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Average rating:
4.7 out of 5
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I've been fooling with synths for about 8 years now. The K5000S was the first "really professional" synth I purchased after it was wrongly advertised during a Guitar Center blow-out as "a sampling synthesizer." It went for $999 and at the time the K5000R modules were around $250 or so. New or used (used price is about $400-$500 on E-Bay) this synth is one of the greatest values of all time. It's built exceptionally well and has the best feel of any non-weighted keyboard I have ever played. It makes an excellent controller and simply looks beautiful.
This board excels at heart breaking pads and leads. It's a wonderful marriage between a sample playback synth (which it is coupled with additive capabilities) and a more analog sounding organic synth. You can create some classic analog sounds with this board as well but you are probably better off with a real analog or maybe an MS-2000 if that's the sound you are going for. This synth is most likely a little too unique for most folks in the commercial hip-hop or techno markets as it sticks out too much and makes you think. For Depeche Mode style synth pop or soundscapes, experimental, or industrial you cannot beat this synth. I love the uniqueness of it so much that it has become the staple of much of my music.
Like most synths the presets don't do it justice...they're usually corny or just way too huge to use in the context of a song. If you've got an extra $500 laying around...yeah right...pick one up on E-Bay and play with it for a while. If it's not your thing putit back up for sale. There are some synths that software will never come close to replicating, the K5000S and Casio CZ-101 are good examples of this.
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I've been using this synth for a few years now and i have much love for it although the sometimes grainy one-dimensional nature of the overall sound makes me wish for a nord lead or something with more presence and warmth.
I got mine secondhand and have no idea what the original patches sounded like but most of the ones that were there when i got it were of dubious quality. As with all synths not every patch can be a gem, but there were very few that didn't need a ton of tweaking.
The great part about the synth is how much tweaking is available. Although i rarely go into the DCA and DFA modes or whatever, it effects screen and the built in knobs are pretty good at sculpting sound and make some good horse sense.
This thing creates a ton of hum if it's sitting it on top of a fender rhodes.
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Dr. Washington -
I've never had problems with my unit, but you do... Try asking at the K5000 group @Yahoo.com. Replacing the LCD screen shouldn't be too much trouble...
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thanks to all of you reviewers, i bought my k5000s after reading the many positive postings here.
and i agree: it is one of the best sounding synths ever. so far, no kawai synths has dissapointed me. while programming may be hard, it is worth it as you can come up with amazing sounds. it has that quality that yamaha synths exhibit (like the DX-7): absolutely awesome sonic quality, like the sounds are right there, in front of you, sort of physical.
a crazy world where you can buy them in mint condition for 400 Euros. In my ears, it doesn´t sound harsh or cold, if you program it right, instead deep and lush and aquatic. one of the very best, most professional machines ever.
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First, the machine is simply amazingly capable, it is true. I cannot take issue with that fact. However, the UI, though great for the time, could simply be made much, much faster and easier to use if this synth were refined and re-released today. My K5000 had from the get go buttons that didn't always register, probably due to smoke or some other contact-sullying airborne substance. Maybe it's just house dust, I don't know. The LCD finally crapped out on me, as it has with others, and I don't know where or how to get it replaced. I really wish there were more K5K resources on the web, like an enthusiasts' webring or something: there seem to be enough of us by now. I've been using this with SoundDiver for the longest time, but the "waiting for K5000S to finish backup" pauses are about to drive me mad: so disruptive, so annoying. Is there any way to disable this behavior or otherwise circumvent it? I really would love to get further under the hood of this thing manually, but it's never really been an option due to the button issue. I opened it to clean it, but it would take more time than I have available to remove umpteen circuit boards to get to the buttons, and now with the LCD out, I'm pretty much forced to use it with SoundDiver, or not at all. I might just buy me another one if I can spring for it. Yes, it really is that good, this is a simply breathtaking musical instrument, and it truly is a tank, so much so that it's been master conroller ever since I've owned it, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's not perfect, but there really is nothing else quite like it: this is a machine you use for its uniqueness and sizzle. And, as far as sizzle goes, this thing singes, crackles, and spits sparks like a volcano if you know how to twist and tweak its knobs just right. Nothing else I have ever heard (and I've heard a lot) can do what this thing does, and boy, oh boy, would I love to be able to use it more often. Any advice, anyone? It's much appreciated.
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