new Kurzweil SP7

[AnotherScott]

Coming soon...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Griswold]

Interesting!

Do you think the Monitor control is for separate outputs or a level adjust for an audio input?

[ElmerJFudd]

Hey, Scott. What are you gleaning from the photos?  
 

8 zones… that’s interesting.   
 

dedicated master EQ, reverb and delay controls with LED feed back.  
 

Volume - both main and monitor controls.   so what are they offering as physical outs do you think?  Two stereo pairs?  Or return volume from USB/MainStage? 
 

I can’t make out what the lighted pads are capable of.  

 

[Fleer]

https://kurzweil.com/sp7-grand/

SPECS

All specifications subject to change without notice.

Keyboard:88-note, fully-weighted hammer-action (Fatar TP100LRG)

Display:1024 x 600 pixel, high resolution 7″ color LCD touch screen

Polyphony:256

Multitimbral:16 parts (one per MIDI channel)

Architecture:A.T.S.T. – Authentic Timbre Synthesis Technology
Featuring fixed PCM subtractive with variable filter and 2x oversampling state variable 96 kHz filter

Factory Samples:2 GB

Factory Programs:307

Factory Multis:512

User Multis:128

Multi Zones:8

General MIDI:GM2

Piano String Resonance:Yes

Piano Damper Resonance:Yes

Master EQ:4-Band

Aux FX Busses:2

Insert Effects:Reverb: 6 Algorithms
Modulation: BPM-Sync’d Delay, Chorus/Flanger, Rotary Speaker, Vibrato, Tremolo, Auto Wah-Wah
Dynamic: Compression, Noise Gate
Distortion: Dist/Ovd/Tube/Fuzz, Bit Crusher
EQ: 4-Band, Hi/Low Shelf, Peak/Notch, Hi/Low Pass

Vocal Pitch Correction:Yes / Automatic

Vocal Harmony Generation:4-Part

Controllers:1 Pitch/Mod Joystick
8 Knobs
8 Buttons
2 Transpose switches
2 Switch pedal inputs; supports a single half-damper pedal (1 switch/sustain pedal is included; half-damper pedals sold separately)
1 Continuous Control Pedal Input (pedal sold separately)

Arpeggiator:8 – Hybrid-Arpeggiators

System Sample Rate:48kHz (max 192 kHz)

System Bit Rate:48 bit (fixed point)

Analog Inputs:2  XLR-1/4″ balanced combi

Analog Outputs:2 1/4″ Main
2 1/4″ Monitor

Headphone:1 back panel 1/4″ headphone output

MIDI:In, Out

USB MIDI:1 Type B port

USB Audio Interface:2-In/2-Out; 24-bit/48kHz

Software Editor:External Macro Synthesis Editor (coming soon)

OS Updates:via USB (Engine firmware), via SD card (GUI firmware)

Included Accessories:Power cable, Switch pedal, USB cable, 1/4″ TRS cable

Height:4.7″ (12 cm)

Depth:14.6″ (37 cm)

Length:52″ (132 cm)

Weight:36 lb (16.3 kg)

Power:External 15VDC 2.5A Power Supply

[AnotherScott]

From the name, it sounds like TP/100LRG could be a graded version of the previous TP/100 (aka TP/100LR). Or not. ;-)

 

Some interesting specs that differentiate it from most Kurzweils... audio interface (previously only in the K2700, I believe)... vocal processing... GM2... larger, higher resolution screen than any other model, and it's a touchscreen for the first time... and "A.T.S.T" which sounds interesting:

Quote

"The SP7 Grand is designed upon our new synthesis platform A.T.S.T. and marks a new era in Kurzweil technology. Built around our custom semiconductor, A.T.S.T. features high fidelity audio, streamlined sound programming and boasts near seamless velocity layer transitions."

 

My guess is we'll see this in the $2000-$2500 range.

 

12 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

I can’t make out what the lighted pads are capable of.  

[Still VanDerGraaf]

Seeing a phantom power switch there. Inputs for the usb audio interface on combi jacks? That would be something. 

 

edit- yes I see that now in the specs. Nice.

 

Was beginning to think I would never see a Kurzweil with a touchscreen!

[ElmerJFudd]

Looks easy to use as a VR-09 but much more capable.  $2k+ is a tough sell (for me) on any board with a TP100 or less than premium action.  

[AnotherScott]

9 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

$2k+ is a tough sell (for me) on any board with a TP100 or less than premium action.  

It's interesting that Fatar has apparently come up with two updates to the TP100... this LRG model and the TP110 in the Numa X. 

 

That pricing is strictly a guess on my part. But I kinda see this as falling somewhere between the $1529 Numa X and the $2599 CP88, and skewing toward the higher half of that range based on features, and that Studiologics tend to be value-priced to begin with, and that it would seem to have to be pricier than their own $1699 PC4SE which arguably also competes in the stage piano arena, even though it also has workstation features.

 

The SP7 beats the Numa and the Yamaha on touchscreen, 8 zones, 16-Part multitimbrality/GM2, vocal processing, connectivity. But I'd have a hard time seeing it priced fully at (or beyond) the CP88's level, with that board's action and knobiness, along with its internal power supply which, beyond the obvious reasons so many people find it appealing, also seems to have become a bit of a "marker" for saying "this is a professional's keyboard." In fact, in a quick scan at Sweetwater, I was hard pressed to find any board over $2500 that didn't have an internal power supply (only Dexibell, and Waldorf Iridium).

 

I have a feeling a hammer action 7x-key SP7-7 at under 30 lbs and in the $1500-$2k range would have been what lots of folks on this forum would have been more excited about, though.

[Dockeys]

It’s actually a very nice looking and functional layout. I’m guessing the knobs over the pads are assignable? Knobs instead of sliders for zone volume etc? Would like to play this when it arrives, I didn’t gel with the TP110 Numa action but willing to give this a try. 

[tonybanksfan]

Possible vocoder capability?

[HammondDave]

TP100...  Say no more.

 

Don't manufacturers realize that the interface is as important as the sound?  Some people like the TP100, but all I have heard are complaints. 

 

Pricing will be key (especially in this economy). Let's see how they do when they have to sell it. 

[AnotherScott]

2 hours ago, HammondDave said:

Some people like the TP100, but all I have heard are complaints. 

 

I've hated it on some boards (Kurzweil, Arturia), but found it quite playable on others (Dexibell, Viscount). I don't know the source of the differences, i.e. what may be variations from Fatar over time (who at least has made 2 and 3 sensor versions, though whether the 3-sensor version actually gives you 3 sensor behavior is a whole other topic), differences in how they mount or other tweaks/adjustments the keyboard maker may be able to make, better programming creating a better FTEC (though even with power off, you can tell that some feel different from others). At any rate, I'll be curious to see what this "G" version has to offer.

[ElmerJFudd]

Architecture: A.T.S.T. – Authentic Timbre Synthesis Technology
Featuring fixed PCM subtractive with variable filter and 2x oversampling state variable 96 kHz filter

 

i wonder if as part of this effort they’ve been able to update their rotary simulation signal path. 

[AnotherScott]

6 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

Looks easy to use as a VR-09 but much more capable.

1 hour ago, ElmerJFudd said:

i wonder if as part of this effort they’ve been able to update their rotary simulation signal path. 

While rotary is listed as one of the 6 or so available insert effects, there's no indication that the board includes KB3 or any kind of drawbar organ engine, so it's not very VR-09-like, and I'd say the quality of the rotary effect is almost moot.

 

[Iconoclast]

4 hours ago, HammondDave said:

TP100...  Say no more.

 

Don't manufacturers realize that the interface is as important as the sound?  Some people like the TP100, but all I have heard are complaints. 

 

Pricing will be key (especially in this economy). Let's see how they do when they have to sell it. 

No fan of the TP100 here, but from what it says between the lines, I think Fatar believes the TP100 LR to be a vast improvement.  At least that's what they say for the SL73.

But I agree, price will be the real issue here. I can't see this thing being expensive and successful.  Nice to see Kurz finally get a touchscreen. 

[marczellm]

Two of the reasons our church band bought the SP6 are programmability and organ sim. If ATST cuts back on that, I'm not in the target audience any more.

[ElmerJFudd]

3 hours ago, AnotherScott said:

While rotary is listed as one of the 6 or so available insert effects, there's no indication that the board includes KB3 or any kind of drawbar organ engine, so it's not very VR-09-like, and I'd say the quality of the rotary effect is almost moot.

 

That’s interesting.  So ATST may not be as vast as VAST.  PCM only, no KB3, no VA synth, no FM engine.  

[AnotherScott]

21 minutes ago, marczellm said:

Two of the reasons our church band bought the SP6 are programmability and organ sim. If ATST cuts back on that, I'm not in the target audience any more.

The SP6 step-up for someone who needs those things looks like the PC4 SE. I think this one is targeted at a different kind of user, a market that includes other non-organ and minimally-programmable stage pianos like the aforementioned Numa X series and Yamaha CP88, along with Korg SV2 (and, until recently, Grandstage), Nord Piano, Dexibell S7 Pro. Its feature set looks unique... a simple (rather than "workstation style") board with the benefits of a touchscreen interface, plus 8 zones (and 16 part multi-timbral), vocal processor... it doesn't have some of what you like best about the SP6, but it has some desirable things of its own, including things those other boards I mentioned don't have either. So it can have its place. We're all curious about where it will be priced, the big unknown...

 

5 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

That’s interesting.  So ATST may not be as vast as VAST.  PCM only, no KB3, no VA synth, no FM engine.  

Yes... so far, ATST sounds like a PCM engine with some kind of adaptive filtering between velocity layers to smooth the transitions.

[t9cstudio]

Kraft Music has it listed at $2,499. 

Basically I'm on the fence with the SP7.

If the graded hammer action is easier to play (lighter touch) than the LR, I "might" be interested in a crossgrade from my PC4 whose action I like.

Touchscreen is nice to me only if I can setup a setlist feature ala Kronos.

The audio interface would save me some setup time over my MOTU M2 for my Surface Pro 7.

The 4 part harmony feature is attractive to me being in a small "acoustic" trio as I use my amp for my sparse vocals anyway.

The weight is a tad heavier than the PC4 but probably manageable.

I do like the shape of the board better overall.

I need to come to grips with that it's mostly just GAS that's even having me consider the new board.

[ElmerJFudd]

Kurzweil copy “The SP7 offers Kurzweil's TP100LRG key action, featuring the latest technology from Fatar, the world’s leading piano-keybed manufacturer. The action is ideally balanced for feel and playability, serving a variety of playing styles.” 
 

 

 

 

[AnotherScott]

18 hours ago, Iconoclast said:

No fan of the TP100 here, but from what it says between the lines, I think Fatar believes the TP100 LR to be a vast improvement. 

TP/100LR is old... AFAIK, that's simply the full name of the original TP/100, the two terms are interchangeable. They did apparently change from a 2-sensor to 3-sensor design at some point, but they did not change the model number, and have never updated the web site. The TP/100 (LR) page looks the same today as it did in 2009.

 

There seem to be two new derivative models... the TP/110 introduced on the Numa X Piano, and the TP/100LRG which is in this SP7 (which I am guessing is a graded version of the TP/100LR... but we'll see.)

 

1 hour ago, t9cstudio said:

Kraft Music has it listed at $2,499. 

At the highest end of the $2000-$2500 range I guessed it would be priced in. Not surprising... things seem to usually end up at/near the top of my guessing range. I guess I'm always optimistically hoping something may be priced a bit more aggressively, but companies rarely cooperate. ;-)

[CyberGene]

2 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

Kurzweil copy “The SP7 offers Kurzweil's TP100LRG key action, featuring the latest technology from Fatar, the world’s leading piano-keybed manufacturer. The action is ideally balanced for feel and playability, serving a variety of playing styles.” 
 

 

 

 

Ha, that’s a video I made before I sold the SL73. Horrible action!

[HammondDave]

2 hours ago, AnotherScott said:

At the highest end of the $2000-$2500 range I guessed it would be priced in. Not surprising... things seem to usually end up at/near the top of my guessing range. I guess I'm always optimistically hoping something may be priced a bit more aggressively, but companies rarely cooperate. 😉

 

Except for StudioLogic and Crumar.  Still Best Bang for the Buck... and I still say the Mojo sounds and feels better than anything Hammond (Suzuki) has to offer.

[ElmerJFudd]

3 hours ago, CyberGene said:

Ha, that’s a video I made before I sold the SL73. Horrible action!

I know.  I found a good look at that action and the copy to be a wonderful contrast.    😊

[zephonic]

Played it at NAMM and I was pleasantly surprised. Part of it may be that the headphone output was way louder than the other boards around it, but the action felt more substantial, too. It’s a nice board, but I do feel that at this price point it shouldn’t have a wall wart.

 

Funny thing is, I didn't realize it was a new model when I played it yesterday.

[AnotherScott]

On 6/2/2022 at 11:34 PM, Fleer said:

Software Editor:External Macro Synthesis Editor (coming soon)

I missed that the first time.  Depending on the depth of the editing options available, this could give it another edge over most of the "competitive" boards I mentioned, where editing options are minimal.

[Fleer]

16 hours ago, t9cstudio said:

Kraft Music has it listed at $2,499. 

Basically I'm on the fence with the SP7.

If the graded hammer action is easier to play (lighter touch) than the LR, I "might" be interested in a crossgrade from my PC4 whose action I like.

Touchscreen is nice to me only if I can setup a setlist feature ala Kronos.

The audio interface would save me some setup time over my MOTU M2 for my Surface Pro 7.

The 4 part harmony feature is attractive to me being in a small "acoustic" trio as I use my amp for my sparse vocals anyway.

The weight is a tad heavier than the PC4 but probably manageable.

I do like the shape of the board better overall.

I need to come to grips with that it's mostly just GAS that's even having me consider the new board.

As for me, it doesn’t seem an upgrade compared to the PC4. Rather less features, apart from the interface and the vocal stuff. But a lot less sounds and FX and no user memory at all.

[AnotherScott]

ATST is not totally new... they've used it in their console piano line... this is from 2 years ago...

 

 

[t9cstudio]

Chris demos an alpha of the SP7 for Pianoman Chuck.

https://youtu.be/7Vko1p5XpDk

[Tom Williams]

On 6/6/2022 at 6:49 PM, t9cstudio said:

Chris demos an alpha of the SP7 for Pianoman Chuck.

https://youtu.be/7Vko1p5XpDk

That tells me that it ain't a product yet.