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Kurzweil PC1X

STAGE PIANO

KEYBOARD MARCH 2004 www.keyboardmag.com

Korg D1600Korg D1600

Reports

n a typical two-tier gig rig, the bottom

keyboard is weighted and covers

piano and meat-and-potatoes sounds,

leaving the smaller top keyboard to

deal with synth comps and leads,

orchestral stuff, and other timbres

for which I won’t attempt a food metaphor. For

gigs where budget, space, or cartage issues

make bringing just one axe attractive, it’s

nice to have a “bottom” board that can do

some “toppish” things well. This is one reason

Kurzweil’s PC2X has long been a respected

stage workhorse. Now comes the PC1X,

essentially a streamlined PC2X at a more

aggressive price. Does it belong on a tier of your

keyboard stand?

Overview

As on the PC2X, the nerve center is Setup mode,

used for playing the keyboard multitimbrally

and as a master controller. A Setup can include

up to four Zones, each of which consists of

an internal and/or external sound program as

well as an independent set of MIDI control

assignments. Editing is geared towards creating

your own Setups, and towards altering the

by Stephen Fortner

Color-changing

LEDs and labeling

aid hunting for the

right sound.

Parameters that

can be altered are

accessed here.

Kurzweil’s signature

incremental dial.

Two of four

programmable buttons.

In Setup mode,

these select and

mute zones. In

Program mode,

they do quick

splits and layers.

Tweak sound and

FX parameters in

real time with these,

including the

great-sounding

3-band EQ.

Summary of content (4 pages)

PAGE 1
Reports Korg D1600 Kurzweil PC1X S T A G E P I A N O Kurzweil’s signature incremental dial. Two of four programmable buttons. Parameters that can be altered are accessed here. Color-changing LEDs and labeling aid hunting for the right sound. Tweak sound and FX parameters in real time with these, including the great-sounding 3-band EQ. In Setup mode, these select and mute zones. In Program mode, they do quick splits and layers.
PAGE 2
Stage piano with synthesizer and controller features. Pros: Excellent sounds, especially the pianos. Orchestral block standard. Balanced 24-bit outputs. Great bang for the buck. Cons: Very few voice parameters can be edited and saved. No digital output. Knobs seem fragile, especially the LCD contrast pot on rear. Kurzweil, 253-589-3200, www.kurzweilmusicsystems.com $1,495 The Thru-Out switch turns the MIDI thru into a second MIDI out, which is useful when using the keyboard as a master controller.
PAGE 3
Kurzweil PC1X Stage Piano airy reverb up top. Of course, even in a maxed-out Setup with four parts, each Zone can partake of however much of effect A, B, or both that it wants. It’s not really an effect, but for space reasons, I’ll mention the arpeggiator here. Accessible from Setup mode, I found it useful on drum kit sounds to create basic rhythms, and great for retro-hooks like the synth intro to Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody.” Most programs use SW3 to turn it on and off.
PAGE 4
Kurzweil PC1X Stage Piano encountered when covering many different kinds of parts on a weighted keyboard. It was sluggish when I tried rapid-fire Hammond key-slapping a la “Fly Like an Eagle,” but less so than a heavier 88’s would’ve been. The four Zone buttons access a performance feature that existed on the PC2, but it’s so darned useful it bears repeating.