Title link takes you to shots via this auction
"The genesis of the K5000 was the Kawai K5 additive synthesizer. So with Advanced Additiveª synthesis, Kawai has come up with a synth, the K5000S and the workstation version, the K5000W that go the limit on creation of sophisticated additive waveforms.Rather than using pre-set waves, this synthesizer builds custom waves using up to 128 harmonics. By way of 128 Format Filters, individual envelopes for each of the harmonics, 24db/octave resonant DCF and DCA's (That's Digitally Controlled Filters and Amplifiers), the K5000 offers a large number of sound choices. These additive sounds can be also combined with internal PCM sounds.The K5000W workstation has 226 pre-set sampled sounds made up of 128 General MIDI patches and 11 drum kits. Along with the 61-note keyboard, you'll have 64-note polyphony with a 40-track/40,000 note sequencer and a built-in Standard MIDI File disk drive with 99 song and 180,000 note capacity. If you get the K5000S synth, then you'll have a multi-mode arpeggiator (yes! they are coming back), 16 preset and four assignable "macro" control knobs to change parameters during live performances.FOR SOUND DEMOS GO HERE
Polyphony - 32 voicesOscillators - Digital Additive Synthesis plus PCM samples;
Harmonics: 64 per source; Waveforms: 689 (123 synth, 341 GM, 225 drums). Note: only K5000W features GM soundsEffects - 4 effects algorithms with 32 different effectsFilter - 128-band formant filter, 24dB/oct low-pass and high-passLFO - 2 (one for formant filter, one can be freely routed to other destinations)VCA - 1 ASDR per part, with key scale and velocitySequencer/Arpeg - Sequencer: 40 tracks, 40,000 note capacity (K5000W only)
Arpeggiator: 40 patterns, 8 user (K5000S and K5000R only)Keyboard - 61 Keys with velocity and aftertouchMemory - 200 patches, 64 performancesControl -
MIDI (K5000S, K5000R: 4-part multi-timbral; K5000W: 32-part multi-timbral)
Date Produced - 1996
Est. Value - $500 - $1,200"
Kawai - great engineers, terrible marketers. Their marketing failure with the K5000 series was not quite as bad as Technics with the WSA, but it was close close.
ReplyDeleteI had a K5000S for about a year a few years back - the keyboard is excellent, the sounds are unique. However, the mod and pitch wheels are the most unplayable (sharp plastic) I've ever touched and the performance knobs on the S are too close together for easy tweaking.
And that was enough for you to sell it? Hmm... I've just bought one (haven't picked it up yet) for the combination of a unique synthesis engine, nice keybed with aftertouch and the extra knobs. If the edges of the wheels prove to be dangerously sharp, well, I'll just have to sand them off...
ReplyDeleteI do like my 5000s, but have never fallen completely in head-over-heels love with it, and I'm not exactly sure why that is. It's definitely a very digital sounding board, which does work in its favor a lot more now than, say, even 5 years ago. A fair amount of programming ken will probably help push it out of its comfort zone, and I reckon I've never devoted enough time to it to reach that level. Great arpeggiator, regardless, and the pitch/mod wheels have never been a problem here.
ReplyDeleteno pr0bs with the pitch wheel for me. lots of great sounds on the board for sure
ReplyDeleteWell, the uncomfortable (for me) controllers fed into the decision to sell it as opposed to another keyboard, but it was also the fact that I wasn't using it much and needed the money for other things.
ReplyDeleteHey, I had it for two years - pretty good for my GAS days.
the most amazing keybed I ever laid my hands on, bar none. it was worth it for keyfeel alone. Yet a bitch to get your head around of and definitely a major pain to program. LCDs also were prone to later year fading/failure. The sounds in this thing were quite organic or "in your face", depending how programmed. However, only when you've mastered substractive synthesis must you venture on the path of additive. And it was my gripe - I just could not program it well and got bored of it. Plus the bank structure was really lousy, re-loading/upgrading OS was a VERY VERY TRICKY and problematic procedure that involved formatting the floppy on the synth itself. I mistakenly formatted mine on a PC and SCREWED IT UP BIGTIME. Luckily, I was able to track down a tech at Kawai (2 years ago) who was very helpful - even sent me factory patch and OS floppies. Tho, I wouldn't buy it again unless it was dirt cheap. like... $100 or so.
ReplyDelete