The Next Generation of Incredible Kurzweils!
With a sleek new look on the outside and an arsenal of Kurzweil's latest cutting edge chip technology under its hood, the 88-note PC3X delivers 128 voices of incredible sound quality along with a host of powerful, easy to use features. The PC3X is Kurzweil's ultimate performance controller keyboard, with an enormous collection of stunning sounds combined with comprehensive real-time controller functions.
Related Videos: PC3X
- Legendary Triple Strike Grand Piano, plus other keyboards
- Amazing new features in version 1.3
- Hundreds of additional sounds
- Amazing effects power
- Powerful onboard sequencer
- Custom-designed chips for premium sound quality
- Incredibly powerful Dynamic V.A.S.T. synth engine
- VA-1 Virtual Analog Synthesizer built in
- Revamped, easy-to-use interface
Legendary Triple Strike Grand Piano, plus other keyboards
The PC3X is loaded with the famous Kurzweil Triple Strike Piano, with dozens of variations to accommodate every kind of player. Also included is the Classic Keys ROM, which puts an impossibly large vintage keyboard rig at your fingertips. The recognizable sounds of classic electromechanical instruments, with all of their characteristic imperfections, have been faithfully re-created, along with pedals, amps and speakers. Lush Mellotrons, growling electric pianos, and funky Clavinets are all there at the touch of a button, programmed to sound just like those classic albums. For more vintage firepower, the PC3X is equipped with the most advanced version of Kurzweil's widely lauded KB3 Mode tonewheel organ simulator, which screams, sputters and sizzles just like the original. In addition to newly developed Leslie effects, and a new bank of B3 programs, we've also included sounds from the classic Vox and Farfisa combo organs. The PC3X's nine sliders provide real-time drawbar control.
Amazing new features in version 1.3
PC3 Version 1.3 has just been released, and Sweetwater is the only place you'll find it! We're updating all PC3s and PC3Xs to the latest version before shipping them. This OS upgrade officially brings the PC3s to a "feature complete" status.
- Dual Step Sequencers Per Zone in Setups: This allows up to 16 simultaneous step sequences at once with a large collection of pre-recorded patterns, scales, modes, and riffs available.
- Seamless Program Switching: Go from one program to the next while dialing up another sound. The previous notes stay and (in an industry first) the old effects stay on the old sound along with the new effects of the new sound! This is so musical; you must try it yourself.
- Clickless Portamento on Samples: Again, an industry first. You can now glide across the keyboard, using monophonic portamento, and the samples won't click as they run through the keymap.
- Two New VA-1 Oscillators: Kurzweil is still including the entire VA-1 Virtual Analog Synthesizer for free. And now, they've added two new oscillators: Triple Saw and Square Sync (think of songs by The Cars).
- Plus, there are many, many new Programs, Setups, and Effects.
Hundreds of additional sounds
The PC3X offers an enormous sound set of over 800 programs. With some of the best samples in the industry, and a powerful, responsive synth engine breathing life into them, you'll feel like you're playing an actual instrument, not just playing samples. All of the basic sounds - basses, guitars, drums, horns and synths - have been painstakingly programmed to reflect the needs of today's professional players, representing a broad selection of styles and flavors from the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and today. In addition, the PC3X includes over 250 orchestral and string section programs.
Amazing effects power
With up to 16 insert effects plus two auxiliary sends, the PC3X offers more than twice the processing power of Kurzweil's acclaimed KDFX engine. Effects can be chained together in series, or distributed among the PC3X's 16 multitimbral channels. And these are simply the best effects in the business - burning distortions, transparent compressors, warm phaser and chorus effects, perfect reverbs - everything from flawless vintage emulations to concert halls which decay into complete silence. All parameters are assignable to any of the PC3X's real time controllers - sliders, pedals, wheels, etc.
Powerful onboard sequencer
For good measure Kurzweil included a 16-track sequencer. Combining a set of powerful song editing functions like step editing, swing, and controller scaling with a new friendlier interface, the PC3X can easily double as a workstation, ideal for music production on the fly. Also included are sixteen (yes, 16!) independent arpeggiators as well as hundreds of pre-recorded beats and musical phrases. Add in USB, Flash card port, a newly designed keyboard action, and a new intuitive user interface, and you've got a workstation-grade keyboard in the PC3X.
Custom-designed chips for premium sound quality
One thing which clearly sets Kurzweil apart from the competition is the fact that they design their own chips (called ASICs) for all Kurzweil products. Simply put, these chips are customized for optimum audio performance. Some other manufacturers use general-purpose DSP chips commonly found in cell phones, watches and televisions. What does this mean for the end user? It means that all of the processing power in a Kurzweil chip is devoted exclusively to sound. It means no latency - the performance is lightning fast. And most importantly, it translates into that rich, full, glitch-free sound for which Kurzweil has become famous.
Incredibly powerful Dynamic V.A.S.T. synth engine
The PC3X's new Dynamic V.A.S.T. architecture is a huge step forward in
synthesis, the fruit of several major strides Kurzweil has made in improving
processing power, flexibility and user-friendliness.
VA-1 Virtual Analog Synthesizer built in
In another huge development, Kurzweil has resurrected the VA-1 Virtual Analog
Synthesizer, having built its synthesis engine right into the PC3X. Hear the VA-1's power-shaped, anti-aliasing oscillators combined with a newer, larger set of V.A.S.T. filters and non-linear processors and you'll understand why the internet is buzzing about this feature.
Revamped, easy-to-use interface
While the PC3X's user interface may look familiar to veteran Kurzweil users, major improvements have been made, allowing for a much more user friendly experience. Expanding upon Kurzweil's V.A.S.T. architecture, the PC3X's new UI delivers all the power of a Kurzweil, combined with unprecedented ease of use. The PC3X's backlit 240 x 64 display conveys all the information you'll need, when you need it, in an elegant, easy to navigate environment. All programs and setups are accompanied by help messages which can be accessed by pressing an "Info" soft button.
- Keyboard: Next generation, 88-note, fully-weighted hammer-action, with velocity and aftertouch sensitive keys, featuring a quick release spring, striking an ideal balance of playability between piano type parts and synth/organ parts.
- Display: 240 x 64 angled, backlit LCD w/ dedicated back panel brightness and contrast controls.
- Polyphony: 128 Voice Polyphony, dynamically allocated, lightning fast performance.
- Multitimbral: 16 parts (one per MIDI channel).
- Factory Presets: Over 850 Stunning New Factory Presets, many of which use 10-20 layers, featuring samples from the PC2 Base Sound ROM, the Orchestral, Classic Keys, General MIDI set, plus new String Section ROM Bank. Also, 64 new KB3 programs.
- Factory MIDI Setups: 96 factory programmed MIDI setups. 128 user programmable MIDI setups, each with 8 independent zones, effects and arpeggiator settings.
- General MIDI: standard.
- User Memory: 1,024 locations for user created preset programs. 1,024 locations for user created MIDI Setups.
- Sound ROM Expansion Slots: 2
- Effects : 16 insert effects distributed over 12 busses, plus two auxiliary sends; featuring over 300 world-class effects - reverbs, delays, chorus, flange, phaser, EQs, distortions, Leslie simulators, compressors, and more.
- Master effects section with 5-band parametric EQ and 3-band compressor.
- Controllers: Pitch wheel, modulation wheel, 9 front panel sliders/drawbar controllers, 2 front panel switches (momentary or toggle, software selectable), 3 switch pedal input, 2 continuous control pedal inputs, mono pressure, Super Ribbon input, breath controller input. Controller values can be "captured" and stored as part of a program.
- "Info" soft button tells the user what the PC3's assignable controllers are doing in each program.
- "Easy Audition" feature - press the "play" button while scrolling through programs, and hear a short sequence with the program being used.
- Arpeggiator: 16 full-featured independent arpeggiators with multiple latch modes, selectable play order, velocity, duration, tempo, and sync functions as well as hundreds of pre-recorded beats and musical phrases.
- Analog Outputs: Four 1/4" balanced TRS analog (24-bit DACs)
- Headphones: Rear panel 1/4" headphone output
- Digital Outputs: 24-bit, stereo S/PDIF featuring 44.1/48/88.2/96/176.4/192kHz modes. Syncable to external clock.
- MIDI: In, Out, Thru (hardware switchable to copy of MIDI Out).
- USB: Complete MIDI functionality over USB, including data storage and OS updates
- Flash Memory Port: xD card type. Store and load programs, OS updates, and sequences.
- FREE OS Updates: Flash ROM upgradeable via USB or flash memory card.
