Kurzweil K1000 Series

We purchased the instrument used in April of 2004 and from the start could produce some very nice sounds with the presets. As the instrument was on consignment and in used condition, there was no User's guide. We've managed to figure out how to assign preferred sounds to the preset tabs.

The keyboard action is very agreeable, somewhere between the standard Kurzweil 88 key weighted action and the Ensoniq but not quite the heavy handed action of an acoustic grand piano. W/o a manual it's hard to assess the other features. The midi ports seem to be fully functional and can integrate easily with my separate 16 channel sequencer.

The strings are record setting in their realistic sound. We use the instrument in a "blended worship" church service which combines both liturgical hymnody and contemporary praise and worship styles. The keyboard is touch sensitive.

An earlier critique mentioned the backlit panel. This one is fading somewhat, but still readable. Would like to connect with someone who has a "Mr Fixit"

I'm new to this product and have never contacted the manufacturer. My local dealers are helpful with information, but the products are older models and support is not available.

It is a mid sized keyboard with the wonderful early generation chip that Kurzweil has become famous for. It was a great value for the price paid. I have been playing for 40 yrs and have owned several electronic keyboards (my favorite is the Yamaha P150 becaue of it's action and sound) this one inspires me to investigate other orchestral arrangements in concert with the piano via a sequencer.

Easy to use- I have seven modules: Pro1, PX Plus, PXA, SX, HX, GX and AX plus. I love them dearly.
Dial up and play. Proteus owners eat your hearts out -the 1000 series runs rings around them!
Editing is a nightmare if you don't have a manual. These units are deep, deep, deep!
Some of the most weird sounds are surprising, because they may be a piano sound transformed out of all recognition.
FREE Objectmover downloads available from kurzweils ftp site with a wide variety of banks for all models

The pro1/PX models are 24 voice poly, the rest 20 voice poly. You can chain link up to 12 modules tohether for 240+ voices!!
Loads of FX, both preset and modular. Amazing results available with patience.
Expansion chips were available, but no longer. I'm still looking for the SXA and HXA upgrades.
If you have them, I want to hear from you.
Great MIDI spec, a fully loaded 1000 module can store 1000 patches without any of that tedious mucking about with bank controller 0 and 32 stuff.

Over a decade after their instroduction, still beats many newer products hands down, and I've looked recently at Korg Triton's and the Yamaha Motif models.
The 1000 series still compares very well for the sounds.
Very resposive to controllers, but check the manual as to what effect is contrlled by which controller

Very reliable. Still on original batteries. Backlit LCD goes dull and eventually fails, but any good service guy can fix it easily (I must get mine done!)

Few spares available from Kurzweil anmd Sweetwater now, unfortunately.
But no problems encountered so far.

A classic, based on the K250. Rolls Royce sound and build quality. I would NEVER sell mine, and would definitely buy more.
A best kept secret.
See my article at www.sospubs.co.uk for a full run down of the range.
If you get the chance, but one, you won't regret it. They're ridiculously cheap now.

For: THE SOUNDS! Easy multitimbral setups; parts and service (from local music repair stores) no problem and they usually don't need it anyway; no wall wart!
Against: Not enough controls for too much programming (few buttons, etc.); a dizzing family tree which can make buying used units a hobby in itself; Kurzweil can't remember ever having made them.

Module: 2 space Polyphony: Usually 20 voice (but sometimes 24) Archetecture: Sample playback. Connections: MIDI In/Out/Thru; Stereo Outs Display: not backlit

I still remember Kurzweil's ads when the K machines first debuted: "Our ROMS weren't built in a day." True. They descended from the justly famous K250 and its sound-bank upgrades of A, B, C, & D.
And how does the K series sounds?
Well, for orchestral sounds, they're still some of the best around: warm flutes, woody clarinets, bright trumpets, raspy saxes, French Horns that sound like French Horns. And of course, the famous strings and the more famous piano. These are sounds so good, Kurzweil still uses many of them today.
The synth pads and jangly bell tones are pretty. The basses and drums have drive and punch. The acoustic guitars are pleasant (though Korg's are better). It is, in fact, the guitars which are the weakest of the groups, though this being Kurzweil, "weakest" still is pretty good.

Some of the K1000s may have power-supply problems in old age, though I've yet to see this first hand.

When Kurzweil moved to California they took virtually no literature with them. I know, because that's when I tried to get a K1000 HX manual.
For quite a while, SweetWater Sound had a great deal of Kurzweil closeouts and upgrades. SweetWater may still have some hard to find (impossible?) sound blocks for your K1000-series machine.

As you're probably wondering, why is this article entitled, K1000 Series. You're also probably wondering which units have which sounds.
The K1000 series has a family tree which few synth lines (including Yamaha's FM) can match.
The first of the line was the PX (which had the terrific pianos, string choirs, and assorted vibes, pads, and synth sounds). A pro version arrived which also had flutes, electric pianos (from samples) and drums kits. The HX was brass and saxes; the GX was all guitars; and the SX was strings.
Clear so far?
But like the PX Pro, the HX/GX/SX boxes could have sound blocks added. My own HX was upgraded to the AX Plus (which Kurzweil also sold with that moniker) by combining strings, brass, saxes, woodwinds, and timpani.
Other K-boxes got married as well and I know of one that had the brass from one and the guitars from another and, if memory serves, there were drums, too. Of course, some K1000 series owners could have had this done so the front of the synth might not actually tell you what's inside.
Still there? Kurzweil ended all this with the 1200 series which muddied the sample sharing waters still further.
Now, down to basics. These were very expensive machines when they came out and Kurzweil's answer to Emu's Proteus 1 and 2 (1, 2 punch) should have been better than just repackaging.
The basic PX/HX/GX/SX boxes with no sound-block upgrades should run you around $300 or so. Better to get an upgraded version for a few dollars more, depending on the unit these can go for around $400. The 1200 series (which I'll let someone else with more knowledge write about) usually only ads about $50 on to that so look for them going for about $450.
As usual, prices higher than this depend on you and your willingness to pay; lower prices are what I'd consider bargains.
Nothing sounds quite like a Kurzweil sounds.