Kurzweil PC2X

This keyboard is so easy to use. You have a lot of buttons, so most actions are one button away, the human engineering is great. Today the screens are bigger, but the PC2X gives me all the information I need.

Editing a patch is a little less than what you get on a Motif or Triton, but it will get you there, besides, with so many patches, I hardly need to edit.

I use the effects a lot, they are very professional, my sound is always the best in the band.

This is the best on-stage performance keyboard I had, very full sound, big poly (64) - although today the standard is 128.

Expansion are there, but limited to a few sound modules and extra 64 poly.

Midi is ok, but no USB.

No Seq.

Love almost every sound, although I feel it's lacking in synth/FM sounds. Still, overall, it's the best I have. It's the only synth I take on its own to a show - it is enough for everything.

Reliable like a tank, years of work!

Got upgrades and help from the website, a lot of stuff.

This is a legendary keyboard, it is rightly so. I can't wait to see the PC3 (If I will have enough money :> ).

The best buy, I bought it used and got top pro equipment that I'm proud off. I'm always get great responses in shows from fellow musicians, looks like it's the best respected name in the business!

Pardon my english, I will try to write clear.

The sounds are very very good, love all sounds (Except flute.. much better flute in my EDIROL orchestra).

Organs are wonderful.

Patch editor is really good, you need to learn how to use it.

Did not get a manual, got it from the web.

I would need more polyphony, 64 might be enough for many people, I play alone and want a lot of sound coverage, I use it with my Roland together.

Midi works fine, use it with my computer and other synthesizer.

I play new world and jazz, sounds are perfect. I always use this kurzweil instead of the roland for any keys related instruments.

Very good action on keyboard, responsive.

Very good, never had a problem. But I do not do shows.

Very good company, I wish they had a French manual.

This is my leading synthesizer, i use it as my main console (using softrware sequencer). I just play everything on it, and use another synthesizer for background sounds.

Not sure about version.

All natural sounds (keyboard,string,organs etc) are beatiful, the best I ever heard. Kurzweil make their own sound chips, they don't use the standard like the rest in the industry.

64 poly-ok.
Keys - amazing,like a piano.
expand- not too much, can add more samples and poly.
midi-standard+ (breath controller!!)
no seq

Sounds are the best I ever heard in any showroom!
I blow people minds off in shows with the sounds!

5 years and not one problem!

Called once with a sample edit question, got answer in writing.

The best ax i ever had, i just love the kurz!

Software - Version 4.00
Presets - The best presets. The sound has something that the Yamaha ES/XS could not match. Only Kurz for me thank you.
Patches - screen is a little small, but many editing features. If you are ok with the small screen, you are set.
Manual - ok.

Polyphony - 64.
Action - excellent, i have a piano and the kurz is very similar.
expansion - yes, several slots
Midi - all the needed midi features, only 4 zones though (some keyboards has 8). Enough for almost everyone.
Sequencer - No

Velocity/Aftertouch - very good
Realistic - very realistic sounds for most presets. The Sax is not good ( i never saw a good sax on a keyboard), trumpets are great to be used in the background, pianos etc are incredible,love the hammond simulation (KB3 mode), strings are exceptional.
Music types- great for classic keys parts, rock, classical, ok for dance (if you are electronic only player, use a Nord Lead AND then get the kurz).
Effects - very very good, love them.
Reaction - very good, the songs just ooze out and become alive. Very "large" sound.

Gave it a 10 even if the sax is not tht great.

playing for 3.5 years, zero problem.

Called them with a few questions, always got answered.

Overall it's the best performer's keyboard i ever had.

I bring it to jam-session, to shows and whatever.

You don't need another set of keys (unless it's a very synth intensive group so you would bring another 5 octaves axe like the Nord).

Chose it because i tried it in the store and could not believe the sounds.

I love it and will use it as long as it holds :>

I find this keyboard very simple to use. I'm more a piano player than a keyboarder, so I could never appreciate the power of a workstation. Then I can say that this keyboard is perfect for my purposes. Whenever and whoever I hear, the opinion remains the same: kurz rulez in piano sound and in acoustic sounds. I use only 10 sounds: two pianos, strings and hammond and they're great. So I can't find any difficulty using this stuff...

I don't care about polyphony. What is offered is enough. the effects derived from kdfx, the best in internal multieffects you could find in all keyboards around the world. No need to explain anything. The rest is well made. If ya want a sequencer ya have to buy a workstation or a computer...

The famous and rightly famous Kurzweil sound is the reason of my choice. Simply the most beautiful piano ever created with the synthesis. More than 300mb of oasys' piano aren't as beautiful as this 4mb of synthesis'history. I have also the orchestral expantion and is another masterwork. Compliments to KMS!

never had a problem after one year.

I don't know what to say...

Well... The best I ever had. That's all...

A little hard to learn, but worth the time invested in it. Manual so-so. Editing patchs pretty hard. Still, when you learn it, it's the tool of champions. The 9 is because i would love a somewhat friendlier gui.

keyboard action pretty good, similar to the k2500 (probably the same mechanism).

i just have the orchestral expansion (I think it comes standard now). don't buy it without it! The sounds are very good.

Midi is very good, 4 zones only (some more expensive synths have even 8). 4 is more than enough for a live show (come on, you only have 88 keys).


Effects are very very good.

Velocity - very good not perfect, after-touch - very good to use in brass and string. I love it.

You won't find any instrument with so many sounds which sound like the real thing. I play piano,e.piano, organ,brass, flute,guitar, harp, you name it, this tool does such a "big" sound that it convinces everybody.

never had a problem. 2 years now. cross my fingers. i take it out a lot.

call them once with a question, got answered asap.

I guess it's still the "most bang for the buck" pro-tool that won't bust your pocket. You can spare the $5,000 for a fully loaded motif. I gave it a 9 only because newer tools have nicer screens (color and graphics). But if you want sounds and not GUI, and we are here for the sound, I would recommend you join the kurzweil family (or upgrade).

Newest firmeware installed by store.

Greatest soudns ever!! Patch editor gives you a lot of control (it is NOT a sampler, but has many editing features).

I would say this is the #1 keyboard for real world instruments (piano, strings, organ, guitar, flute etc), it is a little less suitable for dance,trance etc (not so many analog patches) - still you can do a decent jobs using the ones that are there + the editor and effects.

Action is great, it has aftertouch.

64 poly, some expansion (i have orchestral) which are gret.

midi is great, it has aftertouch and BREATH CONTROLLER (you need to buy a yamaha breath controller,i never did, but i am looking for one on ebay).

The sounds are the #1 sounds out there. better than yamaha, roland or korg. This is the mercedes of keyboards. Nobody competes with them in sounds.

Effects are excellent (a little less than KDFX, but more than enough).

I work mainly with rock music.

No problems (so far):>

Had a backup issue and got it solved

I would buy a new one if this is ruined, this is the best overall rating for me :>

I love my Kurzweil PC2x. It is very easy to use, i dont do editing, I just use splits and layers and basic effects and i just love it.

I know i get always get deeper, since it has million features, but i hardly need them.

I think it does 64 polyphony, never had an issue.

The action is a little lighter than a piano, but it's good since sometimes you want to play something else.

Many expansions, I never needed them.

Midi has everything, I just use basic connectivity to Cakewalk.

onboard sequencer - no. I use cakwalk.

Big sounds. So full of sound and expresiveness.

This is why i bought it, I saw it in the store and couldn't believe the sounds i was hearing. Kurzweil wins all other companies!!!!!

Two years. Zero problems.

Had one question that was answered very fast.

Perfect workstation for me.

It will remain the core of my rig for years to come.

Great sounds! The best in the industry.

Editing patches is easy, the screen is not too big, but it's enough.

Manual is a bit too technical, it has all the information, but it's not written like a "tutorial".

64 sounds is ok. I love the key action.
Effects are really easy.
It has expansions, I didn't install any other than the one I have (orchestral).
Midi is great, I control an external module from the pc2x.
No sequencer.

ohhhh oohhhh, the sounds are what I bought this for. Sweet sounds :>

Like the pianos/organs and the synths. Orchestral is amazing.

Mine works great like a war horse :> I didn't test it too much on the road though.

never tried ...

This is my dream keyboard.

I love the sounds, it makes me sound like the big boys.

I'm using the software verson 4.0.

The presets sound very good and there are some great setups with very interesting arpeggiators (based on drum sounds - great to play Jean Michel Jarre).

Editing patches isn't hard and I found the manual helpful for my needs.

Sometimes it gets a little complicating with the split and layer
functions (I still don't really know how to make a tripple split or layer but I managed do that once but no idaea how).

The polyphony is just OK - don't need to expand it to 128.

The keyboard action is just right for me (good for playing the piano and also for the organ - not so heavy as on a real piano).

The effects are great and it's good that it has two sections (A & B), so you can combine reverb with other effects.

It has no sequencer but I don't need anyway.
MIDI - have no experience.

It is very programmable: you can save up to four different sounds (eith effects) in each setup and also the arpeggiator and a lot of physical controllers (4 sliders, 5 switch buttons, the pitch and mod wheel and I'm currently also using a pedal switch, a sustain and continuous controller pedal and the ribbon - very expressive!).

Although it has many usefull features, there are some things I'm missing: it has only two epansion slots and two different expansion cards. There is also no place for a memory card and all of the memory is during the time when the synth isn't activated an a little battery and you can suddenly lose all saved information if you don't change it in a proper time when the voltage is low.

The sounds are really great, especially the pianos. The Triple-Strike Stereo Grand Piano is good but I like the Dynamic Stage Piano better - the best piano I ever heard (my suggestion: play it with headphones).

The electric pianos are also fantastic (graeat for playing Pink Floyd) and If you play the wurly through a guitar amp you get the same sound as Jon Lord (Deep Purple) on Demon's Eye!

I have the orchestral rom and the sounds are very good (very rich, very full). Some very good pizzicatos, strings, flutes, choirs, brasses and church organs (though I prefer Korg Karmas pipe organ).

The KB-3 sections rocks! I play with my band that old rock music (Deep Purple, Steppenwolf,...) and you can make a really grungy distorted organ sounds or those more "relaxed" ones as Pnik Floyd's Richard Wright uses. And I recommend an expression pedal because that's when playing hammond organ becomes a great experience!

I'm maybe missing some more of the synth sounds (although the pads and and leads are very good-sounding, but there could be more of them), but main problem (for me) is the lack of ethnic sounds (no sitar, bagpipes, etc).

Summa summarum: The sound quality is on a very high level, the instruments are very realistic and expressive, the effects are also very good; What more can I say?

The sound works well for old rock'n'roll music and also for classical if you need a good piano and orchestra.

I have never had problems with it and would use it on a gig without backup, despite it has just a little battery to save all my setups.

Have never dealth with the Kurzweil company, so I can't say anything about this category.

I would definitively buy a new one if it were lost or stolen!
I still have a Roalnd DisCover 5, but it doesn't even come close to the PC-2X (but it has almost the same price).

The best thing are the electric and acoustic pianos and the organs (sounds that I mostly use).

It's the best combination of organ, piano and synth for the price.

I would recommend the PC-2X to any old-time rock'n'roller!!!

Using PC2X with the orchestral and classic keys ROMs.

The basic presets are amazing! together with the KB3 organ it is all the keyboard I need!! The ROOMS are a sweet extra but I could do without them.

The sounds are so FULL, you need good speakers or headphones because this tools is amazing. No wonder Paul McCartney uses it in his shows (inside his pretty flowered Piano cabinet he has a PC2X, you can see in the DVDs), I'm proud to have HEY JUDE plaed on MY keyboard!

The Piano is the best all around, and so other many other sounds. Overall, this keyboard is the best balanced keyboard between the entire array of competition.

Manual is pretty detailed but not very intuitive.

64 Polyphony, I don't think I will purchase the extension to 128.

The effects are really good, no need to add any more compoennts, they are easy to use.

The expansion is somewhat limited, 2 sounds ROMS and 1 polyphony extension, no sample memory (hey, it's a master keyboard not a sampler).

Midi is really good, you can easily splice and dice everything you want and control your entire array of modules or computer VSTs.

No sequencer.

This Kurzweil folks, the best around. FULL SOUNDS, you can't believe how good they sound. One of my favourites passtimes has become hearing a patch and thinking in what pop or rock hit did I hear it before. I've learned to identify the Kurz piano sounds and I hear it in so many albums.. funny.

Piano, organ, Wurli, Rhodes all keys are the best around!
Strings are very good! 12 string guitar - amazing!!

synth sounds - somewhat limited in comoparison to other less "acoustic" instrumets (meaning that Kurzweil mostly has real world instruments) but still very impressive.

Flute - excellent, vocal - unbelievable, bass - full and strong but somewhat lacks the punch.

Never had any issues.

Never used them.

Overall, this tool has the best abilities and balance.

The price is not so high, and you get everything you need.

Just add your computer as a sequencer and you made it to the pros!!

I just love it, and will get a new one if this one will bust (hope not)!

2.10v

Polyphony is adequate. Never ran out. Action is good for a keyboard compared to others I tried.

Use mostly piano sounds. They seem to be some of the best I've heard.

Cannot depend on this product. I had 2 PC88's before this PC2X that had serveral problems and needed repairs. My current PC2X has also failed me. I would never take it to a gig without a backup keyboard. Very sad such a great sounding unit can't be made more reliable. We depend on these things for our livelihood.

Have not called customer support recently within in the last 3-4 years but when I did, they were very helpful when I finally got to speak to someone.

I will no longer buy or support Kurzweil until they start making a more reliable pro keyboard.

I have a PC2X with both the Orchestral and Classic keys expansion.

Software version v4.00.

What can I say, I only got it a few weeks ago, but I am overwhelmed with joy.

The sounds are incredibles!! I though the effects were amazing, but even without effects, the pianos, eps, brass and most other sounds are amazing.

Using the keyboard is very easy once you get used to it, it's has many ways to do each feature, and you have a lot of control over everything.

I find it easy to work with.

64 poly - enough for everyone.

The action is amazing, it's feel like slicing butter, so smooth and nice but strong enough to express yourself - classic grand piano style!! Great work for Fatar and Kurzweil!

The effects are amazing, the sounds are so "fat" and full. You really sound like on of the pros (which by the way, love Kurzweil).

The expansions are great, too bad there are only two optional boards, but with so many great sounds, who can argue with Kurz.

The midi control features are great, very easy to apply, touch and aftertouch very sensitive.

No sequencer, but who does sequencing onboard these days?

This is the category in which Kurzweil is king.

I would say 80% of the instruments are usable, and 60% of them can sound as Solo and most people will never guess the difference.

The best piano out there no arguing about this.

EPs are excellent (the classic keys expansion is so cool).

Orchestral sounds, very very good, but I have to say that I was a little surprised the the basic string sections, which I usually use via VST (Edirol Orchestral - the king of VSTs), sounds a little to "synth", but I might be able to tweak it in the future.

So far it looks solid rock to me. We'll wait and see.

I bought it used from a guy who used to gig every week, and he had no problems for over a year.

never called them.

The best sounds I've ever seen on one board, clear cut winner.

Will be my main board in any performance or practice.

I will never gig without a backup no matter which board I use. I always have a midi keboard and a VST setup that can save the day.

If it would be stolen, either I will get another one, or I will put in the extra thousands for the Kurzweil k2600xs, which doesn't sound as good unless you buy some of it's expansions (good bye $5,000).

Excellent and easy to use however if you read the manual you won't find it helpful. It makes no sense what-so-ever. Very difficult to understand. The keyboard however is intuitive. Obviously the creator and manual author are not on the same page.

N/A

Excellent sensitivity to touch and feel however when the pitch wheel breaks and ruins everything good about the keyboard you will be left out to dry

You can absolutely not depend on the PC2x! Like the PC88 its older ancestor, it has major pitch problems. I strongly caution you to be very weary of this product, it is unreliable.

They have (drum roll please) .......... two tech support guys for the entire company. Let's go over those numbers again: ...... two guys......... for the entire company!!!


F$&*#!!!!!


I would STRONGLY caution anyone thinking about buying Kurzweil keyboard because you're not going to get much help when it breaks and it will.

Amazing sounds, improved piano sounds and great string sounds. The best as far as I'm concerned. But then it will crap out on you and you'll be totally up the creek.

OS v4.00 The Kurzweil PC2 is one of the easiest keyboards I have every used. The presets are great! This is definitely a "meat and potatoes" keyboard, with an emphasis on pianos, electric pianos and organs. The Kurzweil sounds are very fat compared to others, however, this keyboard is not meant for a total dance/pop production like the Triton, Motif, or Fantom series. I find very little need to tweak these sounds. If you have the Orchestral and Classic Keys ROM, you are really covered. The KB3 mode for organ is the next best thing to a dedicated organ, however, most people would agree that if you are focusing on organ sounds, not to get the 88 weighted version.
The manual was helpful, but even more so, the kurzweil website has a tutorial series that spells out in detail various programming procedures.
One of the most useful features of the PC2 is the ability to create quick splits and layers in "real time". While workstations are ultimatly more programmable, everything has to be edited and set up before a performance. The PC2 allows the user to split/layer the keyboard into 4 zones with dedicated buttons. Even the split note can be changed while performing!! This makes it ideal for both live performance, and use as a MIDI controller. Of course, you can save the splits for later recall.

The polyphony is expandable to 128 voices, which is competitive with most other boards out there. The action on the 88 is slightly heavy. I have broken key contacts due to the action, however, I have yet to find the perfect weighted action. The built in effects are great and easy to edit and assign. The expansion options include two ROM boards, the orchestra, and the Classic Keys. The orchestral comes standard now, and contains some of the best string samples ever! The classic keys contains every variation on Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Clav, ARP, and other vintage keyboards, with many of the sounds named after popular rock songs featuring those keyboards. It is well worth it for a rock player.

As I have mentioned, the PC2 series is geared toward traditional keyboard sounds: pianos, Hammond organs, Rhodes style EPs. This makes the keyboard great for classical/jazz piano, as well as a straightforward rock gig. This is not the keyboard for dance/hip hop production. There are also very good horn and string sections. Kurzweil sounds always seem more "fat" than other manufacturers, due to the effects. The Orchestral ROM which is standard with the PC2 offers some of the best string samples on any keyboard. The Classic Keys ROM which I mentioned earlier are even better than the presets.

The PC2 is a highly reliable keyboard. However, I have never needed a backup for a pro keyboard. My only complaints about the PC2 are the weight,its very heavy to lug around!, and the lack of an internal HD, disc, or flash media drive. Any OS updates or dowloading sounds must be done through MIDI, which was a big pain when installing the Orchestral and Classic Keys ROM boards. Highly recommended for a studio MIDI controller, piano for recording, or keyboard centered live performance!

I contacted Kurzweil customer support twice. The first time was for info on programming a continuous controller pedal. I recieved a reply email shortly with specific directions. The second time was when I tried to install the Expansion boards by myself. I sent an email and was never responded to. I would up taking it to a pro-audio repair and paying $50. It was well worth it.

My overall rating for this keyboard is a 10. While it is in the category of a stage piano, the PC2 has the sounds/effects/editing of a workstation, minus the sequencing and sampling. For a while I was using the PC2 with a Korg Trinity for my gig rig. Now the PC2 is the center of my home recording setup, where I use it with Pro Tools Le, Digital Performer and Finale notation software. For gigs, I am using a Korg Triton Extreme 76, where I trigger sequences and samples, in addition to the live sounds.

Ok so i have found this one of the easiest machines to use i can find, but for reasons i will mention in a second, i find it very difficult.
But as a whole the instructions are very clear, not in jargon etc. all the features are clearly laid out, not having trouble finding anything.

It's a Kurzweil. What do you expect? it has a massive array of features, similar models of other makes don't even come close.

Again, its a Kurzweil. The onboard sounds are amazing, i can't fault them at all. My keyboard technician listens to native american tapes, and says that this is the keyboard they have used, because it sounds so realistic.

I would use it at a gig, which i have but it continually fails me. I bought it from America, and from day one the screen never worked, which i hear is a very common problem. This is why the ease of use isn't very easy. Then the pitch bend wheel went and isn't fixable because Kurzweil can't get their act together and produce parts for their stuff

Emails are responseless, technical support none existant. I had to go elsewhere for help.

I love this keyboard, and i wouldn't give it away for anything. I would seriously consider buying again, but its marred by the lack of any support. If you want to buy one, be warned, either check it before you buy or hope/gamble that it works when you get it.

2.10 software version, presets sound great, manual is pretty helpful

Polyphony is 64, Keyboard action is good & effects are good

Piano sounds are some of the best I've heard especially for classical. The onboard effects are also very good. It takes a little while to get use to the touch especially if you are used to playing a real piano all the time.

Can't say I had any luck in this area. This is my 2nd Kurzweil PC2X and I 've had trouble with both keyboards. I will always carry a spare keyboard (Yamaha)when gigging with either of my two PC2X's.

Customer service is helpful, however I did get a run around trying to get to the right person.

If it were lost or stolen, I might buy another, however, I'd definately look into other products. I have been playing for 25 years. Mostly classical, jazz & musical theatre. I think the piano sounds are some of the best I've heard compared to Roland, Korg, Kawai, Ensonig, Alesis, etc. I own 2 other Yamaha keyboards and are very happy with those, especially for the gigging dependabilty factor. I like the piano sounds on my Yahama keyboards but I must say the Kurzweil pianos are my favorite, just wish Kurzeil would get their act together and make a more dependable unit.

Acquired v recently as an up-grade to my Yamaha P80 digital stage piano, after testing a Yamaha S90 and Roland RD700SX (just out) - this PC2X kept me interested with it's functionality and quality of sounds. The keyboard action is light - which suits my playing style (Roland was probably more like the 'real thing' re: keys action to be honest, but more basic in function; Yamaha S90 was great, but quality of sounds not up there...and I'm a Yamaha fan, so trying to be objective, here.)
Initially very easy to use - you can get instant results, but I need to spend less time with my intuition and more with the manual - which is well laid out. Presets sound cool - strings and orchestrals some of best I've heard (and I've heard a few....). KB3 organ mode is good for my (prog rock) purposes.
Already own a Korg Triton Studio, so in terms of programming - it's quite intuitive, but I need to dig deeper.

Keyboard action just right for me.
Built in FX are awesome - enough said.
Would like to get the Classic Keys exp board in due course. Only able to have 2 exp boards, but - again - for me - no probs.
Arpeggiator seems limited (esp compared with the Korg) but I didn't buy it for that anyway.
No on-board sequencer/sampler - get the (very heavy) K2600X if you want all that -or the Krg Triton Studio. I did not buy this as a workstation.

Orchestral/strings/piano/organ - excellent. Other synth sounds seem to almost have an analogue warmth which is difficult to describe, but they do not have that fizz or harshness you can sometimes get with synths -to me the sonic quality is top notch because of that.

Too soon to say but no problems yet!

Lars Karstensen, Kurz Europe - very helpful. Helped me to check that the Kurz warranty was def in place before I put a penny down. Was very open about the past corporate issues Kurz have had which they're coming out of. Make yourself aware before you buy a Kurzweil, just so that you buy 'eyes open'.

I'm not a 10/10 merchant as I always believe that you can get more, but...I have to give 10/10 for value as RRP #2200; Internet #1800; face to face in shop #1600 - but I found this superb deal at #1200 brand new. Yep - I'd buy it again - it complements the Korg Triton Studio workstation - I feel I have the best of all worlds with both units as the Korg has those more cooler/colder 'digital' sounds if you get my drift, whilst this is 'warm'in essence.
To be honest - these days the quality of the Roland, Yamahas, Korgs really is superb, but this just stood out as having that certain sonic 'je ne sais quoi' - I always say - okay, read reviews but at the end of the day there's only one way and that's to get in the shop and test the keyboards. You know what you are after from a board - all I can say is that when I did that - this was the one for me - and I'm delighted.

OS fine, stock standard with it. i'm a little buggered with the setup features cause i'm finding it hard or immpossilbe to get any other sounds into a pedal change in a setup cause it only reads 0 to 127, and it seems to be only the internal list A, which is annoying when you want to change from organ or lead to pizz. strings or something. manual is fine, getting everything out of it that i need except this one problem

Polyphony is fine, loving the keyboard action (as i came from a measly technics P-50(obviously you can see i'm jus starting)). the effects are easy to get to, simply push channel A 'select' and your there, but i think it needs more distortion effects and things for Leads and rhodes, i play in church and its not really cutting it when i want something beefy. Orchestrial ROM is great and all, i dont use like 95% of it, (and because i'm in Australia prices are higher, and Kurzweil parts are harder to get ect ect..) i just want to try out the vintage keys EX board, cause that may fix some of my problems, but there aint none here.

loving it here, have played with Triton LE's, Rolands and all, but some of them just seem to be littls boy's toys when it comes down to it. the sounds here are absoultly fine (strings could be a little warmer and more Leads and Pads would be great) but i'm happy with this purchase. the response is great for anything i need, jazz sounds great with the rhodes (Serious classic) and the piano (any of the 20 odd ones you can find lying around in various groups) is great. the velocity features are great when you want layering and such with songs, (to define a sound to come in at a certain velocity helps heaps in some songs)

No problems here at all mate, but when i play, church, band or by myself, i have no worries about it dying.

have had no need.

if i lost it, i owuld get another one cause it plays very well. been playing for 10 years (i'm 19) and this is a great step forwards from little stage pianos and what-not. Wish it came with a music stand so i didnt have to wait for one to coem from America (Has taken 5 months so far, still waiting for equipment (Kurzweil pedals too) from nearest Kurzweil Dealer. bar that, its great.

I too have dealt with Duane Garvin through Kurzweil Service and I as well as another friend with a Mark 150 series were treated EXTREMELY RUDELY and received NO HELP or service. I wasn't given any info as to any probable cause to my problem and after talking to Mr. Garvin, I fealt 10X more frustrated with his lack of help and my decision to purchase a Kurzweil. VERY dissappointed with the service. I will think about that in the future when I'm choosing between a Roland or Kurzweil keyboard.

This is Duane Garvin, the Kurzweil service manager/ head tech/ warranty person. I did speak with MR X about the problems with his PC2. I believe it was almost a year out of warranty. I told him it was probably a bad cabe (pin 1) and to tell the service center to look at that specifically.
I am usually easy going and helpful but if a unit is almost a YEAR OUT OF WARRANTY then I cannot pay for the repair under warranty. All I received from MR X was that he wanted it covered under warranty and tried being forceful about it. If you take a poll of service center satisfaction from the service I have provided, I am confident I will receive a high mark.
I happened to come across this thread and was compelled to give my side of the story.

I'm using software version 3.10. This board is very easy to use and program.

The keyboard action is unparalleled. Very quick and agressive for the ultra-fast player (like myself).

Expressiveness is great and onboard effects are wonderful.

This is where I have had problems with this board. I was at a big gig last night and when I plugged the Kurzweil in, all of my programs had been erased. None of the presets that I had spent hours programming were there anymore. I have no idea why this happened but playing the gig was next to impossible and I don't think I can rely on this board in the future because of this problem.

Can't get any response from Kurzweil customer service.

Good features on board, but totally unreliable and poor customer service.

Having used keyboards since the early 80's, they all have challenges learing a "new" operating system (new to the user). This one is fairly straight forward - it's all in the manual - that is actually pretty good

ployphony 64 - fine with me (don't program w/this board). Excellent effects, excellent as a controller, great feel to the weighted keys.

Fantastic - enough said

Here's why I'm writing this review. I've owned this board for about 2 years. It's NEVER had any issues. I upgraded the operating software last year (easy), and have done 40+ gigs, and 50+ practices (moving between locations). No problem. Last weekend (7/31/04) we were playing a show and the stage collapsed. My keyboard fell 6+feet to the concrete floor - and kept working. One key popped off (high C), but the board stayed on, and still works. It's now bent, scratched, and dented - but still playing. Thats a good board.

Never needed it

Love it - am about to buy another one (read above - the bar's insurance carrier will be paying for it!).

The PC2x is reasonably easy to use. Navigating the menus wasn't too difficult. The manual is not perfect, but is passable. Basically, I bought the synth so I could have good sounds to use with Band in a Box. My main instrument is bass. What made this keyboard difficult to use was that it wasn't working properly, and emails to tech support went unanswered, see more below.

This board has great sounds, aftertouch, super configurable MIDI, etc. It has expansion capabilites, but I left mine stock since it does what I need it to do (except that it works intermittently).

Sounds are awesome. When I bought it a few years ago, I thought they were some of the best on the market (for my price range). The effects are okay.

I cannot depend on this keyboard, and I would never use it on a gig without a backup. It seems to be built like a tank, but I have been having intermittent MIDI issues for a long time now. The power supply connectorseems that it would be a likely candidate for failure.

If you are thinking about buying this keyboard, you may wish to reconsider. I have NEVER received an email reply from their customer support (support@kurzweilmusicsystems.com). Since I work during their business hours, this needed to be my main form of contact with them. After some time, I eventually called them and got clearance to take it into the shop. Not being the MIDI-type, I did not know exactly what was wrong, but I was seeing some MIDI problems, as the MIDI diagnostic would fail. So, I took it into a Kurzweil-approved shop, and they could not reproduce the problem. Being newly armed with the knowledge that my keyboard was supposed to be "fixed", any new behavior that I discovered while getting to know the 'board I figured must be my misunderstanding of how to use it. In hindsight, I realize that this was another manifestation of the intermittent problem. After some more time trying to get it working, I gave up and came back to it later, figuring I just didn't know the software I was using (BiB). When I returned to get it working, any new emails to Kurzweil went unanswered and eventually my warranty expired. Had ANY of the emails I sent been answered, the intermittent nature of the problem would have been discovered. Kurzweil completely blew the oportunity to help me out. I have since been trying to get Kurzweil to honor the warranty, but they refuse to do so now that it has expired. Actually, they are not explicitly refusing to do so, they are just ignoring my calls and emails. When Kurzweil DOES actually respond to you, Jean is fabulous. He knows the 'boards inside and out. He admitted that they have an aggressive email filter, and so my emails may have simply been filtered out. Umm, okay, so the "PC2x" in the subject got filtered out? This seems a little strange. I suggested that they mention this on their support webpage, but they have not done so, even though this easy fix would avoid many problems. Jean referred me to the Service Manager, Duane Garvin (Duane_Garvin@and-music.com, 253-589-3200 x104) for the warranty issues. Duane was defensive, combatitive, and completely unhelpful from the start. On a few occaisions he said he would call back and give me an answer "tomorrow", yet it never happened. In fact, I do not believe that Duane has ever done what he has told me that he would do. I am still waiting for a reply on the last round of emails.

The one thing that I wish this keyboard had was a company to back it up. I am sure that Kurzweil makes a great product, but I am not going to support the livelihood of a company that ignores their customers, does not do what they say they will do, and does not seem to care one way or the other. As it is, I will probably donate it to a church that doesn't need the MIDI, or just take the business loss.

I'm using 3.1. The presets sound pretty good out of the box. Editing doesnt appear to be too easy. Keep in mind I come from a Korg/Roland background and this is my first Kurz. The manual doesnt make a lot of sense to me, as Korg (triton) seems so much better laid out, but I've plowed through it and come to understand enough. It has three basic modes, Internal/Setups/KB3. The B3 mode is interesting, offering realtime control, but I own a Roland VK-8M that absolutely smokes the organ sounds here, I suppose it would be impressive to someone coming from a regular synth organ background, but to me it falls flat. Midisetups allows you to do layering, splitting and multi-timbre type work. Its somewhat confusing the way the board is laid out. Effects are good. It took me a while to figure out how to write an effect to a sound. Its 64 polyphony in the first to settings but in KB3 it becomes 40. This board seems to be designed mostly as a controller, but sounds are not an after-thought. You can edit the sounds, the touch keyboard isnt too bad. Its pretty easy to use if you're not going to go in depth, but I found myself somewhat frustrated by the seperate modes.. most of the switches change function depending on which mode you're in so it gets confusing. It doesnt help either that I'm colorblind and I cant see much of a difference in the lights which go from green to orange depending on what mode or their function is. Even so its complicated.. more complicated than it needs to be. It doesnt do enough to have that many buttons and levers. Getting into editing is tedious without a touch screen.. or a bigger screen even.

64 polyphony which is enough.. the keyboard action is pretty good actually. There are many effects, many different reverbs and choruses up to two at a time plus master EQ. The board is also expandable. It includes the orchestral ROM which falls flat compared to Edirol's software, but Its better than Korg and Roland. Kurzweil does best in this area of acoustic synths, but even so for me its just not practical to try to imitate a symphony... because it still sounds canned on a keyboard. I suppose the orchestral would be passable on a live gig.. maybe buried in a mix. Midi capabilities are great here, and the board makes up for things here. 4 basic zones with lots of editing possible, its somewhat confusing at first but it gets better. This thing is a good controller. It has a digital Out.. 24 bit spdf.. I used it and decided I liked the sound analog better.. its warmer.. still not warm enough. But better. I bought it because of the digital output.. but I noticed no improvement.. maybe it went backwards in quality. It has onboard EQ.. of course when you EQ a sound it applies to every sound on the board, so you're stuck with it. I did bring down the mid range and I did get slightly better results.

The triple strike Piano isnt happening for me. I come out of a jazz/R&B/Pop playing background and I suppose this board might be ok for a church or school, but for a pro who wants a real expressive sound.. its just not that cool... boring. The mid range seems dumpy to me.. muddy.. and the lower range isnt consistent. The piano cuts through a mix well though because it has an edge to it that is anything but mellow, there are shrill o