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Kurzweil VA1 - 'coming soon'


mildbill

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I don't get it. Kurzwiel, in typical fashion, releases a synth with specs that dwarf the competition and make sound designers cream... then complain about it. Maybe I'm jumping the gun, I'm just making a comparison to the misconception of the K2600 (ie, people think its just a rompler) and such.

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Originally posted by Kirumamoru
F--k, if I'm gonna buy a Kurzweil synth, I'd much rather get one with VAST... I'd definitely go with the K2661 over this... though I do imagine that the knobs make this one easier to program.

Kiru
You might want to read the spec's again... This thing essentially DOES have VAST, albeit catered in a differant manner.
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Originally posted by Altered Flesh


You might want to read the spec's again... This thing essentially DOES have VAST, albeit catered in a differant manner.

knowing kurzweil, there's sure to be WAY more to it than what meets the eye.
it's got new chips and a lot of time has passed since the k series was developed - i imagine this thing will be 'extremely' deep.
i really hope it does well.
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Originally posted by Altered Flesh
You might want to read the spec's again... This thing essentially DOES have VAST, albeit catered in a differant manner.
I will look again, but here are some other differences... 4 part multi-timbral vs 16 for the K2661, 16 notes of polyphony vs 48, four effects vs five, no sequencer, small display... also, the K2661 can combine sample sounds with synthesized ones... I've just recently been turned on to the capabilities that VAST presents, but hell, if I'm gonna get involved with it, I'd rather do it with an instrument that can make both realisitic and synthesized sounds.

The VA1 does have lots of knobs though.

Kiru
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the VA1 is not a K2661.
they're 2 different products intended for different types of buyers.

would you compare a virus with a fantom? or a Q with a triton?

maybe i should say ms2000/triton, or jp8000 with fantom?
or AN1X with motif?

of course, with kurzweil, it's not as simple as that - with them, things are hardly ever 'simple'.

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Originally posted by Kirumamoru

I will look again, but here are some other differences... 4 part multi-timbral vs 16 for the K2661, 16 notes of polyphony vs 48, four effects vs five, no sequencer, small display... also, the K2661 can combine sample sounds with synthesized ones... I've just recently been turned on to the capabilities that VAST presents, but hell, if I'm gonna get involved with it, I'd rather do it with an instrument that can make both realisitic and synthesized sounds.

The VA1 does have lots of knobs though.

Kiru
Polyphony- thats 16 notes with 7!!! sources each (112 simultaneous tones if you use all 16 notes)

4 effects- well, its only 4 part. Things such as distortion, ring mod..etc are all available as DSP sources if you need them in addition to the effect.

A sequencer wouldn't make much sense in this synth, and frankly I wouldn't want to pay for one either on this kind of synth, just my personal preferance though. Display size is a good point, but it seems the majority of functions are hardware driven..I don't see much menu diving on this board.

I think the biggest problem is that Kurzwiel absolutely sucks at marketing. Unless you have a Kurz, or have read tons of non-company issued info, one is probably clueless as to what their machines are actually capable of.

But as MildBill said, you really shouldn't compare the K2600 and VA1 (would you compare a Triton to a Minimoog?). Instead compare it to the Virus, Super Nova, etc.
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Originally posted by mildbill
the VA1 is not a K2661.
they're 2 different products intended for different types of buyers.

would you compare a virus with a fantom? or a Q with a triton?
I think the argument being made here is that Kurzweil is repackaging its core technology in a form that it believes will make it more attractive. I'm just saying that it was already getting kind of attractive to me in its K2661 form, and I'd probably buy that over the VA-1... for no other reason that I find having samples as building blocks to work with attractive; YMMV. I still say that as a straight up workstation, the K2661(2600) is still inferior to the Motif ES... but I woudn't mind having one for the sound generating capabilities.

Kiru
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Originally posted by Altered Flesh
Polyphony- thats 16 notes with 7!!! sources each (112 simultaneous tones if you use all 16 notes)
Oh, come on... that's marketing jargon. The Ion has seven sources per note too. Three oscillators, noise, ring mod, and two external inputs. I do agree that the Kurzweil is a little more powerful in that department, but it STILL only has three basic oscillators, just like the Ion. Two of those seven sources are external inputs, just like the Ion. The "processors" seem like they're probably rather powerful, and in this sole regard I imagine that it trumps the Ion, but I'd like to see a detailed list of those "processors'" capabilities....

Kiru
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Originally posted by Kirumamoru

Oh, come on... that's marketing jargon. The Ion has seven sources per note too. Three oscillators, noise, ring mod, and two external inputs. I do agree that the Kurzweil is a little more powerful in that department, but it STILL only has three basic oscillators, just like the Ion. Two of those seven sources are external inputs, just like the Ion. The "processors" seem like they're probably rather powerful, and in this sole regard I imagine that it trumps the Ion, but I'd like to see a detailed list of those "processors'" capabilities....

Kiru
God damn that thing is ugly as sin. I cant believe they stuck with that crazy ass design.

If you want to talk sound sources....the Q can have up to 5 oscillators, noise, ringmod, and external input. biggrin.gif
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One Waldorf to rule them all:



q_plus.gif

I swear to God that Waldorf used a special red shade on that Q+ on purpose which is outside the displayable gamut of PC devices. No digital camera seems to be able to properly capture the color.

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The Q+ red is blood red...as opposed to the vermillion of the Nords. More of a lacquered finish, too.

I personally would LOVE to have seen the Q/Q+ cases hand-dipped in swirly inks for a one-of-a-kind finish, like those hand-dipped neck ties.

I need a bib. eek.gif

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