Kawai K5000S

this synth is definitely not an easy one to learn. the manual is cryptic at best but with the help of the after market book Wizoo Guide the the K5000 it is possible. the book is out of print but can be found floating around on the new in pdf format. most complain about how difficult it is but i didnt find it that bad, with the wizoo book that is.

features can be found on the web so i wont get into that. what i will say is the keybed on this synth is the best i have ever played! no exaggeration. i have played i have played many synths you name it. from vintage to modern and no other synth touches it. if you would want to use it as a master controller alone its worth the money you pay for one.

this is where this synth shines. the sounds that can be created are out of this world (at least they sound like they are). i have created sound scapes that sound like they are straight out of a Hollywood movie. No Joke! it can do good bass sounds and great leads but the pads are strange and beautiful. the only thing i have owned that sounds similar to the k5k pads is the jd800. but the jd is strictly a romper so the k5k blows it out the water. this kawai is half rompler and have additive synth. this is where the ability of the programmer comes into play on how "warm" you can get the patches. if you use more additive layers it will become cold. more sample based layers tends to be warm but flat. if you can get the right balance your patches come out sounding amazingly organic. TURN DOWN THE EFFECTS! alot of patches that i download have so many effects on them that it is unusable. this seems to be the problem people have writing patches with this beast. the effects are not the best but when used in moderation you can pull it off. i created some demos that can be found if you search google for "marsholie k5000s" without the quotoations.

no problems

i have read where poeple have ordered a new encoder wheel from kawai so i guess its still being supported.

for the money this synth is a steal. dont know why but you can pick up this synth for anywhere from $450 to $650. i have not encountered another synth that can create the same type of sounds. ive read the wavestation comes close. if you want to add a strange evolving sound to your tracks i would highly recommend this synth.

ok, let's dispense with the few negatives. the manual is bizarre: it says precious little about the additive functions but goes into painstaking detail about the effects section (chorus, delay...yeah thanks).
i didn't care much for the presets but within a few hours spent with the k5000 (just fiddling, not having read the manual) - i started tweaking my own patches from the presets.
it may be hard to program, but it is easy to come up with musical, beautiful sounds just by messing around - and this isn't something i would say about a dx7 or a korg z1, where i have found the learning curve steeper.
maybe it's just me - but i find it intuitive.

keyboard action is the BEST, every other synth i own feels cheap after this. the effects (delays particularly and room ambiences are surprisingly good, better than on the korg z1).
polyphony is 16 on average - depending on the sources used. but with this synth you can arrive at highly complex evolving patches with just TWO sources (out of 6 possible) already.
aftertouch is superb - everything about this boards oozes quality.

very dynamic, the knob tweaking is fun because it results in musically useful changes (exception: resonance, which is a killer acid sound in ints own right).
the sounds that i managed to program are so beautiful and inspiring. they seem to creep up on you out of nowhere (the unit is 100% noise-free with mindblowing dynamic range). the sounds are rich, well balanced over the frequency range and just playable and musical.
whoever says that this board sounds digital and cold doesn't know about programming.
it has this rare quality that sounds seem to be right there in front of the speakers, that only very high quality synths have.

don't know yet.

don't know

absolutely one of the best, and play or have played about 40 synths, from analogues such as yamaha cs-60, jupiter, moogs, matrix-1000, to digital such as the korg z-1.

has an absolutely beautiful tone to it. should have been a huge success.
ALL kawai gear had cutting edge sound quality for its time.

what i don't get is why these can be bought cheaply nowadays: there hasn't been any newer synth that is halfway in its league.
if anyone from kawai reads this, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

i updated the operating system from the kawai website to the latest (4.04). presets came with this O.S. are very good. i haven't get into the sounddiver yet. programming could be easy or difficult depending on what you're trying to achieve. it is important to listen the sound as you go since some parameters make very subtle changes to your sound.Manual is nothing special.(like yamaha manuals) wizoo book is somewhat better but not great.

polypony is sufficient (32 i think). Some effects are very good. it is a good exercise to strip the patches from the effects first and build up the sound from there. sometimes outboard effects improves the sound tremendously. there's a memory expansion card available( altough it's very hard to find one)but not essential.Midi capabilities are very good. keyboard action is (like everyone agreed upon)superb. market is oversaturated with mediocre to bad keyboards. compared to current roland/korg keys , kawai's keyboard feel just right.
i think it has many features and most of them are well implemented. it's not a workstation.it is rather an instrument, and stands out fine (like an old fender jazz bass, or selmer tenor sax).

sound is wonderful.a lot of people mentioned that it's cold and digital. i don't know what are they referring to. (in my mother language you don't describe the sound with those terms.) it could sound very "warm"(what i mean is analog like i guess).if not use an outboard unit. i got great results with just the sherman filterbank.you can get hairy organ sounds like fela-kuti albums.or oberheim sounds like peter gabriel albums. it is very expressive (due to excellent keyboard action and modulation capabilities.) i think it could outperform most of the "analog" and "virtual analog" crop.

i could depend on it. building quality is just the way it should be. it looks very classy too. i like the lcd, and whells are responsive. i would use it on a gig without a backup. i also would use it to control other synths without hesitation.

this keyboard is out of production for almost 6-7 years now. obviously i got mine second hand. i contacted kawai about original sounds i deleted when i was loading bunch of patches from the net. Mr. Troy Reigleman not only send me the original factory patches and supplemental material also send me a four diskettes full of sound library. he was extremely responsive and pleasant.

i think it's well worth what i paid for. it seems everybody is going to software synth route. all i would say is that with all that pirate copies wondering around, whole software instrument thing is leaving a bad taste in the mouth. they're only capable if your processor/analog digital convertors/sound card is capable. and upgrades every other month is a big distraction. people can't sit down and make music because of this. they download and load and unload software. i don't use any software synths, and i don't find it limiting. only software i consider is Kyma and it comes with an ultimate dongle!,its own hardware.kawai k5000s is fine istrument and great addition to my rig

It really says something when I keep throwing my K5000S out of my live rig, replace it with something else (Emu VK-6, Yamaha SY-77 and W-7), and I end up bringing the Kawai back in. Nothing sounds like it is the bottom line! Take preset #1 "Rock Pad" - I have tried to duplicate that patch on every keyboard I have attempted to replace the K5000S with, and failed to get the nuances and playability, yet it is an insanely simple patch. It just boils down to what's in the Kawai, both from the additive and sample playback sound generation system. I am using only a few patches on the K5000S live (Rock Pad preset- suitably tweaked - and a couple of others I programmed), but they are critical to the my sound in the arrangements. The Kawai sounds blend when they're supposed, and step out when they're supposed to -and sound wonderful doing all of it. So much for the initial rave. Programming this thing is not easy as additive synthesis simply requires dealing with a lot of harmonic parameters. (Yes I have extensive experience with patch programming, and am also a rocket scientist!) Kawai learned from their K5 ancestor and make additive synthesis about as easy as possible, but it still takes a lot of button-pushing. I use Soundquest these days (threw SoundDiver out the window!) and it is certainly a lot nicer to not have to crawl thru pages on the K5000S, although the display and page organization is more than adequate. However easier an editor program can be though, it just isn't the same as leaning over the 'board and tweaking away sometimes! The Kawai also sits in the mix very nicely, and is capable of surprising warmth, and live it's low end can rattle the rafters. OS is the latest/last off Kawai's web site, the manual is adequate at explaining what each button does (I never use it), and I was lucky enough to find the rare memory expander....

I don't recall the polyphony, but I have yet to run out of voices in any situation, but I must admit I haven't tried to stress it out with dense midi streams. The keyboard action is wonderful: firm, solid, smooth - it is a joy to play and easily on the same level as my beloved Yamaha EX-5. The performance controls are great and work exactly as they should. Others have commented on the aftertouch, and I'll add to that choir - this keyboard has the finest, most playable aftertouch of any keyboard I've encountered! It works when you want it to, and responds smoothly and quite musically. It's a damn shame Kawai chickened out on this keyboard as it's probably the best thing they've ever produced. It has defects (limited multitimberal capabilities, front panel control changes don't get saved properly, etc.) but they are fairly minor, and a next-generation version would have been killer. The on-board effects are standard but flexible, although the reverbs are sub-par. First clue on the pre-sets: turn the bloody effects down! (Must've learned that trick from Roland!) The patch bank system is laughable in it's numbering system, but can be ignored easily. I have the ME-1 memory expander installed, and have built a "best of" all Kawai and third party patches in the extra banks. The K5000S is not the 'board for acoustic emulations, and the emulation pre-sets show that, even with tweaking. But as a synthesizer, it is outstanding. The PCM samples range from adequate to "what the hell were you thinking, Kawai?", and there are a few surprisingly versitile and harmonically-impressive samples buried in the pile. The additive synthesis engine excells at breathy, sweet tones, but beware! - this thing can nuke woofers and disintigrate tweeters! Also be careful with the resonance control, as it can transform the most plain sound into a speaker-destroying sonic assault! All patches I am using use a blend of the additive and PCM sounds, using the PCM as a basic "foundation" while the additive part is the gorgeous icing on the cake. It speaks midi well, and the only complaint I can come up with is that I wish it could be set to ignore selected midi messages like "Local Off" (which bloody Cakewalk always sends out on boot-up!). All I can say about it's arpeggiator is that I don't use it, and it seems rather incompletely thought out. (Best arp I have/use is the one on my Korg Z1 - Yow!)

My K5000S is part of my live rig, along with the Z1 and Yamaha EX-5 & W-5. I play in a rock/pop/alternative/prog rock band with the typical pair of howling guitarists. The K5000S is used mostly for left-hand bass lines, pads, and effects (long, evolving beautiful pads - which this thing absolutely excels at!). The touch is - to me - perfect, and is a joy to play: very controllable, very reliable. Even our bass player prefers the bass synth sounds of the K5000S compared to the other keyboards I have tried to replace it with, as it's tones fit better with what he's doing. Why do I keep trying to replace it? Well, originally I was concerned with it's versitility: it has a few GREAT sounds, but not a very broad palette compared to the Yamahas. However, those sounds I can't live without, and I give up - it's in the rig and no longer threatened with replacement! (And I've finally managed to get a good string sound out of it!)

Built solid! However, the end caps are a little fragile. But it has been gigged hard and has never given me the slightest problem. I don't use the floppy drive much, so I can't comment on the reliability. But after having to dance with my Yamahas over their cheap crap floppy drives, I have no problem with diving in to fix it if it gives me trouble. I use four keyboards live so I have back-up at hand if necessary, and the W-5 is the K5000S's back-up.

No reason to bother them so far, which is really the true test of reliability, isn't it? Sadly, Kawai barely acknoledges it's existance. Guys, you really missed an opprtunity to become a player here.......

If it was lost or stolen, I'd track the bastard down and beat him with it! I would immediately go find another. In the meantime, I'd make due with some controller keyboard (probably the W-7) running my K5000R module!

Bottom line is this is not a beginner's synth, folks. The programming is OK but additive synthesis - like FM sybthesis - requires some real understanding of sound design and science, and is not for the impatient or short attention span crowd. There is little instant gratification, and it is a more specialized item - you won't use it as a standalone workstation unless you are doing ambient snooze music. But nothing else sounds like it (I can testify to that!), and if you take a little time with it (like anything!) it will be very rewarding.

An excellent, horribly overlooked keyboard - I love it!

Well I've had the k5000 for about 2 months now. So i'm starting to think i'm ready to make an opinion. This is my first keyboard though so I've got a biased wow this thing is really cool type of attitude. I'm running version 1.01. For what i've been doing thats been fine. There r some good presets and there r some blah presets. But editing the patchs r a breeze. There r long corridors of menus to dabble in so that can get annoying but if u take the time of taking a whole session to sit down and just find some fun sounds u can come up with some really good stuff. I don't use a patch editor at all so i can't say how that goes. I'm not even really interested in one right now. Right now I just run my keyboard through sonar xl. As far as the manuals go u got me I don't have one. Like I said this is my first keyboard and i'm not having much of a problem figuring it out. I'm giving it an 8 on ease of use because i imagine there r things out there that r easier to use but for me this is great.

Think this bugger has 32 voice poly. Which is pretty good but if u go to deep sometimes u'll end up with a sound that is barely audible. I'm working on finding my ways around that. I could always save as audio files and layer things on my computer but what fun is that. I enjoy the keyboard action. The keys r velocity sensitive and that makes for a good time. Especially considering one of the 16 knobs can adjust the sensitivity of the velocity. So if u r a lead finger u can make adjustments with a knob. The rest of the knobs make for a good time also. nothing like taking one of those dreamy bass pads and holding a key down and playing with the knobs. Or better yet put on one of the arp settings and then play around with the knobs. There r tons of arp settings which is nice. If there was only the up, updown, down arps i'd get bored of that feature pretty quick. but lucky me there r like 12 arp settings and some of them have multiple options. On top of that u can also customize the arp. I haven't delved into that too much yet though. But that alone is a nice feature. fun fun. Now I haven't even begun to mention the additive synth properties of this thing. Probably cause i haven't fully figured them out considering i'm a newbie. But i have come up with some fun sounds though i can't say that they were what i was aiming for. More of a smoke a joint sit and mess with the add settings of a blank sound till u come up with something that just too good to be true. No onboard sequencer which is a bummer but hey thats what a computer is for.
I have to give a 10 for the features. Even though it doesn't have "everything" aka a sequencer. It has some things u can't readily find anywhere else. The arp is good the additive synth is better. plus u can still use pcm files. woohoo. This thing is a beast.

The sounds. Where the hell can u begin with that. Realism whats that. if u want a flute. get a flute. if u want a flutelike sound that comes in with a fast attack and slowly decays into a nice wavy organ sound. Well then the k5000 is your synth. Being new and all i was really hoping i'd have at least a 10 dollar casio level piano sound. Well there isn't one. grin. So i made one.
As far as deciding what styles of music this works for. I think thats a moot point. This think is pretty much limited to what u want to do with it. It is lacking in percussion sounds but that may just be because i haven't either a. taken the time to make them or b. haven't figured out how to make them.
I have to admit that i feel like this thing is alive sometimes. It'll follow your concepts pretty well as u play. if that makes sense. guess i'm saying its very versitile and the sounds r very alive. the velocity touch is pretty good. i think u can adjust the velocity somewhere in the menus but i haven't messed with that much. but there is definite differences in sound if u push the a key quickly vs a slow soft touch.
Well let me give a few examples of sounds i've found. theres a nice preset called k-philes. grin. That'll do a good rendition of the x-files theme song. I found another sound in there that is all about the oldschool startrek theme. I just created a sound that is perfect for dreamy celtic stuff. lots of good pads i guess. some good dancy stuff if u work it right. I haven't done that yet. all in all i'll give a 9 and that could be a judgement based on human error since i can't get drum beats out of it.

It seems pretty good. I haven't ever gigged. It's just in a home studio. I've had it freeze up a few times. Only once did it piss me off though. usually it freezes if sonar gets messed up. So it's not the synths fault. i did freeze it up once while navigating through the menus. i was working on a sound doing the make an adjustment push a key type of thing and it stuck a note. had to turn it off.
other than that it seems great. and considering its already 5 or so years old and i'm running it on the original version of the software i shouldn't be complaining. I'll give an 8 cause of the freeze ups.

i hope i never have to use it. I've heard they r good. but charge alot for parts. so go figure. I can't form an opinion on this cause i haven't used it

If it were lost or stolen i would feel hopelessly lost cause its my only piece of equipment. I'd be mad and probably turn into a serial killer. this is a great synth. I was after something with lots of programmability at a reasonable price. I imagine a triton studio or a fantom or something like that is better in a lot of ways but they don't cost 500 dollars. U can literally sit around for way to many hours twiddling knobs searching through menus and creating killer original sounds. Just remember that after u spend a day making a sound. U have to spend a day using the sound. It's only fair. All I've used before this synth r loop factory type of programs and this is by far on a whole different level. It's great. This thing is just limited to what u can do. Enjoy.

well i'll be brief.You know what this does....

it odes stuff nothing ive found will

This is really where its at.I zoned in on one thing it does well , its harmonic shower like waves and stuff.....its actaully capable of some sounds that are simply beautifull.I didnt warm to it in the mix for leads or stuff but i probably didnt push it or try hard enough.I just sampled so many 30-60 second waves and washes and stuff and then re-synthesised these.....its really another world in this synth.Anyone doing abstarct or chilled soundscapes and electronica should try this synth....its very wonderfull.

seems solid.The knobs not remembering settings i found odd.

think there now based in another star system?

amazing , along with a korg z1 , a korg wavetstation , nord modular anda few other synthesis systems this is a must try as it does sounds you cant get elsewhere....its quite odvious at times or can be spotted a mile away.......ina word?chromium / silvery / metaliness and clouds of liquid mercury !harmonically richer than ive ever found.......

Recently updated to v4.03, which actually overwrote all the patches I had stored in RAM. Really glad I did a complete backup before I upgraded the OS.

The v3.0 and v4.03 presets range from the silly to the sublime, but it's quite simply the most flexible synth I've come across (no offense to you VAST owners). The leads, basses, and pads are exceptional although, as stated in other reviews, the "replica" sounds can be a bit lacking. Still, there are some amazing electric piano and Hammond patches within the presets.

Thank God for SoundDiver - I can't imagine doing all the editing from the front panel. Although the interface reminds me of the Korg O1-series, Kawai didn't include either an increment/decrement button or value slider. Somewhat minor omissions, but they do take some shine off the apple.

The factory manual is simply awful.

I believe that there are 32 voices lurking under the hood, but I've been unsucessful in determining how many elements per voice that leads to - a six-section patch is nowhere near 32 voices.

This keyboard has the most pleasant unweighted action I have ever played. It has substance greater than plastic and switches. The only keyboard I prefer is the weighed hammer action in my MIDIBoard.

The effects are on par with the workstations and synths that were available during the production cycle. The addition of a dedicated eq helps.

I'm still looking for the memory expansion. Oh, almost forgot - this relates back to the manual. The concept of the "A" and "D" banks is a bit wierd, until you read the factory manual. It proudly explains that the "B" and "C" banks are only present in the K5000W. Looks like crack was readily available in Japan sometime in the mid-90's.

The MIDI and modulation capabilities are extensive. The assignable switches, pots, footswitches... The mod matrix is similarly equipped. The Kawai folks really did this area proudly.

The arpeggiator is completely over the top. I'd guess that there are as many programming options with the arpeggiator as there are within a complex additive voice.

There's a whole pile of gemstones on the control surface - realtime control macro knobs that work on the additive harmonic mix, formant filter, HP/LP filter, envelopes, arpeggiator and portamento. There are also a bank of four assignable controls that have dual destinations. Maybe mine has a glitch, but the portamento rate control seems to invert the values, as do the envelopes. Turn the knob fully CW, and the glide/env time goes to 127, but that seems to equate to zero glide and zero attack/decay/release. Rotating the knob fully CCW sets the glide to 0, but gives you the full portamento time (go get coffee between keystrokes). Maybe it's just me.

This is the most difficult part of the review. The sounds are simply incredible. This is as good as you can hope for from a synthesizer. Assuming you use sparing amounts of the PCM waves and jump into the additive and morph with both feet(feat), there are very few things the mind can imagine that the unit can't deliver. And that's where the few flaws show up. I've found the unit more difficult to place into a mix than other synths, even when bypassing the effects. There's a truly distinct sound to this synth, one that sternly refuses to lay flat within the mix without some work on the sound. Maybe it's the way I listen to it, but it seems to be a bunch harder to blend into the canvas. The only other gripe I can come up with is the filter resonance. It is an 8-count from zero to mind-blowing feedback. This becomes more apparent when tweaking a patch from the realtime controls - beware excessive twist on the reso control. It kinda sneaks up on you... However, a little feedback never hurt anyone, when you know how to use it. This synth can get into the gutter and roll around with the dirt whenever you need it. So - the 10 rating (Pristine sound quality) is kind of subjective.

Don't assume that it's on par with more recent samplers and ROMplers when realistic acoustic instruments are required. This isn't the pony for that trick.

The onboard efx are more than up to the task, and are flexible enough. I'd rather keep some of the onboard effects, if for nothing other than the mod routings that are available. Admittedly, the efx are possibly above average - but that's nothing to sneeze at.

The mod routings - I've stressed this before. The beast is expressive. Whether it's velocity, aftertouch, the mod wheel (made me want to remove the spring from my controller), the performance pots & switches... Too many possibilities to consider all at once.

As far as construction goes, this thing is built like a tank. I've read reviews that consider this heavy (when compared to what?). It's not an unreasonable weight, probably a few pounds porkier than an 01/W.

When I gigged, I never let anything run without a backup - this is not a slight to any piece of gear. It's better to be prepared, if possible.

I spoke with Kawai recently (to purchase a manual) and they were extremely helpful. This board seems to remain a really sore topic with the support staff - it's pretty obvious that they believed in the product and were very opposed to its death. Factory manual only cost me $13. Not bad, although it's barely worth the paper its printed on. My biggest complaint about this synth - the manual is totally, completely, thoroughly, absolutely useless. Keeps the drinks off the table, however.

I bought this beast used, and it did have a very funky shaft encoder (dial). Got it fixed under an extended warranty - really glad about that as the part alone went for $170. I'm sure that I will be faced with the dead backlight syndrome in the next few years, but that particular fate probably awaits the majority of my rig as time progresses.

Assuming this board went missing for any reason, I would look to pick up another. I'll probably keep my eye out for a K5000R, assuming I can get it for a similar price. I'd say I got a pretty good deal on this.

One note of caution to any prospective buyers - the "W" version does not have the bank of realtime control knobs. Make sure you can live without these before you grab a K5000W.

If you just want to stick to the preset sounds, then it is very easy to use. However, if you want to create your own sounds then it is a f'kn bitch! I owned this thing for about 2 years before I finally made myself sit down and learn how to use all it's features. This synth is designed to be powerful, not idiot-proof.

Presets suck...

The manual sucks...

More features than you can poke a stick at!!!

I won't list them all because I would only be repeating what everyone else has said.

One thing it is missing is a MIDI sync LFO. You can use the arpeggiator to do gating and stuff, but you can't control any of the effect parameters with BPM. EG: It would be nice to be able to beat-sync cutoff, or phaser, or panning, etc...

FAT FAT FAT... Yes, this keyboard is fat as long as you learn how to program it yourself. All the presets suck big time and sound thin and weak. Do not be put off by this because it is possible to create those huge DnB basslines you always wanted... :)

Onboard effects are excellent.

Never failed on me yet... Playing it live for the first time in a couple of days so touch wood :)

Nup. As I said before, I have never had a problem with it.

If it was stolen/lost I would not be able to buy another one because they are out of production. But, if it was possible I would strongly consider getting another one.

One thing I wish it had was an audio input for using the FX on an input signal.

Running OS 4.03, most bugs are gone except one (or is it just mine) when editing a sound with the knobs and then presses WRITE the sound changes into something else (#?%@!?!).

Presets sucks with a few exceptions but there is plenty with sounds to download on the net.

It's not so hard to program, just take looong time to experiment because of the huge number of parameters. The additive synthesis is quite simple to understand until you get to the 128-band formant filter. The formant filter is the key to the strange but wonderful sounds/textures this beast is capable of.

Didn't get the owners manual, got me the Wizoo book instead of buing the manual from Kawai.

32 voices to play with, not a problem when it's limited to 4 channel multi timbral.

FX is good and often needed to give life to some stiff sounds. 4 separate FX + master reverb/delay + EQ is quite enought for me.

There is a memory expantion but it seems quite hard to get nowdays.

Realistic sounds, nooo! this synth gives you the sounds you can't find elsewhere (well, maby if buy a Fairlight) I love the cold, digital sound it produces. It can be warm also with lots of help from the FX but it's those cold, harsh Kraftwerk like sounds I like most

Reliability is good as far as I know. It hung once but that was with a earlier OS.

Never have to dealt with support so I have no opinion

If it were lost or stolen? I would replace it at once!!

I wish I could find the memory expantion to it.

Software V4.03
The manual isn't very good. It pretty much just describes what the
parameters do, but not how to use them. The description for the
arpeggiator is a joke. The Wizoo book is quite helpful for programming, I recommend it. Editing patches isn't that hard, but
can be quite time-consuming (there are a LOT of parameters).

The polyphony can be up to 32 voices, but in normal use is probably
more like 16. For me that's fine, since I have other instruments
and my music isn't densely sequenced.
The keys feel really good and have velocity/aftertouch. In fact, these keys are probably the best ever on an unweighted keyboard.
The effects aren't as good as dedicated units, but quite useful
nonetheless. I don't have a lot of outboard gear, so they're
definitely good for me.

I think this machine does many things well. Just don't expect realistic instrument emulations. That's not what this machine is for. My favorite sounds are the pads - they're lush, yet transparent.
Absolutely fabulous for spacemusic, new age, ambient and even trance.
On the other end of the scale, this synth can sound harsh, grating and totally obnoxious, so it's also great for industrial, experimental applications and special efx/weirdness. It even makes
some decent analog-ish noises. Just watch your filter settings, this thing will eat your speakers for lunch if you're not careful.
This is one of the most expressive synths I've ever played. It reacts quite well to velocity and aftertouch, but my favorite is the mod wheel. Depending on the patch and how it is programmed, it can change the sound radically. Play some of the presets and see what I mean.

My unit has been rock solid. It is built like a tank and I would definitely use it on a gig without backup.

The people at Kawai are nice, but there isn't alot of help from them since the machine was discontinued a few years ago. However, there are quite a number of patches available online and help with the arpeggiator (thank you Jens Groh) and programming too.

If it were lost or stolen, I would replace it IMMEDIATELY!! I don't think I could be without it. It's definitely worth more than I paid for it. I think it's the best digital synth ever made and complements my analogs (Juno 106, Matrix 6) perfectly, but would definitely go well alongside something like like a Microwave XT or one of the many VA's out there. Some of my friends have Wavestations
(which I quite like), but I prefer the K5k. The only unit similar to this one is the Yamaha FS1r, but that one is even harder to get.
IF I HAD TO PARE DOWN MY RIG TO ONE SYNTH, THIS ONE WOULD BE IT!!!