Kurzweil Music Systems K2661 User's Manual

K 2661

Getting Started Guide

©2003 All rights reserved. Kurzweil ® is a product line of Young Chang Co., Ltd. Young Chang®, Kurzweil ® , V. A. S. T. ®, KDFX®, Pitcher®, and LaserVerb®, KSP8 ™, K2661™, K2600™, K2500™, and K2000™ are trademarks of Young Chang Co., Ltd. SmartMedia™ is a trademark of Toshiba Corporation. ADAT® is a registered trademark of Alesis Corporation. All other products and brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Product features and speciﬁcations are subject to change without notice.

You may legally print up to two (2) copies of this document for personal use. Commercial use of any copies of this document is prohibited. Young Chang Co. retains ownership of all intellectual property represented by this document.

Part Number: 910388 Rev. A

CAUTION

RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

DO NOT OPEN

CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE THE COVER

NO USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL

The lightning flash with the arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated

"dangerous voltage" within the product's enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and

maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the product.

IMPORTANT SAFETY & INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

INSTRUCTIONS PERTAINING TO THE RISK OF FIRE, ELECTRIC SHOCK, OR INJURY TO PERSONS

WARNING: When using electric products, basic precautions should

always be followed, including the following:

1. Read all of the Safety and Installation Instructions and Explanation of Graphic Symbols before using the product.

2. This product must be grounded. If it should malfunction or break down, grounding provides a path of least resistance for electric current to reduce the risk of electric shock. This product is equipped with a power supply cord having an equipment-grounding conductor and a grounding plug. The plug must be plugged into an appropriate outlet which is properly installed and grounded in accordance with all local codes and ordinances.

DANGER: Improper connection of the equipment-grounding

conductor can result in a risk of electric shock. Do not modify the plug provided with the product - if it will not ﬁt the outlet, have a proper outlet installed by a qualiﬁed electrician. Do not use an adaptor which defeats the function of the equipment-grounding conductor. If you are in doubt as to whether the product is properly grounded, check with a qualiﬁed serviceman or electrician.

3. WARNING: This product is equipped with an AC input voltage selector. The voltage selector has been factory set for the mains supply voltage in the country where this unit was sold. Changing the voltage selector may require the use of a different power supply cord or attachment plug, or both. To reduce the risk of ﬁre or electric shock, refer servicing to qualiﬁed maintenance personnel.

4. Do not use this product near water - for example, near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool, or the like.

5. This product should only be used with a stand or cart that is recommended by the manufacturer.

6. This product, either alone or in combination with an ampliﬁer and speakers or headphones, may be capable of producing sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss. Do not operate for a long period of time at a high volume level or at a level that is uncomfortable. If you experience any hearing loss or ringing in the ears, you should consult an audiologist.

7. The product should be located so that its location or position does not interfere with its proper ventilation.

8. The product should be located away from heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, or other products that produce heat.

9. The product should be connected to a power supply only of the type described in the operating instructions or as marked on the product.

10. This product may be equipped with a polarized line plug (one blade wider than the other). This is a safety feature. If you are unable to insert the plug into the outlet, contact an electrician to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the plug.

11. The power supply cord of the product should be unplugged from the outlet when left unused for a long period of time. When unplugging the power supply cord, do not pull on the cord, but grasp it by the plug.

12. Care should be taken so that objects do not fall and liquids are not spilled into the enclosure through openings.

13. The product should be serviced by qualiﬁed service personnel when:

A. The power supply cord or the plug has been damaged; B. Objects have fallen, or liquid has been spilled into the product; C. The product has been exposed to rain; D. The product does not appear to be operating normally or

exhibits a marked change in performance;

E. The product has been dropped, or the enclosure damaged.

14. Do not attempt to service the product beyond that described in the user maintenance instructions. All other servicing should be referred to qualiﬁed service personnel.

15. WARNING: Do not place objects on the product’s power supply cord, or place the product in a position where anyone could trip over, walk on, or roll anything over cords of any type. Do not allow the product to rest on or be installed over cords of any type. Improper installations of this type create the possibility of a ﬁre hazard and/or personal injury.

RADIO AND TELEVISION INTERFERENCE

WARNING: Changes or modiﬁcations to this instrument not expressly

approved by Young Chang could void your authority to operate the instrument.

IMPORTANT: When connecting this product to accessories and/or other

equipment use only high quality shielded cables.

NOTE: This instrument has been tested and found to comply with the

limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This instrument generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this instrument does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the instrument off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the instrument and the receiver.

• Connect the instrument into an outlet on a circuit other than the one

to which the receiver is connected.

• If necessary consult your dealer or an experienced radio/television

technician for additional suggestions.

NOTICE

This apparatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.

AVIS

Le present appareil numerique n’emet pas de bruits radioelectriques depassant les limites applicables aux appareils numeriques de la class B prescrites dans le Reglement sur le brouillage radioelectrique edicte par le ministere des Communications du Canada.

Important Safety Instructions

1) Read these instructions

2) Keep these instructions.

3) Heed all warnings.

4) Follow all instructions.

5) Do not use this apparatus near water.

6) Clean only with dry cloth.

7) Do not block any of the ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

8) Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including ampliﬁers) that produce heat.

9) Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not ﬁt into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.

10) Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched, particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.

11) Only use attachments/accessories speciﬁed by the manufacturer.

12) Use only with a cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table speciﬁed by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.

13) Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

14) Refer all servicing to qualiﬁed service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

Warning - To reduce the risk of ﬁre or electric shock, do not expose this apparatus to rain or mois-

ture. Do not expose this equipment to dripping or splashing and ensure that no objects ﬁlled with liquids, such as vases, are placed on the equipment.

To completely disconnect this equipment from the AC Mains, disconnect the power supply cord plug from the AC receptacle.

iii

Kurzweil International Contacts

Contact the nearest Kurzweil ofﬁce listed below to locate your local Kurzweil representative.

Kurzweil Co., Ltd. Daerung Technotown 6th, 306 493-6 Gasan, Gumcheon, Seoul, Korea Tel: (+82) 2-2108-5700 Fax: (+82) 2-2108-5729

A N D Music Corp. P.O. Box 99995 Lakewood, WA 98499-0995, USA Tel: (253) 589-3200 Fax: (253) 984-0245

Young Chang Canada Corp. 250 Victoria Park Ave. Suite # 105 Toronto, Ontario Canada M2H 3P7 Tel: (905) 948-8052

Team Kurzweil Europe Gl. Donsvej 8 6000 Kolding Phone: (+45) 75 56 96 44 Fax: (+45) 75 56 96 55

Ofﬁcial distributors in other countries are listed on the web site.

World Wide Web Home Page:

http://www.kurzweilmusicsystems.com

Kurzweil International Contacts..................................................................................................................................... iv

World Wide Web Home Page: ......................................................................................................................................... iv

Chapter 1 Introduction

Overview of the K2661 ................................................................................................................................................... 1-1

VAST Synthesis................................................................................................................................................................ 1-2

KB3 Tone Wheel Emulation........................................................................................................................................... 1-2

How the K2661 Works .................................................................................................................................................... 1-3

How to Use This Manual ............................................................................................................................................... 1-3

Do I Have Everything? ................................................................................................................................................... 1-3

Chapter 2 Startup

Quick Startup Checklist ................................................................................................................................................. 2-1

Startup—the Details........................................................................................................................................................ 2-2

Playing the Presets .......................................................................................................................................................... 2-4

The Other Modes............................................................................................................................................................. 2-8

Software Upgrades.......................................................................................................................................................... 2-8

Chapter 3 User Interface Basics

Mode Selection................................................................................................................................................................. 3-1

Navigation........................................................................................................................................................................ 3-2

Data Entry ........................................................................................................................................................................ 3-4

Intuitive Data Entry ........................................................................................................................................................ 3-6

Search................................................................................................................................................................................ 3-7

Renaming Multiple Objects ........................................................................................................................................... 3-7

Mixdown and MIDI Faders Pages................................................................................................................................ 3-9

Quick Song Recording and Playback ......................................................................................................................... 3-10

Chapter 4 The Operating Modes

What the Modes Are....................................................................................................................................................... 4-1

Selecting Modes............................................................................................................................................................... 4-1

Using the Modes.............................................................................................................................................................. 4-3

Chapter 5 Editing Conventions

Introduction to Editing................................................................................................................................................... 5-1

Object Type and ID.......................................................................................................................................................... 5-2

Saving and Naming ........................................................................................................................................................ 5-3

Deleting Objects............................................................................................................................................................... 5-6

Memory Banks................................................................................................................................................................. 5-7

Special Button Functions................................................................................................................................................ 5-8

Chapter 6 Program Mode

VAST Program Structure................................................................................................................................................ 6-2

KB3 Program Structure................................................................................................................................................... 6-4

The Program Mode Page................................................................................................................................................ 6-9

K2661 Getting Started Guide

Chapter 7 Setup Mode

Chapter 8 Quick Access Mode

Chapter 9 Basic Effects Mode

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................... 9-1

Terminology ..................................................................................................................................................................... 9-2

MAIN Page....................................................................................................................................................................... 9-5

Effects Bus Editor ............................................................................................................................................................ 9-7

Effects Send Page............................................................................................................................................................. 9-8

The CTRL Page ................................................................................................................................................................ 9-9

Bypass and Mute pages.................................................................................................................................................9-11

Chaining Effects............................................................................................................................................................. 9-13

The Structure of Kurzweil Digital Effects (KDFX) ................................................................................................... 9-14

Software Organization.................................................................................................................................................. 9-17

Controlling Effects......................................................................................................................................................... 9-17

Chapter 10 MIDI Mode

The TRANSMIT Page ................................................................................................................................................... 10-1

The RECEIVE Page ....................................................................................................................................................... 10-4

The Channels Page........................................................................................................................................................ 10-7

Program Change Formats ............................................................................................................................................ 10-9

The Soft Buttons in MIDI Mode ................................................................................................................................ 10-14

Chapter 11 Master Mode

The Master Mode Page..................................................................................................................................................11-1

The MAST2 Page............................................................................................................................................................11-4

The Soft Buttons in Master Mode ..............................................................................................................................11-11

Guitar/Wind Controller Mode...................................................................................................................................11-14

Object Utilities ..............................................................................................................................................................11-15

Chapter 12 Song Mode

Getting Started with the Sequencer............................................................................................................................ 12-1

Tutorial: Arrangements .............................................................................................................................................. 12-12

RAM Tracks.................................................................................................................................................................. 12-17

Using Song Mode........................................................................................................................................................ 12-19

Recording Multi-timbral Sequences via MIDI........................................................................................................ 12-23

Song Mode: The MAIN Page..................................................................................................................................... 12-24

Song Mode: The MISC Page ...................................................................................................................................... 12-32

Song Mode: The MIX Page ........................................................................................................................................ 12-39

Chapter 13 Basic Disk Mode

Disk Mode Page............................................................................................................................................................. 13-2

SCSI Termination........................................................................................................................................................... 13-3

Directories ...................................................................................................................................................................... 13-4

File List Dialog............................................................................................................................................................... 13-7

Creating Directories.....................................................................................................................................................13-11

K2661 Getting Started Guide

The Directory Selection Dialog.................................................................................................................................. 13-13

Disk Mode Functions.................................................................................................................................................. 13-14

Load Function Dialog ................................................................................................................................................. 13-19

Saving Files .................................................................................................................................................................. 13-24

Storing Objects in the Memory Banks...................................................................................................................... 13-34

The Multiple Object Selector Page............................................................................................................................ 13-34

Chapter 14 Sampling and Live Mode

Setting Up For Sampling.............................................................................................................................................. 14-1

Entering The Sampler ................................................................................................................................................... 14-1

Sampling Analog Signals ............................................................................................................................................. 14-2

Sampling the K2661’s Output...................................................................................................................................... 14-8

Sampling Digital Signals.............................................................................................................................................. 14-8

Live Mode..................................................................................................................................................................... 14-10

Chapter 15 Audio Outputs

Audio Conﬁgurations................................................................................................................................................... 15-1

Audio Routing: Programs to KDFX............................................................................................................................ 15-2

Audio Routing: KDFX to Audio Outputs.................................................................................................................. 15-2

Using the Digital Outputs............................................................................................................................................ 15-3

Appendix A K2661 Boot Block

Starting the Boot Block ..................................................................................................................................................A-1

Updating K2661 Software ............................................................................................................................................. A-1

Running Diagnostic Tests.............................................................................................................................................. A-3

Resetting the K2661........................................................................................................................................................ A-3

Appendix B Standard K2661 ROM Objects

Appendix C Contemporary ROM Block Objects

Programs...........................................................................................................................................................................C-2

Keymaps...........................................................................................................................................................................C-3

Program Control Assignments......................................................................................................................................C-4

Controller Assignments: Contemporary ROM Block................................................................................................C-7

Appendix D Orchestral ROM Block Objects

Programs.......................................................................................................................................................................... D-2

Keymaps.......................................................................................................................................................................... D-3

Program Control Assignments..................................................................................................................................... D-4

Controller Assignments: Orchestral ROM Block....................................................................................................... D-7

Appendix E General MIDI

General MIDI Programs................................................................................................................................................. E-2

Standard Mode Controller Assignments .....................................................................................................................E-3

vii

K2661 Getting Started Guide

viii

Chapter 1 Introduction

Thank you for purchasing a Kurzweil/Young Chang K2661 instrument.

The K2661 is packed with great acoustic, electric, and synth sounds—combined with some of the most advanced synthesis features available, which you can use to create almost any sound imaginable. The K2661 incorporates most of the features of the K2600, and provides several new features as well.

This manual, along with the Musician’s Guide and Musician’s Reference (provided on the CDROM) will get you started with your new instrument. As you become an advanced user, you will want to spend more time with the Musician’s Guide and Musician’s Reference to make the most of your K2661’s many capabilities.

Introduction

Overview of the K2661

The K2661 is a versatile performance instrument and an invaluable tool for multi-timbral sequencing and recording. Its Variable Architecture Synthesis Technology (V.A.S.T.) lets you build sounds from realistic instrumental samples and sampled synth waveforms—then modify the nature of those sounds through a wide variety of digital signal-processing (DSP) functions. The K2661 also generates its own synth waveforms, which can be combined with the samples or used on their own. Onboard sound ROM includes the Orchestral and Contemporary sound blocks, as well as a ﬁne set of General MIDI (GM) sounds. You can add one or both of the two available option ROMs (Stereo Dynamic Piano and Vintage Electric Pianos), and you can load samples from disk into sample RAM.

Before we get into explaining VAST, here are a few of the features that by themselves make the K2661 an impressive stage and studio machine. It’s fully multi-timbral—different programs can be played on each MIDI channel. It’s 48-note polyphonic, for a full sound no matter how many chords you play. There’s an on-board digital effects processor, providing up to ﬁve simultaneous effects, including real-time effects control, internally or via MIDI.

In addition to the standard stereo audio output pair, there are four balanced analog outputs and eight channel digital output.

1-1

Introduction

VAST Synthesis

For sample memory, your K2661 has one SIMM (single, in-line memory module) installed in a socket that you can reach through the access panel on the bottom of the instrument. If your K2661 does not already have the maximum of 128 megabytes of Sample RAM installed, you can install a larger SIMM using the instructions in the Musician’s Reference. The most important thing for you to know about Sample RAM, however, is that it is not battery-backed; RAM samples are permanently erased from memory when you power down. Fortunately, we’ve made ofﬂine storage a snap.

There’s a SmartMedia slot for 3.3v SmartMedia cards, and also a SCSI port for connecting an external hard disk or CD-ROM drive. You’ll ﬁnd all this storage potential extremely useful for saving and loading samples, which can also be transferred to and from the K2661 using the standard MIDI sample transfer format, or the faster, parallel SMDI sample transfer format (SCSI Musical Data Interchange). See the sample transfers.

The K2661’s battery-backed program RAM can store hundreds of your own programs, or thousands of notes recorded in the sequencer. This sequencer (Song mode) lets you play back MIDI type 0 or 1 sequences, record and play back your own songs, and record multi-timbral sequences received via MIDI. The battery should last for several years; instructions for replacing it are in the Musician’s Reference (provided on CD-ROM).

Musician’s Reference for information about MIDI and SMDI

An optional sampling feature is available, allowing you to make your own mono or stereo samples using analog or digital inputs. With the sampling option, you can also use Live mode, which enables you to take an input signal and route it through the K2661’s VAST algorithms—so you can apply Kurzweil DSP and effects to any sound.

There’s also digital input/output (I/O) in ADAT format, which provides eight channels for digital audio input and output, as well as a stereo digital output in AES/EBU or S/PDIF formats.

And, of course, there’s the incomparable Kurzweil sound. The K2661 comes to you with hundreds of programs (called patches, presets, voices, etc. on other synths). There are also about 200 multi-zone performance setups. Many of these setups use note triggers to play factoryrecorded songs that provide grooves and arpeggiation that make great templates for performance or recording.

VAST Synthesis

Variable Architecture Synthesis Technology gives the K2661 its unprecedented ﬂexibility. While

many other synthesizers offer a ﬁxed set of DSP tools (typically ﬁltering, pitch, and amplitude modulation) the K2661’s Variable Architecture lets you arrange a combination of any ﬁve DSP functions from a long list of choices. The functions you choose deﬁne the type of synthesis you use.

Each layer of every program has its own DSP architecture, which we call an algorithm . Within each algorithm, you can select from a variety of DSP functions. Each function can be independently controlled by a variety of sources including LFOs, ASRs, envelopes, a set of unique programmable functions (FUNs), as well as any MIDI control message. The many different DSP functions and the wealth of independent control sources give you an extremely ﬂexible, truly vast collection of tools for sound creation and modiﬁcation. When you’re ready to jump in and start creating programs, turn to Chapter 6.

KB3 Tone Wheel Emulation

In addition to VAST synthesis, the K2661 offers many oscillator-based programs that give you the classic sound of tone-wheel organs like the Hammond B 3™. KB3 mode, as we call it, is completely independent of VAST, and has its own set of editing procedures. You’ll ﬁnd details in Chapter 6.

1-2

How the K2661 Works

The K2661 integrates three MIDI-driven components: a MIDI controller (the keyboard, or an external MIDI controller, a sound engine, and a global effects processor (KDFX). The sound engine responds to the MIDI events generated by the MIDI controller, and turns them into sounds that are processed within the variable architecture of the algorithms—or by oscillators for KB3 programs. The resulting sound can then be routed through KDFX and to the audio outputs.

How to Use This Manual

This manual describes how to connect and power up your K2661, getting around the front panel, and a brief description of the operating modes. For information on editing and advanced programming features, refer to the Musician’s Guide and Musician’s Reference (provided on the CD-ROM).

When manual text appears in boldface italic ( like this ), you’ll ﬁnd it described in the Glossary in the Musician’s Reference . Only the ﬁrst one or two occurrences of these words are highlighted. The Musician’s Reference also contains brief descriptions of the K2661’s major operating features, and all sorts of useful lists— programs , keymaps , algorithms , effects, control sources , as well as complete speciﬁcations for the K2661.

How the K2661 Works

Introduction

The best way to read this manual is with your K2661 in front of you. By trying the examples we give to illustrate various functions, you can get a quick understanding of the basics, then move on to the more advanced features.

Do I Have Everything?

Your K2661 shipping carton should include the following in addition to your instrument:

• Power cable

• Sustain pedal

• Getting Started manual

• SmartMedia card

• Compact disc with documentation and accessory ﬁles

• Warranty card

If you don’t have all of these components, please call your Kurzweil/Young Chang dealer.

The Accessory Files

The accessory ﬁles included with your K2661 (on SmartMedia and Compact Disc) include the following. Additional ﬁles may be included; see the appropriate README ﬁles for these.

K2661 Base ROM Objects

These provide a backup of the ROM Objects installed in your K2661 at the factory.

You will not normally need to use these, however you should keep them in a safe place in case you need to reinstall this version of the operating system. For example, if you have installed a newer version of the objects (we make new versions available for download from our web site) and you encounter any problems, you might need to go back and install the version on SmartMedia and Compact Disc.

OBJKB contains all of the objects in a stock K2661 without sampling. OBJKL contains the Live Mode objects, which are included in a unit with the sampling option installed.

1-3

Introduction

Do I Have Everything?

When you install a new version of the operating system, you’ll need to load all the object ﬁles for the options you have. This includes the object ﬁles for the SD Piano and Vintage Electric Piano ROM blocks, if you have them. Load the system ﬁles ﬁrst, then all of the object ﬁles, then exit the Boot Loader by pressing the Run System soft button. See Appendix A if you need help with operating the Boot Loader.

K2661 Demos

This includes several directories of demo song ﬁles, which show off some of the capabilities of your K2661. In addition, KDFXTUTR.K26 contains objects used in the tour of Effects mode that starts on page 9-22.

Most song demos can simply be loaded into the K2661 and played from Song mode. However, two demo ﬁles require that your K2661 have the sampling option installed. The demo ﬁles

LMFBDMO1.K26 , and LMFBDMO2.K26 demonstrate internal feedback loops using a chain of

VAST->KDFX->sampler->VAST->KDFX—known as Live mode. Because a Master table is included, your SampleMode settings will be set automatically when you load the demo ﬁle.

after loading these objects. Live-mode programs are inherently unstable when you’re in Live mode and the sampling source (the Src parameter in the Samplemode page) is set to Int . These programs are capable of producing tremendously loud feedback loops with a relatively small amount of gain. In modes where the provided studio is not the active studio, the compressor that keeps these feedback chains under control isn’t operating, and the loop can grow out of control very quickly. If you intend only to listen to the demo, and not to examine the programming, we recommend that you delete the song ﬁle (and its dependent objects) from your K2661 when you are done listening. We also recommend that you go to the SampleMode page and set the Src parameter to Ext or the Mode parameter to something other than LiveIn , to help to avoid any unintended feedback. If you want to look at the program settings, lower the volume on your instrument, and read the more detailed description of Live mode beginning on page 14-41.

Caution : Programs that cause internal feedback can get extremely loud, so it’s important to be careful

K2661 Farm & Extras

This includes over 1000 extra programs and effects, all cultivated from the “farm” where we grow our programs and effects.

The K2500FRM directory contains over 1000 extra programs, organized in ﬁles by type of sound. This set of programs was originally developed for the K2500, hence the name.

The KDFXFARM directory contains two subdirectories. LIVEMODE contains a set of ﬁles containing extra programs using Live mode (which requires having the sample option in your K2500). MOREKDFX contains some FX Presets and a number of Programs that use KDFX, as well as a couple of blank studios.

PIANOFRM contains extra programs that speciﬁcally use the 4-megabyte stereo piano.

VOCODER contains programs and setups that are designed to be used with the Vocoder

feature. You can read about the Vocoder in detail on page 11-4.

The MOREPRGS directory contains several ﬁles of extra programs.

K2600 / K2500 / K2000 Compatibility Files

These ﬁles includes of all the ROM objects in the original K2600, K2500, or K2000. You would use one of the compatibility ﬁles if you have songs created for one of those older object sets. See

Loading Older Setup Versions on page 7-2 for information about using older objects with the

K2661.

1-4

Chapter 2 Startup

If hooking up new gear is familiar to you, and you just want to get going, here’s a quick description of all the basic things you need to cover to get started with your K2661. If you need more information, thorough descriptions of each step follow. In either case, check out Playing the Presets on page 2-4.

Quick Startup Checklist

1. Set the keyboard on a hard, ﬂat, level surface. Make sure to leave plenty of room for ventilation.

Startup

Quick Startup Checklist

2. Four adhesive-backed rubber feet are provided with your K2661. If you want to attach them to the bottom of the K2661, carefully turn the keyboard over, remove the paper backing from the rubber feet and attach them now. There are four pairs of holes on the bottom of the keyboard – a pair in each corner – showing the best places to attach the rubber feet.

3. Connect the power cable.

4. Make sure your sound system is at a safe volume level.

5. Plug in a pair of stereo headphones or run standard (1/4-inch) audio cables from your ampliﬁer or mixer to the MIX audio outputs on the K2661. (Use the MIX L out for mono.)

Start Jamming!

1. Power up your K2661 and check out some of the programs and setups. The K2661 starts up in either Program mode or Setup mode—whichever of the two modes it was in when it was last shut down (or given a soft reset). Press the button labeled Program or Setup to switch modes.

2. If you hear distortion, reduce the gain on your mixing board, or use the pad if it has one.

3. Scroll through the program list with the Alpha Wheel.

4. Press the Quick Access mode button and use the alphanumeric buttons to select from programmable banks of ten programs or setups.

5. If you don’t hear anything, review these steps, or check the Troubleshooting section in the Musician’s Reference.

2-1

Startup

Startup—the Details

This section walks you through the hookup of your K2661. We’ll take a look at the rear panel, then describe the power, audio, and other cable connections.

Before You Start...

Don’t connect anything until you make sure your K2661 is properly and safely situated. Also, if your K2661 has been out in the cold, give it time to warm up to room temperature before starting it, since condensation may have formed inside the K2661. Never block the ventilation openings on the bottom or rear panels; doing so can cause overheating and serious damage. To provide adequate ventilation, the rear panel should be at least four inches from any vertical surface.

Connecting the Power Cable (Line Cord)

The K2661 runs on AC power: 100, 120, 230, or 240 volts at 50–60 Hz. Your dealer will set the voltage switch to match the voltage in your area. The voltage level is set with a selector on the rear panel of the K2661. Unless you are sure it needs to be changed, you shouldn’t adjust this.

When you’ve connected the cable at the K2661 end (as you face the back of the K2661, the power connection is at the left), plug it into a grounded outlet. If your power source does not have the standard three-hole outlet, you should take the time to install a proper grounding system. This will reduce the risk of a shock.

2-2

Connecting the Audio Cables

After you’ve turned down the level on your sound system, connect the K2661’s analog audio outputs to your sound system using a pair of stereo or mono audio cables. Mono cables will always work, but if you’re going into balanced inputs, use stereo cables for a better signal-tonoise ratio. The K2661’s analog outputs are balanced, and generate a “hotter” signal than previous Kurzweil instruments.

You’ll ﬁnd six 1/4-inch jacks near the top of the rear panel. For now, connect one end of each audio cable to your mixing board or PA system inputs, and connect the other end to the jacks marked MIX L and R on the rear panel of the K2661. If you have only one input available, use the K2661’s MIX L output to get the full signal in mono. You’ll ﬁnd more about audio conﬁgurations—including digital output—in Chapter 15.

Connecting MIDI

The simplest MIDI conﬁguration uses a single MIDI cable: either from the MIDI Out port of your K2661 to the MIDI In port of another instrument, or from the MIDI Out port of your MIDI controller to the MIDI In port of the K2661. There are all sorts of possible conﬁgurations, including additional synths, personal computers, MIDI effects processors, and MIDI patch bays. Depending on your system, you may want to use the K2661’s MIDI Thru port to pass MIDI information from a MIDI controller to the K2661 and on to the next device in your system. You can also connect MIDI devices to the K2661’s MIDI Out port, which can send channelized MIDI information from the keyboard or through the K2661 from your MIDI controller. See the discussion of the Local Keyboard Channel parameter on page 10-6.

Connecting SCSI

You may not have a hard disk or other SCSI device to connect to your K2661 right away, but if you do, you can connect it to the SCSI port. Please read the following information carefully; it’s very important. Also, there’s a collection of SCSI tips in Chapter 6 of the Musician’s Reference.

Note: SCSI on the K2661 is always terminated. Turn to Chapter 13 and read the section called SCSI

Termination if you require more information. You can lose data if your system isn’t terminated properly.

Switching On the Power

The power switch is on the rear panel. If you’re facing the keyboard, it’s just to the right of the power cable connection.

When you power up, the display brieﬂy show some startup information. The Program mode display then appears. It looks like the diagram below (the programs shown in the diagram don’t necessarily exist).

ProgramMode||||Xpose:0ST|||<>Channel:1||

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@|998|James|Jams|||||| KeyMap|Info|||||||#|999|Default|Program| |Grand|Piano||||||#|||1|Righteous|Piano| ||||||||||||||||||#|||2|Mondo|Bass|||||| ||||||||||||||||||#|||3|Killer|Drums|||| %%%%%%^%%%%%%^%%%%$|||4|Weeping|Guitar|| Octav-|Octav+|Panic||Sample|Chan-||Chan+

Startup

Startup—the Details

The ﬁrst time you power up (or after a reset), your instrument will be set to operate on MIDI Channel 1 (as shown in the top line of the diagram). After that, it will power up on whatever channel you were on when you powered down. If you’d rather have the K2661 reset certain parameters to default values when you power up, you can do that, too. See Power Mode on page 10-7.

Set the volume at a comfortable level. You’ll get the best signal-to-noise ratio if you keep the K2661 at full volume, and adjust the level from your mixing board. You may also want to adjust the display contrast and brightness. There are two small knobs on the rear panel of the K2661 for this purpose.

SmartMedia

You can use 3.3v SmartMedia cards (4 megabyte and larger) for backing up, archiving, and sharing your work. The SmartMedia card slot is on the back panel of the K2661, but it is easily accessible from the front of the instrument. The gold contacts on the card must be facing up when you insert it; the K2661 can’t read a card when it is inserted upside down.

Caution: Do not remove a SmartMedia card while the blue LED is lit. Removing a card while the blue LED is lit can cause data corruption.

2-3

Startup

Playing the Presets

There are three things you’ll want to check out right away: programs, setups and Quick Access banks. In performance situations, you’ll be selecting your sounds using one of these three methods. There’s a mode (and a mode button) corresponding to each method.

Getting Around

In all three of these modes, the bottom line of the display identiﬁes the function of each of the buttons beneath the display. We call these buttons soft buttons, because they do different things depending on what’s currently showing in the display.

In Program and Quick Access modes, you can change MIDI channels with the Chan- and Chan+ buttons under the display. In Program mode, you can also change channels using the Chan/Bank buttons to the left of the display. (In Quick Access mode, the Chan/Bank buttons change Quick Access banks; more about that on page 2-7.) There are two more soft buttons that appear in these modes: Panic and Sample.

The Panic button sends an All Notes Off message and an All Controllers Off message—both to the K2661 and over all 16 MIDI channels. You won’t need it often, but it’s nice to have.

The Sample button takes you to Sample mode (the SampleMode page), which, as you’ve probably guessed, is where you make your own samples—if you have the sampling option in your instrument.

Programs

The K2661 powers up in Program mode, where you can select and play programs stored in ROM or RAM. Programs are preset sounds composed of up to 32 layers of samples or waveforms. If you’ve left Program mode, just press the Program mode button or Exit button to return.

Take a minute to familiarize yourself with the Program-mode display. It gives you some helpful basic information, like the MIDI transposition, what MIDI channel you’re on, and which program is currently selected.

There’s a box at the left side of the display. The info box, as it’s called, displays information about the current program (there’s also an info box for Setup mode). The following diagrams shows how the information differs depending on the type of program you’ve selected.

VAST Programs

First is a “normal” VAST program, which is what most of the factory programs are. They have from one to three layers. In this case, there are two. For programs of up to three layers, the info box contains one line per layer, indicating the keymap used in that layer. The line under the keymap name indicates the layer’s keyboard range. In this case, both layers extend across the entire keyboard (A 0 to C 8).

ProgramMode||||Xpose:0ST|||<>Channel:1||

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@||||5|Piano|for|Layers Keymap|Info||||||#||||6|DrkPno^ArakisPno |Grand|Piano|||||#||||7|Honky-Tonk|||||| |Grand|Piano|||||#||||8|Pno&Syn/AcString |||||||||||||||||#||||9|ClassicPiano&Vox %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%$|||10|E|Grand|Stack||| Octav-|Octav+|Panic||Sample|Chan-||Chan+

2-4

Startup

Playing the Presets

VAST programs with more than three layers are known as drum programs, as shown in the following diagram. Drum programs can use any sound you like, but the most common use for programs with more than three layers is to create a number of different sounds across the keyboard—which is perfect for combinations of percussion sounds (hence the name). For drum programs, the info box simply indicates the number of layers in the program—in this case, 26.

ProgramMode||||Xpose:0ST|||<>Channel:1||

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@||48|OG|||||||||||||| Drum|Program||||||#||49|Lowdown|Bass|||| 26|layers|||||||||#||50|SquashStudio|Kit ||||||||||||||||||#||51|Retro|Skins|MW|| ||||||||||||||||||#||52|2|Live|Kits|2|MW %%%%%%^%%%%%%^%%%%$||53|Garage|Kit|II|MW Octav-|Octav+|Panic||Sample|Chan-||Chan+

KB3 Programs

The architecture of KB3 programs is different from that of VAST programs. KB3 programs don’t have layers; they rely on oscillators that mimic the tone wheels used in many popular organs. Consequently, the info box shows only the waveform used in the program.

ProgramMode||||Xpose:0ST|||<>Channel:1||

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@|751|Prog|Rock|Organ| KB3|Program|||||||#|752|Syn|Rock|Organ|| |Mellow|Vox|||||||#|753|Dirty|Syn|B||||| ||||||||||||||||||#|754|CleanFullDrawbar ||||||||||||||||||#|755|Loungin||||||||| %%%%%%^%%%%%%^%%%%$|756|MildGrunge|||||| Octav-|Octav+|Panic||Sample|Chan-||Chan+

Because of their architecture, KB3 programs require different processing within the K2661, and they don’t work on “regular” channels. They require a special channel to handle the KB3 program’s voices. You can choose any of the 16 MIDI channels to be the KB3 channel, but you can have only one KB3 channel, and KB3 programs play only on that channel (VAST programs work just ﬁne on the KB3 channel, by the way).

By default, Channel 1 is designated as the KB3 channel (you can change it in Master mode). If the current channel isn’t the same as the KB3 channel, and you select a KB3 program, you won’t get any sound, because a non-KB3 channel can’t handle a KB3 program.

2-5

Startup

Playing the Presets

In the following diagram, Channel 2 is the current channel, but Channel 1 is the KB3 channel. The info box tactfully lets you know what the KB3 channel is, and parentheses appear around the names of all KB3 programs, to further remind you that KB3 programs aren’t available on the current channel. To get Program 753 to work in this case, you’d have to change the current channel back to Channel 1, or go to Master mode and change the KB3 channel to Channel 2.

ProgramMode||||Xpose:0ST|||<>Channel:2||

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@|751|(Prog|Rock|Organ KB3|Program|||||||#|752|(Syn|Rock|Organ) |Mellow|Vox|||||||#|753|(Dirty|Syn|B)||| ||||||||||||||||||#|754|(CleanFullDrawba KB3Chan|is|Ch|1|||#|755|(Loungin)||||||| %%%%%%^%%%%%%^%%%%$|756|(Mild|Grunge)||| Octav-|Octav+|Panic||Sample|Chan-||Chan+

Live Mode Programs

Programs 740–749 are designed expressly for Live mode, a feature that enables you to take a signal from the Analog sampling input (this requires the sampling option, of course), and route it through the DSP algorithms. Programs 740–749 will not play unless you’re receiving a signal at the Analog sampling input. See page 14-10 for more about Live mode.

Setups

Selecting Programs

When you want to change programs, you have several options.

The easiest method is the Alpha Wheel. Turning it left or right will scroll through the program list. You can also change programs using the cursor buttons (the arrow buttons to the right of the display), or the Plus/Minus buttons under the Alpha Wheel. To save time, you can enter the program number directly from the alphanumeric buttonpad to the right of the Alpha Wheel, pressing the Enter button to complete the selection. If you make a mistake, press Clear, then start over.

The K2661 has various settings for responding to MIDI Program Change commands from external sources. These are explained in Chapter 10, so we won’t go into them here. You should be able to change programs by sending Program Change commands from your MIDI controller.

If you don’t hear anything, see the troubleshooting section in the Musician’s Reference. When you’re ready to start doing your own programming, check out Chapter 6.

Setups are preset combinations of programs. Setups can have up to eight zones, each of which can be assigned to any range of the keyboard (overlapping or split). Each zone can have its own program, MIDI channel, and MIDI control assignments.

Press the Setup mode button to the left of the display. Its LED will light, telling you that you’re in Setup mode. Notice that the Setup-mode display is similar to the Program-mode display. If the setup has three or fewer zones, the box at the left shows you the programs assigned to each of the setup’s three zones, and which MIDI channel is used for each program. If the setup is composed of more than three zones, then the box displays a series of horizontal lines illustrating the approximate key ranges of the zones. See page 7-1 for a more detailed description.

2-6

SetupMode||||||Xpose:0ST||||||||||||||||

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@|201*Friday|Gig|||||| Chan/Program|Info|#|202*Bop|Rock|Reggae| 1||||9|Cool|Traps|#|||1|Jazz|Trio||||||| 2|||18|Sly|Acoust|#|||2|All|Percussion|| 3|||22*Izit|Jimmy|#|||3|Heavy|Metal||||| %%%%%%^%%%%%%^%%%%$|||4|To|Sequencer|||| Octav-|Octav+|Panic||Sample|||||||||||||

Many setups include arpeggiation and note-triggered songs to create some pretty amazing grooves that you can use as is, or as templates for your own material. As you play with these setups, experiment with the sliders and other controllers for a wide range of effects. Some of these grooves keep playing after you’ve released the keys that got them going. When you want to stop them, select another setup, or press the Setup mode button.

Quick Access

A really convenient way to select programs and setups is to use Quick Access mode, where you select a Quick Access bank from a list of factory preset or user-programmed banks. Each bank contains ten memory slots, or entries, where you can store any combination of programs or setups. While you’re in Quick Access mode, you can select any program or setup in the bank with buttons 0 through 9.

Startup

Playing the Presets

The K2661 comes with a few Quick Access banks already programmed so you can get an idea of how they work. You’ll probably create your own Quick Access banks to help you select programs and setups with a minimum of searching. Press the Quick Access mode button to the left of the display. Its LED lights, to tell you you’re in Quick Access mode. You’ll see a display that looks like this:

QuickAccessMode|||<>Bank:1|For|Show|1|||

Silk|Rhodes|||POLY|TOUCH||||Voice+String NastyTrombone|SINK|MONSTA|||Waterflute|| Soon||||||||||Jazz|Trio|2|||Fretless|Bas ||||||||||||||VELVETEEN|||||||||||||||||

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

|Xpose:0ST|||SINK|MONSTA||||||||Chan:1|| Octav-|Octav+|Panic||Sample|Chan-||Chan+

The top line of the display tells you which Quick Access bank is selected. Use the Chan/Bank buttons (to the left of the display) to scroll through the banks. The names of each of the ten entries in the bank are listed in the center of the display. Many of their names will be abbreviated. The currently selected entry’s full name is shown near the bottom of the display. The amount of transposition is displayed to the left of the entry name. If the current entry is a program, you’ll see the current keyboard (MIDI) channel displayed to the right of the entry’s name. If it’s a setup, you’ll see the word Setup.

The entries on the Quick Access page are arranged to correspond to the layout of the numeric buttons on the alphanumeric pad. On the page above, for example, the program SINK MONSTA is entry 5, and can be selected by pressing 5 on the alphanumeric pad.

When you’re ready to create your own Quick Access banks, turn to Chapter 8 to learn about the Quick Access Editor.

2-7

Startup

The Other Modes

There are six other modes, ﬁve of which have mode buttons on the front panel (Sample mode doesn’t have a front-panel button). See page 3-1 and Chapter 4 for more detailed descriptions of each mode.

Effects mode Create and modify effects presets, and deﬁne how they’re applied to the

MIDI mode Conﬁgure the K2661 for sending and receiving MIDI information.

Master mode Deﬁne performance and control settings.

Song mode Record and edit sequences (songs); play Type 0 and Type 1 MIDI

Disk mode Load and save programs, setups, samples, and other objects.

Sample mode Edit ROM samples; create and edit RAM (user-deﬁned) samples.

Software Upgrades

Part of the beauty of the K2661 is the ease with which you can upgrade its operating system and objects (programs, setup, etc.) using the boot loader to install upgrades into ﬂash ROM.

K2661’s programs and setups.

sequences.

At Kurzweil and Young Chang, we have a long history of support for our instruments; the K250, K1000, K2000, and K2500 have been repeatedly enhanced, and these improvements have always been made available to instrument owners in the form of software upgrades.

Upgrading your K2661’s software is simple, painless, and—generally—free! As upgraded software becomes available, you can either get ﬁles from your Young Chang dealer or download the new stuff from the Web.

To stay in touch, check out our Web site:

http://www.kurzweilmusicsystems.com/

When you’ve acquired an upgrade, you can install it yourself in a matter of minutes. See Appendix A for details.

2-8

Chapter 3 User Interface Basics

This chapter will show you how to get around the front panel of your K2661. Your interactions can be divided into three primary operations: mode selection, navigation, and data entry. There is also an assignable control section.

User Interface Basics

Mode Selection

The K2661 is always in one of eight primary operating modes. Select a mode by pressing one of the mode buttons — they’re to the left of the display. Each mode button has an LED that lights to indicate the current mode. Only one mode can be selected at a time.

Program mode Select and play programs, and modify them with the Program Editor.

Setup mode Select and play setups (eight keyboard zones with independent MIDI

Quick Access mode Select from a list of preset banks, each containing a list of ten programs

Effects mode Deﬁne the behavior of the on-board effects. Modify the preset effects and

MIDI mode Deﬁne how your K2661 sends and receives MIDI information, and

Master mode Deﬁne performance and control characteristics for the entire K2661.

Rearrange and modify samples in the Keymap and Sample Editors.

channel, program and control assignments), and modify them with the Setup Editor.

and/or setups that can be viewed in the display for easy selection. Modify the preset banks and create your own with the Quick Access Editor.

create your own with the Effects Editor.

conﬁgure each channel to receive independent program, volume, and pan messages that override the normal Program-mode settings.

3-1

User Interface Basics

Navigation

Song mode Use the K2661’s sequencer to record and play back your keyboard

Disk mode Interface with the K2661’s SmartMedia drive, or an external SCSI device

There are two more modes that don’t have dedicated buttons on the front panel: Sample mode and Live mode. In Sample mode, you can create and edit samples (if you have the sampling option). To get to Sample mode, press the Sample soft button in Program, Setup, Quick Access, or Master modes. See Chapter 14 for details.

Live mode lets you route an input signal through the K2661’s DSP algorithms. See page 14-10.

Mode Buttons

The mode buttons are labeled in white. When you press a mode button, its LED lights up to indicate that the mode has been selected. If pressing a mode button does not light its LED, press the Exit button one or more times, then try again.

The colored labeling for each mode button indicates special functions that relate to some of the K2661’s editors. These functions are described on page 5-8.

performance, play Type 0 and Type 1 MIDI sequences, and record multitimbral sequences received via MIDI.

to load and save programs, setups, samples, and more.

Navigation

The navigation section of the front panel consists of the display and the buttons surrounding it. These navigation buttons will take you to every one of the K2661’s programming parameters.

The Display

Your primary interface with the K2661 is its backlit graphic display. As you press various buttons, this ﬂuorescent display reﬂects the commands you enter and the editing changes you make. The ample size of the display (240-by-64 pixels) enables you to view lots of information at one time.

Pages

Within each mode, the functions and parameters are organized into smaller, related groups that appear together in the display. Each one of these groups of parameters is called a page. Each mode has what we call an entry-level page; it’s the page that appears when you select that mode with one of the mode buttons. Within each mode and its editor(s), the various pages are selected with the navigation buttons. There are many pages, but there are a few features common to each page. The diagram below shows the entry-level page for Program mode.

ProgramMode||||Xpose:0ST|||<>Channel:1||

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!@|200*Analog|Jam|||||| KeyMap|Info|||||||#|202*Heart|Strings||| |Grand|Piano||||||#|||1|Righteous|Piano| ||||||||||||||||||#|||2|Mondo|Bass|||||| ||||||||||||||||||#|||3|Killer|Drums|||| %%%%%%^%%%%%%^%%%%$|||4|Weeping|Guitar|| Octav-|Octav+|Panic||Sample|Chan-||Chan+

3-2

The Top Line

On the top line of most pages, there’s a reminder of which mode you’re in and which page you’re on. Many pages display additional information in the top line, as well. The Program-mode page above, for example, shows you the current amount of MIDI transposition and the currently selected MIDI channel. The top line is almost always “reversed”—that is, it has a white background with blue characters.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is divided into six (sometimes fewer) sets of reversed characters that serve as labels for the six buttons directly beneath the display. These labels—and the functions of the buttons—change depending on the currently selected page. Consequently the buttons that select these functions are called “soft” buttons.

The Soft Buttons

The soft buttons are called “soft” because their functions change depending on the currently selected mode. Sometimes they perform speciﬁc functions, like changing MIDI channels in Program mode. In the Program Editor and other editors, they’re also used to move to different pages of programming parameters. If a soft button’s label is in all capital letters (KEYMAP, for example), pressing the corresponding soft button takes you to a page of parameters. If the soft button is labeled in lower-case or mixed-case letters (Save, for example), the soft button performs some kind of function.

User Interface Basics

Navigation

The Cursor Buttons

To the right of the display are four buttons arranged in a diamond fashion. These are called the cursor buttons. They move the cursor around the currently selected page, in the direction indicated by their labels. The cursor is a highlighted (reversed) rectangle (sometimes it’s an underscore). It marks the value of the currently selected parameter.

Programming the K2661 involves selecting various parameters and changing their values. Select parameters by highlighting their values with the cursor. You can change the highlighted value with any of the data entry methods described in the data entry section below.

The Chan/bank Buttons

To the left of the display are two buttons labeled Chan/Bank. Their function is related to the two small arrows—<|>—that appear in the top line of the display when there are multiples of the current page—for example, the LAYER pages in the Program Editor. When you see these arrows, you can use the Chan/Bank buttons to scroll the values of the parameter that appears to the right of the arrows. In Program mode, for example, they shift through the MIDI channels, showing the program assigned to each channel.

When you’re in the Program Editor, the Chan/Bank buttons let you view each layer in the program. You can see the corresponding parameters in each layer by scrolling through the layers with these buttons. In the Keymap Editor, Chan/Bank scroll through key ranges of the current keymap. In the Setup Editor, the Chan/Bank buttons scroll through the zones in the current setup. In Quick Access mode, they scroll through the Quick Access banks, and in Song mode they scroll through recording tracks.

We’ll let you know, when applicable, what the Chan/Bank buttons do.

3-3

User Interface Basics

Data Entry

The Edit Button

The Edit button activates each of the K2661’s editors, and acts as a shortcut to many pages within the Program Editor. Pressing the Edit button tells the K2661 that you want to change some aspect of the object marked by the cursor. For example, when a program is selected and you press Edit, you enter the Program Editor. If a setup is selected, you enter the Setup Editor.

There are editors accessible from just about every operating mode. To enter an editor, choose one of the modes (mode selection), and press Edit. An editing page for that mode will appear. You can then select parameters (navigation) and change their values (data entry). If the value of the selected parameter has its own editing page, pressing the Edit button will take you to that page. For example, in the Program Editor, on the PITCH page, you might see LFO1 assigned as the value for Pitch Control Source 1. If you select this parameter (the cursor will highlight its value—LFO1 in this case), then press the Edit button, you’ll jump to the page where you can edit the parameters of LFO1. Naturally, you can ﬁnd every page in the current editor by using the soft buttons, but often it’s easier to use the Edit button shortcut.

The Exit Button

Press Exit to leave the current editor. If you’ve changed the value of any parameter while in that editor, the K2661 will ask you whether you want to save your changes before you can leave the editor. See page 5-3 for information on saving and naming. The Exit button also takes you to Program mode if you’re on the entry level page of one of the other modes. If at some point you can’t seem to get where you want to go, press Exit one or more times to return to Program mode, then try again.

Data Entry

The data entry section of the front panel includes the Alpha wheel, the Plus/Minus buttons, and the 14-button alphanumeric pad.

The Alpha Wheel

The Alpha Wheel is especially useful because it can quickly enter large or small changes in value. If you turn the Alpha Wheel one click to the right, you’ll increase the value of the currently selected parameter by one increment. One click to the left decreases the value by one increment. If you turn it rapidly, you’ll jump by several increments. You can also use the Alpha Wheel to enter names when you’re saving objects.

The Plus/Minus Buttons

These buttons are located just under the Alpha Wheel. The Plus button increases the value of the currently selected parameter by one, and the Minus button decreases it by one. These buttons are most useful when you’re scrolling through a short list of values, or when you want to be sure you’re changing the value by one increment at a time. One press of the Plus or Minus button corresponds to one click to the right or left with the Alpha Wheel. These buttons will repeat if pressed and held.

Pressing the Plus and Minus buttons simultaneously will move you through the current list of values in large chunks instead of one by one. Often this is in even increments (10, 100, etc.). Don’t confuse these buttons with the +/- button on the alphanumeric pad. This button is used primarily for entering negative numeric values and switching from uppercase to lowercase letters (and vice versa).

3-4

The Alphanumeric Pad

As its name implies, this set of 14 buttons lets you enter numeric values, and to enter names one character at a time. Depending on where you are, the K2661 automatically enters letters or numerals as appropriate (you don’t have to select between alphabetic or numeric entry).

When you’re entering numeric values, press the corresponding numeric buttons, ignoring decimal places if any (to enter 1.16, for example, press 1, 1, 6, Enter). The display will reﬂect your entries, but the value won’t actually change until you press Enter. Before pressing Enter, you can return to the original value by pressing Cancel. Pressing Clear is the same as pressing 0 without pressing Enter.

When entering names, you can use the Left/Right cursor buttons or the <<< / >>> soft buttons to move the cursor to the character you want to change. Use the labels under the alphanumeric buttons as a guide to character entry. Press the corresponding button one or more times to insert the desired character above the cursor. The Cancel button is equivalent to the >>> soft button, and Enter is the same as OK. The Clear button replaces the currently selected character with a space. The +/- button toggles between uppercase and lowercase letters.

There’s also a convenient feature called keyboard naming, which lets you use the keyboard to enter characters in names. See page 5-5.

Double Button Presses

Pressing two or more related buttons simultaneously executes a number of special functions depending on the currently selected mode. Make sure to press them at exactly the same time.

User Interface Basics

Data Entry

In this

mode or

editor…

Program mode

Master mode Chan/Bank Enables Guitar/Wind Controller mode.

Song mode

Disk mode

Program Editor

…pressing these buttons

simultaneously…

Octav-, Octav+ Reset MIDI transposition to 0 semitones. Double-press again to

go to previous transposition.

Chan–, Chan+ Set current MIDI channel to 1.

Plus/Minus Step to next Program bank (100, 200, etc.)

Left/Right cursor buttons Toggle between Play and Stop.

Up/Down cursor buttons Toggle between Play and Pause.

Chan/Bank Select all tracks on any TRACK page in Song Editor.

2 leftmost soft buttons Issue SCSI Eject command to currently selected SCSI device.

Chan/Bank Hard format SCSI device. List selected objects when saving

objects.

Left/Right cursor buttons Select all items in a list. Move cursor to end of name in naming

dialog.

up/down cursor buttons Clear all selections in a list. Move cursor to beginning of name

in naming dialog.

Chan/Bank Select Layer 1.

…does this:

Table 3-1 Double Button Presses

3-5

User Interface Basics

Intuitive Data Entry

In this

mode or

editor…

Keymap Editor

Sample Editor

Any Editor

Save Dialog Plus/Minus buttons Toggle between next free ID and original ID.

…pressing these buttons

simultaneously…

Plus/Minus With cursor on the Coarse Tune parameter, toggles between

default Coarse Tune of sample root and transposition of sample root.

2 leftmost soft buttons Toggle between default zoom setting and current zoom setting.

Plus/Minus buttons Set the value of the currently selected parameter at the next

zero crossing.

Plus/Minus Scroll through the currently selected parameter’s list of values in

regular or logical increments (varies with each parameter).

2 leftmost soft buttons Reset MIDI transposition to 0 semitones. Double-press again to

go to previous transposition.

Center soft buttons Select Utilities menu (MIDIScope, Stealer, etc.).

2 rightmost soft buttons Sends all notes/controllers off message on all 16 channels

(same as Panic soft button).

Left/Right cursor buttons Toggle between Play and Stop of current song.

Up/Down cursor buttons Toggle between Play and Pause of current song.

…does this:

Table 3-1 Double Button Presses

Intuitive Data Entry

Many parameters have values that correspond to standard physical controllers. In many cases, you can select these values “intuitively,” rather than having to scroll through the Control Source list. This is done by selecting the desired parameter, then holding the ENTER button while moving the desired physical control.

For example, on the LAYER page in the Program Editor, you can set the range of the currently selected layer as follows: use the cursor buttons to move the cursor to the value for the LoKey parameter, press (and hold) the Enter button, then press the note you wish to be the lowest note for the currently displayed layer. The note you triggered (it has to be between C 0—C 8) will appear as the value for the LoKey parameter. Repeat the process for the HiKey parameter.

Another example: select Program 199 while in Program mode. Press Edit to enter the Program Editor. Press the PITCH soft button to select the PITCH page. Move the cursor to the Src1 parameter. Hold the Enter button, and move the Pitch Wheel. PWheel will be selected as the value for Src1.

You can also use the keyboard to choose control sources, since most key numbers correspond to a value on the control source list. If you have a certain control source that you use over and over (for example, LFO1), this can be the quickest way to enter its value. To do this: highlight a parameter which uses a value from the control source list, hold down Enter, then strike the key corresponding to the control source you want to choose. LFO1, for example, is assigned to B5. You’ll ﬁnd a complete chart of these keyboard shortcuts at the end of Chapter 4 of the Musician’s

Reference.

Also, for almost every parameter, you can hold the Enter button and move the Data Slider to run through the range of values for the currently selected parameter. This is not as precise as the Alpha Wheel, but much faster.

3-6

Changing the Current Layer in Multi-Layer Programs

Search

User Interface Basics

When editing a multi-layer program (including drum programs), you can quickly switch between layers by holding the Enter button, then striking a key. The K2661 will change the current layer to that key’s layer. If the key is part of more than one layer, subsequent key strikes will cycle through each layer that has that key in its range.

Note: This method for changing the current layer in a multi-layer program will NOT work if the currently highlighted parameter has a note number or control source for its value. In this case, the key you strike will function as described in Intuitive Data Entry, above.

There’s a convenient way to ﬁnd any string of characters within the currently selected list, or range of values. Hold the Enter button and press any of the numeric buttons. A dialog like the one below appears.

|||||||||||||||||||||||||<>KbdNaming:Off

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Search|string:||Soul|Rebels||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Delete|Insert||<<<||||>>>||||OK|||Cancel

Type in the string of characters you want to ﬁnd. For example, if you’re looking at the program list and you want to ﬁnd all programs containing the word “Horn,” you would type h-o-r-n. This function is not case-sensitive; it will ﬁnd upper and lower case characters regardless of what you type.

When you’ve typed the string of characters you want to ﬁnd, press Enter. The K2661 searches through the current list of objects or values, ﬁnds all items that match the string of characters you typed, and displays the ﬁrst one it ﬁnds. Hold Enter and press one of the Plus/Minus buttons to search for the next higher- or lower-numbered object that contains the string of characters.

The string you select remains in memory. You can store and select a string of characters with each of the numeric buttons. Hold Enter and press one of the numeric buttons at any time to select that string for a search. When the string appears, you can change it, or just press Enter to ﬁnd that string.

Renaming Multiple Objects

You can automatically rename multiple RAM objects with one operation, by substituting one string of characters with another.

1. Press the Master mode button to enter Master mode.

2. Press the Object soft button, then press the Name soft button. The NAME page appears, showing a list of all RAM objects.

3-7

User Interface Basics

Renaming Multiple Objects

3. Use the Alpha Wheel or Plus/Minus buttons to highlight objects. When an object whose

4. When you’ve selected all the objects you want to rename, press OK. The following dialog

5. Use your favorite method to enter a slash (/), followed by the string of characters that you

name you want to change is highlighted, press the Select soft button to select the object. Note the asterisk that appears between the object’s ID and its name.

appears. The name you see is the name of the last object you selected.

|||||||||||||||||||||||||<>KbdNaming:Off

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Object|Name:||||Badname||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Delete|Insert||<<<||||>>>||||OK|||Cancel

want to replace. This function is case-sensitive, so you can enter both capitals and lowercase characters. In this example, we’re going to change “Bad” to “Good.”

|||||||||||||||||||||||||<>KbdNaming:Off

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Object|Name:||||/Bad|||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Delete|Insert||<<<||||>>>||||OK|||Cancel

6. When you’ve entered the desired string of characters, press OK, and the dialog changes to prompt you to enter the replacement string. Notice that we entered only the characters B-a-d, and not the entire name of the object. Enter the new string, as shown below.

|||||||||||||||||||||||||<>KbdNaming:Off

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Replace|with:|||Good|||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Delete|Insert||<<<||||>>>||||OK|||Cancel

7. Press OK. The K2661 asks you if you’re sure (unless you have conﬁrmations turned off). Press Yes. The NAME page reappears. Every RAM object whose name contained Bad now contains Good instead.

3-8

Mixdown and MIDI Faders Pages

There are two buttons below the Solo button, labeled Mixdown and MIDI Faders. These call up pages that let you use the sliders to control MIDI Pan and Volume, or any MIDI Controller that you choose. This is useful for real-time control over setups.

Mixdown Page

This page temporarily turns the K2661’s 8 sliders into MIDI pan and volume controls. You can get to this page from any mode by pressing the Mixdown button, located below the Solo button. Press Mixdown, and the display looks similar to what you see on the Song-mode MIX page. However, there are a few differences. On the Mixdown page, the sliders relate to MIDI channels instead of tracks. If you highlight 1-8 for example, moving slider D will affect volume or pan for MIDI Channel 4 while you’re on this page.

User Interface Basics

Mixdown and MIDI Faders Pages

>> shows whether sliders control pan or volume

Mixdown||||<>Prog:|36|DuckWalk||||||||||

|||WXWXWXWX|WXWXWXWX|WXWXWXWX|WXWXWXWX|| |||wxwxC{wx|wxwxwxwx|wxwxwxwx|wxwxwxwx|| >>||z|z}~|z||z|z|z|z||z|z|z|z||z|z|z|z|| ||||_|_|_|_||_|_|_|_||_|_|_|_||_|_|_|_||

|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| |||*****************|||||||||||||||||||| |Pan|||Volume|Ch|1-8|Ch9-16|||||||||Done

Shows which channels are affected by sliders.

On the Mixdown page, pan and volume messages are sent to the internal K2661 sounds, to MIDI Out, or both. All Mixdown-page channels have the same destination (local, MIDI, or both), which is determined by the Control parameter on the MIDI-mode TRANSMIT page. You can assign the sliders to control either volume or pan. The soft buttons at the bottom of the Mixdown page let you select pan or volume control, on channels 1-8 or 9-16, allowing you to temporarily use the 8 sliders as pan or volume faders. Keep in mind that MIDI volume is a channel-speciﬁc message. Therefore, if you have more than one zone in a setup assigned to the same channel, moving any one of the associated sliders will affect all those zones.

MIDI Faders Pages

The button just below Mixdown is called MIDI Faders. The MIDI Faders page allows you to create a preset conﬁguration of any Controller assignment for each slider, along with an initial preset value for that Controller. For each slider, you assign the MIDI channel, MIDI Controller number, and a value. You can enter the value using any normal data entry method, or by moving the corresponding slider on keyboard models. You can also assign several sliders to the same channel, but assign each one to a different Controller number.

Soft buttons for indicating which channels are affected by sliders.

There are four different conﬁgurations (pages 1–4), which you select with the soft buttons. Each conﬁguration remembers the last value you set for each slider. If you want to send those values without moving the slider, press the Send button.

3-9

User Interface Basics

Quick Song Recording and Playback

The available values for the Channel parameter on this page are 1–16 (local and MIDI), 1L–16L (local only, no MIDI), and 1M–16M (MIDI only, no local).

MIDI|Faders:Page1|||||||||||||||||||||||

Chan|:|9|||10||11||12||13||14||15||16||| Ctl||:|6|||6|||6|||6|||6|||6|||6|||6|||| Value:|50||0|||50||0|||50||0|||50||0|||| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ||||||\]||}~||\]||}~||\]||}~||\]||}~|||| |||||||_|||_|||_|||_|||_|||_|||_|||_|||| Page1||Page2||Page3||Page4|||Send||Done|

Quick Song Recording and Playback

There are three buttons—labeled Record, Play/Pause, and Stop—below the mode selection buttons. They control the recording and playback of songs from any mode; you don’t have to be in Song mode to record or play back.

Using these buttons affects the current track of the current song—that is, the song and track that were selected the last time you were in Song mode. When you record, the recording track and recording mode are determined by the current settings in Song mode; likewise for the playback mode when you’re playing a song.

When the sequencer status is STOPPED (neither the Record-button LED nor the Play/Pausebutton LED is lit or ﬂashing), press Record to put the sequencer in REC READY status. The Record-button LED lights (red). Then press Play/Pause to start recording. The Play/Pausebutton ﬂashes (green) to indicate the tempo. Any countoff is determined by the current Songmode setting for the CountOff parameter. Press Play/Pause or Stop to end recording and go to the Save dialog, where you can save the song, or trash it.

When the sequencer status is STOPPED, press Play/Pause to begin playing the current song. Press Play/Pause again to pause playback, and again to resume. Press Stop to end playback.

3-10

+ 256 hidden pages

Kurzweil Music Systems K2661 User's Manual

Kurzweil International Contacts

World Wide Web Home Page:

Contents

Introduction

Overview of the K2661

VAST Synthesis

KB3 Tone Wheel Emulation

How the K2661 Works

How to Use This Manual

Do I Have Everything?

The Accessory Files

K2661 Base ROM Objects

K2661 Demos

K2661 Farm & Extras

K2600 / K2500 / K2000 Compatibility Files

Quick Startup Checklist

Startup

Start Jamming!

Startup—the Details

Before You Start...

Connecting the Power Cable (Line Cord)

Connecting the Audio Cables

Connecting MIDI

Connecting SCSI

Switching On the Power

SmartMedia

Playing the Presets

Getting Around

Programs

VAST Programs

KB3 Programs

Live Mode Programs

Setups

Selecting Programs

Quick Access

The Other Modes

Software Upgrades

User Interface Basics

Mode Selection

Navigation

Mode Buttons

The Display

Pages

The Top Line

The Bottom Line

The Soft Buttons

The Cursor Buttons

Data Entry

The Edit Button

The Exit Button

The Alpha Wheel

The Plus/Minus Buttons

The Alphanumeric Pad

Double Button Presses

Intuitive Data Entry

Changing the Current Layer in Multi-Layer Programs

Search

Renaming Multiple Objects

Mixdown and MIDI Faders Pages

Mixdown Page

MIDI Faders Pages

Quick Song Recording and Playback