Chicken Systems Kurzweil Creator User Manual
Kurzweil Creator™
Version 0.9, Build 21
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Kurzweil Creator™
Table Of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 5
Basic Concepts. ........................................................................................................................... 7
The Kurzweil Document
Main Screen ................................................................................................................................ 8
Kurzweil Object Views. ..................................................................................................................10
Keyboard Optional Display ............................................................................................................12
Wave Optional Display ..................................................................................................................13
Working with Objects
Adding Objects. ............................................................................................................................14
Deleting Objects. ..........................................................................................................................15
Editing Objects. ............................................................................................................................16
Renaming Objects. .........................................................................................................................17
The Kurzweil Player ........................................................................................................................18
Preparing and Re-importing. ............................................................................................................19
Editing Single Samples Externally ..............................................................................................................21
Exchanging Objects. .........................................................................................................................22
Auditioning Samples and KeyMaps. ..................................................................................................23
Importing External Instruments. .....................................................................................................24
Editors.
The Program Editor .....................................................................................................................26
The Layer Editor .........................................................................................................................27
The KeyMap Editor ......................................................................................................................28
The Sample Editor ......................................................................................................................29
The Setup Editor .........................................................................................................................30
The Part Editor ...........................................................................................................................31
AutoSampler
Introduction ..............................................................................................................................32
Audio/MIDI ...............................................................................................................................33
Placement ................................................................................................................................33
Recording .................................................................................................................................34
Processing ................................................................................................................................35
Switches ...................................................................................................................................35
Parameters ...............................................................................................................................35
Menus
File. ............................................................................................................................................36
Program/ Setup. ...........................................................................................................................37
Layer/Part. ....................................................................................................................................38
KeyMap. ......................................................................................................................................39
Sample. ......................................................................................................................................40
View ...........................................................................................................................................41
Help .............................................................................................................................................42
Gear Menus - Program/Setup............................................................................................................43
Gear Menus - KeyMap. .................................................................................................................44
Gear Menus - Sample ....................................................................................................................45
...................................................................................................................................25
Preferences
General. ......................................................................................................................................46
Colors. ...........................................................................................................................................47
Import .......................................................................................................................................47
Export .......................................................................................................................................47
Data Processing ...............................................................................................................................48
Audio/MIDI. .................................................................................................................................49
Support
Troubleshooting. .............................................................................................................................51
FAQ ..........................................................................................................................................51
Bug Reports. ..............................................................................................................................51
Contacting Technical Support. .............................................................................................................53
Updating. ..................................................................................................................................54
Contact Us .................................................................................................................................55
Credits. .......................................................................................................................................56
Kurzweil Creator
™
Introduction
Kurzweil Creator™
Introduction
Kurzweil Creator™ is a powerful Program, Setup, KeyMap, and Sample creator/editor for Kurzweil
workstations, including the K2000, K2500, K2600, K2661, and PC3K.
The Kurzweil line of workstations are
a well established new generation
Workstation-style keyboard system
that has excellent sounds and advanced
functionality, for superior usage in
the studio and playing live. The most
immediate gratication of the Kurzweil
is playing it’s onboard sounds, which are
top- shelf and professional standard.
However, the Kurzweil also allows for
playback of user-dened KeyMaps with
the same possibilities as the onboard
ROM KeyMaps.
Although the Kurzweil is a little less
exible then the older specialized
hardware samplers (e.g. Akai S-5000/ZSeries, Emu Emulator 4, Ensoniq ASR10, Roland S-7x and so on), and more
less so then powerful software samplers
such as Kontakt, it is still very powerful,
and with the right software platform to assist in creating these sampled KeyMaps and Programs, the
Kurzweil can go beyond it’s stock sounds and y high with your own custom Programs.
That is the goal and stated purpose of Kurzweil Creator.
Like most (if not all) hardware musical instruments, the onboard display and provided access do not give
access to the Kurzweil user-sampled area exceptionally well. Some Supermen have used it and worked
with it, but among us Mere Mortals it’s “in and out”, since it is slow and difcult not only to view the total
range of information, but also to apply new edits etc. Again, Kurzweil Creator leverages the natural power
of your computer to access, display, and arange information that it’s a perfect and powerful bridge to
create and edit Kurzweil user-created content.
Kurzweil Creator™ takes advantage of only access to user KeyMap data - via the les themselves. It is
practically a virtual Kurzweil specialized for editing. You can make your own user KeyMaps, edit and create
your own Samples within those KeyMaps, and much more. Kurzweil Creator also allows innovate ways
to listen and audition those sounds. Since it’s not a Kurzweil, it can’t substitute for it, but with sampled
sounds you can come awfully close. Most of the time, we foresee Kurzweil users to operate Kurzweil
Creator™ to take care of the sampled side, since it more clear, powerful, and efcient then the Kurzweil
itself, but when it comes time to tweak the sounds and do the real-time parameter editing, we expect
them to write the les and read them into Kurzweil, edit away, then resave.
Kurzweil Creator™ also includes management of ROM data. Renaming objects (Programs, KeyMaps,
etc.) is a breeze on Kurzweil Creator™. You can manage your Categories (sometimes the center of most
Kurzweil user’s experience!) in new powerful ways beyond what the Kurzweil itself can do. You can even set
up a library of Programs and create your own compilations to be written into a le for particular uses.
Kurzweil Creator™, while powerful, is still a simple application. It was designed to give you easy and
intuitive access to Kurzweil data, with no funny business or confusing Corvette-looking widgetry.
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Introduction
Some notes regarding the documentation:
This document is synced to the Kurzweil Creator™ version denoted on the cover of this document. It is a
dynamic document and often is revised with every major, minor, or even build of Kurzweil Creator™.
In this document, the term “right-click” also refers to “control-click” on a Mac. Only “right- click” will be
used. Similarly, “Preferences” is term for different optional parameters that can be set in the program;
on the Mac you will see the word “Preferences”, but on Windows you will see “Options”. In this document,
Preferences will be used. Graphics are all Mac, but look very similar to the Windows version.
Since the Kurzweil regards the middle C key on a keyboard (MIDI note 60) as C3, by default Kurzweil
Creator™ shows the textual representation of MIDI note 60 as C3. This is the non-US representation.
However, if you are more used to seeing C4 as middle C (like GigaStudio or other US models - or even
some varied non-US samplers), you can change this in Preferences- General.
If you are a registered owner, you are qualied for free updates for the life of the program. You can
download these from your program using the Check for Update feature, or from the Chicken Systems
Update Area.
Kurzweil Creator
™
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Kurzweil Creator
™
Basic Concepts
Basic Concepts
The Kurzweil Creator™ Kurzweil Document represents a single Kurzweil le. It can be one that is
existing, or a new one that hasn’t been saved to disk yet.
Your experience with Kurzweil Creator™ revolves around creating a new (or opening an existing) Kurzweil
‘KRZ’ le into a Kurzweil document, editing the objects within that document, then saving the document
as a Kurzweil ‘KRZ’ le. This saves all
objects, such as Programs and KeyMaps
and Samples, into a single le.
Important Note about Stereo
Samples: a “Stereo Sample” is dened
universally as a SINGLE OBJECT
containing two discreet pieces of
sample data meant to be played one
hard left and the other hard right.
Kurzweil’s upport this as far as the
Sample Objects go, but the KeyMap
area in a Layer (in a Program) does
not. Put a little more clearly, a KeyMap
can reference a Stereo Sample, but
when it’s referenced in a Layer’s
KeyMap area, it’s only playing one side
of the Stereo Sample. If it’s the rst
KeyMap, it only plays the left side, if
the second, it’s only the right side.
With this in mind, Kurzweil Creator™ does NOT write stereo sample objects in a ‘KRZ’ le, although it
does show KeyMap objects as Stereo.
The Kurzweil Document shows you the most important aspects of the Kurzweil les: the Programs, the
Layers within each Program, the KeyMaps, and the Samples within a KeyMap. These are represented in four
Lists; the Programs with the Layers, and the KeyMaps with the Samples. There is also a Setup List and a
Part List, shown in the Setup View.
From there, you are free to add, delete, or edit any of the objects to your needs. For more information
on the Kurzweil Document, where you’ll do the majority of your work, see The Kurzweil Document
elsewhere in this document.
Each object has an Editor. There is a Program Editor, Layer Editor, KeyMap Editor, and Sample Editor; and
additionally, a Setup Editor and Part Editor. One editor can be open at a time, and it edits the current
selection in the list on the Kurzweil document. For more information on Editors, please see the Editors
section elsewhere in this document.
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The Kurzweil Document
Kurzweil Creator
The Kurzweil Document
The Kurzweil Document represents a single PCG le, existing or a new one that hasn’t been written yet.
Your experience with Kurzweil Creator revolves around creating a new or opening an existing Kurzweil le,
changing the objects within using the
Kurzweil Document, then saving the
document which saves everything to
the a new or existing Kurzweil le, for
immediate use in your Kurzweil.
Lists
The Lists on a normal Kurzweil
document show the principal objects;
the Programs (List 1) and the KeyMaps
(List 3). The Layer List (List 2) shows
the Layers contained in the currently
selected Program, and the Sample
List (List 4) shows the Samples in the
currently selected KeyMap.
There are two other Lists; the Setup List
and the Part List. These appear when
you are in the Setup View.
™
The purpose of the List is so you can
view the contents of the File that is
represented by the document and apply functions to change, edit, or build up the le.
Views
Speaking of Views, the Kurzweil document interface is highly customizable, so you can either have all
the List on the document at one time (admittedly crowded), or you can see only what you want to see for
handy editing. The Views are:
-
Program/Layer/KeyMap
-
KeyMap/Sample
-
Setup/Part/Program
-
“Four Corners” (Program & Layer on top, KeyMap & Sample on the bottom)
-
Full View
You can choose which view you’d like with the Gear menu on the upper right, or the top level Views menu.
For more information of Views, see the Views section in this manual.
Range Maps
On top of the Layer List and the Part List you can have Range Maps perched on top of them. This allows for
graphical editing of the Ranges (Key and Velocity) of Each Layer or Part. Key is selected by the top button
to the left of the Range Maps, Velocity by the second button. A green color indicates which Range you are
viewing. The third button (yellow) gives you a context menu by selecting it, giving you some auto-mapping
options, plus some viewing options. If you have no immediate use for them, you can hide them using the
context menu or the Views top-level menu.
Having the Range Maps mounted on top of each other makes it easy to see how Layers or Parts are
arranged against each other. Alter the range by simply grabbing and pulling each end with the mouse.
Selecting the middle of the range allows you to slide it back and forth.
(Remember, these Ranges are actually “Limits”; that is, with an Layer, you are restricting the key/velocity
response. The KeyMap the Layer refers to may have information beyond the limits, you are simply creating
a smaller “window” into the KeyMap (or Program).
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Kurzweil Creator
Also remember that the Ranges do not appear on Drum Programs, since there are no Key/Vel Ranges to
deal with, just the natural 1-Key limit of a Drum Layer.
Optional Displays
There are two option items you can display on a Kurzweil Document; the Keyboard Display and the Wave
Display. The Keyboard Display shows the contents of the KeyMap that is selected in the KeyMap List, and
also responds to dragging and dropping of external Samples into that KeyMap. It makes mapping incoming
samples a breeze. The Wave Display shows the KeyMap of the Sample selected in the Sample List, for easy
recognition.
For more information on the Optional Displays, see either the Keyboard Display or the Wave Display areas
of this document.
Filtering Lists
The text eld and popup menu above each list lter the lists contents. Typing into the text eld lters
the list based on what you typed; e.g. typing in “Trum” (without the quotes) in the text eld above the
Program List brings up Programs with the names “Trumpet Short”, “TrumLngBrght”, and “Guitar Strum”.
Multiple criteria can be inputted by separating them with commas.
The popup menu varies with each List. but give you common ways of making each list more specic; e.g in
the Sample List you can view just the external samples.
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The Kurzweil Document
Performing Functions on List Objects
The whole purpose of Kurzweil Creator is to add, edit, delete and change objects. Programs can’t be
deleted per se but they can be initialized. A “blank” Program is one that starts with the letters “INIT” (case
insensitive); initialized Programs usually have no sampled KeyMaps referenced, just has the rst Layer
enabled, and is set to the rst Piano KeyMap.
Mostly what you’ll edit in Programs is the contents of the Layers. Other then providing a set of real-time
parameters, an Layer’s main purpose is to playback a KeyMap, whether it is a ROM KeyMap or sampled
(RAM) KeyMap.
RAM KeyMaps are listed in the KeyMaps List. A RAM KeyMap is a collection of non- overlapping samples
within a MIDI Keyboard with variable Velocities. By selecting a KeyMap in the KeyMap List, the associated
Samples show in the Samples List, with their properties.
There are many ways of adding, editing, and deleting objects. Most of these are standard computer
methods. More specic information will be given in other places in this document, so we’ll cover them
briey here.
You can use the Gear and Plus (+) and Minus (-) buttons below each list. Clicking the Gear button exposes
a Menu that is very much like the top-level menus titled Programs-Layers- KeyMaps-Samples. You can
apply the function to selected objects in the list, or to all of them, by selecting the popup menu next to the
buttons (Apply to All, Apply to Selected).
Ctl/Right-clicking on a list brings up a Context Menu which is usually identical to the Gear Menu for that
list. It ALWAYS applies to the selected items in that list.
Dragging objects is a very powerful editing method. All drags and drops do what you would think they
would do. If you drag a Wavefrom and drop it on an Layer, it will set that Layer to that KeyMap. If you
drag a couple of WAVE les from outside Kurzweil Creator and drop them on the Sample List, it will
automatically add those WAVE les to the Samples List. You can also drag Programs, KeyMaps, or any
object from one Kurzweil document to another.
The INS and DEL buttons are active to make new KeyMaps or Samples, and Backspace serves as another
DEL button.
Two very powerful functions are included on the Main Screen; Importing and Preparing. These are covered
in depth in other areas of this document. Consider turning this viewer off in Preferences.
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Object Views
Kurzweil Creator
™
Kurzweil Object Views
The Kurzweil Creator™ Kurzweil Document has several views so you can work efciently. Sometimes it is
important to get a birds eye look at your Kurzweil le, and sometimes you need to only look at a portion of
the le.
Views can be access either by the Views top-level menu, or the Master Gear Menu on the upper right of the
document.
Kurzweil les (or we call them Banks) have up to 6 components to them:
Programs
Layers
KeyMaps
Samples
Setups (All Files only)
Parts (All Files only)
Generally the Program is the Queen of the Bank, because so much centers on the Program. Because of this,
most Views have at least something to do with the Programs.
There are 5 Views, separated into 3 Categories: General, Detailed, and Special.
There are two General Views:
Full View
This includes from right to left: Program-Layers, KeyMap-
Samples.
This is a good general view of the Bank. You can select
Programs and see the Layers that work within them.
You can view the KeyMaps, and view the Samples
referenced by them. And you can assign KeyMaps to
Layers very easily, since the lists are ght next to
each other.
Four Corners
This includes from right to left: Program-Layers, the
below that left to right KeyMap-Samples.
This performs the same purposes of Full View, except
that it values the details of each view (you can see
more of the columns) because of 2x2 alignment. Full
view is more valuable when you want to see more
entries of one list.
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Kurzweil Creator
There are two Detailed Views:
Program-Layer-KeyMap View
This includes from right to left: Program,
Layers, KeyMaps.
This is when you are most concerned with
assign already-designed KeyMaps to Layers.
The Samples list is omitted since you are
already comfortable with the contents of the
KeyMaps.
You have more horizontal information since
there are only 3 lists.
KeyMap-Sample View
This includes from right to left: Layers and
Samples
™
Object Views
This is for hardcore KeyMap designing, you
can see the minutiae of the KeyMaps and
of the Samples. You are not concerned with
Programs or anything other then the KeyMaps
and Samples.
You have much more horizontal information
since there are only 2 lists.
Finally, there is one Special View:
Setup View
This includes from right to left: Setups, Parts,
and Programs.
This is the Setup Editor, where you can assign
Programs to Parts, and thus develop your
own Setups easily. Setups do not exist on any
other list, since Programs are more commonly
used and Setups are “far away” from KeyMaps
and their dealings.
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Keyboard Display
Kurzweil Creator
The Keyboard Optional Display
Since the Kurzweil is basically a keyboard, and everything revolves around a keyboard, so it’s just natural
that we put a keyboard display on a Kurzweil document. It shows you what the contents of the current
KeyMap are, allows you to select a Sample
within the KeyMap, and also allows
dropping to import Samples into the
currently selected KeyMap and determine
their Key Ranges.
Sample View
The Keyboard display shows in
alternating pink and green the Samples that are referenced in the currently selected KeyMap (on
the KeyMaps List). Velocities are also shown, in various tints.
Sample Select
By clicking on the Keyboard display, this selects the Sample according to where you clicked. This
also pertains to Velocity -the higher up you click, the higher velocity gets selected.
Sample Import
By dragging and dropping external Samples (WAVE and AIFF) onto the Keyboard display, this
allows you to import Samples into the currently selected KeyMap. If you drag more then one
Sample or a Folder, multiple overlays will appear as you drag onto top of the display, with a
maximum of an octave spread. Dragging higher on the Keyboard makes for wider spreads.
™
Dropping on the Keyboard display imports the Samples into the currently selected KeyMap. If there are
overlapping Samples, they are deleted or cut-away - this is because KeyMaps do not allow overlapping.
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Kurzweil Creator
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Wave Display
The Wave Optional Display
No editor would be complete without a Wave Display!
Although there is one in the proper place in the Sample Editor, you can display one on the main screen by
checking the Wave Display menu in the top-level View menu, or the master Gear Menu.
This displays what you play
in the Sample list. There are
no transport controls; well,
there actually is - the single
button on the Sample List
performs this function.
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Adding Objects
Kurzweil Creator
™
Adding Objects
You add Programs, KeyMaps, Samples, or Setups by dragging objects into the Lists, by clicking the +
button under the List, or pressing the Insert button (INS) on the computer keyboard.
Program List
Drop a Program from another Kurzweil document into this list, and it will add it to the Program List. (We
should say it will replace the Program selected.) Or drop an external le, like a Kontakt .nki, Apple .exs,
SoundFont, etc., or even one or more WAVE/AIFF les, on the Program List and it will create a Program
and make KeyMaps that will hold the samples. Clicking the + button or pressing INS will allow you to select
one or more external Instruments to Import in (See Importing External Instruments for more information.)
KeyMap List
Drop a KeyMap from another Kurzweil document into this list, and it will add it. Or drop an external le, like
a Kontakt .nki, Apple .exs, SoundFont, etc., or even one or more WAVE/AIFF les, on the KeyMap List and
it will create KeyMaps that will hold the samples. (You then have to assign the KeyMaps to Layers within
Programs, if you wish.) Clicking the + button or pressing INS creates a blank KeyMap, in which you can add
Samples to.
Sample List
Drop a Sample from another Kurzweil document into this list, and it will add it. Or drop a WAVE/ AIFF.
When importing external samples, Kurzweil Creator assigns the rst available key from the left of the
keyboard and gives it a one note range. You can edit the range afterwards. Clicking the + button or
pressing INS brings up a Open dialog where you can select WAVE/AIFF les to import.
You can also add Samples by dropping them on the Keyboard Display at the bottom of a Kurzweil
document. This provides an easy way to add a sample to a specic keyrange. For more information, see
the Keyboard Optional Display in this document.
Setup List
Drop a Setup from another Kurzweil document into this list, and it will add it to the Setup List. (We should
say it will replace the Setup selected.) Note: you cannot import external foreign formats into the Setups
List yet, even if the format is a Setup-type (like a Roland Setup). This will be incorporated in a future
version.
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Kurzweil Creator
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Deleting Objects
Deleting Objects
You delete objects in a List by clicking the minus sign (-) button under the List, selecting the “Delete” Gear,
Ctl/Right-click Context, or top-level menu option, or by pressing the Delete button (DEL) on the computer
keyboard.
The popup menus under the lists determine if you are deleting all the objects or just the selected ones.
Since it is impossible to delete a Program or Setup, in this context it means Initializing the
Program(s).
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Editing Objects
Kurzweil Creator
™
Editing Objects
You edit an object by double-clicking the object in the list, or by selecting the Gear or top-level menu
“Edit...”. It is only possible to edit one object at a time, so if there are multiple objects selected in a List,
only the rst selection will be edited.
When you edit, the appropriate editor appears. For more information on Editors, see the Editors section of
this document.
For Samples, there is also an additional “Edit External...” menu option. This allows you to edit the sample in
an external editor that you specify in the Preferences dialog. For more information, please see the Editing
External Samples section in this document.
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Kurzweil Creator
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Renaming Objects
Renaming Objects
You can rename any object by selecting it, then selecting it again. Although you can name things whatever
you want, Kurzweil Creator will apply the natural Kurzweil text and length restrictions.
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