Kurzweil PC2X

Software Version 3.1 (and the LCD display conveniently mentions this at power-up)
Presets are mostly great. I make Gigasample libraries for a living and still consider most patches on the PC2X very usable. The Orchestral expansion voices have good responsiveness and excellent ensemble sounds. (Solo sounds suffer a bit in comparison to really large premium samples) The Acoustic pianos are good enough for "Live" usage and KB3 Hammond organ emulations likewise.

Editing patches is straightforward enough, but this keyboard is primarily a Preset User's machine IMHO. The FX stages are extremely good; very realistic Rooms, lush Halls, some very spacey Flanges. Rotary and Distortion fx are a bit less satisfactory, but one rarely hears any better except from high-end dedicated rackmount FX. I find the "wetness" adjustment via Sliders 1 & 2 to be rather annoying , as a single touch on a slider instantly activates the FX bus to a much wetter condition. To be fair, most factory settings are already quite decent BEFORE a slider is touched.

The Manual: Extremely good. This is a mother-controller keyboard with a lot of extra controller capability. Features are clearly understandable for a veteran midi-user. I have been able to find out about any feature I wish to implement without much difficulty. There are addendum manuals that correct a few errors in the primary manual and explain add-on expansion (e,g, Orchestral or RAM upgrades).

I give the PC2X a 10 because it allows multiple Foot controllers, Ribbon controllers, etc. It is overkill for Control features. If I based my opinion solely on sound expansion capabilty, the opinion would be much lower.
Stock Polyphony is 64. Keyboard action feels better to me than current Yamaha S90/Motif or Roland. This is for PC2X88 weighted keys.(the black PC2X)
Velocity curve adjustments were easy to find and I feel that this keyboard is a better overall choice than the dedicated pianos mentioned as being more responsive to classical piano style. As an all-purpose Midi controller that needs to be just as responsive on bass/drums/strings etc. I think the action is most suitable although I sympathise with acoustic players who want more dynamic responsiveness. (If ya want acoustic, play yer Steinway)

As mentioned previously FX are pretty darned good.
FX stages (2) Stage 1 is multi and 2 is Reverbs only. Both stages may be used together (including two separate verbs, example= Hall on Stage 1 and Mic Ambience on Stage 2)

Expansion capability: PC2X88 comes standard with Orchestral ROM Expansion card already installed. One ROM expansion slot available (but no existing expansion ROM library available at this time.
RAM expandable to allow 128 note polyphony. 64 is fine unless using this unit as a primary sequencer sound source. Note-stealing characteristics are not noisy/noticeable in single voice "live" usage even with lots of Sustain Pedal piano.

No On-Board sequencer. No sane person uses on-board sequencing when computer screens are so much easier to deal with. You might care if you want "live" sequence playback capability. I use portable computers for "live" sequence control.

The onboard sounds are as good as any I have heard in a Controller oriented keyboard. Very usable for most varieties of music. Outstanding for film/orchestral composition; pianos and organs good for jazz/rock/blues. Sounds disppointing for Tech/Dance?Trance, but Drum kits are better than most. Synth sounds and analog-style pads a bit generic, but good quality.

Velocity response= fairly adjustable. I previously played non-weighted keyboards for years. Transition made easier by good velocity curve presets.
Aftertouch= way more responsive and useful than what I get out of Yamaha or Roland keys. (Part of this is simple patch programming, but Yamahas feel excessively prudish to me and allow expressiveness of Afterouch only on really grinding down on keys; Rolands a bit better but Kurzweil feels natural)

Dependability= Probably.I give it a seven, with some reservations. Construction quality is very heavy. The Fatar keys are Fatar's top grade, unlike the less solid Chinese mechanisms now being used in many keyboards. (Korg et al) I have known Kurzweil K2000's to have life-expectancy issues using Fatar mechanisms, so I keep my fingers crossed on this area.

I would use this on a local gig without a backup but take two if you go on multi-city tours for 6 months. (and pay the roadies extra.this honker weighs a lot.)

Have not tried formal service calls. None needed. I do know people working for all the major keyboard manufacturers and feel it might be easier to deal with Kurzweil than the larger companies. All manufacturers genuinely try to have good tech support. If I wanted great tech support I might have bought a Korg, but then I would probably need it!

Repairs/upgrades...Just for test purposes I've Reloaded the OS and also replaced standard patch bank with a free online bank. Both operations accomplished easily via Midi connection to a Windows XP machine with Delta 10/10 midi i/o.

I would definitely buy this keyboard again. Pro musician since 1972.
I love the fact that I bought this as a weighted-key controller and did not much care about on-board sounds..and then found myself creating new music because the onboard sounds are good enough to be inspiring.
I really wish that this unit had 300 gigabyte storage because hardware is often easier to use than computer-based sample-playing. Even the most expensive hardware workstations are wayyyyyy behind on storage space and many lack the great controller features of this simpler keyboard.
Until keyboard workstation sample storage and quality match soft-sampler level, I'll stick to a capable midi controller that feels good rather than going for Tritons, Motifs etc with their small samples.

Easy...but, I used the PC88mx for 8 years prior.

Keyboard action is good. It's not as cool for piano as the latest Yamaha or Roland progressively weighted boards. But, those progressively weighted boards SUCK for playing anything that's NOT a piano...so that's IMO, a decent tradeoff.

The controller sliders feel like higher quality than the PC88mx...and there are breath and ribbon controller inputs as well as programable buttons right above the Mod wheel...on appropriate synth sounds, this defaults to turn the arppegiator on and off--neat.

64 voice is fine for now. True Polyphony and all...option to expand to 128 is nice, though.

The digital out being locked at 48khz sucks, but the D/A converters sound great...even comparing with my outboard converters @48k...so, it's no biggie as long as you have good cable and A/D.

No sequencer. No sampling.

OK, here's the deal. This is a PLAYER'S board. The pianos are great. The last review mentioned how they don't sound that different. While I see his point, a player will know that the subtlety of timbre and response makes a big difference going from track to track.

The orchestral sounds ROCK. I replaced a Gigastudio system with this. Mind you, I didn't have the newest uber libraries, but these orchestral sounds have something the BEST Gigasamples don't-PLAYABILITY. They add vibrato with aftertouch...ensembles swell...as to having too much rosin (stated earlier), I say that's what makes them good. I actually had to drop a string arrangement from my last CD, because I didn't have enough "sharp" cellos in Giga to play my idea. And, IMO, this orch brass is the astounding.

The electric pianos are great. This was a shortcoming of the old Pc88mx. They're here now, old, grungy, pretty, and funky. I don't think I'll even need to boot up the computer to use EVP88 on this next project.

The KB3 is better than samples, and is preset to my Voce MidiDrawbars...but, not on par with the latest dedicated emus- Roland, Korg, Hammond, and my fave- Native Instruments B4.

The synth sounds pretty much suck. But, I rarely use synthy sounds, and have dedicated units when I do.

In 8 or 9 years, I had to fix the weights on 3 keys of my PC88mx once...that's not bad for 8 years of hard playing.

Emailed them a question about one of the EP patches...got nothing but an automated response. Not a good sign.

I would buy it again. I'm anxious to hear what they have planned for the second expansion board...

I was operating with the 3.1 version. The manual is not very much help. Didn't really get a chance to edit any patches but it looked pretty self explanatory.

The keyboard action is one of the best I've experienced. The effects are somewhat limited due to one of them being simply reverbs. It is not very expandable. It is however a very flexible midi controller.

Some are really good and some are really bad. Too many piano sounds that don't really sound that much different. Some of the string samples have a bit too much bite to them. Guitars are not good at all. The arpeggiator is useless without preset patterns and being just an everyday basic arpeggiator. Some of the horn, oboe, flute, clarinet, and bassoon sounds are unbelievable replicas. This board would be great for movie scores but not much else. There are a limited number of synth sounds and some are not very good.

Having only spent a little time with it before I sent it back, I am not sure about reliability but I have heard others with problems.

Forget it. They don't care about their PC2X buyers. Just try to get an answer from them.

This keyboard is way over priced. Some sites offer it for about three hundred dollars more and I can't imagine paying that. Some o.k. sounds but some not so o.k. sounds with a cheap arpeggiator and things are not well organized on the board itself. Not a very good investment.

Read the manual stupid. You will discover that if you read the manual, most (if not all) of the things people say this keyboard won't do, it actully will do. It's Heavy, so it's hard to move, but what do u exspect if what quality? For a controler and using with multiple midi devices it does quite complicated, and manual explenations don't offer much help. But generall easy to use, and edit will preforming live. Because of the ease a 10, but down to a 9 for the lack of definition in the manual.

What will this thing not do? Not much. It's loaded with controllers, and ports to accept more controllers (breath, ribbon, peadels, ect...) Nice touch weighted keys. Plenty of output ports, tons of sounds. Lots of programable midi setups, easily recalled. I give it a 10 in this department.

Sounds are simply unbeliable. No it would not sound good on a bad amp, stupid so for those of you who think it sounds bad go get a better amp. i use it on a fender 60w kxr. If you think korg sounds better you're obviously not a very expreienced and/or talented artist, maybe you're a rapper or something. The ONLY weak sounds i've heard on this keyboard are the guitar sounds, but do u kno any keyboard good at guitar sounds? This keyboard sounds better than many aucostic pianos i've heard. i have a baldwin upright, 125th anviversy, mint condition. this keyboard is loaded with sounds, two backs 0 and 6, for those of you who are too concieted to read the book. The sounds get a 10, because there is no subsitute for true guitar sounds so get over it, kurzweil did an outstanding sound job here.

Here's where the real fun comes in. You idiots who buy from a store whose intials are "gc" (not gonna say any names), need to realize something, you're getting a downgraded version. How else do u think that particular store can have a "once in a lifetime sale!" every week? I bought this board, brought it over 300miles to an out of state home, 300miles back to this home. Then brought about 100miles to a nearby city for a gig, 100 miles back. Then to another one 50miles away, and back. And there were plenty of practices in between there, so i would say this keyboard has traveld about 1000miles, spent hours after hours on stage and at practice, and have never had ANY problem with it. The board is still in mint condition, and works just like it did when it was new. Oh and by the way, some of you need to do ur research, ur problems are the result of the old OS, upgrade to OS2 and you'll be fine. This boards gets a well deserved 10.

Haven't needed it.

This board is loaded with great sounds. Easy to use, extremely reliable, and generally outstanding. korg is quite frankly, pathetic, if you're considering korg you need to realize korg targets two markets:rappers and students who don't kno what quality is. kurzweil is less money for a superior board. many people haven't heard of kurzweil, u know why? they're the best. hands-down.

OS Version: 3.00

The presets are very good. That very important also because, apart from being a masterkeyboard, it is a stage piano for playing presets. Only very limited editing is possible.

The manual is good. The only part that wans't clear from the manual, for me that is, was the MIDI receive mode. I found "The PC2 Made Easy" helpfull for this and explaining how best to use with an external sequencer.

Polyphony is 64.

I like the keyboard action. The keys are quick to raise again, which I like. With the standard settings it very easy to play to loud. I really don't think I'm that hard a player, but I normally use either the Hard2 or Hard3 (max.) touch setting. Perhaps even better is using the Cos+ velocity curve for a slower initial increase in velocity together with velocity scaling depending on the global touch setting (120% for Linear to about 140% for Hard3).

Has two built in effects processors, one is reverb only. As with all keyboards I know they are not as easy to setup when sequencing.

The acoustic and electric piano sounds are very good. Electric ones could perhaps be a little better on the high notes. Most sounds are quite good I guess. I don't really like the guitar sounds. Percussion is great. Pads are good, as are the strings.

Built in effects are very good.

Once I adjusted the velocity sensitivity as mentioned earlier the keyboard responded nicely to playing. Aftertouch is good also.

I use it at home only. Some keys make a clacking noise as if the key is hitting the casing. Apart from the noise they work fine. The supplied sustain pedal works, but it is not a very good one.

Haven't had to deal with customer support yet.

If it were lost or stolen I probably couldn't afford a new one as they now cost double what I paid for it (bought it in Germany).

The Yamaha S90 has a more solid feeling action. I like the PC2X's action better, apart from the noise. Compared to the S90 I like the ease of use of the Kurzweil as a master keyboard. The Kurzweil's user interface somehow feels more professional. The buttons, sliders and dial on the PC2X are also better than the S90's. The S90 has more sounds, a sequencer and a graphical display, but there something about the PC2X that makes it classy. It does what it does well. In the end you really mostly use the piano sounds.

Software version 3.0 (it took a couple of tries to install the upgrade but it wasn't a major hassle).

The manual is middle of the road - fairly readable, but not organized very intuitively. It also has some noticeable gaps in content (like architectural details for half the ROM patches!).

The patches are organized into groups of 128 patches with each group further broken down into 16 banks of 8 patches each. Each bank contains patches from the same "family" such as pianos, brass, percussion, etc. There are three 128 patch groups installed in ROM and 2 more groups on the orchestral expansion. Two more groups are held in reserve for a yet-to-be-released 2nd expansion board and the remaining 128 patch group is for user patches. There are 16 buttons that enable you navigate to an 8 patch bank within the current group. The buttons are labelled for the "family" groups in the 2 primary ROM banks. Unfortunately, the families are different for the orchestral expansion. The orchestral expansion ships with an overlay for the buttons with updated labels, but it would be easily lost, especially on a dark stage.

Navigating through patches is a pain. The organization described above has several annoying drawbacks. For example, there are 32 piano patches in ROM spread across two groups and 2 banks within each group. If there's a particular patch that you like you need to remember which group it's in - you can't just press the "piano" button and instantly have access to all piano patches. Also, the distribution of patches across groups doesn't always match your preferences. For example, some sythnthesized instruments such as strings are with synths, others with pads, and others with their acoustic siblings. The sixteen labelled buttons are a good idea, but the user should be able to group patches within those buttons anyway s/he wants, even putting one patch under multiple buttons if appropriate.

In fairness, I dislike the patch selection/navigation methods on most complex keyboards including the Yamaha S80 described in more detail below). But the PC2x seems more annoying than most. Programming is easy for some tasks and hard for others. There are special modes that enable you to build layers and splits with very few button presses - very handy for building quick patches on the fly. Modifying effects and scrolling through parameters is also relatively simple. When doing more detailed programming there are some shortcuts that are very handy once you learn them.

The most frustrating part of patch editing is with synthensizer patches. You can tell there's a full-blown synth engine buried under the hood but the user interface doesn't provide you with direct access to it. From the editing menus there's no way to control which synth modules (e.g., filters) are linked into a program and you can't tell which MIDI controls are linked to which parameters (e.g., cutoff frequency). You have to find a program that's sort of set up the way you want and then experiment with different sound sources and MIDI control settings. The manual only documents the architecture of half of the ROM programs and then only in summary form. This is definitely not the board to get if you're into building/tweaking modular synth patches.

In contrast, KB3 mode (Hammond B3 emulation) editing and control is a breeze. You have direct control over all 9 waveforms in real time. You can control voice (slider) volumes, effects, and percussion with dedicated buttons and sliders. LEDs on the buttons give you instant feedback as to what's on/off. A dedicated switch toggles the four sliders between B3 voices 1-4 and 5-8 (the mod wheel controls voice 9). The sliders reverse their orientation to match a real tone-wheel orientation - you pull them down to increase voice volume. Some serious thought and design went into the performance control aspects of the B3 organ emulation with excellent results.

Polyphony is 64 notes and you usually get all of them in contrast to some other boards. However, KB3 mode eats 56 notes of polyphony so building layers with the KB3 organs is limited. There are some good non-KB3 organs that can be used in layers without eating lots of polyphony. There was a 128 polyphony expansion that was marketed briefly but I haven't seen mention of it in press or anywhere else for quite some time. That silence makes me think that there were serious problems with it - ones that aren't likely to be corrected in this model.

There are an ample number of controls and the board is well-suited to controlling other keyboards and sound modules. The MIDI implementation is extensive and control is straightforward. The keyboard can split into 4 zones controlling any combination of internal or external sounds. The selection of onboard effects is good though figuring out which MIDI controls control which effect parameters isn't always straightforward.

The power supply is the "lump in the line" variety - a minus in my view.

There's a very usable arpeggiator.

The keyboard is weighted action though it definitely leans toward a "synth feel" - light and springy. I don't like the action but then I'm used to acoustic pianos and my heavily weighted Yamaha KX88. Other people who've tried my board like it.

The unit only comes with one pedal and it's very cheap. I invested in a double switch pedal unit and a heavy duty continuous controller pedal. They're necessary investments if you'll be using complex patches on stage. There's an optional music stand that's good-looking but pricey and a bit flimsy.

I own 3 Kurzweil 1000 series rack modules and have kept them all of these years due to their high quality samples and overall sound quality (they live at home, the PC2x lives at the practice room). The PC2x sounds are significantly better than the 1000 series sounds, which is high praise. The quality of the acoustic samples ranges from good to outstanding.

Strings and pianos are the strongest sounds though there are very few disappointments. The orchestral expansion is now standard in new units (I bought mine as an add on) and it adds many more acoustic sounds. There's an entire symphony orchestra in the unit and many more sounds in addition.

The synthesized sounds are also of high quality though lack of editing/control limits your ability to tweak them to your taste. The organ sounds are awesome - better than any of the dedicated digital B3 simulators that I've tried of late (e.g., the VK8). If you need a stage keyboard that's strong on organs and pianos this is the unit for you.

The effects are strong and there's a large section of them. The quality is more than adequate for stage, though not always up to studio recording standards. There are several "combo packs" designed for organ with rotary speaker and amplifier overdrive - very convincing simulations. I especially like that you can control low and high Leslie rotation speeds and the realistic ramp time when switching between speeds.

I've had mine for 9 months now with no problems. My 1000 series modules have had relatively few problems, though 2 of the 3 have needed minor repairs (they were built in the late 1980s). Kurzweil was bought out by Young Chang in the early 1990s so I'm not sure that experience with older units is a valid guide to expectations for new units. The case is sturdy and the controls feel solid. There are no protruding knobs or other obviously disaster prone aspects of the unit. So far so good.

I've never dealt with them directly. I have used their web site quite a bit and it's relatively good. I downloaded and installed a software upgrade with minimal hassles. There's an excellent tutorial on-line that's a must read for anyone who wants to get the most out of the board.

I've been playing piano for almost 40 years and have been playing in various bands for almost 10 years. I'm primarily into live performance though I also do some recording and composing. I needed a unit that could do multiple things well and that could be my only stage unit for at least a year. My band plays 1960s through current R&R with an emphasis on 1960s through early 80s "classic" rock.

I tried out quite a few boards over several weeks before purchasing this one in June 2002. The competition quickly narrowed down to the PC2x, Yamaha S80 (now the S90), and Roland RD700.

The S80 is a better synthesizer and a bit easier to use than the PC2x. I also liked its keyboard action better than the PC2x. There are also, quite a few expansion modules available for it. However, it's not nearly as good of an organ as the PC2x, primarily because it lacks all of the performance control aspects of KB3 mode on the PC2x.

The RD700 is hurt by weak organ sounds, lack of programming/editing flexibility, and relatively low "bang for the buck" compared to the other two. It would be best suited to folks that are happy with the sounds in the unit and who do minimal layering and patch editing.

My ideal unit would have excelled at acoustic instruments (especially piano), B3 organ, and synthesizer sounds. None of the units that I tried delivered on all three. The PC2x won out for me due to its strength in acoustic instruments and organs. The Yamaha would have won out had I been more concerned with synth sounds and less with organs. I decided that it'd be easier to find good synth sounds in an add-on module or second keyboard (e.g., a Roland or Waldorf) than to find a good usable organ in an add-on module or 2nd keyboard. I have a Waldorf Q16 on order to fill in the synth capabilities that the PC2x doesn't provide.

OS Version 3.10. The PC2X is a relatively straight forward keyboard. I've had it over a year now and use it live and in the studio. Most presets are usuable and the pianos are fabulous (which is why I bought it). I haven't attempted to edit any of the sounds as of yet. The manual is o.k. but could be a little more "down to earth". I wish some of these electronic audio companies would write manuals like Mackie or at least E-MU.

I have the black PC2X with 64 voice polyphony which is upgradable to 128 if you have an extra $379 US. The effects are nice especially the reverb. It pays to listen to this keyboard via the digital out cable and at 24 bit Pro- mode. I missed this feature during the first few months of ownership and was very pleased at how much better the sound was when this change was made. This will help your studio recordings 100% better from this board. I also purchased the Orchestral ROM block recently...nice percussion, strings and choirs. My next update to this keyboard is the Polyphony expansion board. 64 voices may sound like a lot, but when sequencing numerous sounds I need that extra breathing room.

I mainly bought this board for live performance of piano sounds and a controller. So, it has definitely come thru on this. The onboard effects are really top notch for a keyboard. The keys are not the best I've ever played but haven't stuck on me yet and react nicely to velocity and aftertouch. There are some issues with a clanging, metal type, vibration when hitting some of the keys hard. I tightened up the screws on the bottom of the housing and it helped some but there is still some noise in this area. This hasn't been a real big issue for me but just so you will know what to check for.

I've had a few issues here that are worth mentioning. First, uploading a new software version to the PC2X was not easy for me. I was not successful using my MAC but was successful using my PC (which i hate to admit). I really believe it had alot to do with my MIDI interface rather than the keyboard. I have since purchased a new MOTU midi interface to hopefully remedy this. Just so you know, the updates are loaded into the PC2X via MIDI. There is no floppy drive. My main complaint is: THE POWER SUPPLY IS RETARDED! It has a flimsy connector to the keyboard and this huge wall-wart looking thing in the middle. I was forced to buy a new power supply after only 6 months of use when my keyboard kept shutting itself off during rehearsals and PERFORMANCES. This is not acceptable. I bought 2 more power cables (at $55 each) from Kurzweil just to have some backups. So far with the new power cable the problem hasn't surfaced again. Hopefully that is the end of that nonsense. A word of warning: Make sure that big blob in the middle of the power supply cord is UPRIGHT and in a decent ventilated area or it may heat up and go out on you without warning which will either bring out the "showman" in you or leave you looking like a deer staring at an automobile's headlights. I survived. My lower reliablity rating is based on this issure alone.

I have made a few phone calls to Kurzweil. The parts dept. has always been helpful. The email support is slow. My price paid includes the Orchestral ROM and 2 extra power cords.

I really like this keyboard and would buy another one. The failure of the power supply really bummed me out though. I know "these things happen". So I would be willing to give it another shot if this one disappeared because the sounds are that good.

version 2 and i'd like to point out that many of the problems these people are submiting are bugs related to version 1 software. the manual is a little complicated but if you actully read it (unlike the first guy who obviosly did not because he faild to notice there are six sliders in kb3 mode not 4 sliders) then it is actully quite easy to use even when playing live.

64note polyphony. great weighted action. 150multiple effects and 30 reverbs all editable, what more could one want? the guitar sounds are a little weak, but they're great considering it's a keyboard and ambiance can be added with the right effects and eq. i'm also a melodic percussionist and it is my opinion as well as the others i play with that this is the closer to (if not better) than the sound of the melodic percusion instruments. and is certainly the best we've ever heard in any keyboard. every sound on the board is outstanding in my opinion and the fetures (if you read the manual) are very versatile.

see above ^.

if read some of the other reviews and must say if u treat any insturment poorly it's going to work poorly. i haven't had this board long but it's built like a tank and i would certainly use it without a back up.

outstanding, i would recomend this board to any experienced muscian looking for great sounds and a midi controler. let's not even bring korg, anyone stupid enough to use korg is hardly a muscain (possibly a rapper!) i chose this board for it's outstand fexibilty, sound quality, reliablity, and overall supiorarity in the keyboard feild. there are somethings i wish i had for it, and hopefully will get in time (more pedals, controlers, ect..) this board makes making music fun and easy with all the sounds it includes and the ease of tailoring them to your needs. and is considerable less money than other fully weight 88key boards with the sounds,control, and quality this thing has. i'd also like to share to those who have complained so much to get off their lazy arses and read the d*** instruction manual,stupid!!

OS version 2.10

The interface is pretty intuitive, I haven't had to use the manual all that often honestly. The KB3 mode was a bit confusing until I found out where all the buttons were (for percussion, chorus/vibrato and leslie sim), but after I read it in the manual I noticed all buttons were labeled, heh.

it has 64 note polyphony, expandable to 128. Great built in effects, expansion capabilities (but I have little use for the orchestral card or the polyphony expansion). I like the action. No sequencer, but I use this thing mainly for live and have no use for it. One thing I would love however is if they had 8 sliders instead of just the four, as on the K2600. This would make playing in the kb3 mode a little easier. 9 would be even better.

The pianos are incredible for live, the samples sound beautiful and cut through very well (main reason I bought it). The kb3 / hammond is okay. The Rhodes and wurly samples are not the greatest, but usable. I use a rhodes stage 73 and a wurlitzer 200 live when I can, but when I have to use the Kurz instead I don't grit my teeth too bad, heh. The clav sounds alright (though I'm on the hunt for a D6 right now).

The controller is made by Fatar. Fatar made the controller in my last road keyboard (Ensoniq ks-32, heh). It lasted 8 years and was knocked around quite a bit. Of course, by the time I finally retired it a bunch of keys were dead and several keys were no longer velocity sensitive, but the hell I put it through it's amazing it didn't spontaneously combust. I like the way fatar's feel. And if the pc2x lasts 8 years, I would be thrilled. By that time I'm sure I will have purchased a new keyboard anyway. I have gigged moderately with my pc2x for about a year (2-3 times a week) and so far the only problem is the plastic covering on the wires coming out of the power supply has worn off and some of the wires are visible (though the shielding on the individual wires is still intact). I hate the "lump in the line" style power supply, I already bought a spare because I know it's just a matter of time before the thing tears up. Other than that though, everything's gravy. Interestingly, after hearing horror stories about reliablity on this board I made sure to test the model I was buying in the store. This had the black finish on it, played great. Then they called me back saying that a church had ordered the black one, there was a mixup and asked me if I would kindly exchange it for a purple one. Being the nice guy that I am, I packed up the board and took it down to the shop. Tested the purple one, it had some sticky keys. Naturally I kept the black one. I know that the black ones are newer than the purple ones, and now I'm curious if there was any change in the manufacturing process.

never had to deal with them

I love the pianos on this keyboard, which is the main reason I bought it. There is no other keyboard on the market right now that I would rather have for live use. I love the way it feels, I love the fact that it's about 20 pounds lighter than the k2600x and a great deal cheaper too. I like the fact that it has exactly the features I need for live and I'm not paying for anything I won't use in terms of both weight and price. I would highly recommend this keyboard to a friend, but I would have them make sure they play it before taking it home to make sure it works well.

Nothing else on the market compares to the PC2x in this catagory.

I bought this board primarily for it's control functions. Pianos and electric pianos are the best on this one.

The keyboard needs to be resigned, with RELIABILITY as it's first concern...not last. Clunky keys, two keys that lost their control ability and only played at FULL VELOCITY no matter how hard or soft I played - are the two biggest complaints I have.

After playing Kurzweil products for 10 years and after reading all the various opinions today - I've concluded that buying a Kurzweil PC2x is a roll of the dice. For all the great features, MIDI capabilities, and sounds - there is the bigger picture of lasting quality, and responsible investment. The church I played for bought this one for me to use - and now I am in the market for a controller for myself. At about two thousand dollars - I'm having second thoughts about investing in a Kurzweil PC2x soley based on reliability.