I've been watching, lurking and wanting a K5000s for several years. Ever since I started hearing the buzz about it I knew I would have to get one or die unfulfilled. Either that or disappointment would set in: "How could so many be so wrong?"

Well, I just got one. No one here is wrong. They're all so right it's unprecedented, IMHO. This is *easily* the most inspiring synth I've ever played with. Not that the others are bad. Far from it. I've lived and loved many. But out of the box, the K5K defeats synths with superior real-world instrument tones by virtue of its chameleon-like nature.

I've owned a Kawai K5m for many years. I loved some of its sounds and could readily see its potential, as well as that of additive synthesis in general, but it lacks bottom end, overall amplitude, effects and polyphony.

All of those problems are remedied in rich, glorious abundance with the K5K. Everything you read in these reviews is true, not just a collection of potentially misguided subjective opinions. It can sound like practically anything. It's cold, it's warm. It's digital, it's analogue. It's whatever you have the fortitude to make it. The utterly BADASS arpeggiator is just gravy on top of gravy, smothered in gravy.

People SHOULD be lusting after this. It's only natural and it's worth every last penny. If Les Paul was going to make a keyboard that resonated with people the way his guitars have, he'd make the Kawai K5000. I could lie and slag it off, in the hopes that one tiny voice could help stir doubt and drive down second-hand values so I could snap up several more, but that would be ungrateful. I know this sounds crazy, but the K5000 is like a gift from god.. and I'm an agnostic! It's like the love of a good woman, the feel of a shower, excellent food, stellar music and art. It's a thing of beauty in every conceivable sense and, ultimately, good for the soul.

If you're poking around like I was, wondering about the trilogy of woefully un-appreciated, internet-celebrated synths (FS1R, K5000 + Fizmo) that were released to failure before the onslaught of softsynths and VAs, look no further than the K5000. The FS1R is damn fine too but the K5000's nectar is sweeter and harder to pin down or wear out.

I've added other synths to my list, but the k5000s is still great. I've made a lot of things with the Korg Microkorg, because it is warm, powerful, and cheap. I use the K5000s to control it, so i access a full keyboard at once.

It is hard for me to mix my K5000s on my songs since each patch is a song ! This thing is huge in every sense. It is hard to disguise it under other synths, because everything else sounds weak next to it. That's not a k5000s defect, that's the other synth's problem.

I don't play guitar, yet i've fooled many people with the K5000s. Distort any sound and it will become a guitar.

Another problem with the k5000s is how to use the knobs as a control device. You can't; it sends strange midi messages everywhere driving your other synths mad (i.e: Roland).

I've found also that Gary Numan used this synth on his album Pure... and he used a preset ! How did he dare to ! :)

I don't mind any of the problems i've mentioned. The k5000s is still the main man at my setup. Advice: Keep the volume DOWN. Otherwise it will go mad and kill any other synth in the mix.

http://nemmo.iuma.com (check the song "Food" there and you'll hear the k5000s, the microkorg and the roland mc505 getting along very well)