sound-library#export-sound).
> • **Import** .sf2, .voi, .uvn, .kmp, .kit and .uvd files into a KORG SET (see [Importing](https://pasetexplorer.com/tutorials?c=importing#import-samplers)).
> • **Drag** KORG samplers and drum kits onto Medeli AKX packs (see [Medeli AKX](https://pasetexplorer.com/tutorials?c=medeli-akx#korg-to-akx)).

## Tips for great conversions

**Tips:**

- Always read the **Warnings** box: it tells you exactly what the target cannot store.
- Listen to a few sections with **▶** on both sides before converting — the previews sound like the exported .mid.
- Converting between KORG Pa and PA5X keeps the most information: use **Verify Fidelity** to see it.
- For Yamaha and Medeli, open **Style Settings → CHORD RULES** to check how each track follows the chords.
- Use **.mid** on a section to quickly share or inspect one part of a style.
- Want the style **inside** a SET instead of as a file? Use **Import Style** on an empty slot in SetManager: it uses this same converter.