K5000S - what?

[toorglick]

I did a search but the info I'm looking for hasn't come up.

 

It's a repeated theme for this synth: unique sounds but time consuming to program. Just by looking at the specs, I can see the sounds would be like nothing else. But the interface seems comprehensive enough so the programming aspect confuses me.

 

What about programming? Is it that time consuming where it could inhibit the creative flow when you're putting together a piece? I know this is an extreme, but would someone compare the time involved on making a patch from scratch on a Juno 106 to the time involved making a patch on the K5000S?

 

What about live? Is it difficult to tweak live? Can it be the second synth in a two-synth rig?

 

Demos. I've heard just a few, but nothing that seems to illustrate this synths potential. Anyone with good demos?

[MuzikB]

As far as the Juno to K5000 analogy, think of having to tweek in 128 Juno's to get what you want.

 

The K5000 has 128 harmonic partials to adjust and each one has it's own envelope if I remember correctly. Sure it's got some PCM samples to make things quicker, but that's not the real reason to have the synth. Then again you don't have to adjust or use all the partials either to create a sound.

 

It is a truly rewarding synth but you've got to put the time into it.

 

For live use (or any use for that matter) the knobs make getting at the major editing stuff quick and easy (as I'm sure you already know) but getting down into the harmonics to create unique sounds with it is where it's at.

 

I really enjoyed my K5000S and K5000R when I had them but ultimately sold them because I no longer had the time to program them. (Day Job)

[mildbill]

the k5000 offers a lot of shortcuts - for example, if you want to adjust the amplitudes of several harmonics at once, you can select octaves, fifths, all odd, all even - stuff like that.

they do a fair compromise of complexity vs. ease of use.

while it's still a bear to program and quite time consuming, it could be worse.

[Symbiotic]

I own a K5000s and have to agree with most of the seniments here. Amazing sounds that really can't be matched by most other synths (with a few of the additive softsynths excluded).

 

It does take some getting used to thinking in terms of additive synthesis. Fortunately, there are some morph and random patch generation tools that help give you some basic ideas to start with. From there you can really begin to customize each envelope and harmonic, and then add some character from the FX processor (which is quite good).

 

The K5000s does have an EXCELLENT keybed, which is the primary reason I've held on to mine for so long.

 

However, my other synths are taking up more of my playing and programming time right now, and I don't feel like the K5000s is being used the way it should in my setup. That's the main reason I'm considering selling mine. (PM me if you're interested) It is one of the most unique synths made in the last decade (or two...?), though. I think had Kawai just waited a bit longer to release it (like after the heyday of ROMplers went by) until more recently, it really would have taken off...

[Jeez]

Originally posted by mildbill the k5000 offers a lot of shortcuts - for example, if you want to adjust the amplitudes of several harmonics at once, you can select octaves, fifths, all odd, all even - stuff like that. they do a fair compromise of complexity vs. ease of use. while it's still a bear to program and quite time consuming, it could be worse.

 

I want one!

 

Forever,

 

 

 

 

Kim.

[TDman]

I looove my K5000S, You'll have to pry it form my cold, dead fingers...

True, it can be a bear to program (esp. when starting from scratch), but there are software editors for it. I've gotten a majority of my sounds off the net, and alot of the time I mangle 'em with the knobs, no need for 'deep' editing. If editing each harmonic is your thing, you can do that. If not, the knobs allow for a fair bit of control, it's all up to the user.

[Crawling Wind]

I hope that I can realize the potential of my K5000S. Yes, you can get pretty damn far with just the knobs, but the menu's hold the real magic. It's like sitting down to a huge meal, and you know that you'll prolly never finish it all.

 

For the music I make, it is very nice. With all the looping envelopes you can make nice sounds that move and are alive. Almost all my gear is RA, and the K5K is a refreshing sonic change. However, I have spent countless hours digging around then not saving the results. The Wizoo book has some good intro data.

I haven't tried Sounddiver with it yet, as I have had issues with SD in the past. I agree that many sounds available are not that usable. The kybd is very smooth. nice arps, and the knobs can control other synths. I am excited about controlling my upcoming Oasys with them.

 

All things considered, it is the instrument that I enjoy messing around with the most.

 

--James

[malfunkt]

 

Originally posted by toorglick I know this is an extreme, but would someone compare the time involved on making a patch from scratch on a Juno 106 to the time involved making a patch on the K5000S? What about live? Is it difficult to tweak live? Can it be the second synth in a two-synth rig?

 

 

Time to make patch on Juno: perhaps one of the simplest synths to program, patch creation can be done from 30sec-4minutes.

 

This synth is as easy as microwave popcorn.

 

 

Time to make a patch on the K5000: 30minutes-8hours.

 

This synth is the Das Boot Extended Edition of synths.

 

Live - well the K5000S is what you'd want.

[pighood]

The K-5000s is a gooooooorgeous synth with frustratingly limited memory...you really need the ME-1 expander, and they're rare as hell.

 

Has about the most savage resonance on its filter I've ever heard. WATCH OUT!

[Crawling Wind]

A BIG +1 to that one. Esp if you use headphones.

 

Since you can do such amazing things with the formant filter bias and harmonic balance, even/odd shift , and all those other additive only parameters, I find that I don't use filter resonance too much at all. In fact, the concept seems rather dull. Almost every review you read mentions the filter, and it's ear/speaker shredding capabilities.

 

Believe them.

 

--James

 

 

 

 

 

Originally posted by pighood The K-5000s is a gooooooorgeous synth with frustratingly limited memory...you really need the ME-1 expander, and they're rare as hell. Has about the most savage resonance on its filter I've ever heard. WATCH OUT!

 

[pighood]

Kinda like the OB-12's FM knob. Instant eardrum death.

[toorglick]

Okay, just found Analog Kid's demos for the K5000s. Not too bad; I can hear that formant working in some. The range of sounds is very good. A lot of the non-pad type sounds I heard, and some of the pads as well, I know I can program with a subtractive synth. There were a few I heard which I know would be difficult to do (if not impossible) on the equipment I'm familiar with (especially the vocal-sounding one).

 

However nothing really jumped out at me like the Aliens-Project System 100 demos I've been listening to.

 

Wow. I forgot about that site; time to spark one up and listen to some synths. (Saturday evening fun! Yoo hoo!)

[cybermooks]

The K5000 is one of the all time great synths. I have three of them: k5000s, K5000W and K5000R I like it so much. There is no question that the deep side of programming can take time, but on the other hand to me additive has always seemed more intuitive than subtractive. Think of building a sound by adding layers and elements as you go along. You don't have to do every partial, and the time involved is more than offset by the unique character of the sounds you get. Furthermore, the knobs on the S cause much greater sound alteration than on other synths. If you want an arsenal of the greatest synths the K5000 has to be there.