News

Kurzweil Announces PC3

NAMM news is old news, by now, but Kurzweil finally have some preliminary specs up on their website about the upcoming PC3, and it looks like it's quite a large step up from the PC2.

In many respects, the PC3 spec even exceeds the K2661, with the major difference between the two product streams being the lack of sampling and Digital Mulitrack I/O on the newly announced machine. Some of the most significant differences between the PC2 and the PC3 are:

• Bigger Display
• VAST Support, with new algorithms being developed
• 4 Independent Arpeggiators
• K2 style Sequencer
• Up to 16 KDFX Insert Busses, as well as 2 Aux Busses, with more than twice the processing power of the KSP8
• USB support (for MIDI and Data)

The preliminary pictures still show a Smart Media Card, which are becomming increasingly difficult to source, and could be a source of constenation for users, though I guess it's better than a floppy drive. The most widely asked questions from the sonikmatter forums is whether or not the PC3 will support a VAST editor in the same style as a the K2 series.

If it does, then the PC3 looks like it could be a powerful and flexible performance synth for those that don't need to use samples or mangle live audio. Rumours are still rife about a successor to the K2 series, and if the PC3 is any indication of how high Kurzweil have raised the bar, then Kurzweil's new flagship could be something exciting.

For a more detailed spec visit Kurzweil's Website. To join in the speculation and add to the rumour mill, check out the Sonikmatter Forum.