The PC3 series was the beginning of the end of using Kurzweil for me....after 10+ years of playing Kurzweils, I now have gravitated towards Yamaha. I now have a MX88.
Ive tried them all, and even though the sound quality in it self beat my old K2000, my K2000 still sounded fatter and more natural.. but since it had so much lower memory the sounds where compressed very badly.. Kurzweil has always been the pioneers when it comes to dynamics and "natural" sounds.
@TomZentra "Their focus is on realistic sounds".... Yup, and the reason I`ve just ordered one! I can live with the limited UI as I`ll use the excellent Soundtower computer software to tweak it.
'Natural instrumental sounds' from keyboards (including articulations), depend not only on the keyboard,but also on the style of playing.also it is attributed to the keyboardist whose finger magic makes it sound so real.
About a month ago I tried to make decision between PC3x and Korg m3. I ended on korg m50 because of its low price and the fact I had a Korg Triton Le for my first workstation. Korg is much more simpler and more logical than Kurzweil. I useally like to make random sounds in our studio and edit the ones I've already created and I can tell you, Korg owns Kurzweil hands down on that. The touch screen is very useful and after reading some manuals you'll be creating and editing sounds like nothing.
I think it looks a lot more professional then almost all the other competative workstations. And I would rather have seen my money spent into the engine then in design looks of the keyboard.
I think that it looks lot better than Korg M3 even though M3 is great workstation as well. I prefer Kurzweil looks and performance over anything on the market.
I understand what you are saying and I don't really disagree with you either. It's just that I find it's easier get motivated to play when I like the look of an instrument as well.
@voltaspeeder17 I wish this was true, but the fact is that Kurzweil has only a fraction of the features offered by the other synthmakers. Kurzweil falls completely short when it comes to user interface and other areas. Their focus is on realistic sounds. Sadly, many of their sounds are minor improvements to the old K2600 series.
Hey, guys please.. I never said Kurzweil sucks. Just that Korg is more logical and easier than Kurzweil. It's a fact you can't deny. BUT! Hell yeah, Kurzweil has lots of brilliant sounds and effects. And I can't deny that!
As for instrumental sounds,I think the motif xs is no less than the pc3x.check out some videos on Bert Smorenburg's demonstration of the Motif.but unlike motif xs,pc3 isnt a workstation.since I am more inclined to instrumental music than electronic stuff,my choice would be the pc3x for live performance and motif xs for studio works.
@gridsleep Check out Barbezinc's Moose Attack and Vortex soundbanks videos here on RU-vid, and witness some amazing virtual analog sounds from PC3. Kurzweil doesn't do physical modeling and wavetables, though. It can do somewhat limited additive synthesis too (not like dedicated machines, like Kawai K5000, or Camel Audio Alchemy, though).
You should try out the three main competitors, the Roland Fantom G, the Korg M3 and the Yamaha Motif XS (on the latter, sampling is only optional as far as I know) and choose the one that fits you the best. Or, if the Kurzweil is your favorite, you can buy an external sampler, or a sampler rack module and use the Kurz as it's master controller - in terms of price it will be similar to the three above, as the PC3 is much cheaper compared to the others.
Yeah, but there's no sampler on the PC3, which is a problem. The Triton is especially good in electronic synth sounds (it even competes with the virtual-analogs soundwise), you can get anything out of it, and there are some very decent classic and modern synth presets. However, the other sounds are by far better on the Kurzweil.
Anyone know about the sequencer on this (workstation version)? What does it mean that it works in a "linear way"? Is that limiting somehow? As usual, nothing but the best sounds from Kurzweil. Evidently the guitars on this rock as well. The wa sound on this demo doesn't do justice.
The piano sounds are awesome on the Fantoms. I've tried an X and I loved it's piano - but that was the only valuable thing in that board, my Triton Extreme is way better in terms of synths, EPs and organs (but the pianos are below standard, that's true). The G's are better than the X as I heard, but I didn't have the chance to try them out. If you need good quality hammer action, that will come with a high price, be it one hammer action workstation or a digital piano with a synthesizer on top.
What I hate about Kurzweil keyboards is that tiny little blue screen. If they made one with a larger screen (and maybe touch) it would be fucking amazing.
hi.... i need.. to know how do i do to send midis from pc to he keyboard..... do i need some software???...... more over i wanna know if this xD card ... is a simple type of card xD, or is it special???..... i have one of 1 gb of memory, can i use it????
So you think Oasys isn't powerful and capable of doing that? It sure kills all other hardware synths out there. And no wonder, 8k is a lot of money... Kurzweil comes second, no doubt... But the most amazing thing is that Kurzweil is a much smaller company and PC3x is rather old, but still it's way ahead of other synths, except Oasys. o_O
I had a PC2X...sorry i ever sold it. The instrument selection via banks and programs was so much more convenient for live performance. Not everything is set up using that scrolling window...which really sucks IMO. Plus, a lot of the instruments - voices, strings, brass, and others were better for live performance.
Kurzweil needs a facelift. It's like putting a Corvette engine in an old crappy car. It may drive faster and better than most cars but not everyone is gonna want to drive one.
I hope you're right because I'm licking my chops for one. I like Korg but somehow, I am so much more in awe in Kurzweil. OASYS is too much money for great workstation, plus I don't really like the sound engine that much. Too synthetic for me, if you know what I mean....
I will deny that a Korg is more logical.. Kurzweils are just as logical, but il give you that Korg's are more "user friendly".. but i want to be able to do what the fuck i want with my sounds, which Korg first implemented in their Oasys(Kurzweil had it since the k2000.).
Do you happen to know if Kurzweil is up to a new pro workstation in about 3 years? Cause then I might have money for a new synth and I bet it would wipe out all Korgs, Yamahas and Rolands, easily..
Hmmph.. so if you buy yourself a workstation, you just walk to a shop and try the first piano sound and then buy it? If workstations are only piano, piano, piano for you, you have missed the whole point of workstations. For me Workstations are for massive loads of sounds and good editing capabilities. If you don't find anything else than piano from a workstation then don't buy one. Buy a Yamaha or Roland gig piano.
