Kurzweil PCR-1 Orchestral Expansion Board

No problems to install the card, but i had to upgrade the OS, and that didn't work the first time. I tried again some days later and then it worked. I don't know if I did something wrong the first time, or what the problem really was...

I've been using the JV/XP Orchestra I expansion for almost six years, and I still think the sounds on that board is very good. I think the PCR-1 is about the same quality. Some sounds are better on the Kurzweil board (harp, tremolo strings and percussion) and some are better on the Roland board (woodwinds). I think they are good complemets to each other.

Since i got the OS upgrade right, it has been completely reliable.

I have dealt with Kurzweil support in Denmark a few times, and they have replied to my e-mails in a day or two.

If you own a PC2/X/R and sometimes need "classic" patches, I think it is well worth the money.

The expansion requires version 3.0 or higher in the main unit. Lots of useful stuff in the accompanying CD including updated Cakewalk/Sonar patch lists. Installation is a snap - you're up and running in 15 minutes or less if you don't need to upgared the software.

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If you have a PC2x made before late 2002 and you want a full orchestra in the box then this upgrade is a must have. Later units include this expansion (I've seen the newer units advertised with a '/O" or "PGM" added to the PC2 name).

Sound quality ranges from good to excellent. There are 256 patches covering the complete orchestral range, many percussion sounds, and a bunch of other nice extras. I have yet to find a major disappointment in the entire set.

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I've never dealt with them directly but I've used the web site quite a bit.

As said earlier, a must have if you need full orchestral capability. Well worth the price.

Installing the board was simple; took less than five minutes (the pictures in the installation guide are not very clear, but if you've ever installed computer memory, you won't even need the pictures). Then MIDI updated OS to 3.10 (previously downloaded from Kurzweil website); took twenty minutes. Hooked everything back up and was blasting away with great orchestral sounds; thirty minutes, start to finish. No problems.

No effect on polyphony (I do not have the polyphony expansion board). Word to the wise, if you do have the polyphony expansion board it looks like you need two orchestral ROM boards, not just one. No idea whether that would cost more. Call Sweetwater and ask. Implementation of the PC2 effects is excellent, especially in the setups. Don't miss that this card appears to add full general MIDI sounds as well if you want/need it.

No bad sounds; some are merely good, many others are truly outstanding. I tested it out with some traditional orchestral scores and it was a joy finally having things like tremolando and pizzicato strings (four and three variations respectively)and a real bassoon.

Had it a week, have used it a lot,no problems.

I've never dealt with Kurzweil directly. I bought this board from Sweetwater and they were extremely helpful.

I think this is a great board and it hugely augments the sounds already built into the PC2. It looks like all new PC2s now come with it installed, which makes sense.

Pop the chip into the PC2r or PC2 keyboard, load the new 3.0 operating system via sequencer into the mod or keyboard and you're off! This board is a nice addition to an already great module (I own the PC2r). While I don't think the presets on the whole match the SRX boards for the ROland XV line, there's some quality stuff on this chip. The really cool thing is that the CD Rom comes with an updated patch list for Cakewalk programs. This is a wonderful idea since you can't save Multi set-ups (16 parts at least) on the PC2r. It's easy to get what you need from the computer (and fast).

No extra polyphony on this chip but I find that the Kurzweil uses voices much better than my XV-5050 which has noticeable drop-outs when I'm using more than a couple patches simultaneously. That's partly why I bought this expansion- I mostly compose orchestral and film music, and I'm always on the lookout to expand my pallette with orchestral sounds.

Here's what's really good: Harps- utterly realistic especially in the upper register. Fantastic! Solo French Horn- beautiful and natural. Trombones- excellent, you can hear the breath going through the tubing. Tuned percussion is also accuruate (Glockenspiel, chimes).

So-so patches: Strings are warm and good. Have a bit of bite to them but I prefer the SRX-04 String board from Roland as it has more dynamism and the vibrato is applied throughout mod or aftertouch rather than being inherent in the sample. Still, these strings are quite usable and kill Korg or preset Roland stuff...and Yamaha too. Solo winds are decent but the English Horn on my 10 year old Proteus 2 still beats everything out there. Flute is nice but lacks a good attack, and the vibrato is a little artificial (but hey, this is only a 16 meg chip). I actually don't think that there are any terrible patches although the timpani's sound as though they were hit by a really hard mallet as the sound is very harsh. Good for big orchestral tutti sections mind you.

Where Kurzweil really did a nice job was with the 4 layer MIDI setups. There's a plethora of great layered patches for playing live. And I like the way the programs use the on board effects to the max. There are even some nice "synth" type usages for these orchestral instruments.

It's running fine thus far

There are great patches on this board that I have incorporated into the virtual orchestral. I use the harp, solo horn, trombones, tuned percussion, classical guitar, and more in my compositions. I would still say that the Roland expansion boards SRX/SRJV offer some greater range in sounds, but keep in mind that this is probably the cheapesr orchestral expansion board around these days. If it was lost or stolen, I'd have to get it again because some of the sounds are just too convincing to be without.

While the PCR-1 board doesn't preset the greatest range of orchestral sounds on the market, it has more than a few winners and certainly expands the sound palette of one of the best instruments out there currently.