Kurzweil PC4

[motionmindz]

The backwards compatibility is not as it should be: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/electronic-music-instruments-and-electronic-music-production/1258509-kurzweil-pc4-73.html

And other PC4 users here, can you check and verify this very issue please?

See: https://www.gearslutz.com/board/electronic-music-instruments-and-electronic-music-production/1258509-kurzweil-pc4-74.html

Quoted: "Can someone check: start an empty patch with a blank keymap. Editing the keymap on a given key. Start from sample 3300 onwards which is Applause. From there on every next sample is wrong or not sounding at all..."

 

Hi Fran,

I just want to know for sure if this really is an issue with the PC4 by consulting other users. One user on GS confirmed it. Maybe you can also check at your end?

[Mighty Motif Max]

Looks like there's a new OS update out - v1.09. One big standout for me - you can set a different velocity curve for controlling external midi gear in addition to your velocity curve for the internal sounds. Now that is nice.

 

[video:youtube]

[MuzikTeechur]

The blue lights are funky and fun, but the LED that lights up the "PC4" on the backside is positioned perfectly so that it shines right into my left eye through the gap for the mod wheel - and is maddeningly distracting in a $2K board.

I know I can shut off the PC4 light, but I shouldn't have to.

[JoeD]

In Global Mode, Main 1 Page, bottom right:

 

"

LEDs Mode

The LEDs Mode parameter controls the LED backlighting for the Alpha Wheel, Pitch Wheel, Mod Wheel and rear panel PC4 logo. Set the LEDs Mode parameter to Complete to turn the LED backlighting on. Set the LEDs Mode parameter to Partial to turn the LED backlighting off.

"

[bfields]

Just unboxed a PC4 and played around for an hour.

 

My only immediate complaint is the aftertouch--it's so hard to engage, I doubt I'll ever use it. I found the "Pressure Map" and "Press S Override" settings--I don't suppose there's any other calibration I've missed?

[AnotherScott]

Just unboxed a PC4 and played around for an hour.

 

My only immediate complaint is the aftertouch--it's so hard to engage, I doubt I'll ever use it. I found the "Pressure Map" and "Press S Override" settings--I don't suppose there's any other calibration I've missed?

Try pressing closer to the center of the (white) keys, rather than the front edge... I think that puts you right over the sensor. Sliding your finger up toward the center of the key as you press harder for the aftertouch could be a helpful technique.

[bfields]

Try pressing closer to the center of the (white) keys, rather than the front edge... I think that puts you right over the sensor. Sliding your finger up toward the center of the key as you press harder for the aftertouch could be a helpful technique.

 

That's a good tip, thank you! It's still pretty tough, but, yes, if I aim for the right spot it's better.

 

Now my next problem is the expression pedal.... I tried the two I have on hand (Roland EV-5, Yamaha FC-7), and they both reach 128, but neither goes lower than 40-50ish. Other keyboards I've used have some kind of global pedal calibration menu, but I'm searched the manual and the menus and I'm not finding anything.

[Fuzzy1]

The cc expression pedals for a Kurzweil are 10k pedals. The Yamaha & Roland exp. pedals are 50k or more and will not work. I got from Sweetwater On Stage exp. pedals and got them for $25 and they work good ( I went and got 6 of them). For the key pressure I have always used the ASR's assigned to pressure on my programs & Multis(Set-ups) since I have been using a PC2X - -I have a PC4 now - - it helps but You'll have to experiment with it. and for goodness sake's get the keyboard loaded with the latest updates ( 1.09) You can get those at https://kurzweil.com .

[bfields]

The cc expression pedals for a Kurzweil are 10k pedals. The Yamaha & Roland exp. pedals are 50k or more and will not work.

 

According to this chart: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ueDY9We68ywmSWTJRo8d61rNnBKRtSLAJDnOUllbd1s/htmlview the Roland EV-5 is 10k and the Yamaha is 50k. I checked them with a multimeter and that looks right.

 

Connected to the PC4, they both fall short in the same way--they don't reach the lower midi values.

 

Thanks for the tip on the On Stage pedals, those do look like a good deal.

 

I'll try a firmware update.

[bfields]

Did a firmware update and tested again: the Yamaha is still bottoming out at about MIDI value 40, but the Roland is covering the whole range. Thanks!

[Fleer]

Think the aftertouch is hard? Try a new Fantom

[Mighty Motif Max]

The Moog EP-3 pedal is great, not super expensive, and works well with my PC3 (and every other board I have).

[Tom Williams]

At one point, I believe the Moog, Kurz, and Ensoniq CC pedals were all the same one, rebadged as needed.

[Mighty Motif Max]

I think the Kurz and Ensoniq were rebranded Fatar pedals. I'm not sure about the Moog ones, but they seem to be their own model now anyways.

[AnotherScott]

Yeah, the EP-3 looks like its own beast. Really nice pedal. Functions as expression or CV, switchable polarity, scalable output, detachable cable, solid build, good throw.

[bfields]

Anyone know if there's a global setting to make controllers "catch" as opposed to "jump"?

 

If I forget to return the mod wheel to zero before switching back to piano, all it takes is a stray vibration and suddenly my piano's all warbly.

 

I've seen the mod wheel and sliders both jump a little on their own. Is this a bug or mechanical problem? The jumps are rare and very small so I've been assuming that's normal-ish behavior.

 

There's a "Multi Controllers = Pass Entry Mode" setting that does what I want for multis. I guess I could make a bunch of trivial multis and live in multi mode all the time.

[Coker]

That used to happen to me. What you do is disable the mod wheel for the parts you don"t want it to affect in each patch. I can"t remember if this is done at the program level or not.

[Mr. Nightime]

I've had my PC4 for a few months now, and love it. The expressiveness and realism are suburb.

 

But, I am having one issue.

 

I cannot get it to properly communicate with either of my computers. It's like there is a driver issue, and I cannot locate any drivers for it.

 

So, right now I have to use a MIDI interface to use it with my PC.

 

I have heard that it is a suburb controller board, but until I get it to communicate properly with my computers, it is not.

 

So, does anyone know where I can get drivers for WIN10?

 

I got Kurzweil pedal, and it works perfectly

[TJ Cornish]

I believe the PC4 like other Kurzweil keyboards (I don't have a PC4, but I had a PC3 and I now have a Forte), uses a class-compliant driver, so it should automatically detect and connect with no driver installation.

[bfields]

I cannot get it to properly communicate with either of my computers.

 

Works out of the box for me on Android and Linux, which means it must be using totally standard class-compliant MIDI/USB. You shouldn't need any special driver.

 

The PC4 doesn't support audio over USB, so if you want to record the sound output, you have to record from the audio outs. But you probably know that.

[ElmerJFudd]

Did PC3 or earlier offer digital outs ever? Like SPDIF? I"m guessing not?

[AnotherScott]

PC3 had coax digital out, I believe.

[ElmerJFudd]

It can come in handy, especially on boards like these packed with such digital goodies. On the other hand the capturing of digital music over analog cable through a nice interface can be ear attractive too. There"s an awful lot of plugins folks are keen to use that model/mimic analog tape, running through tubes amps, simulating speakers, rotating horns, detuning, delaying, etc. etc. But musically speaking it"s always the writing, playing, performance, etc. that matter.

[bfields]

The basses all seem to be transposed down an octave, why? Is there really somebody that needs a P-bass that goes down to E0? Weird.

 

It's especially weird in all the preset piano-bass multis, where the left hand by default can reach down to ridiculous barely audible flatulance, but can't play lots of perfectly normal basslines that go above G#2. I wonder if it's just a bug.

[ElmerJFudd]

The low E (or low B depending on the source instrument) is usually keymap"d to E1 (or B0). And they can stretch tune down or up as far as math allows. Location of the samples across the keyboard can be transposed by octave to one"s satisfaction on whatever layer or split you like. I"m sure this is the case.

[bfields]

The low E (or low B depending on the source instrument) is usually keymap"d to E1 (or B0).

 

Yes, that's what I would have expected. Instead the lowest open string note (usually E1 or B0) is on the E2 (or B1) key.

 

And they can stretch tune down or up as far as math allows. Location of the samples across the keyboard can be transposed by octave to one"s satisfaction on whatever layer or split you like. I"m sure this is the case.

 

Yes, I can easily fix it. I just find it hard to imagine that they really intended for the left side of Combo #1 "Piano/AC Bass" to be a bass that covers Eb0 to G#2. Oh well, like you say, not a real practical problem to me.

 

(It goes down only to that low Eb because the bass sound stops at that point and the bottom 6 notes just play a couple percussive sounds.)

[johnchop]

I've had my PC4 for a few months now, and love it. The expressiveness and realism are suburb.

 

But, I am having one issue.

 

I cannot get it to properly communicate with either of my computers. It's like there is a driver issue, and I cannot locate any drivers for it.

 

No drivers needed, and I'm wondering if the MIDI output does not include USB.

 

In Global mode, MIDI page... what is the Destination set to?

[AnotherScott]

The basses all seem to be transposed down an octave, why? Is there really somebody that needs a P-bass that goes down to E0? Weird.

I had a similar complaint about the Split button on Yamaha MOX/MOXF... Reasonably, the default LH sound is a bass, and on the 61 models, the split point and octaves are appropriate. But they left the same default setting for the 88 key models, where that default left you with something no one would want... too many bass keys, with too many of them outside the range of usability. I'd have preferred the default split point moved down an octave on the 88 compared to where they put it on the 61, and the left hand sound pitch-shifted up an octave. In fact, you can change the default to set it that way. But it seemed weird to me to ship it set so that the default setting was something undesirable. My guess is that there may be nothing in the electronics that senses (or can be set for) whether they are located in a 61 or an 88, and no appropriate adjustments are made accordingly. Which also ties into my theory about why people have periodically complained about the velocity repsonsiveness of the MOX8/MOXF8/MODX8... there may not be any automatically-invoked velocity curve specific to the presence of that action, to optimize that response. But that's just a guess.

[bfields]

Oh, that's interesting, I hadn't thought about the possibility it could be a compromise with what's needed on the PC4-76.... It's true, the presets are probably all identical between the two, and the 76-key version has a little less room at the bottom. So their choice is between the bass covering E0-G#2 or E1-G#3, and maybe they thought it was more important to have the low B. Not sure that's what I would have chosen but, OK, less crazy than if the alternative is A0-G#3.

 

And, it really is just 2 keypresses to get to that transposition setting.

 

Definitely appreciating how much simpler it is to do basic edits compared to my PX560. Editing individual layers of a program can still be a slog, but often there's a preset that's close enough to what I want except for, say, some excessive reverb. So it's just: pick the program, turn down the slider named "reverb", hit save, I'm done.

[bfields]

Yep I'll be doing that too Felis, but for my solo work I have no time (usually) between songs to go button pushing on stage. It's why I automate. And the iPad is a part of the gear setup anyway so why not use the tool if it's there FWIW I have figured it out, with the help of MIDI-Ox haha! I am just going to try and research and get on to Kurz (not that they''ll help I daresay) and try and source sysex code for changing modes.

 

I'll be curious to hear what you find out, if anything.

 

I managed to get basic program changes working from MobileSheets on my android tablet but that's all.