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Kurzweil upped the ante? New keyboard with new piano samples


Delaware Dave

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Polyphony is 128.

 

The 6-strike describes the *sample* not the technology.

The new piano includes 6 velocities: p, mp, mf, f, ff and fff.

It does not include new electric pianos; the only new samples are the piano and stuff from the Kore 64.

The sound engine is capable of up to 32 layers per program, like the PC3.

 

Setup mode has 4 zones, but the MIDI control is extensive - you can re-map the sliders, wheels, pedals, etc to send any MIDI CC#. It won't have the arps and riffs that you'd find on a PC3/PC3K.

 

Thx for quick reply !

4 Zones is o.k. for me in a DP w/ some additional sounds and arps & riffs aren´t urgently neccessary (because I own a PC3).

Depending on count of layers in a program, you say it´s identical w/ a PC3 ...

Is the engine and FX section identical that way we can load .pc3 programs into the Artis,- let´s say, these, which are based on stock PC3 VA algorithms ?

 

A.C.

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The Artis PC3 and Kore64 programs are exactly the same.

 

Some of the synth programs use VA oscillators, others use synth waveforms from the Kore 64.

 

I'm guessing that you'll be able to load PC3 programs into the Artis, but I cannot confirm that yet.

 

Under the hood the FX section is the same... but the Artis will have very limited editing. I just finished assigning more fx and synth parameters to the sliders for each program - adjusting sliders will be the main way to tweak the sounds.

 

I'll post again when I have more info.

 

I've gotta say, after 13 years here at Kurz, it is a huge treat to be working with new piano samples!!

 

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I've gotta say, after 13 years here at Kurz, it is a huge treat to be working with new piano samples!!

 

:thu:

 

OK, I'll say it. I've never had a problem with the triple-strike piano samples. IMO, the character of the pianos is very nice indeed. My PC2X is set up in my studio and I enjoy playing it. I purchased the Nord Electro 3 HP awhile back and like those piano samples too.

 

I have an acoustic piano, a Chickering, in my living room that I have been playing since I was a kid. So I know what a real piano sounds like and how it responds.

 

Perhaps I understand that a digital piano is a compromise and accept this without a problem.

 

Or perhaps I'm just not as picky as some folks here, or maybe I just don't know what to listen for.

 

Can anyone explain, in detail, why there is so much negative discussion around the triple-strike samples?

 

Tom

 

"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo
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Can anyone explain, in detail, why there is so much negative discussion around the triple-strike samples?

 

Tom

Not sure I can explain in detail since I haven't spent much time with Kurz 'boards. But from what I've seen on forums, it's not so much that people complain about the way it sounds in and of itself, but rather just how long it's been recycled. So the sentiment tends to be 1)triple strike fatigue--just sick of hearing that sound for so many years, or 2)if they came up with a sound so useable that long ago, imagine what they'd do it they actually updated their sound, or 3)"Triple strike" (as in 3 velocity layers) just doesn't sound as impressive in the context of the 4+ layers, every-note-sampled sounds that other companys have been doing for years now. Just my $0.02

--Sean H.

 

Yamaha MOXF8, Korg TR76, Novation X-Station 61, Casio PX-320

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So the sentiment tends to be 1)triple strike fatigue--just sick of hearing that sound for so many years....

I see your point, and probably agree (long-time Kurz guy here). But why don't we become fatigued of hearing the same ________ acoustic grand piano (fill in blank with brand of choice)?

 

Is it that we tend to focus on the inherent imperfections of digital pianos more than acoustic pianos?

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

- George Bernard Shaw

 

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But from what I've seen on forums, it's not so much that people complain about the way it sounds in and of itself, but rather just how long it's been recycled. So the sentiment tends to be 1)triple strike fatigue--just sick of hearing that sound for so many years....

I see your point (long-time Kurz guy here), and probably agree. But why don't we become fatigued of hearing the same ________ acoutic grand piano (fill in blank with brand of choice)?

 

Is it that we tend to focus on the inherent imperfections of digital pianos more than acoustic pianos?

 

I guess so. I've often had similar thoughts when we talk about actions. We always say such and such action is lighter or heavier than "an acoustic." But I've never played two acostics that have the exactly the same action. So where is this magic acoustic piano--apparently we've all played the same one--to which all digitals are objectively compared? Guess it's just easier to nitpick digitals since we come in knowing that it's not--nor will it ever be--the "real" thing.

--Sean H.

 

Yamaha MOXF8, Korg TR76, Novation X-Station 61, Casio PX-320

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So gang, initial impressions?

 

I know we need to hear more audio clips, play it in person, etc., etc.....

 

Sounds "refreshing" to me, for lack of a better word....but if I didn't know it was a Kurzweil, I'm not sure I'd feel this way (see previous post)!

 

Perhaps a little woody, but not in a bad way?

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

- George Bernard Shaw

 

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So where is this magic acoustic piano--apparently we've all played the same one--to which all digitals are objectively compared? Guess it's just easier to nitpick digitals since we come in knowing that it's not--nor will it ever be--the "real" thing.

Love the psychology behind this! Worthy of study!

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

- George Bernard Shaw

 

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So the sentiment tends to be 1)triple strike fatigue--just sick of hearing that sound for so many years....

I see your point, and probably agree (long-time Kurz guy here). But why don't we become fatigued of hearing the same ________ acoustic grand piano (fill in blank with brand of choice)?

 

Is it that we tend to focus on the inherent imperfections of digital pianos more than acoustic pianos?

It's that an acoustic piano has truly vast amount of timbres available to the player, while a sampled piano, particularly one as limited as a three velocity piano sample, quite simply lacks any nuance.
A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable.
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Hello to all Kurzweil users and MusicPlayer forur maniax...

 

I'm UnderGround from Sonikmatter.

 

I am member of this forum since 2006 but i did not log in until then...

Now it's time to rejoin this forum after "the end" of Sonikmatter" and i believe that is the best time with the good news for "Artis".

 

So Dave W, Dave B and co and all of Sonikmatter mates and of course all the boys and girls from MusicPlayer forum...

 

I LOVE THE NEW PIANO OF ARTIS....

 

Doctor, am i ok ?

Kurzweil K2661 + full options,iMac 27",Mac book white,Apogee Element 24 + Duet,Genelec 8030A,Strymon Lex + Flint,Hohner Pianet T,Radial Key-Largo,Kawai K5000W,Moog Minitaur,Yamaha Reface YC + CP, iPad 9th Gen, Arturia Beatstep + V Collection 9

 

https://antonisadelfidis.bandcamp.com

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Dave, from a new Kurz owner, can this new German grand piano and it's new samples be downloaded or somehow otherwise added to a PC361 ?

 

Sorry, but no. It can't be loaded into any other products.

 

Bummer!!!

Casio PX-5S...StudioLogic VMK 161 Organ Plus...
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Always had a thing for Kurzweil so this is great news. But man it looks long! Dave, any chance you know the dimensions?

It would also be great to hear if the German Grand sample has some of the same features as Rolands RD700NX fx. (pedal noise, hammer noise, sym res, duplex, etc.)

Yamaha CP88, EV zxa1

 

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Great design in my opinion. New piano sounds brilliant. They've got the weight down to 20kg for a pro 88 board. Cool name as well. I love Kurzweil products and would love to try this one out. It's pretty much got everything I want in a board.

 

One thing: I really hope it takes a standard power lead. I hate wallwarts. Could be a deal breaker

 

Also, I'd like to use the sliders to adjust the volume of different layers in a setup.

 

Finally, how many audio outputs?

Kurzweil PC3x

Technics SX-P50

Korg X3

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Perhaps a little woody, but not in a bad way?

 

Seemed a little.... TINNY

I should have clarified that I was commenting on the first piano patch in the video; the second patch did seem a little thinner. But the first one sounded more organic, IMHO.

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

- George Bernard Shaw

 

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So the sentiment tends to be 1)triple strike fatigue--just sick of hearing that sound for so many years....

I see your point, and probably agree (long-time Kurz guy here). But why don't we become fatigued of hearing the same ________ acoustic grand piano (fill in blank with brand of choice)?

 

Is it that we tend to focus on the inherent imperfections of digital pianos more than acoustic pianos?

It's that an acoustic piano has truly vast amount of timbres available to the player, while a sampled piano, particularly one as limited as a three velocity piano sample, quite simply lacks any nuance.

Spot-on, Mr. Kanker!

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

- George Bernard Shaw

 

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Probably the interesting question actually involved in this subject is: suppose you can extract the relevant characteristics of a range of pianos, sum them up smartly and put them in a bunch of limited length (but intelligently used) samples, couldn't you use the V>A.S.T. processing to extract features from various pianos and types of piano impressions at will ? I recall a 2004 Messe Kurzweil piano, one of the living room models, possibly with similar technology and maybe even samples as the K series, which really rocked.

 

T

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Can anyone explain, in detail, why there is so much negative discussion around the triple-strike samples?

Apart from personal preference, I think it's just that it's been around so long, which gives people more time to complain! And the digital world has gotten us accustomed to expecting improvements on a somewhat frequent basis, so people sometimes get critical simply when things have been around a long time without improvement. So by contrast, if you complained about the piano in a given Roland FP/RD, or a Korg M-something, a year or two later, there would be a new model, with a new piano to complain about. But all the complaints about any Kurzweil since 2000 (?) basically applied to every Kurzweil made ever since, so it has had the time to build up a large contingent of detractors, and of people who simply feel there should simply have been more improvement by now.

 

Really, I don't find the triple strike so bad either. It wasn't until pretty recently that I could say there were many keyboards with piano sounds that I thought were unequivocally better. I don't think Nord got there until they released the Grand Imperial sample, I don't think Korg got there until the Kronos. I think Casio probably still isn't there. (Though to be fair, Casio's priciest board is still cheaper than the cheapest Kurz).

 

And I guess maybe another factor is that, at one point, Kurz was clearly in the lead in this techology, they built quite a reputation on their pianos. So maybe our expectations for them are simply higher as well.

Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-)

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Dave, from a new Kurz owner, can this new German grand piano and it's new samples be downloaded or somehow otherwise added to a PC361 ?

 

Sorry, but no. It can't be loaded into any other products.

 

Is there any thought about re-designing those samples so they can be added to the PC3 line?

Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK-1 + Ventilator, Korg Triton. 2 JBL Eon 510's.

 

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If the piano samples were put on an expansion board for the PC3 series I'd be game to buy the expansion board but unfortunately I honestly don't see Kurzweil going down that route.

57 Hammond B3; 69 Hammond L100P; 68 Leslie 122; Kurzweil Forte7 & PC3; M-Audio Code 61; Voce V5+; Neo Vent; EV ELX112P; GSI Gemini & Burn

Delaware Dave

Exit93band

 

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Great design in my opinion. New piano sounds brilliant. They've got the weight down to 20kg for a pro 88 board. Cool name as well. I love Kurzweil products and would love to try this one out. It's pretty much got everything I want in a board.

 

One thing: I really hope it takes a standard power lead. I hate wallwarts. Could be a deal breaker

 

Also, I'd like to use the sliders to adjust the volume of different layers in a setup.

 

Finally, how many audio outputs?

 

Artis has standard AC power - no warts.

 

Sliders can be used to control volume of zones in a setup.

 

2 balanced audio outs plus headphone jack on the front of the cheek block.

 

Also has an 1/8" audio input that runs directly to the board's outputs.

 

Pedals: 2 SW, 1 CC

 

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Great design in my opinion. New piano sounds brilliant. They've got the weight down to 20kg for a pro 88 board. Cool name as well. I love Kurzweil products and would love to try this one out. It's pretty much got everything I want in a board.

 

One thing: I really hope it takes a standard power lead. I hate wallwarts. Could be a deal breaker

 

Also, I'd like to use the sliders to adjust the volume of different layers in a setup.

 

Finally, how many audio outputs?

 

Artis has standard AC power - no warts.

 

Sliders can be used to control volume of zones in a setup.

 

2 balanced audio outs plus headphone jack on the front of the cheek block.

 

Also has an 1/8" audio input that runs directly to the board's outputs.

 

Pedals: 2 SW, 1 CC

 

Fantastic! Thanks for the info Dave. I sent an email to you some while back which you kindly responded to. My email detailed my wish for a future Kurzweil board with hammer action keys, zoning with sliders, onboard eq, internal ac supply and a weight of 20kg max. This Artis is that board!! I'm sold. Great job Kurzweil

Kurzweil PC3x

Technics SX-P50

Korg X3

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