Kurzweil K2661

although its only 61 keys, most def. the flagship of the Kurzweil line. (the 88-key Kurzweil K2600 and 76-key version of the K2600 are both dinosaurs that the company should be embarrassed about and pull off the market.....the K2600 still has SCSI, no USB, a FLOPPY DRIVE??...its simply unusable by a working pro today)....ANYwayz, the K2661 at least has 1. smart card reader built in, and 2. SEAMLESS switching between big layered setups, AND 3. the ability to play a big layered setup while the sequencer is running.

The board is unfortunately not that user-friendly in general, however. i had a nightmare switching all my prog. and setups from the old Kurzweil K2VX. and k2661 programs and setups are not well categorized.

The KDFX effects are a nightmare, just WAY WAY too complicated....the ROUTING of effects is something only an electrical engineer could grasp....Kurzweil still doesn't quite get it that players want PRESETS...good ones and lots of them to choose from....

see above...effects are a nightmare

kurzweil has great sounds,....but lets face it guyz....so does Roland and Korg and Yamaha. Kurzweil is overpriced and way behind the times in terms of connectivity.....the bigger Kurzweil boards are way out of date.

the board is dependable....used it professionally for 4 years now....its been in shop 3 times for repair...mostly because of spills on keyboard.

Jean at Kurzweil...their one and only tech support guy...is fantastic...just know that he's the only guy and you are gonna wait, wait, wait for his phone calls.

tough call....because of seamless switching of big layered setups, the K2661 has still been the best for live performances that include big set lists, loads of setups, NEED for seamless switching and ability to play big layered setups while seq is running.....STILL Korg Triton Extreme can't do that, neither can the newest Yamaha motifs....neither could the old ROLAND Fantom x line, but FINALLY...........new ROLAND G7 does indeed feature seamless switching, and they finally woke up and realized users need way more user slots for the big layered splits/setups (512 us still skimpy, Roland, but at least its better than 128 on the old x7) .....the roland g7 is finally a board that can replace the Kurzweil K2661 for what I need.....i'm shopping/testing it now and will review compare soon......have a great summer.

I like the quick keys and banks for changing during a song. Out of the box, the K2661 has most sounds you will ever need to play. Changing a preset is easy.

I'll admit I don't use most of the features of this instrument, but I don't need to with all presets and the "farm". Everything sounds great. Even the KB3 actually sounds very good, even the Leslie sim.

I haven't found a sound that is not included in the presets and farm. I can't find a Vox Continental Organ yet, though? Everything else is there if you add the vintage Keys card. Best Whirley Electric I'v heard, as well as the Rhodes. I could never keep my 1973 Rhodes in ture. This one sounds better, and is actually in tune.
I bought this instrument for sound quality and the vintage keys ROM.
This is the real stuff.

No problems.

This is a great keyboard that does everything well. Sound Quality is awsome. Would buy again. Add the "Vintage ROM" , if you use a Rhodes or Whirlitzer sound. Enjoy!

V1.30
I must admit I approached this instrument with caution intially, having owned a K2000 some years back. Altho it had some great sounds, it's programming impenetrability ultimately led me to sell it. Yes, VAST is still the modus operandi of the K2661, but the addition of a larger and easier to read screen, the simplification of some functions, and much improved and clearer users manuals make editing a far easier proposition. It still takes some time (in my case a good few weeks) to get your head around the concept and architecture of VAST but you'll get the hang of it soon enough.

The synth style action is very good (tho IMO Yamaha still wins out for their keybeds--the best semi-weighted action I ever played was a KX-76; weighted was a KX-88.) KDFX is terrific, with many varied, detailed and very editable presets. Setups and esp. the Quick Access banks make organising and accessing your sounds a breeze. SmartMedia cards are a terrifically simple (and portable!) way to store huge amounts of program and sample data. MIDI capabilities are extensive. A must-have addition is the Vintage Keys ROM. As a Rhodes and Wurli fan, I must say these are the most expressive and realistic samples I've ever played, with loads of useful variations for each model. In addition, I highly recommend Kurzweil's Classic Synth CD-ROM. I hadn't read many reviews of this so it was a shot-in-the-dark purchase, but it is fantastic. This CD takes the Kurz to a whole 'nother level! All the synths represented have been superbly sampled and are incredibly playable. Very phat--essential! I don't use the onboard sequencer, as I'm a G4/Logic user.

The main attraction of this synth is the sounds. This is the first keyboard I've played in ages that sounds and feels organic, like a real instrument. Hooray! I despaired that such a synth would ever be made again. How different it is from the plasticky, swamped-in-FX boards so ubiquitous right now. And a special mention must go to KB3 mode, a real delight. So easy to use and customise, and the praise I get for it's authenticity from fellow musos and seasoned crews alike tell their own story. It easily equals any Hammond clone out there.

So far so good. Built quite solidly, in fact a tiny bit on the heavy side for it's size, but with the addition of a wheeled case is no prob to transport.

Have emailed Kurz tech support with a couple of questions and received a prompt, detailed reply.

This is without doubt the best synth I've ever owned. It does everything I could possibly ask for in a keyboard for both studio and live work. There are still some features I find frustratingly arcane, and I would personally like to see the addition of a global-style page that controlled the most commonly used functions ie filter, patch volume, ADSR, that would affect all layers in a program. Would I buy again? Of course! To sum up--check out the K2661. It really is something else.

The software was version 1.00 when i bought it 12 months ago, just a month ago i upgrade it to 1.30. No big different. The preset sound i amazing, very thick and warm, especially the ac. pianos sound. Never did an editing, just use the preset & it's enough for me. But according to the manual, editing is very deep and flexible. The manual is so so, i have to find it myself. But since i'm a pragmatic guy, for me better to be involved in the keyboard itself than read all the manual.

it's 48 note poliphony, some feel less but for me that's ok. The effects is very nice and "expensive", not just a toy. K2661 receive 2 exp rom board and mine id already installed with both of them (the piano & el. piano rom). The keys is light and have aftertouch but this is a 61 version of k2600. I can live & play it well with it. The sequencer is good but i'm using cubase sx for sequence & record. Maybe someday i have to try it.

The sounds is the strong point for me when i choose the keyboard, before i have the roland xp50 then the trinity. The roland and korg is good but too many tweak and effects involve in the preset sounds. Try to turn off all the effects & eq and you've got very thin & dull sound. Kurz have very thick sounds from the wafeform, all i can say: the kurz sounds is inspiring to play. Even i play all night long i won't get tired of the sounds. Also, the sounds is have the right "frequency", when you play with the band the sounds can cut through it. All the sounds can be suitable for any kinds of music that you play. Myself is play gospel, pop, rock and jazz music.

I have it for 1 years now and been travelling with it everywhere. The kurz never have any problems. Before i have this, my church have the kurz sp88 from 1999 and never have any problems with it. So i guess it's a reliable products. K2661 is the only keyboard that i have, so i never have any back up. Maybe in the future i will get the pc2.

Last few months 2 keys of the keyboard is broken, i call my supplier in jakarta asking for 2 keys. It come in 2 weeks, then i fixed it myself. I even send the email to the company and in 1 days they reply to my inquiry. I'm very impressed.

This is a very amazing, reliable machine. But also very expensive. But if you want to get the best, kurz is the answer. Even for me it's very expensive but i'm glad & satisfied i bought it. I've been playing for 15 years mostly with bands. Now i just got the m-audio 88 controller which i use with steinberg the grands soft synth. But, soft synth is not dependable, always hang and so on. In the future would like to have something smaller and simple also cheaper, perhaps the kurz pc161 because i don't need the editing & sequencer (i use computer). My advice: get it if you can afford it, you won't regret it. Good luck

Ok, VAST is the most powerful synthesis engine of the world, so it's not surprising that the Kurzweil isn't easy to use. But for the power it's not too complicated.

It has everything you can desire. Could be better only if had USB.

Often I have heard "only the Motif gets close"... well, it's simply not true. I sold my Motif to buy this beast, and never regret. This is a truly professional-sounding instrument, even the Motif has some taste of plastic compared to K2661.

I've had for six months, no problem.

In Europe Kurzweil is almost inexistent. The corporate site is very good, though.

It's my favourite keyboard ever, I'd buy another even it was not stolen.

This is a great synth, VAST is so powerfull a bit tricky at the begining but once you get used you can do whatever sounds you like.
Manual is good enough and it comes with some videos very helpful. The screen is very easy to read on stage, a quick access buttom gets you right to where your customised setups are... great feature

Altough polyphony may be seem a little low in the reality you don't have issues with it, juzt when you mix KB3 mode with some other sounds in a sequence you may potentialy find limitations. The Key action is good for nonweighted, far better than Roland and Korg.

Midi implementation is aldo perfect, don't know the sequencer (who cares with all the PC sequencers available today) but is there if someone need it. This synth is a little bit heavy for a 61 keys but believe me, you will carry his weight very happy once you hear ir it on stage. I also use a PC1X for pianos and a ION for synth parts but the 2661 is the heart of my setup...long live to this amazing machine.

Well this is the most powerfull thing on the 2661...the sounds!!!! just amazing, all stiles pianos, KB3 organs(they all rock), analog, pads, etc. etc, nothing about the sounds is a waste on this machine. Forget about Roland and Korg, these are toys compare to the K2661, only the Motif would get a bit closer....

Solid as a rock.

No idea

The best synth overthere, put it together with a motif and a nice Virtual analog and you would sound amazing....

This synth is more complicated and difficult than a Fantom or Triton (or a virtual analog with lots of knobs), but I'm not really complaining. Sort of. Yes, I'd love a huge screen like on a Triton or a USB connection so I could edit it on my computer, but the lack of these things is only part of what makes this synth hard to program. The other part is that there are SOOO many programming options, and it's hard to complain about that.

Presets sound incredibly good. Not pumped up with EQ and buried under effects like other romplers, just great, useable, powerful sounds. The manual is in PDF format, which is easier to search but harder to read. It's pretty good, although some things seem like they could be made clearer. The deal with this synth, if you're new to it like I was, is that you have to suck it up and invest some time programming it to figure it all out. Once you do, you'll be fine.

Polyphony is a little low, but not as bad as some would have you believe. Everybody knows that a "128-voice" Fantom almost never really has 128 voices, right? A four-tone patch with stereo waveforms, for instance, would use 8 voices per note, bringing the synth down to 16 voices. Kurzweils are much less subject to this kind of limitation, and complex sequences sound about the same on it as they do on 64- or 128-voice synths.

Keyboard action is too light for my taste, but it feels sturdy and high-quality. Effects are fantastic, but too few. It comes with the sounds from the Orchestra, GM, and Contemporary expansions in its ROM, and it has space for two more expansion boards. As of December 2004, there are only two such boards: triple-strike stereo piano, and vintage electric pianos (see below). MIDI capabilities are great, as is the sequencer. Even if you use a computer for sequencing, it's great to have this sequencer for playback. Smartmedia drive is great (I'm finally done with floppies!), but I wish it had a USB port and editor software. I love the sliders soo much more then knobs--greater travel, easier to control, can more more than one at once--but I can't figure out why there are 8 instead of 9. (KB3? Drawbars? Hello?) Pitch/mod wheels are infinitely better than the Roland and Korg paddle things.

So, so nice. The acoustic simulations are superb. A little less flashy on the showroom floor than a Roland or Yamaha, maybe, but you'll really appreciate this when you have to actually USE the sounds and find that you don't have to dick around with them nearly as much to get them to sound good in a mix. The synthetic sounds are also fantastic--all the complexity of acoustic sounds, all the boom and sizzle of a virtual analog, and more tweakable than probably any other synth out there. If you love mangling sounds, this synth is for you. I'm having a hard time imagining a sound that couldn't be made on this synth. It treats your samples exactly the same as its own ROM samples, so it's about the best sample mangler out there too, including whatever soft-sampler you can think of. KB3 mode is wonderful. There will always be purists for whom it's not good enough, but whatever. It's more than good enough for 99.9% of us, and in a mix it's utterly convincing.

I have the electric piano ROM, and it's equally fantastic. There are multiple variations of each instrument, described in detail in the documentation (how they got the sound, what it's modelled after, suggested uses, etc.). I'm a huge fan of the Yamaha CP80 electric grand, and this instrument is mostly ignored by other manufacturers. (The Fantom has none, for example, and its Ultimate Keys expansion board has only one--in typical Roland style, its EQ is artificially boosted and it sounds too processed and bright.) E-mu's Vintage Pro has a couple of patches, but they're not nearly as varied or convincing as these are. They're an absolute joy to play. My only complaint is that other vintage keyboards could be better represented. The electric pianos and Hammonds are covered, but Vox and Farfisa organs are lacking, as are Mellotrons. I've read that the stereo acoustic grand expansion card is the same as the acoustic grands in Kurzweil's PC series pianos, which would make them fantastic sounding, too.

Too soon to tell, but the build quality feels great. The only thing that worries me is that the keys stick up significantly above the chassis and could get broken if knocked. Otherwise, the sliders and wheels feel great, the chassis is solid and the jacks feel sturdy. My rating is based on the apparent build quality.

I've had limited dealings with Kurzweil in the past, but they've not been great. They'll bend over backward for people like Peter Gabriel and Wendy Carlos, but they were a little dismissive and unhelpful to me. Better than Roland, not as good as Waldorf and E-mu used to be.

I'd buy it again if I had to, unless Kurzweil made the K2676. This would be a 76-key, semi-weighted version of the K2661, but it would be only as deep as this synth (not monstrously huge and heavy like the K2600), it would keep the smartmedia drive (no floppies!) and it would have a USB port, 9 sliders, and a larger screen. I'd buy that synth in a heartbeat, even if my K2661 wasn't stolen! I'd even buy it without the larger screen--I really just want 76 semi-weighted keys in a portable package! Otherwise, it's totally worth what I paid. (Remember that the Jupiter 8 cost about $5,000 in its day--and that's $5,000 in 1982 dollars!) I love the sound and editing capabilities, the sliders and wheels, the smartmedia, and the light weight. I don't hate anything, but I don't love the display and I want 76 semi-weighted keys. I compared this with the Fantom X7--it scored on the display, the keyboard, and the ability to edit on a computer. It sounded good, but this synth sounds much better, it's editing is much deeper, and its expansion board has a bunch of fantastic CP80s. Plus, I would have had a hard time getting used to the knobs and paddle on the Roland. The Motif and Triton keyboards felt cheap to me, and their sounds were comparable to the Fantom's--good, but not as good or as editable as this.

I'm a serious hobbyist who's been playing for about 10 years. When I play gigs, my keyboard has to fit in my compact car, and I have to carry it around myself, so the K2600 was not an attractive option. I've owned a lot of synths, and I currently use a Waldorf MicroQ and Microwave XT, a Novation Supernova II, and a Roland RD700 in addition to the K2661. Each synth has its own personality and strengths, but if I had to keep only one it would the K2661. It actually surprised me by being able to sound about as analog at times as the Supernova! It can't do wavetables like the Waldorfs, but it can do impressive evolving soundscapes. It's acoustic piano expansion sounds better to me than the RD700's best piano, but I can't play serious piano from a 5-octave, unweighted keyboard. Kurzweil? Are you listening? How about a K2676?

i've played live (and a little bit of studiowork too)for years with a roland XP-80 and a kurzweil K2000.so i had everything i needed (you actually never have enough)but tragedy struck when the good,old K2000 broke down,it suffered what i call a rare variant of altzheimer...(screen changes color,detunes to another scale automaticly,even after a couple of hard resets...it didn't work anymore).
when you live in belgium (like me)it's very hard to find a replacement for a Kurzweil,you can find a pc1 or pc2 pretty easy but when it comes on the K-series you have a big problem,you can find a second hand K2000 or K2500 but new products are rare because of the extreme high prices,after surfing the internet i found a little shop in holland,so i ordered my piece inmediatly because 5days after i had a gig with one of my bands,i remember i went to holland to pick up the K2661 on thursday and the day after i was onstage with the new K2661 and WITH my personal sounds i used on the K2000.
i've bought the K2661 with Rom3 and Rom4 (the ribbon wasn't available at that time in that shop,but they will send it to me,and costs only 60euro's!!)
it also has no sampling option YET,thats music for the future.
the presets on the K2661 sound amazing,the piano's are incedible,the strings sound as they should,complete orchestra's sound are really like the thriller-soundtrack you've always wanted to compose,synths are the coolest in all categories and the KB3-mode sounds really amazing with that leslie-simulator,from soft wurlitzers to jon lord-like overdrive-distortion hammonds.also the rodhes sounds are pretty cool,very realistic.
editing the patches are no problem for me because i'm used working with the K2000,nothing much has changed..exept the sound-improvement...the old personal sounds i could load pretty easy,but i will come back to that later.
you might think i'm a liar but i DID only read a little piece of the manual on the toilet...i guess it's a good guide...(remember i'm used to the K2000?
there is a contra on the K2661:it has no floppydrive just like the K2000,K2500 and K2600 so you need a computer to load data on the floppy's(sounds,samples or songs) from your previous K to smartmedia...but in another point of view it's a good thing to no longer use floppy's...smartmedia is way better.

you might think a polyphony of 48voices is low...IT IS!!!
but kurzweil doesn't need 128or320 voices to sound great...if the sources are good you don't need 3or4 soundswaves(samples)/program (patch)
think about it...you'll learn
the effects in the K2661 are the biggest quality you can imagine on an instrument like this...but the editing is not that simple.
expansion capabilities?ofcourse you can expand your K2661!!!you can go that far you won't even need a computer to hold all that memory...
like i said i don't have the sampling-option yet,but it wil come...that's for sure!!
midi capabilities:i know i should be ashamed of myself but i don't have much experience with midi (exept general midi files)but the first time i saw a midigate i thought it was a line in for a mic....i was young...
the sequencer on the K2661 does an amazing job,it works almost the same as the K2000,there are also more features but i haven't tried them yet...the 3th day i had the K2661 i recorded a complete intro for one of my bands for pink floyds "another brick in the wall" in about 30 minutes,on 10 different channels.

the first thing i did when i came home with the K2661 was performing a hard reset,so i would be sure that i was 'taking off' on a good position.
all sounds are really perfect:classical and rock piano's,warm and soundtrack-like orchestra's,bonebreaking synths(listen to the jordan rudess-preset and liquid T,WOW!),organs in KB3 are super-realistic,rhodes sounds really like the 70's...except drum and bass could be better...i think....
the're is nothing you can't do with this thing,all styles are more than just possibele.
effects are world-class.
the keyboard itself is ofcourse small but it really feels better than korg or yamaha.
okay,the keys are not weighted but that's not always neccesairy,especially when yout not playing piano at the time.
the aftertouch does a good job,just what i expected.

it definitly feels more reliable than my previous K2000,it's ofcourse al little too soon to speak over this matter,but i think i'm okay.
i always travel with two keyboards,i still use the roland XP-80 as well.and in case of trouble i still have the K2000,after i bought the K2661 the K2000 was back to normal...maybe he has a girlfriend now....or could it be jealousy??

the K2000/2500's just have one thing that's not on the K26**.....
WHY CAN'T I PLAY THE PONG-GAME ANYMORE?????????
i have no complains about kurzweil's customer support,why need it?
IT'S A KURZWEIL!!!!!!!!!!!

kurzweil isn't cheap,i know...but you always pay a lot of more for a little more quality.
i'm 25years old and i play piano/organ from 8years old,later i learned to handle synths.
i compared the kurweil K2661 with the yamaha motif (ES),korg triton (extreme) and roland phantom...kurzweil was WAY better...and i was prepared to pay the price..
the K2661 provided me with a lot of new inspiration for an upcoming project...that doesn't happen much (especialy yamaha or korg are really wrong in this matters because they sound too conventional...)
buy a kurzweil,i know it's not cheap,but it doesn't matter how long you train on your musical skills,you will get better with the K26**...i even played jazz with it..
KURZWEIL showed me the way!!!thanks Raymond!!!!!!!
P.S.the smartmedia-slot has a nice blue light,goodbye mosquito's!!!!!

I don`t own this keyboard so I can`t discouse aboute ease of use. But I don`t belive that this keyboard can rival fantom in
this department.

This is my biggest isue: polyphony 48 ??????? that is pothetic!!! It is so old polyphony and so not for this day and so not
enough. For 4000 $ they shoud poot 500 polyphony. Ok I am over the line. But for THE MOST EXPENSIVE or shud I say TOOOOO EXPENSIVE
when you copare it with motif es or fantom x, or even triton extrime. Kurzweil just isn`t that better keyboard. I would say
that yamaha and roland beat kurzweil in meny sound categories. But I talk about that later. As I were saing before I DON`T
own this synth and I never will , even if I could buy it I wouldn`t just because this kurzwei is overpriced, low plyphony
and just not better then fantom or motif on eny category.

Sounds are amazing. This is only thing why people buy it. Not features, not look ( aughhh ), only sounds that are truly
amazing.But still not that good (compare with other synths) that they disurve to cost 4000 $ or less. I don`t know.
INMHO Roland fantom x beats kurzweil in drums, bass , guitars, synths, and new grand piano on the fantom is fantastic so I think
that roland has better sounding pianos too. And you can tweak sounds to whole new sound. And fantom is probably only
true workstation on this planet. You make your own music, take your music where you wont. I just like fantom more than eny other
synth.

But as I say before I will compare kurzweil with other synths - motif es. I think that motif es has best acoustic
sounds on the planet. Kurzweil sound fantastic but I think that motif es can rival kurzweil on sound quality. Motif has exelent
sounds, for any ganre you playing. It has better sounding bass, guitars, drums, pianos, better synths, it can even be compatitive
with brass and strings. Just so much cheaper and so much complite mashine.

Korg triton extreme. New product of korg. Great looking keyboard, loots of featuries, polyphony for this day and age.
But with korg is always but. Great sounding but can`t be compatitive with yamaha, kurzweil or roland. Sounds on it are good
enough for profesional recording but not better than those mashines. Korg is just like kurzweil - overpriced.
But I will finished with kurzweil. Sounds on it will sound good 20 years later. Fantastic sounds but kurzweil is just not
that better than yamaha and roland in sound quality. If the price was 3000 I would buy 2600 not 2661. I give this area 9 because nothing is perfect kurzweil will not be exeption.

As I was saying before too expensive mashine and I will newer buy it just because. My overall is 7 because :
- too expensive
- low polyphony
- features nothing out of ordinary
- sound quality great ( that is why i gave it 7 not 3 or 4 ).

Yamaha and roland rule!!!!

Brand new, latest software, additional ROM + sample CD's. Strings, pianos really top sounds, after tweaking even better.
Editing is very complex, 3 manuals (1600 pages) help, but require some time. Machine offers huge range of possibilities for making own sounds.

48 voices - very humble for today's standards, but it is better than 128 voices of lesser quality. Effect system is really top notch, adequate for normal work in studio, again very complex.
Keyboard typical synth, mach above average and on the level of top competitors.
Sequencer can replace my PC based for 95% of works, very intuitive and user friendly. In very complex setups with many tracks PC sequencers is better option. LCD is nice, but Triton's is much better. Because of that rating is 9.

The reason to have Kurzweil is sound. I do not know better sounding machine of this calibre. Via SCSI you have access to huge sample library as Sweetwater that is above others in sound quality. Top synths loaded with 150-170 MB of sounds does not offer even close in terms of realistic impression. Organs, pianos, drums, orchestra - all 10. Velocity, aftertouch and arps are perfect.
Triple synthesis approach rocks. VAST still unamtched.

Heard some stories, but still it works flawless. It seems like reliable piece of hardware.

Do not need them.

No chance to work without Kurz. It's a kind of Mercedes among synths. There are better virtual analogs or richer in features machines, but Kurz has character and deserves its place.
My music is based on it and I have more inspiration to invent my own sounds. Definitely would by new, if stolen. At today's price around 3000 (incl full set of sound ROMs) the machine is above all competition.

It' a Kurzweil,

mine is standard, no/ROM3 or ROM 4, Version 1.00

128MB. no/Sample Option.... Yet

works very much like a K2600, 2500, 2000

VAST and KDFX

It's loaded...(see above post)

Awsome Sounds!! VAST is a very deep subject.

Very well built. haven't had out gigging yet.

only dealt with them once, and they shiped me exactly what I needed

I'm a big Kurzweil Fan, as you can tell
I've had the K2661 for a few weeks now,
I can really say that Kurweil has out done themself.


This is a awsome board!!

This is the brand new synth from Kurzweil, Model K2661, software version 1.00. It comes with 128MB Sample Ram, 1503K of PRAM, and the Rom1 Orchestral, Rom2 Contemporary, and Rom5 General MIDI blocks all standard. I also got the Rom3 Stereo Dynamic Piano and Rom4 Vintage Electric Pianos sound blocks, which I needed to install. Included were sustain pedal, floppies, CD's, and a SmartMedia card with all the sounds and software on it.
There were a few condensed manuals included, such as guides for the Rom blocks, and a Getting Started manual. All of the manuals are included on the CD, so you could technically print them out, but they are quite large, and it isn't too hard to read them off of the computer. One exception...if you're at a gig and your computer is home.....

The CD also has a tutorial, I needed to watch it a few times, pause and poke around a bit on the keyboard, to start making sense of it. One basic problem...the manuals and tutorial are for the K2600. This keyboard is certainly in the that family (K2661 = K2600 w/61 keys), but not all of the programs are the same, and some of the other features are different, such as no ribbon, etc. The technology and the basics are the same, however.
This is my first Kurzweil, I've always used Rolands. It is a little overwhelming at first, but the deeper I dig into it, the more I realize how awesome it is. Once I got used to the pages upon pages on the screen, I was able to tweak some sounds, but to be honest, the sounds are so incredible the for the most part very little adjustment is needed. But really, plan to spend some quality time with it, it is a professional machine that demands professional commitment, thus I am giving this category a 7.

OK, for the features:
Like I said, it came standard with most of the options from the K2600, being 128 MB RAM, 1503K PRAM, and the Rom1 & Rom2 (as well as the daughterboard). It also has a General MIDI soundset built in, vs. the Rom5 option on the K2600. So what doesn't it have vs. the K2600?
It has a 61-key unweighted synth action keyboard, that actually feels pretty nice, with velocity and aftertouch. There are no ribbon controllers, however, there is an input port for a large ribbon. There is a SmartMedia card (128 MB) slot vs. a floppy (1.4 MB), but it cannot accept an internal SCSI drive. There is a SCSI port on the back. It has a built-in optical output port to connect to an ADAT, 2 stereo prs. of balanced analog output, plus one pair for mix. The display can be adjusted for contrast as well as brightness.

There are 4 inputs for switch pedals, 2 for continuous controller pedals, 1 for a breath controller, and one for a large ribbon controller. There is also a headphone jack. Also, MIDI in/out/thru are there.

The Smartmedia can store programs (patches), setups (combos), and also song data from the sequencer. It is located on the back side, and glows with a blue light to aid in using the card from the front of the keyboard.

It has the famous KDFX, with are a little much to get used to, but worth the time and effort. Unbeleivable effects, if you know Kurzweil, you know what I mean.

Now the reason I bought it....I wanted a Hammond clone for my gigs. I play in a 8 pc. horn band, and there are lots of songs that I wanted a better organ sound. I only wanted to carry one keyboard, however. Roland just came out with the model VR760. I read the reviews posted here, then went and tried one. I wasn't impressed. I started searching and came to Kurzweil. No one, though, had explained too much about the KB3 mode, just said it was good.

It works like this: There are eight sliders that control any and all kinds of MIDI stuff, but when in KB3 mode, they become 8 drawbars, 16' to 1 1/3', thew Mod Wheel becomes the 1' drawbar. Pulling the sliders down toward you is exactly like pulling out drawbars. The mod wheel is opposite, rolling it forward increases the 1' sound, but it doesn't take very long to get used to. The 8 buttons above the sliders, when in KB3 mode, do different things. Button #1 is Rotary Fast/Slow, buttons 2-4 control chorus and vibrato, and buttons 5-8 control percussion.

The rotary effect is stunning, especially when heard in stereo. There are different ramp up and down speeds for the rotor and drum, you can actually hear them. There are several different KB3 organ patches for very clean to very dirty. It easily matches or beats any clonewheel organ out there.
One side effect, however. When in KB3 mode, it actually uses most of the voices for occilators, so there aren't many left over for other things. It is probably best to use the KB3 mode by itself, and use some of the other organ programs in splits and layers. Some of those programs use some sliders as pseudo drawbars, and the mod wheel as a rotary control, and soud pretty good themselves.

The other think it doesn't have is weight. It is sturdily built, a good metal case and all, but it weighs in at just 36 lbs. I've been playing on 76-key synths on my gigs for years. This one is almost a foot shorter than my Roland G1000, and 15 lbs less. I think I can get used to the 61 keys..........

As for MIDI, if this ain't got it, you don't need it! Every slider, wheel, switch, and pedal is fully assignable to whatever parameter you want. There is a 16 track sequencer that is equal to almost any software based sequencing program, add the KDFX with it, plus the onboard sounds, you have a whole production studio at your fingertips.

Thanks to the Rom blocks, there are very few sounds that you cannot find. Most of them are extemely good, some are passable, some are unusable, but then again, it is mostly a matter of personal taste as well as personal need. I don't need spaceships hitting windowpanes too often.........

Playability is very good, the keys feel substantial. Although they are "unweighted" there is enough resistance that it feels almost the same as my semi-weighted Roland. The aftertough really makes the orchestral sounds extremely believable.

I got it a few months ago, it has taken me this long to learn enough about it and to program all my setups (combos) and get ready to swap it out for my Roland. Tomorrow night will be it's debut on a gig. I intend to keep the Roland as a backup anyway.

I take very good care of my stuff, I ordered a flightcase for it as soon as the Kurzy came off the Fedex truck. By the way, I get my cases from www.flytecase.com They are in Toronto, a small company with superb products at extremely attractive pricing. A case to my specs...recessed latches and handle, large ball corners, etc....ran me (US)$295 including shipping.
So anyway, I will use this without a backup, treat it tenderly, and see what happens. But most of my gigs are less than 1 half hour from home, so the Roland won't be far away...

I bought this strictly on reputation and internet research, never played it, and just heard the demos on the internet. I bought it on Ebay. The dealer talked to me by phone, Stevie for Night Sky Sound in New York City. I had a slight problem installing the Rom3 & Rom4, I called him and left a message, he called me right back and solved my problem. I have corresponded with him via email a few times, always quick responses. It helps that he does programming as well as Beta testing for Kurzweil, and is an authorized dealer. He knows this stuff in and out.

It is the most expensive keyboard I have bought so far, but I gig every week and like nice stuff!

I've been playing for 30 years, owned all kinds of gear. I have a full sound system, all top name stuff. I use JBL Eon15G2's for my keyboard amps, simply awesome! The more I learn about the Kurzweil K2661, the more I am impressed with just how powerful it is.

I did buy (on Ebay again) a pair of SynthTek tutorial CD's that more fully explain all about Kurzweil's operating systems, KDFX,programming, etc. That was $30 well spent! I can see an interesting year ahead as I dig deeper into this machine. With the little I have learned so far, if it were to be lost or stolen, I would get another one in a heartbeat.