Kawai Q-80

Oldie but goodie. I was looking for a good sequencer on a budget. I have seen many of these that are still in use today along with the EX model. Takes a little while to get used to the interface but once we get the twist things are not complicated. Extensive editing features may take a while to master. The instruction manual has some 200 pages! But it is worth reading if we want to learn all the programming and editing features. Took me about 10 minutes without the book to start recording a simple song with 1 instrument.

Other have mentioned the sequencing features, 10 songs 32 tracks 26,000 notes memory, etc, but I find the archiving function to be most useful as you can also store stuff from other MIDI devices. This makes the Q-80 both a sequencer and archiving unit. Floppies are cheap and convenient.

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This thing has nearly 20 years and still works like new. I bought it used and it was in very good shape.

Got the original manual PDF from the Kawai web site.

Amazing unit for its age. Somehow better than many new sequencers, despite its small alphanumeric display and cryptic programming. Definitely well built with a solid casing and reliable electronics. It does exactly what I wanted as a sequencer, plus it has MIDI data archiving features.

I bought my first Kawai Q-80 when they first hit the market. From memory, I'm guessing that to be around 1992. I paid some $800 for it back then. Over the long haul, I was happy to have it...so much so that I bought 2 more of them used. The 2nd one I paid $200 for and the 3rd I paid $50. The reason I bought more than 1 was that I was playing in a band at the time and we needed more than one machine simply for the convenience of having our full show's music at my fingertips. The machine only has slots for a total of 10 songs. That was only half a set for our band. That meant that we either had to load more songs off of the storage disc, or we had to play many songs with no sequencing help. Loading off the disc was not feasible in the middle of the set. So the solution was to just get more machines, MIDI all the machines to the same MIDI switcher and we were good to go. At the prices used Q-80s have been going for in this town (Nashville) there wasn't any reason to not buy several machines. Using the machine in a live situation took a little getting used to but was very do-able once I got the hang of it. Like any other sequenced music though, you have to rigidly stick to the way you rehearsed things. There's no room for impovisation and that pissed off some of the other musicians in the band. One arrogant guitar player kept calling it my glorified karaoke machine. But I disagreed because I put my sweat and talent into every song doing all the sequences myself.

One of the really cool features back then, in a live situation, was the ability to plug in system exclusive MIDI info. I had one of the newest MIDI guitar amps and I used the Q-80 to change my guitar amp's settings from distortion to clean to chorused .... or whatever else I needed. Once I got all the changes for the show dialed into the Q-80, I was able to free myself from those damn foot pedals. The only downside to that though is that there's no changing it back in the middle of a show. So accurate programming is the key to success.

When I got my first machine, I went through a period of severe frustration because the documentation was the WORST I've ever seen in the music business. I secretly prayed for the writers to show up at a NAMM show or something so that I could personally slap them. I finally started making progress when I tossed the manual and started just punching around on the controls to see what worked what. Once I did that, I soon realized that the machine itself is just absolutely SUPERB! By now, 2005, it's certainly old technology but much like newer piston engined airplanes have not proven to outperform 65 year old P-51 Mustangs or Spitfires from WWII, the Q-80 simply can't be improved on by much. As newer sequencers have come and gone, the only real advancements have been with storage capacity, memory and maybe a computor monitor with which to see. Of course, with computor monitors you lose the portability. And also, with each new advancement comes a more complicated learning curve before you become proficient with its use.

The Q-80 came with 512k of onboard memory and storage was in the form of 3.5" floppies. The view screen has just a very few lines of pixels and yet all of this is plenty once you get the hang of the machine. The ease of use is just GREAT! I find myself laying down sequences quickly and easily any time I get an inspiration. I am a guitar player NOT a keyboard player. So I've always used the sequencer for my drum tracks and keyboard fills while I'll lay my bass, guitar and vocal tracks on a multi track recorder that I have synced to the Q-80. In virtually all cases, I'll use the Q-80's step time feature to build my drum tracks. Then with that back beat in place, I move over to the multi track for the bass and guitar parts. Then back to the Q-80 to do keyboard fills such as string layers or a gnarly Hammond/Leslie fill. OH YEAH!

I've had these Q-80s for a very long time and have never had any problems with any of the 3 of them. Kawai built a first class machine that has stood the test of time. I love them. Since I don't play live anymore, I don't see buying anymore but I won't sell these either. They're mine forever.

Once you self study this device it becomes kinda easy to use. The difficult part is the manual has to be the worst written manual in the history of electronics. When you final start to understand the capabilities you will realize this device will record things automatically like program info. But because of the poor manual I will still rate the ease of use low.

Note recording feature is excellent. You can record on all 32 tracks at various bar lengths and have the bars loop. Simple put it you can creat a 8 bar loop on track 1 and then create a 16 bar change up on track 2 making a 2 for 1 break. The quantizing is not as regit as a lot of sequencers so you play with how loose or tight the quatizing will be. Note: For all my fellow q-80 users the loop mode has nothing to do with the motif; there is 1 page in the manual that reference repeat that will loop tracks. Record the track as long as you want and it will loop at the track, then trim of the unwanted bars like you would a sample. Depending on how good you lay keys will depend on how good your loops flow.

The velocity is as great as the midi controller your using. I use the midi keystation 49 with great results. Sometime it seem to add it own after touch to some of the notes that I did not hear in original play but since that is not always occurring, I will take the hit of problem as user error.

I purchase this from the bay about a week ago. I can not account for reliability as of yet. All test with floppy back-ups I have ran operated great.

The guy I purchase it from on the bay offered some good advice. As for kawai, I would not even consider them for support. I would not have even purchase the unit if was n't for the things I read on the internet during my research

The sequencer is excellent for people who like to compose music. Your not commited to stay in the same bar length through out the sequence. It works well as master or slave when it come to midi time clock. If you have not notice let me reiterate the manual is pure garbage.

It takes a little study to understand but once you're used to it the manual covers everything you need to know. The previous sequencer I had ( a Yamaha ) was a pain to program this Kawai has been a pleasure in comparison.

I got into the basic recording and playing pretty quickly. I've used the more advanced functions now and again and as long as you have the patience you'll be OK.

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I've never lost any data - never had any problems with retrieving data from floppies.

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This sequencer to be important to my music making and hope I never have to get it repaired - it will be hard to replace.

I did have to be shown how to use the unit initially, but once I got the hang of it, I could make good use of the user manual.

I do like the quantize and event edit functions- sometimes I'm off time and I miss a note or two, but I like being able to correct mistakes and to save the corrections. The tempo track is especially useful when I want a particular song to stay at a specific tempo (especially when I use drum loops) or if I want to slow the tempo near the end of a song. I like being able to control a wide range of MIDI gear, from newer sound modules down to a Yamaha SU10 sampler or Roland SH101 equipped with a Philip Rees Little MCV. I like being able to control the Q-80 via MIDI with my MD Data 4-track.

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It's been able to hold the data from works-in-progress for a long time without it being corrupted.

The staff from the Kawai store that I got it from were very helpful when I purchased the unit. I've not had to take it for repair yet, though.

For what I've been able to squeeze out of the unit, it's worth it.

The manual isn't as straightforward as it might be, it takes quite a bit of creative thinking sometimes to apply what it is telling you to do.

It does however appear to be pretty comprehensive.

Is capable of storing any form of MIDI data, including systex transmissions. The real time record and play options are extremely easy to use, I managed to transfer two songs from my Roland TR505 into the sequencers memory that first evening that I had it. It also alows you to selectively record or play different MIDI tracks within a song, so that you can come back and add parts later.

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I don't know what I did before I had this, it is a superbly versatile piece of kit. The internal memory can store ten songs, with a capacity of 112 on the 3.5inch floppy drive. Mine came to me in excellent condition, and has been very reliable since I've had it. I consider this pretty indespensible to gig with.

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I would not want to be without this. To buy a new sequencer with a similar specification would put me into the range of gear costing 6-7 hundred UK pounds. The step sequencing functions look complicated to me, but that's probably because I don't tend to use them when I can do everything in real time. Usually I build up the backing for songs on my Roland TR505 and transfer the finished version onto the Kawai, that way I can use more of the TR505's limited capabilities on each song.

I should also say that this is a very good looking piece of kit, classic late 80's design, robust yet functional.