Is the PC3 that different from a K2600?

[Moon Zero Two]

Been searching for a PC3X out on the Isle of Long in New York and no one has one - will have to trek into Manhattan I suppose - but was wondering if there were anyone on the board who might have a K2600 series and ellct their opinions on differences between the two - I know the technical differences (increase polyphony, virtual analog) but any of the demos I have heard don't sound that different from my K2600R - it has all four roms, full ram and an internal hard disc - for the record I think it sounds fantastic. I just haven't anything that makes me want to upgrade.

[Ian Benhamou]

There seems to be a major misconception that the PC3 is just a repackaged K2600. Although I've never owned a K2600, I know from what I've read that the PC3 is much more powerful and has a much improved sound engine.

 

Aside of polyphony increase and VA, the KB3 mode is MUCH, MUCH better. It still doesn't beat a clonewheel like Nord or XK-3. But it is a lot better than ROMpler organs found on Motifs, Fantoms et al. And people on Sonikmatter have posted about great results running it through a Leslie or Ventilator.

 

The VAST engine has been expanded from Triple Mode. You now could route any layer into the Algorithm of another layer, 32 times! Dynamic vast allows you to create your own algorithms for limitless routing options of DSP functions. This may seem like a overkill, especially for those who don't program much, but keep in mind that the all the presets have been re-programmed by the expert sound-designers at Kurz to take advantage of the expanded VAST.

 

There's also a studio quality effects engine. The effects from the KSP8 are included, except you could have up to 16 insert effects, plus 2 Auxiliary, and Master Compressor and Master EQ. This is real high-powered effects with transparent processing. The Distortions are out of this world, btw. The ep's sound lik they're running through real amp cabinets.

 

Add to that 16 independent Riffs in setup mode. Riffs are short sequences which you could trigger using a number of programmable controllers and have loop or play once, etc. You also have 16 independent arpeggiators.

 

As for samples, you get a whole new set of killer strings including all different sections (Violin I, Violin II, Viola I, Viola II, Celli I etc.) and different articulations (adagio, aggresso, arco, marcato, pizzicato, etc.). There's a full bank of 128 new programs using these new samples which cover all string sounds imaginable.

 

There's also a full orchestra bank with great ensemble programs as well as solo instruments.

 

As for the rest, it may still be the same sample ROM as the K2600 but ALL the patches have been re-programmed to take advantage of the new VAST, the more powerful FX engine and added polyphony. And you get close to 1000 programs.

[MoodyBluesKeys]

I have both a PC3 (and 3X) and a 2661. My 2661 has Orchestral and Contemporary as stock, also has GM - the 2661 included that whereas the 2600 did not. However, I don't have the Piano ROM nor the Vintage ROM (although my PC2 has the similar Classic ROM, which included all the 2600 Vintage sounds plus mellotrons and a few others, and the triple strike piano is in the PC2). The 3X and 2661 are shown in my avatar.

 

The PC3 definitely has better sounds. How noticable this is depends on where it is used. In the average rock band, it would not be as noticable as in settings where it is "front and center." Ian made a very good summary above of the benefits. Best I can say is that the sounds are more refined - the Orchestrals sound more like orchestral instruments, the Acoustic Pianos are quite a bit superior. When it comes to the Wurlies and Rhodes samples they are more refined, but also different. There are a couple of Wurlies in the PC2 Vintage ROM (not the base set) that I wish were also in the PC3.

 

KB3 mode - to put it simply, the PC2 KB3 mode sounds better than the 2661, and the PC3 blows either of them out of the water (plus having all nine sliders to emulate drawbars). The Leslie sim is not quite up to a real Leslie or a N3 Nord, but I can turn off the Leslie effect and buy a Ventilator a sight cheaper than I can pick up even a Nord 2 rack - not to mention the better action of the PC3.

 

A few places where the 2661 does have the advantage: "world" sounds - the PC3 does not have most of them, except as part of the General MIDI implementation. Some players, this is a major deal - my own case, I could care less - never use them even on the 2661. Pads - there are some dynamite pads on the PC3, but there are some I miss from the PC2, and there are not as many as on the 2661. This is well mitigated by the fact that (even for someone who does not program) users on the SonikMatter forum have posted a bunch of pads, and I use several of them frequently.

 

If I were considering purchase now and did not have to move quickly, I'd wait for the PC3K to hit the streets - all the features of the PC3 PLUS 90% program capability to directly read K series patches - and even sample memory that holds the samples when power is shut off.

 

To put it simply - I keep the 2661 because it is paid for, it does give me an extra small board for 2-board setups when gigging, and they are not bringing enough used currently to entice me into getting rid of it - although if someone offered a trade for an Electro 2, even with a bit of money on my side, I'd take it just for having a very lightweight board to carry around. I wouldn't sell the PC3 OR the PC3X at all unless I could mostly pay for a PC3K.

 

My 3X stays in the studio most of the time, and is MIDI controller for my DAW, with the EWQN Gold Piano collection jsut added for solo work.

 

[Moon Zero Two]

Thanks for the long response and great points. About a year ago I played a PC3X for about ten minutes and thought sounds exactly like my K2600X - meaning the pianos and epianos - I could tell right away how much better the VA sounds were - KB3 never did anything for me in the 2600 or PC2 - but I didn't check out the strings - When I do my road trip to NYC I will check it out. Thanks again.

 

ps - love your signature.

[Ian Benhamou]

About a year ago I played a PC3X for about ten minutes and thought sounds exactly like my K2600X - meaning the pianos and epianos - I could tell right away how much better the VA sounds were - KB3 never did anything for me in the 2600 or PC2 - but I didn't check out the strings - When I do my road trip to NYC I will check it out. Thanks again.

 

Pianos and ep's are improved even if only subtly. The effects on the EP's are most definitely much more pristine and realistic. The pianos have added dynamic range and better programming. Wider range of "coloured" pianos as well.

 

The VA's without question are better because of the anti-aliasing oscillators.

 

KB3 doesn't do it for me either. I use a NE2 rack for that. But on 1 board only gigs and rehearsals I do use it, and it gets the job done.

 

You MUST check out the orchestral and string banks. I tried out the PC3 the first time in the store for about 30 minutes. I spent the first 25 minutes painstakingly going through pianos, eps, KB3, VAs and liked what I was hearing a lot but wasn't completely sold. I spent not even 5 minutes on the string bank and I pulled out my credit card on the spot!

 

Whatever you do, make sure that the floor model you try out has the latest OS (1.35 I think).

[Moon Zero Two]

MBK thanks for the response as well.

 

My K2600RS has all four roms and a ton of great CD roms that I have moved over to the internal hard drive - I absolutely love it - it sounds fantastic - I guess it would make sense for me to wait for the PC3K - I do love the extensive midi control that a Kurzweil keyboard gives you - but I am not sure if I would get the PC3K over the PC3X - since I already have the K2600RS with a ton of CD Roms - I am kind of hoping to see a price drop on the PC3X once the PC3K goes into wide release.

 

what do you think of the keybed of the PC3X?

 

 

[MoodyBluesKeys]

I like the keybed. It has a different feel from my PC2X (which I believe has the same keybed as a 2600X). The PC2X makes more acoustic noise, and has a different feel - there is a bit more pressure needed for the first 1/16" of travel than after that first part. The PC3X is also used as my MIDI controller for EWQN Pianos, and the Bosendorpher in particular has a huge dynamic range - but it really lets me know that I need a lot more work getting the ppp sounds even (MIDI scope on the PC3X will show me what MIDI level each key is struck at).

 

The weighting on the keyboard is a little heavier than some of the local acoustic pianos, but substantially less force than the college Steinway B. I play mostly a mixture of classical and contemporary Christian music on it - including some of the less advanced Chopin. Very even in touch. It does take a considerable amount of force to exceed 100 in MIDI level. I have it set at Piano feel (there are about 8 electronic settings for keyoard velocity - I either use linear or piano feel).

 

I bought one of the first 65 PC3X imported into the US - have had it since March of 2008, it had OS version 0.93 on it when I got it, got it that early at a very good price. Liked it well enough to buy a B-stock PC3 76 key 11 months later, easier to carry around on gigs, OK for casual piano work, but not as good for fine control piano.

 

According to Kurzweil R&D this particular Fatar keyboard is more rugged and holds up better than the older style used in the PC88, PC2, K2600, etc. (Amanda Palmer plays one, and she hasn't been able to damage it like her PC88's - I think she had five of them so she always had one ready to go).

 

I would be mixed on which one to get in your case. The two arguments for the new PC3K are the static memory - does not lose samples on power off and having everything in one box The advantages of a PC3X and your present K2600RS - you can MIDI control the 2600RS and get extra layers in your playing, and you have a hardware sampler (the new PC3K does NOT do sampling, although it will play existing samples).

 

[Dave Weiser]

Seems like you guys mostly have this one covered.

A few things I would emphasize:

 

The K series products are long in the tooth these days.

It's becoming more and more difficult to service them.

For some of the repair parts, there is simply a finite supply, which will at one point eventually run dry.

 

The point about the action is really big. In past models, the action was one of the most common problems - weights falling out, dirty contacts, etc. The PC3 and PC3K use the new Fatar TP40L for the 88-note versions. We've had literally zero problems with the action for the past 2 years.

 

For sounds, I'd like to think that the PC3 is a bit cooler, but I'm obviously biased.

Here's are two examples: One thing that I had noticed when I first played a K26 - it didn't have much in the way of a realistic vintage clav. But it had a few varieties of "strat clav". Which is not my thing really. The PC3 has 32 clav presets, many of which are taken from classic albums, with a wide variety of amp and effects settings. Another example is pianos. I love the K26's acoustic piano sounds, but there aren't really many flavors. With the PC3, we tried to put a lot of effort into creating a wide variety of pianos - ones that sound like a Steinway, or a Yamaha, or a Baldwin, but also ones that sounded like they were from a classic blues or rock album from the '70s.

These things might not matter so much to certain players but for some players they could be crucial. So I think the sounds being better/worse depends on what's important to you as a player.

 

Other differences: K26 has 48 voice polyphony, the PC3 has 128.

K26 has 7 "units" of effects, the PC3 has 16, plus two "free" master effects.

The K26 has sampling and sample memory, the PC3 has neither.

The PC3K (coming sometime around May) will provide 128MB of non-volatile user sample memory, but no audio inputs.

 

SCSI vs USB

The K26 uses SCSI to interface with computers and digital media.

It's getting harder and harder these days to find scsi disks, drives and a means of getting stuff from your computer into a scsi device. The PC3 has USB. The PC3K will support USB thumbdrives.

 

Last major difference - weight.

The K2600x weighs about 80 lbs, which ruled it out for my gigging purposes. The PC3x weighs just under 50 lbs, which is still hefty, but doable for me.

 

Hope this helps!

 

If anyone has any other questions feel free to shoot me an email.

davew@ycrdi.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

[marino]

 

Thanks a lot Dave, your input is very useful as always.

 

My situation is a bit more complicated, as I rely on my own programming and on dozens of third-party CD-Roms for my K2600R, which I have accumulated over the years with a huge investment of time and money. I rarely use the K's internal samples, let alone the programs or setups.

(I don't care about audio inputs, as I can record audio elsewhere and transfer it later to the K if I need it)

 

So I'm all for getting a PC3K, but I'll wait a bit more in order to verify a few things:

 

1) The level of *real* compatibility with the K2600 series. For example: Can it read Macro files in K26 format? What if I have programmed sounds with an alg configuration which the PC3 doesn't have? Will *all* the original ROM samples from the K2600 and its expansion blocks be available (or translated in some way)? Will the KDFX Studios be transferred correctly?

In short: Am I going to be able to use my K2600 hard disk and CD-Roms in the PC3K without worring too much about reprogramming things?

(I had to reprogram a lot of the effects when upgrading from the K2000, and it wasn't light work!)

 

2) Will there be a RACKMOUNT PC3K? That's what I'd prefer.

 

3) What about the actual sample editing? Will it have the same sample editor as the K series?

 

 

 

 

[Dave Weiser]

I'll do my best to provide answers:

 

1. We're going to give you as much compatibility as we can without the project lasting forever and subverting "the next big thing".

As far as I know it is undetermined whether or not K26 macro files will be supported. Consider though, that one of the main reasons for having macros to begin with was that you had to load samples into a K26 each time the unit was powered on. The PC3K, which has no internal hard drive, has non-volatile user sample memory, a first for us. (I think that Nord is the only other company to offer this.)

We have already loaded a compatibility file into a PC3K with all of the samples from a K, including ROM options. The file is a bit large right now (roughly 45MB), but we might offer it on a thumbdrive or on our website for those who really need it. Most of the K alg configs will be included, with a few likely exceptions.

 

Unfortunately, KDFX compatibility will not be supported in any way. Once you check out the PC3's effects architecture, you will want to throw KDFX into the bottom of the ocean. You can, for example have 10 separate FX chains on different channels, each with its own set of active fx mods. The K has 7 "units" of fx power. The PC3 has 16. These are huge differences. In the case of effects, it was more important for us to improve our effects architecture and to fix what we considered to be flaws (based on customer feedback) than it was to keep doing things the same way for its own sake. Note - when we developed the Pc3's effects architecture, there were no plans for a PC3K, so KDFX compatibility was never an issue.

 

I promise you that once you see the PC3's effects architecture you will be very happy with it, and should be able to navigate it much more easily than KDFX. Almost every former K26 owner who now has a PC3 that I know has said this.

 

CD ROMs should not be a problem at all because they often used little to no DSP VAST programming.

 

You will have to do some tweaking on certain programs developed on a K26 - maybe 30% of them. (We're hoping to make this number lower, but this is a realistic, conservative estimate.) We feel that the time spent tweaking and re-programming will not be overwhelming, and the payoff for customers will be better sounds in the end.

A little reprogramming to have better sounds is worth it to most of the musicians with whom we've consulted.

 

One example - the K26 had DSP generated oscillators (squaure, saw, pulse, etc) that aliased badly above C4, making them almost unusable for anything but synth basses. The PC3, with its VA anti-aliased oscillators offers a huge improvement in this area.

But the sizes of DSP blocks don't line up. The K26 oscillators used 1 block, the PC3 uses 2 blocks for the "good" oscillators. The K26 simply couldn't get a "good" oscillator by using 2 of its DSP blocks. The PC3 can provide both anti-aliased oscillator AND a 2 pole resonant lowpass (with res controls) all in one alg in one voice - something that the K could never do.

 

So yes, you might have to do some minor reprogramming, but it should be minimal with DSP generated oscillators being the most likely exception. Most programs, like pianos, strings, basses and drums, will require very little to no tweaking.

 

2. I hope that we develop a rack but I have not heard any official plans to do so yet. I have passed along input on this to our upper management.

 

3. The PC3K, as far as I know, should provide the same level of keymap and sample editing that the K provided.

 

There are going to be some "growing pains" when migrating to the PC3K.... but what happens after growing pains take place with a kid? They end up bigger, smarter, more experienced and more capable - just like the PC3K will be.

 

As we do more compatibility tests, I will post here with more updates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ian Benhamou]

Thanks Dave for all the details.

[marino]

Dave - again, thanks a lot. Your level of support is really exceptional.

 

A few clarifications:

 

- I asked about Macros because many of the best and unique Kurz CD-Roms (Take 6, Bass Gallery, and many many others) are Macro-based. If the PC3K doesn't read Macros, all those wonderful samples will become useless. I'm not going to spend a few months reprogramming them...

Also, several of the greatest CD-Roms make large use of VAST DSPs. Mike Martin's KeySolutions comes to mind.

 

- I'm absolutely convinced that the PC3 effects are both more powerful and easier to use than KDFX. My hope was for some conversion algorithm from K series Studios to PC3 effects, to avoid reprogramming all my stuff... maybe some computer program?

Same for VA oscillators, etc. - what about some conversion routine which would 'see' the missing blocks in K26 programs, and just replace them with the new oscillators... maybe I'm dreaming here, but it doesn't seem overly complicated to me... a computer program to convert all K26 stuff into PC3 stuff... OK I'll wake up in a minute.

 

I'm *still* all over a PC3K, to be sure. It just seems that it's still not time to get rid of my K2600R.

 

Also thanks for all the details and good news on the other matters (rack version, sample editing, ROM samples, etc.). You rule!

 

 

 

 

 

[leavity]

How are the brass, horn section, solo sax and flute patches on the pc3? (really interested in the le6)

[MoodyBluesKeys]

(This is on a PC3, not the LE, I think they are similar, except the LE has less polyphony and there may be some difference in number of algorithms) Brass and horns depend on whether you want typical synth "pop" brass or orchestral type brass. I find the orchestral sounds good, although not as good as the woodwinds. Solo sax - limited number of patches, probably the meakest woodwind section, athough sax is a very difficult instrumunt to duplicate - I don't have a wind controller, but the PC3 (not sure about LE) has input for wind controller -that might help. Flutes are very good, ranging from purely orchestral to a King Crimson type flute. Whole new string ROM with many different sectionals in addition to the earlier solo string sounds.

 

[Synthoid]

Add to that 16 independent Riffs in setup mode. Riffs are short sequences which you could trigger using a number of programmable controllers and have loop or play once, etc. You also have 16 independent arpeggiators.

 

So to clarify--the PC3 actually has both arpeggiators and independent riffs, because one online review I read stated the PC3 didn't have actual arpeggiators--just something set up using the sequencer.

[Dave Weiser]

Then that review, sadly, had it wrong.

Each zone in a setup -up to 16 - can have its own riff (sequence) and arpeggiator.

The arp behavior is similar to a K26's but expanded to include patterns, scales, modes, and the ability to create user patterns.

 

The arp is distinctly separate from the sequencer.

 

As Steve Fortner pointed out in the Keyboard review of the PC3, each riff in each zone can even have its own independent tempo.

 

If wouldn't mind, could you possibly send me the review you mentioned? I always try to make sure that reviewers run stuff by me for fact-checking before publishing. I'd love to be able to get in touch with the author so we can avoid future slip-ups.

Thanks!

davew@ycrdi.com

 

Regarding the LE mentioned by Moodyblues... the LE has half the polyphony and less units of effects, but all the DSP algs involved in the sounds are the same as the PC3. The catch is - because the LE has limited editing, you'll never see VAST algs in an LE. It's meant to be less deep and easier to use, sort of what the PC1 was for us years ago.

 

[Synthoid]

If wouldn't mind, could you possibly send me the review you mentioned? I always try to make sure that reviewers run stuff by me for fact-checking before publishing. I'd love to be able to get in touch with the author so we can avoid future slip-ups.

 

From what I recall Dave, it wasn't an official review--just someone sharing their experience with the PC3... without all the facts.

[Dave Weiser]

Got it.

That's a completely different story.

Thanks for clarifying.

 

That sort of thing happens all the time with all sorts of companies and products.

[Cowzar]

The K series products are long in the tooth these days.

It's becoming more and more difficult to service them.

For some of the repair parts, there is simply a finite supply, which will at one point eventually run dry.

 

This is only half true Dave.

It may pay to add that PC3's are having a tough time being repaired also and that parts are hard to get.

 

 

 

 

[Dave Weiser]

Only seems to be the case in Australia, where you are, but fair enough.

 

I'll be sure to focus some extra love and attention on your PC3 repair issues later today.

 

[Dave Weiser]

Update - just emailed our Australian distributor and our director at R&D. We will sort you out shortly.

Sorry for the delay.

 

[Dana.]

Hi Dave,

 

A question that's been on minds for years: When will Kurzweil introduce a new piano sound? The Triple Strike is what, 15 years old? It's sorely outdated, and no amount of VAST that's been applied can seem to improve it. Every other keyboard manufacturer, Casio included, has surpassed it with the quality of their piano sounds. They're also not content to rest on their laurels as Kurzweil has done; the way that the Triple Strike is marketed like a badge of honor is just ridiculous. For a while, people speculated that Kurzweil might be able to license sounds from Ivory given the connection to Joe Ierardi. Is this even a possibility? Given the remarkable, perhaps even unmatched, quality of the orchestral sounds and VA synth introduced in the PC3 series, it's a shame that Kurzweil doesn't have a piano sound to match. To be clear, I make this comment not as a hater but as someone who wants to see Kurzweil succeed and continue to be competitive in an area that's changing rapidly, especially now that manufacturers are making huge strides with applying physical modeling to acoustic (and electric) piano sounds. Your candor and support on this forum are valued, but the piano issue has been neglected (ignored?) for far too long. I look forward to your response.

 

D-Bon

[Dave Weiser]

Thanks for the honest input - it's highly valued and we do listen.

I've addressed the issue on sonikmatter a few times, but I'd be happy to touch upon it here as well.

 

First, try not to think of it like we're ignoring it or resting on our laurels. Trust me, all of us at Kurzweil want very much to have new piano samples.

 

For a bit of perspective, keep in mind that from 2004-2006 we were dealing with a hostile takeover, having been purchased by one of Young Chang's competitors who was intent on killing Kurzweil. They got into some serious trouble for deliberately making us go bankrupt. Can't say much else, except to mention that they laid off all but a handful of us here and killed all of our projects.

 

As you might have guessed, sound ROM development, especially with all of the extra processing that we do with our proprietary software tools, takes a ton of man hours and money. Years ago, we had a steady stream of products coming out and in parallel, we had a steady stream of samples in the works that would be ready two years out from any given point in time. This steady flow of products and soundware was interrupted during the takeover/bankruptcy.

 

Product development resumed in earnest in 2007, but we still didn't have the staff to resume a full blown effort to acquire/purchase/process samples - we needed revenue desperately and had to devote all of our resources to the PC3.

 

So while other companies were plugging away on new samples, we lost a few years' worth of progress.

 

We are working hard now to catch up to where we ought to be. Over the past year we've hired a team of outside soundware contractors, many of whom are former Kurz employees, to work exclusively on new sound ROM development.

 

As far as Ivory goes, of course I'd be a fool to not want those samples! But I can't speak for Joe (he hired me here in 2000 and is a good friend) and I certainly could not post about whether or not we ever have or ever will discuss samples with Synthogy. He would kick my ass so hard that I'd travel back in time to when the triple strike piano was originally recorded! But your input has been noted and echoed by many others.

 

Please understand that at all times, Kurz R&D is doing everything we possibly can to develop the best products and the best sounds, while trying to succeed as a business. We will never be content and we will never deliberately withhold something as crucial as new piano samples from our customers and potential customers - that would be suicide.

 

While there are limits to what I can post about publicly, what I can say is the following:

 

1. Everything that can be done IS being done to develop new samples for pianos and other instruments.

 

2. We recognize that piano sounds are a big part of our history and brand identity and factor this into our decisions at R&D.

 

3. As I've said on other forums, the PC3 and PC3K are not the last instruments we're going to make. They are only the beginning of the "new" Kurzweil. We have new platforms and technology in the works and multiple products in the pipeline, scheduled for 1,2, 3, 5, etc years from now. It would be safe for you to wager that at some point you're going to see a set of new, fabulous, blow-your-head-off piano samples in one of these future products.

Most of us here work lots of crazy hours in order to get our newest, latest greatest stuff into the hands of you players as quickly as possible. We're all fanatics about the products and the sounds, and the desire for a new Kurzweil piano is very high up on our list.

 

I know this answer doesn't provide any immediate fulfillment for those hoping for a new Kurz piano, but I hope it at least provides some context for where we're at as a company.

 

And as always, please keep the input and feedback coming - over the past two years input from folks like yourself has helped us to improve the Pc3 and future keyboards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[marino]

Dave, let me thank you once again for your sincere and straightforward posts. It's much appreciated, and one of the reasons why I'm still a Kurz fan. (other than the sounds, of course! )

 

That said, I'd love to reiterate a concept that I have often brought up when asked to give an opinion on future Kurz products (here and on Sonikmatter): Kurzweil have an extrordinary library of third-party samples, many of which were created for the K exclusively. At present, the market for those CD-Roms seems pretty dead, so I'm under the impression that the developers would only be happy if Kurzweil would ask them to buy or license their sounds to be included in future ROM. I'd be very excited, for example, to have the KeySolution piano, the Hans Zimmer or Sweetwater guitars, the Virtuoso series strings, the Quantum Leap brass, the Real Rhodes EPs, the Kurzweil Bass Gallery and Soundscapes, all ready to go...

 

Um, on the other hand, wait a minute - I already have all that stuff. Ummm....

 

 

[Synthoid]

And as always, please keep the input and feedback coming

 

Larger display screens, please.

 

[Dave Weiser]

Now that the PC3K is coming, I suspect that many of those third party developers will get some business.

The Kurzweil CD ROMs should mostly work with the PC3K.

 

The problem with some of the older third party stuff is that it has not been processed with our proprietary tools, and while they're really cool, they don't meet our standards for what can go into ROM.

 

We're really more interested in seeing third party developers working with the PC3's superior architecture to develop NEW material. In addition to the PC3's toolset being better, the whole field of digital recording has greatly improved since many of the old K series samples were developed.

 

The first major 3rd party developer to do something for the PC3 is Brian Cowell, with his Apache sound set. It's programs, not samples, but top-notch stuff. There's a press release for it in the News section of the Kurzweil website.

(All the more reason for us to get his unit out of the repair shop and back into his hands!)

 

We have considered including the Kurzweil CD ROM content in future ROMs or making it available on our website.

Discussions are still ongoing.

I'll be sure to post when I have more news.

 

And yes, we hear you loud and clear about larger displays.

Any future product that is considered above the PC3/PC3K in the Kurz food-chain will have a larger display.

 

 

 

[zephonic]

We have new platforms and technology in the works and multiple products in the pipeline, scheduled for 1,2, 3, 5, etc years from now.

 

 

Great, but I want it now!

 

 

Thanks for the background info, Dave, that was interesting. I hope that Kurzweil will survive and that the renaissance is around the corner.

 

[_Maximus_]

Goodbye juno-g, multimix8FX, and parker guitar, hello PC3K-61

[Puppeteer]

The first major 3rd party developer to do something for the PC3 is Brian Cowell, with his Apache sound set. It's programs, not samples, but top-notch stuff. There's a press release for it in the News section of the Kurzweil website.

(All the more reason for us to get his unit out of the repair shop and back into his hands!)

 

 

And don't forget the second, being Bravo

 

http://godlike.com.au/index.php?id=bravo

 

[Synthoid]

Any future product that is considered above the PC3/PC3K in the Kurz food-chain will have a larger display.

 

......and there was great rejoicing!