Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards New Kurzweil SP4-7- anyone seen it or tried it?

Thanks Aidan. Very useful!

PC3X, PC3K and many other boards from Kurzweil (ProX-UP, ProX-MG,...) use Fatar TP40L (L = lightweight). It is not graded , but does have aftertouch , which most other manufacturers seem to have deemed unnecessary.

The TP40L appears to be a more reliable keybed than what was previously in the PC2, K2500/2600, PC88 series. So everything that counts for the older range of models in terms of keybed quality is not by definition valid for the current range. Still you have to play it, to see if you like the touch of the TP40L. It's not heavy weighted on purpose, because you want to be able to play more than only piano sounds on the board (Organ, Strings, Synth, etc).

As far as the sound is concerned. Yep...always the same material since the last 20 years of Kurzweil (well roughly ;-)

It's dusty , but in many cases very much up to the job for live gigs, orchestral work and others. Don't expect the ultimate grand though !

Hi,

I own & use a Kurzweil SP4-7 as my piano sounds as well as a midi controller for my external synth modules. After a brief aquainting period, I have come to enjoy the semi-weighted action of the keys that's slightly 'stiffer' than other 76 semi-weighted keyboards of it's class. This keyboard really needs to be hooked up in stereo to fully enjoy it's sound quality. With other keyboards that I own, I could have 2,500 sounds and use about 4 of them, the SP4-7 has those basic Piano, Elec.Piano,Clavinet,String,Brass,Synth,Synth Lead, Perc. Etc. that I use on a regular basis. It's like a "swiss army knife" of common sounds. I compare the SP4-7 with a Korg Stage Vintage 73 or Nord Electro. I use a Roland VK-8 Module through a Leslie(controlled by the SP4-7) for organ sounds and a Roland XV-2020 module for bells and whistles. I like my SP4-7

My SP4-7 arrives Friday, so I'll be very interested to see how well the action works. I had a PC3 for a few weeks, and the action on that wasn't bad for a semi-weighted. But, I figured it would take me the rest of my life to work out how to program the darn thing, so I sold it and will use the SP4-7 with its basic preset sounds as a cheaper alternative. Now, with OS2 and the ability to load other PC3-series sounds, I think it'll be just as useful, but a lot lighter and easier to operate.

On the whole, I find the Kurzweil sounds to be very good (with outstanding reproduction), but lacking enough layers and sophistication to rival, say Korg's new EPs or the best of the APs from Roland/Korg/Yamaha/Nord/Kawai. However, when you add in the synths, KB3 organs, strings and so on, it's a pretty good all-round package. I also found that I LIKED the sounds, even if they're not quite up there with the best, technically.

Since people are talking about the SP4-7 I think I can say something about the SP4-8 on this thread ... I bought a Kurzweil
SP4-8 to use as a MIDI Controller with a Muse Receptor box running Ivory 2 ... I have yet to receive the Receptor box but
the SP4-8 came today ...

I was a bit shocked -- although I loved the feel of the action on the SP4-8 when used as a MIDI Controller (the Piano velocity curve they have worked well) I had all kinds of problems within 10 minutes of using it :

1) there was a fairly significant ground hum when I plugged the audio outs into a high quality speaker so I could use the internal sounds ...

2) there was a situation where one of the notes from one of the internal sounds was permanently on with no key depressed ...

3) at one point the SP4-8 stopped transmitting MIDI data to the MIDI out port even though I had the Global MIDI parameter set to Local+MIDI (which means MIDI data will be sent to MIDI out and you can use internal sounds as well) ...

4) then when I booted it up the polarity on the sustaining pedal was reversed (they say this can happen if you have your foot on the pedal during the bootup but I didn't !)

5) When I did what the manual said to do to check the Operating System level it did not show up

I have to admit I was a bit surprised that the SP4-8 was so flaky -- they solved all of the technological problems it was supposed to cover back in the mid-90s ... I have had a Kurzweil K2500 for 13 years and it has amazing (and stable) functionality ... I have to agree with what someone said in an earlier post -- it is no longer a leading edge company and the quality control appears to have gone way down ... when I researched them a little bit I saw that they almost went out of business in 2004 and my gut is they have never recovered ...

oh well ...

I did want to warn people about my experience with SP4-8 as it sounds great on paper ...

Hey dbelmont2, thanks for the warning - and sorry to hear about all those problems with your SP4-8. I hope you manage to get them sorted. Your story doesn't exactly fill me with confidence about the SP4-7 I have on order!

Still, on a positive note, the PC3 I had for a short while seemed very well put together and operated very stably.

Thanks -- it is quite possible that given how new the SP4-8 (it came out about a month ago) that initial users like myself wind up being part of quality control for Kurzweil ...

I know the SP4-7 has been out longer (though I am not sure how much longer) ...

From what I've heard, there were issues with the SP4-7 when it first came out (sticky action etc.) that had to be weeded out. It hit the streets around the end of 2010. The board I have on order (delayed, it seems) is B-stock - which may be a good thing if it's been refurbished and checked, or a bad thing if it's one of the problem stock. We'll see.

Voxpops -- I know this an expensive route but how do you think the Nord NP88 would to as a MIDI Controller for use with Ivory 2 ?
Have you done much MIDI with the NP88 ?

Thanks ...

Very sorry to hear about that dbelmont! On the studio I helped build, they had a PC2X which I found a fantastic instrument at the time (I still do!). This same people recently bought a SP3X which, the day it came, had some clicks and pops on the main outputs, but I think that problem got solved, not sure exactly how, I didn't follow the subject closely.

Recently, when shopping out for my own DP I headed directly to the local Kurzweil distributor and there was something missing... as you and others put it, it just seemed that they were "no longer a leading edge company".

Hope they sort things out as they had some fantastic things going for them waaaayyy back up until not very long ago. I also hope you get your problems fixed and you can enjoy your new DP for a long time,

Rafa.

I wouldn't pick the NP88 as a MIDI controller. For Ivory 2 you want the most grand-like action possible, with the most subtle control. For me, the NP88's action just isn't good enough. Current Roland, Kawai (and maybe even Casio models) surpass the NP88 in that respect. The Kawai MP6 and Casio PX-3 also offer much better midi functionality.

Caveat: I haven't used the NP88's MIDI out to anything more than a synth expander, so others may have a different opinion.

The NP88, like most Nords, excels at what it was produced for - to be a self-contained, lightweight stage piano that is well-matched to the Nord piano library, and offering good real-time control of the downloaded samples.

@dbelmont

Just curious if you contacted Kurzweil about the problems you reported. My own experience is that they do make considerable effort to get problems sorted out - especially on a new product. There was a hardware problem on some of the early PC3X back in 2008, and they replaced the boards or installed a module that fixed the problem.

Kurzweil R&D is located near Boston, and I believe it would benefit you to get in touch with Jean - their primary support person.

I'm active on several Kurzweil related forums, and haven't seen many complaints on the SP4-8 at this time.

MoodyBluesKeys -- that's interesting ... the feel of the SP4-8 is fantastic, and if worked properly the MIDI capability, flexibility, and ease of use is fantastic ...

What is the phone number for Jean in Kurzweil R&D ?

What are the various Kurzweil Forums ? I'd like to both read and post and them ...

Thanks for the info ...

One of the most popular forums is www.sonikmatter.com.

Don't have a phone number for Jean, email is support@kurzweil.com

SonikMatter forum (as mentioned) and Mastering VAST forum both have dedicated Kurzweil areas (although neither is officially connected with Kurzweil - a number of the Kurzweil employees monitor the forums - how much monitoring depends on their other duties).

I had a technical issue with my Kurzweil SP4-7 & the people at Kurzweil & American Music & Sound stepped up & gave me an IMMEDIATE replacement unit. VERY COOL. Thank You !! : )

Was this the same venue? I'd be looking at the power it is being supplied with if that is the case.

Stages aren't known for having the best power supplies, and while Kurzweil is known for a number of quirks, going super-nova isn't usually one of them.

Sorry to hear about your problems, MIDIkeyboards, but as Les has pointed out, it is worth checking what's going on with the power supply.

My SP4-7 arrived tonight, and even though I've only had a short time to load the new OS and extra PC3 sounds, and fumble around on it a bit, I have to say I'm quite pleased. I bought this one as B-stock, but it looks brand new to me.

Compared to the PC3, this thing is a breeze to use; it's very logically laid out. The action is more organ-like than piano, but I knew it was not going to rival Roland or Kawai on that front. The sound quality is good - maybe not quite as full and rich as the PC3 (there are also no XLRs on this model), but very usable. With the addition of the extra downloaded programs, this thing has nearly all the patches that I liked in the PC3, so I'm pleased. The only thing it lacks is some means of controlling the drawbar sounds, but I'm looking into getting another midi controller for that. All in all, I think this is going to be a very useful second-tier all-rounder for gigging.

OK, quick update on the SP4-7. I'll do it by score card (points out of 5).

Action: 2 (My unit has a touch of the sticky keys problem which lost it a point - otherwise fair for a semi-weighted that is aiming to be part of a stage piano.)

Piano sounds: 3 (There is something quite pleasant about Kurzweil pianos, but the processing is fairly unsophisticated and lacking many of the refinements of modern DPs, and the sustain is too short with a rather toy-like quality in the upper mids.)

Electric piano sounds: 4 (Within the limits of the small sample sizes the Rhodes, Wurlis, Pianets and Clavs are really rather good, with some great effects and variations. Of course the new Korgs are better, but for the money, these are some of the best EPs out there.)

Organs: 4.5 (For a non-dedicated clonewheel, the organs are excellent, with a lot of grind and character. The fact that they can be controlled via midi opens up a lot more potential. The Leslie, although scaled down from the latest PC3 version, is also very good.)

Strings: 5 (It's a Kurzweil!)

Synths: 4 (There are some great patches, and a good variety (lead and poly). Portamento is built-in and works well, but the single 5-way function knob is insufficient for live control.)

Others: 4 (Lots of good stuff across the usual range of sounds)

Expandability: 4 (The ability to load PC3 sounds is a big bonus. There's limited room [64 user program slots], but this is not a premium board, price-wise.)

Build quality: 4 (Seems sturdy and very well screwed together, but the Chinese action is possibly a little suspect.)

Functionality: 4 (Great midi control using the 4 zones, and a good range of editable parameters.)

Hope this helps those that are considering this board. As for me, I intended to use this as a secondary board, but right now I'm trying to decide whether I could "risk" using this board solo for gigs in awkward/small venues - it's the action that concerns me the most. I'll slot it into a couple of rehearsals with the band, and see how it goes.

So, how do I manage to sell my flagship Kurzweil Mark Pro 3i, which I have been advertising now for several months?

It is still in like new condition, and, there is nothing wrong with it.

How would you go about selling it?