Kurzweil PC2

I am using S/W version 4.0, and the presets are "very nice!" if limited what you could use them for, its a very specific Synth/Rompler... but overall, VERY high quality sounds.

I have had this PC2R a few days, so not got deep down and dirty with editing sounds, but i did have a dabble, and it seems straight forward enough to me, but im used to programming, and getting my finger tips dirty!... however, i could see it being a daunting task to a newbie or a non-programmer without any skills in synthesis o logic! its a whole new scenario of programming to me. Almost akin to Ensoniq logic?... old fashioned DOS based menu's i seem to recall.

The Manual is "ok (ish) but again, very fragmented and not in any logical order of learning curve, but again, im used to this sort of manual, Ensoniq (esque) very american in its layout.

Polyphony Is 64notes on my Rack model, no plans to upgrade, not worth the extra expense, unless its your sole Multitimbral Synth! I got it as a supplementray synth to My Roland XP80 for the Yamaha CP80 (when i buy the ROM) and the Beautiful Piano & Strings.... NO Keyboard, so action is great! on my XP80 :o)or even better on my Korg Triton Extreme 88.

Built in FX are, i must say first class! very rich and varied. Reverbs are sparkling and Long (if you so wish them to be)but again, not had chance to mess with them yet, in ANGER! ;o)

I plan on getting the "Classic Keys" expansion ROM soon, as i would really like the Yamaha CP80 sounds at my fingertips, as i play in a U2 tribute band and really need that piano sound.... t came with the "Orchestral ROM" which is first class! if you close your eyes and play the demo back, its really really good! and i have heard some good synths.

MIDI is fully implemented, and will cater for ALL your needs, and again i am currently delving into this area and it seems pretty comprehensive for a rack module, with almost every function you will need.

No onboard sequencer, but i have them in abundace, and dont need it. I bought this Rack for its sound quality alone. But it does have a niffty Arpeggiator on board,Up, Down, Random etc... plus some unique function to Kurzweil it seems... again, not got that deep into it yet. but simple to use.

Pianos are Typical Kurzweil quality... that is TOP CLASS! along with strings, Bass, and (funily enough) Guitars... But i bought it mainly for Piano & strings, and it does not disapoint! Very organic sounding, unlike Japanese made synths (sterile) and i have been a fan of and bought Roland, Korg gear. its very close in terms of quality, but Kurzweil DO have the edge.

The sound are kind of... a glorified GM soundset really with a massive hike in sound quality. With a few extra stock sounds thrown in, this rack fulfills the role of MASTER synth for bread & Butter sounds for me, however, i still will use mainly for Piano & Strings, and the occasional Top Quality sound i need.

I play in a U2 tribute band, and their sound is varied, but mainly strings and that CP80 piano is what i will use it for in a live situation.

Rock music?... Piano, and organ are its strong points

Classical?.... Totally! very organic sounds, and adaptable!.. to suit your style. It makes me want to play Bach!.. :o) and im not that big a fan of classical..

Dance?... er... nope! apart from the odd Bass synth, and very deep sub bass sounds (which are all very good i must add) there is little here for the dance fraternity, and i do a lot of dance music, so.. I would use my Triton Extreme :o)

Reaction to velocity/playing style is second to none! which is another feature of Kurzweil gear. Very responsive to the way you play, and very dynamic in its playback. I love it! bearing in mind the PC2 features the new 3 strike piano ROM it really nice.

Not crashed yet (on version 4.0) But it's Kurzweil, many pro musicians use it and its gotta be good right??? so i feel without a doubt, i could depend on it.

Yes, i would probarbly use at a gig without back up, but never will. I use at least 2 keyboards and a rack synth (this one) but to be honest, never had a problem with any keyboard/sampler as long as its got the latest operating system installed.

But, im gonna mark this down a touch as i have not used it live yet... so... :o/

Been online to Kurzweil website, seems good enough. Not Called them, never needed to. All info rgarding PC2R is on there with all downloads you need.

If it were lost or stolen, i would prob NOT replace it, as i have nearly more sounds in my other gear than i will ever need, and value for money wise, its sort of "OK" but only just. I have heard sample CDs that come close to this, but its not in a box! so... difficult really..

I have been playing since i was 14 years old, i am now 43! knockin on heavens door almost :o) lol.. i have owned numerous keyboards over the years, too many to mention here... but my current gear is Korg Triton Extreme 88, Korg Triton LE, Roland XP80, Roland Juno 106, Korg X3, Roland SH101, Yamaha SY35, and my new Kurzweil PC2R along with various studio equipment.

I LOVE the Pianos & Strings...
I HATE the complexity of the accesibility of sounds via another keyboard thru midi... but then again, its probarbly me, and me being used to Roland Korg layouts, but im working on it... Steep learning curve.

I never compared this to other synths, as i already have the best you could buy (allegedly), but i have seen The Beutiful South and heard their keyboard player get the exact sounds i desire, and he has always used Kurzweil keyboards, (K2500) and thats it really... no better choice :o)

I picked this model because i wanted the Kurzweil quality sounds without all the extra functions, sequencer, sampler, etc... and it was ??1000 cheaper!

I wish it had a USB port! non of this ancient SYSEX transfer of program data and software upgrades.... SO 80's ;o)

It does help me make music in that it "inspires" me with it quality of sounds, and unique qualities.... so yeah, but i wish it was more fluid in its ease of use.... but again, thats prob just me not being used to Kurzweil architecture...

Digital out using SPDIF is a bonus too, not tried it yet tho....

Software version 1, get a message re loww bettery but i understand this is just a system bug with v1.0, the presets are fantastic, though would like a few more. The manual is easy to understand and quite comprehensie

64 note poly, i have the pc2x with 88 weighted keys and its the nicest feeling keyboard i have played, I used to have a K2500x and the action was a lot heavier and more tiring to play.
The built in effects are superb, though a few too many reverbs!!
Its an excellent controller. I was furious that after i bought my PC2X without the orchestral rom board, 1 month later it was included!! have not bought the board though as the extra sounds are expensive for what you get. will probably buy a fantom XR to get xtra sounds.

Bought this keybaord to replace K2500x, the sounds are better, but obviously this keyboard is not as versatile, but its much lighter to carry than the K2500x!!!!The pianos are awesome, and keybaord feels great.

So far (12 months this keyboard has behaved on gigs, the K2500x was a bit tempramental, but not really a gigging instrument, not without roadies anyways!!. Have 2 keys on stage but fell i can rely on PC2x

Sent a couple of emails to kurz and they replied within the day so pretty good

Would get another if it went, have been playing 20 years, have a korg X3 and. Love the sounds. Dont hate anything, compared it to Triton Prox, but was heavier and more expensive, wish it had more sounds but will buy either Fantom XR or Emu Proteus 1000 to make up the missing sounds. Makes music easy, espescially layering on the fly

Using version 3.10, presets sound great, limited editing, but enough to change some things around. Manual is well written, and easy to understand. Have owned this keyboard over 3 years.

64 polyphony, expandable to 128. effects are Kurzweil, need I say more?. 2 expansion ROMS available. but kind of pricey for my tastes, I bought a Roland XV5050 to supply any sounds the Kurzweil didn't have.Midi capabilities are great, you can set up all your performance presets and be ready to go in any situation. Plenty of controlling power, 2 CCpedal inputs, 3 switch type pedal inputs.

All instruments aound great, works very well for my needs which is live performance and controlling other synths. Effects sound great, reaction is very good with velocity & aftertouch.

Been very reliable, would use without a backup.

Haven't dealt with. Upgraded twice using the Kurzweil website and midi interface, be sure to save your custom presets via system exclusive, upgrading erases RAM memory.

If it were stolen, I would die, then try to get another. Been playing 27 years, and owned many, many keyboards,this is the best sounding ever. Wish it had more presets but it does what its supposed to do, It's my main keyboard, I call it my meat & potatoes keyboard, I use it for pianos, rhodes & wurly, brass, strings, & organ, by the way which is pretty darn good sounding, used to own a Hammond XB2, like the Kurzweil organ much better. Like I said earlier, whatever other sound I need I get it out of the Roland XV5050, and use the Roland for icing on the cake for everything else.

I'm using softwareversion 3.00 and the presets are amazingly realistic. I use it for piano/e-piano and masterkeyboard. Especially the Rhodes patches are very good if you combine it with the effectsection (i.e. phaser). Patchediting is easy, because it is not fully programable. I didn't need to look into the maunal.

Polyphony is 64 voices, thats enough for what I use it for. Keyaction is lightweighted but ok. Built in effect come from the KDFX from the K2600. They sound amazing and are easy to edit. MIDI, well this is what it's build for. Every slider and button is programmable.

Piano, Rhodes, Wurly and Clavinet are very realistic. I own two Rhodes and a Wurly and I compared them to the pc2. OK, the Kurz sounds not exactly like the vintageinstruments but they fit in the mix very well, so I don't have to move them to a gig. KB3 is the organemulation. It's soso, for Hammondsounds I use a Korg CX3.

I use the Kurz for Jazz, Soul, Funk, Rock and House and it fits in.

I had some issues but after loading the new os thy were gone. External power supply is not the best for gigging. I use it on gigs without backup.

I had some mail contact with Kurzweil America because the european distributor closed it's doors in 2001. Sometimes they answer within a few hours, some mails seem to vanish. Downloading and installing a new os is very simple, just go to the FTP and look in the download area.

If someone take this thing away I will chase him through the world until I catch him and than... I don't know. I think I won't remember the days after I caught the thief. I've been playing this board for about 10 months and it is the base of my setup. OK, sometimes I only take my Rhodes or Wurly with me, esp. for jazzgigs. For the gearheads, I own a Korg new CX3, a NordLead and my vintageboards. Wish it had a bigger display, but thats not a big problem. And it's very easy to make music with it.

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I reviewed this beast about 1 year ago, when I had some software complaints (losing all my carefully edited performances). Now I have a worse problem. The key weights keep breaking. I've played synths for >30 years and this has NEVER happened, so it's not my 'heavy hands'.

The worst part of my problems with the PC2 is that the Kurzweil staff don't give a f_ck. I've emailed & called endlessly, and they won't do a thing about it. IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR RELIABLE SUPPORT, CHOOSE ANOTHER MANUFACTURER!!

I'd never buy another Kurzweil keyboard.

Facil de Usar y muy manejable......no como otras maquinas que he tenido y tocado....Los Preset de sonidos son buenisimos tal vez los mejores que haya escuchado....!!......
La edicion es muy simple y quita de ser compleja...

64 Voces OK....!128 Genial...!!! tiene mas de 170 efectos disponibles
2 ranuras de expansion y una ranura extra para la polifonia...NO POSEE secuencer..... que importa total te consigues los musicos y se armo la grande....!!!!

Uhmmmm......Son BACANES , geniales y bien hechos, sobre todo los PIANOS......los amo....BENDITO SEA DIOS por esta maquinita que tiene todo lo que un musico desea....para adorar su santo nombre en la Iglesia, en campa?as, etc.etc....todo es controlable y manejable , ademas tiene un EQ de tres bandas ON-Board (como los Realpiano de GEM)
La corona de esta maquina son los PIANOS, muy reales..!! y los organos KB3, y para que decir de las cuerdas , bronces,etc..son todos buenos.....!!!!

Solo le cambie la pila por que se descargo ......??????!!!!
La maquina es muy solida......!!
Lo que no me gusto es que la fuente de poder es externa...?????
como las maquinas Realpiano de GEM.....!!

No he tenido problemas , solo el de la pila....( y que importa..)total los de Kurzweil tienen soporte en todo el mundo.....

Vale cada peso , gloria a Dios por los Ingenieros de Kurzweil que desarrollaron esta maquina...vale la pena para los ministros de alabanza y los coros en general de todas las iglesias del mundo....!!!
Gloria A Dios por Siempreeeeee....!!!!!

I'm using V2.10. It's intuitive to handle and easy even to use complex Midisetups.
The presets are very good. There are a few absolutely dynamic Grandpiano-Samples in it, the E-Pianos and Wurlys sound like they sould! I think everybody knows the marvellous Kurzweil-STrings. And the KB3-Mode makes you feel as if you were playing a Hammond B3. Great!

64-voice-polyphony is absolutely enough for a Stagepiano. The keyboard action - between a Synthesizer and a Digitalpiano shows its usefullness in Studio and Live-setup. I don't know if Kurzweil will ship any of the mentioned Expansionboards, but I hope so. I wonder why it's not possible to use the K2600-boards, I think they could manage that?! The Midi capabilities are great. Nothing more to say about it!

The pianos are wonderful, even the Epianos and STrings, as I already wrote. The effect-section sounds great and is very versatile.

I would miss it in on a gig and in studio for production... I think you don't need a backup for it!

I'm sorry, I don't know yet...

I would buy it again, of course, I would!
A sequencer onboard and a selection of a few Exp.Boards would make it even better as it already is.

This is an addendum to my review below. Now that I've had the keyboard over a year and done quite a bit of gigging with it, I can comment on the reliability. Umm...lemme preface by saying it's not as bad as it could be. That said, there's this constant noise in the background every time I turn it on; when I play hard, the notes distort, and the more I play, the worse it gets. It's happened on all three audio output channels (L, R, Headphones) and just won't go away. I took it back to Reliable Music (which like I mentioned below is the #2 Kurzweil dealer in the nation) and their techs looked at it and told me that they'd have to have Kurzweil tell them what to do. So, I waited...and waited...and waited. About 10 angry phone calls later, I got the keyboard back. They told me to download the new OS and it should fix the problem. No dice. I took it back (again) and waited (even longer this time). This whole time I'd been needing it for studio time and the waiting really threw my band off. It's still in the shop now, though at a different Kurzweil-liscensed store (Reliable went under).

Kurzweil took FOREVER to get in touch with Reliable, despite repeated harrassing. Finally, when the warranty period was about up, I went in myself and called them myself, and they did give me a 3-month extended warranty because it's been in the shop 6 out of the 13 months I've owned it. Kudos to Kurz. for being reasonable with warranty, but other than that it was horrible. THIS IS MUSIC, MAN! It's a passion and an entire language and culture unto itself, not an industry that simply churns out dollar bill signs!

I needed a board that helped me switch between patches faster during gigs and provide the best bread & butter sounds to compliment my Z1. I have used a MicroPiano since '95 as it had the best piano sounds around, but this board is much better for pianos, organs, wurlies and strings. There's not much editing on offer for each sound, except of course the B3 modelling which is superb - saves having to take a dedicated Hammond clone (CX3 etc.) to gigs. Great control over 4 midi channels, with flexible realtime control of many parameters. Manual is excellent. Semi-weighted feel of the 76 note version offers control of both piano and organ playing.

Well it's 64-note polyphonic but we're not talking one voice per note, we're talking up to *4* voices per note, as each voice can be made up of 4 sounds, which can be stereo L & R (piano and strings), placed anywhere across the keyboard. Couple that with the 4 layers of a Setup and you can play up to *16* "oscillators" under each key. That's what I call awesome (shades of Wavestation without losing polyphony and with resonant filters). Other reviews cover the EFX, expansion, MIDI etc..

For piano, organ, wurly, string and brass it is superb, reacting appropriately to all sorts of playing styles. The expansion cards will offer the full MIDI compatible sounds if you need them. Don't expect to manipulate sounds out of all recognition with this board - that's not what it's about. If you want a piano sound you can play all day without tiring, clean expressive strings and very authentic and modifiable B3 sound check out this board.

I've had it about a month and no problems thus far.

Not had to call them yet.

Mine was an ex-review model but I've yet to see the review from Sound On Sound. For what I paid it's a steal. 76 note, semi-weighted action that doesn't weigh a ton, up to 16 different sounds under each key with 16 voice polyphony, very capable master keyboard with layering and soloing at the touch of a button. It doesn't have a wow factor like when you first play a Wavestation or Z1, as they are real synthesizers that provide music sculpting and incredible real time sound modification, but that's not what I bought the PC2 for. The PC2 is the workhorse for pop, rock, some dance and ballads and the quality of the sounds are extremely clean and musical.

This is my first keyboard and synth. It is very easy to use, finding and editing patches, using the KB3 mode, the arpeggiator.

The manual is written very well. The Kurzweil website and 'ancillary or unofficial' Kurz websites provide wealth of clearly written and useful information to facilitate use of the keyboard and its features.

Presets? THE BEST! I wish there were more.

See previous reviews. This is a great controller keyboard. There's a new OS providing more sounds. Two additional ROM boards hopefully will be available May or June 2001. It doesn't have a zillion sounds like the Roland XP-30 but the sounds that are there are superlative (see below). I wish it had more presets and that's why I give it a "9" instead of a "10".

This may be my first keyboard but I have been playing guitar for over 20 years and I have pretty good ears.

Oh baby, this is IT! It tried Roland, Korg, Emu, Yamaha, Alesis, the Kurz K2600. The PC2 HAS THE BEST SOUNDS TO MY EAR! Incredible fidelity with dynamic range, 3-D sound quality (I'm not talking about surround sound), incredible low noise, no decays issues. DO NOT BUY A KEYBOARD OR MODULE UNTIL YOU HEAR THE PC2 OR PC2R. There aren't as many sounds as you get on an XV-88, Triton, Trinity, Roland XP series, and maybe the new RS series. But the sounds are without peers. ...Definitely as good and I think better than the same sounds in my Roland XV-5080 (which I bought with the PC2).

Pianos, organs, keyboards, drums, synths & pads are outstanding. Strings are equal to Roland XV series: maybe better but definitely not inferior. No synth blows me away with the bass and reeds/horns for authenticity. (I play electric bass guitar too).

The effects are excellent. Aftertouch is great. The sounds are great for all styles of music.

If Kurz made a more capacious version of the PC2R with a bunch of triple strike expansion cards I'd be in heaven and would purchase it in a heartbeat (Kurzweil, are you listening?).

Too soon to tell.

THE BEST!! Roland tech support is good but Kurzweil is really a cut above the rest. This was one reason I was encouraged to get the keyboard, me being new to MIDI and synths.

If it were stolen I'd buy another one in a second. I would also eviscerate the thief and feed his entrails to the wildlife near my home. I wish the PC2 had more sounds but the sounds that it has are unbelievable. If the Roland is a Corvette, the PC2 is a Ferrari.

I own a Roland XV-5080. I use these in my studio and play through monitors. I'll probably get a Starr Ztar for the PC2 and Roland.

See comments above regarding this versus other manufacturers. I bought the XV-5080 for more sounds for my arenal. If I really get into this arena then I may get the K2600R(s) but that's tangential to this review. BTW, I'm more into ROMpling than synthesis. If I wanted the best synth it would unquestionably be the K2600S. But I'm mostly composing classic rock, blues, metal, folk rock, some funk-jazz and some techno-rock like U2 so I went for the PC2.