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Average rating:
4.7 out of 5
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Bought it in 1994. Love it. Since then I have not found another "workstation" type synth that offers a more complete and accurate spectrum of sound that this thing does. Even many stand alone synths are rivaled by its ability to easily replicate, distort and alter sound. Others are still trying to catch up to the standards that were set by this machine practically a decade ago. Pads, acoustic, weird, leads, analog, basssss, thick, digital, evolving -whatever- you name it - it doesn't slack. Also sounds galore available free online for download. Most just utilize the standard ROM set to produce practically any style of sounds you desire. And that doesn't even tap into the sampling abilities. _ Prices are falling so buy one for your bread and butter type mix and simply aquire other unique synths to complement your sound. You won't be disappointed.
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Considering how old the design is, it's pretty amazing how well this keyboard has sonically withstood the test of time. Personally I never used this keyboard as a sampler since I already had 2 S1100's when I bought it. I did consider adding the sampling option, but the synthesis was good enough to keep the machine very busy as it was. Especially after I discovered there's a huge archive of sounds available by FTP which require absolutely no sample memory at all. The presets barely scratch the surface at the power of this machine.
7 years after buying it, I still use my K2000 in a good number of the sessions I record. I now own an Akai S6000, which has equal or better filtering power to my K2000 (7 years to catch up!), over 100 more voices and 192 mb more memory than my K2000 could ever have. As sampler, the K2000's glory days are gone - but for me, the K2000 was always a synthesizer first and a sampler second. In that role, it'll always have a place in my rig because you can't beat top quality sounds and the K2000 could always deliver in that department, and it still does.
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I have not had any problem with SCSI transfers to and from my K2000 or K2500 so maybe you just need someone to have a quick look at your Mac setup. Could be as simple as SCSI termination.
The Kurzi K2500 is still untouched as stand alone sample / synth / sequencer especially if containing the KDFX board and considering that the K2000 was released in the early 1990s that is a clear reflection on what a superb machine it is. In fact the features that are "outdated" on the K2000 are what ALL older instruments suffer from - limited RAM (and SIMM type) and polyphony, possibly the number of audio outputs too. If Kurzweil released a Kx000 model with 128 voices and 16 analogue or digital outputs (for example) it would do more than hold it's own against the current offerings from E-mu, Ensoniq, Akai, Korg and Roland, in fact the K2500 already slays them in sonic versatility. The problem with the k2000 and K2500 is that it takes a user who is willing to spend time with one and understand the V.A.S.T synthesis to really appreciate it.
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I've had my K2000s for 3 months and find it to be a versitile keyboard. The sequencer is nice but takes a lot of button presses (panning, muting etc.) but all in all, you can do anything with it and the timing is rock solid. I'm using it with Opcode Studio Vision 4.0 and Galaxy plus editor/librarian. Galaxy really makes creating and modifying sounds a breeze, otherwise I might not tend to want to create sounds as much from the front panel.
When you learn to use the DSP's to modify samples is when you get the most out of this instrument. I think that the Korg Z1 would make a good sample source for the K2000s because you create timbres a lot faster in the Z1 and then sample 'em into the k2000. Using SCSI with my Mac however, has been unsuccesful. Probably cause I don't know what I'm doing. I havn't been able to do any sample transfers to/from my K2000. I've only been able to transfer samples to a floppy or zip drive and upload 'em that way which is major inconvenience. I probably will not upgrade to a 2500 but will instead opt for an Ensoniq DP4 effects processor (to route the 4 outs from the k2k) and a Fairlight Series III.
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To each his/her own, I reckon. I see that a few people have some diparaging things to say about the K2000 but I bought one about three months ago (K2000VP) and I absolutely dote over it. Quite simply, this is the best musical instrument I've ever owned. Every time I sit down and tinker with it I find some new and amazing thing it will do. Who'd have thought that you could reverse map a keyboard, or set it so that all 61 keys cover only one octave, or even just one half-step? My tendancy is toward rather unusual (arguably non-musical) sounds and I find that this instrument lends itself well to these pursuits. I was a bit overwhelmed at first, but the more I explore this instrument the more I find that it is set up in a very logical and intuitive manner. I expect I will still be discovering new capabilities five years from now. More later.
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