The story of Stevie Wonder’s technical challenge to Ray Kurzweil that ultimately motivates the inception of Kurzweil Music Systems.

Related:
Kurzweil Music Systems

Myron McKinley, musical director for Earth, Wind & Fire discusses his long history and appreciation of Kurzweil musical instruments. Myron explains his method of alternative use of the PC3 K Series slider controls.

Source: ABC

The first clip features John Teele (software dept. manager) and me (senior soundware engineer) on stage about 20 minutes before the show started.

The next two clips are interviews with Jon. I thought the readers might enjoy these! — Dave Weiser, Kurzweil Music Systems

Dave Weiser is the senior soundware engineer and marketing liaison for Kurzweil Music Systems [KMS]. He’s the lead sound designer and also represents KMS online.

Dave interfaces between the KMS engineers and the “outside world” — sales, international distributors, customers and high profile artists.

The quality of Kurzweil Music synthesizers has attracted many famous musicians over the years, and Dave has enjoyed working directly with David Bowie, Roger Waters, Brian Wilson, Andrew Lloyd Weber, Heart, Bernie Worrell (Parliament/Funkadelic), and many others.

John Teele and Dave Weiser hanging out on stage 20 minutes before the Roger Waters: The Wall Live show at Boston Garden:

Wikipedia | Jon Carin (born October 21, 1964, in New York City, New York) is a producer, artist and musician best known for his association with Pink Floyd, and more specifically its guitarist David Gilmour and former member Roger Waters over the last 25 years. In the early eighties, he gained fame as the front-man for the band Industry.

During his time with Industry, the band had a breakthrough single “State of the Nation” in 1983 and was followed by the successful album Stranger to Stranger. Jon Carin is ranked #38 on Digital Dream Door’s list of “100 Greatest Rock Keyboardists of All Time.”

Videos with Kurzweil Music and Jon Carin: 

Videos from previous concerts:

Wikipedia | The Wall is the 11th studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. Released as a double album on 30 November 1979, it was subsequently performed live with elaborate theatrical effects, and adapted into a feature film, Pink Floyd — The Wall.

As with the band’s previous 3 studio albums The Wall is a concept album, and deals largely with themes of abandonment and personal isolation. It was first conceived during the band’s 1977 In the Flesh Tour, when bassist and lyricist Roger Waters’ frustration with the spectators’ perceived boorishness became so acute that he imagined building a wall between the performers and audience. The album is a rock opera that centres on Pink, a character based on Waters or maybe Syd Barrett. Pink’s life experiences contribute to his eventual self-imposed isolation from society, represented by a metaphorical wall.

Related:
Roger Waters
Kurzweil Music Systems

Kurzweil pro products will be shown at the large American Music and Sound booth, located in a prime spot on the main floor (booth # 6464). Along with the new PC3K and SP4-7, we’ll be unveiling the new 88 note SP4-8, which features Kurzweil’s best sounds taken from the PC3 in a lightweight (38lbs!) enclosure.

On the home digital piano side, we’ll be at the Young Chang booth on the second floor (booth # 207C). New products include the sleek, elegant CUP-2 (compact upright) as well as the very nicely priced Mark Pro 10. Both pianos include sounds taken directly from our acclaimed PC3 pro line.

During the evenings Kurzweil and AM&S will be hosting events at our suite on the 5th floor of the Hilton Hotel, which is adjacent to the convention center. We expect a number of high profile artists to be stopping by in addition to dealers and international distributors.

For more information please contact:
Kurzweil Sales, 800.431.2609
sales@kurzweil.com

V2.0 demonstrates our continued focus on the concept of non-obsolescence by design and our commitment to our customers, which lasts long after a Kurzweil keyboard is purchased.

One major improvement is the new Intuitive Info feature, which enables the PC3 to provide visual feedback in the display whenever a controller (slider, button, wheel, etc.) is used, letting the player know which parameter is being affected and by how much in real-time.This interactive user interface has been designed to make you feel like you’re using a musical instrument, not just a piece of hardware.

The PC3′s synthesis engine has undergone a few notable enhancements. Several new V.A.S.T. DSP oscillators have been added along with the ability to edit both keymaps and samples in ROM, opening up even more sonic possibilities than ever before.

“No one else in the industry supports their customers like this,” says Mike Papa, National Sales Manager for American Music and Sound. “Over two years after the initial release, the PC3 continues to evolve, improve and grow, letting our customers know that we are committed to non-obsolescence by design.”

The Kurzweil PC3X (Image: Kurzweil Music Systems)

New presets include acoustic pianos, synths, pads, FM electric pianos, over 100 new drum kits and a comprehensive collection of pipe organ stop settings. Both our KB3 tone-wheel organ simulator and rotary effects have been improved and have been receiving strong positive feedback from our beta testers.

As we move forward with future projects, Kurzweil customers can be safely assured that we will continue to support them and that we’re all in this together, for the long haul.

For additional info contact:
Kurzweil Support, tele 310.355.8052
Email: support@kurzweil.com

PC3X Overview: The Ultimate Performance Controller Keyboard

With a sleek new look on the outside, and an arsenal of Kurzweil’s latest cutting edge chip technology under its hood, the 88-note PC3X delivers 128 voices of incredible sound quality along with a host of powerful, easy to use features. The PC3X is Kurzweil’s ultimate performance controller keyboard, with an enormous collection of stunning sounds combined with comprehensive real-time controller functions. In addition to our renowned Triple Strike Grand Piano, the PC3X features hundreds of new sounds; basses, drums, guitars, and synths suited for every style and taste, along with a collection of flawless vintage keyboard emulations, KB3 Mode and over 250 orchestral and string section programs.

The PC3X’s new Dynamic V.A.S.T. architecture is a huge step forward in synthesis, the fruit of several major strides we’ve made in improving processing power, flexibility and user-friendliness. Good news for synth enthusiasts – we’ve seamlessly integrated our legendary VA-1 Virtual Analog Synthesizer into the new system! For good measure we include an unlimited-track sequencer with 960 PPQ resolution and more effects processing power than our acclaimed KSP8 processor, making the PC3X a full blown music production workstation.

Add in USB, flash xD card port, a newly designed keyboard action, and a new intuitive user interface, and you’ve got the next generation of Kurzweil instruments. It’s a performance controller. It’s a synthesizer. It’s a workstation.

Also see:
NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” official website
Video of Paul McCartney’s “Saturday Night Live” performance on Hulu

Paul McCartney on stage with a Kurzweil synthesizer, on "Saturday Night Live" in December 2010. (Image: NBC Universal, Inc.)

Click here to view the new Kurzweil PC3K8 brochure, which opens as an Adobe pdf.

In 1982, while giving me a tour of his new ‘Wonderland’ music studio, Stevie asked if it would be possible to build a bridge between the powerful control methods of computer music (in which a broad variety of input devices could be used to control any available sound) with the beautiful sounds of acoustic instruments such as the piano and guitar.

I thought about it, and concluded that it would be feasible. Kurzweil Music Systems was born in 1982 with Stevie Wonder as musical advisor. We showed a prototype of the Kurzweil 250 at the June 1983 NAMM show and people were amazed that both the look and feel of a grand piano was realistically captured in an electronic instrument for the first time. We started shipping the product in 1984 and it quickly became recognized as the first computerized instrument to faithfully capture the grand piano, which we confirmed in A-B tests with pianists.
 

Over the next quarter century we developed a succession of digital keyboards that maintained this leadership in realism while also providing a broad new palette of sounds and sound modification techniques that are only possible in the electronic world.

This was the vision that Stevie Wonder had articulated in 1982 and I was personally gratified that he felt satisfied that we had achieved it. Many other high profile artists (Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, The Who, Earth, Wind and Fire, the Boston Pops, Andrew Lloyd Webber to name a few) around the world seemed to agree.

A traditional reaction of musicians to our Kurzweil keyboards has often been “if only I could afford one.” That’s why am personally excited by the recent PC3 line ranging from the very affordable PC3LE to the top-of-the-line (but still very affordable)  PC3K. With the ability to load K2000/2500/2600 series sounds, the new PC3K demonstrates KMS’s commitment to non-obsolescence by design. Nearly twenty years worth of sound libraries, representing untold hours of work, can be utilized alongside the PC3K’s current 1000+ presets.

I have always felt that the type of technology that Kurzweil Music represents is highly democratizing. Years ago only the top studios and academic laboratories could afford technology that allowed flexible shaping of new sounds. Now these tools can be afforded by everyone from music students to weekend musicians. As technological advances continue to ramp up at an exponential pace, KMS will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, further blurring the line between music and machine.”

 – Ray Kurzweil
Founder and Chief Strategy Officer
Kurzweil Music Systems

Love Never Dies, a continuation of the epic story of The Phantom of the Opera, will open in London’s West End at the Adelphi Theatre in March of 2009 … with Kurzweil’s new PC3K serving as a cornerstone of the musical production. Long a favorite of Broadway and stage productions worldwide, the Kurzweil K2600 had for years played a crucial role in both the orchestration and performances of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s previous productions.

When it came time to begin work on Love Never Dies, Weber’s company contacted Kurzweil Music Systems about the possibility of developing an updated replacement for the K2600, an instrument with the powerful voice engine and MIDI implementation of the PC3 combined with the user sample memory of the K Series.

Thus, the PC3K project was born. Just as past major musical productions like Miss Saigon and Wicked have relied heavily upon the K2600′s Setup Mode functionality, Love Never Dies called for a level of detailed performance control that could only be found in a Kurzweil. Also, critical to the project would be the ability to load and re-use programs and samples that had been developed for the K series. Backwards-compatibility and “non-obsolescence by design” have been at the heart of Kurzweil product design for nearly two decades, making the collaboration a perfect fit from the outset. The PC3K’s support for .K26 files and its 128 MB of non-volatile user sample memory meant that Weber’s team would be able to seamlessly transition from the K series to the PC3K with minimal effort.

“When they approached us, we were absolutely thrilled to have a chance to work with them and spec out an instrument that would fulfill the needs of a modern, large-scale musical stage production,” stated Dave Weiser, Pro Product Marketing Manager for Kurzweil Music Systems. “What they were looking for in the way of features was consistent with all the things that had made Kurzweil so popular with high profile artists and productions in the past; the PC3K is just taking it to the next level. All that aside, everyone at Kurzweil R&D agreed that when Mr. Weber calls, you listen.”

The score calls for four PC3K’s being played alongside a small ensemble of real winds, strings and percussion. The keyboards have made it possible to re-create the massive sound of an 80 piece full orchestra utilizing a pit-sized group of musicians, with the digital instruments working to augment and enhance the acoustic ones.

After the world premiere in London in March, productions are planned for Broadway in November 2010 and for Sydney, Australia in 2011.

For more on Love Never Dies, click here. For more on the Kurzweil PC3K, visit the Kurzweil Music official website.

In addition to all of the innovative features that made the PC3 a major success, the PC3K features 128 MB of non-volatile user sample memory. Utilizing a breakthrough in sample flash technology, the PC3K allows user samples to remain intact after a power-cycle, with zero load time upon powering back on. The PC3K can load .WAV files, but more importantly, it can load legacy Kurzweil .K files from the K2000, K2500 and K2600 keyboards. This opens up a whole new world of sonic possibilities; users can now combine the PC3K’s unmatched Dynamic V.A.S.T. synthesis engine with the staggering library of K Series samples generated by users and developers alike for over 15 years.

Along with K Series samples, the PC3K will support the importing of most K Series keymaps, programs and setups, providing seamless integration for existing K series customers and an enticingly large collection of sounds for new Kurzweil users to explore. From Broadway performers and high profile pop stars to working players, the PC3K will allow musicians who’ve relied on Kurzweil for years to continue using their sounds with the next generation of our technology, without having to start over from scratch.

 Mike Papa, Kurzweil National Sales Manager for American Music and Sound, couldn’t be more thrilled.

“This is the breakthrough the industry has been waiting for – the added value of 18 years’ worth of K Series sound development is simply immeasurable. It’s mind-blowing to think that artists can continue to build upon the body of work they’ve been creating for just under two decades, when most other manufacturers require users to re-invent the wheel each time a new platform is introduced.”

In addition to the ability to load samples, the PC3K offers basic sample editing and full keymap editing. Of course, all of the features and presets that made the PC3 so popular are present as well; anti-aliasing VA oscillators, improved KB3 Mode, Classic Keys, Orchestral and String Sections sound sets, the renowned Kurzweil Grand Piano, Cascade Mode, 16 independent Riffs and arpeggiators, Song Mode and QA mode, unparalleled MIDI control, and the list goes on.

Another major improvement added to the PC3K is the inclusion of a USB host port to support the use of thumb-drives for data loading and storage as well as OS updates.

A Kurzweil PC3K8 keyboard is featured live on stage with Roger Daltrey and the Who at the Super Bowl’s halftime show on February 7, 2010.

click image to view the video

Ray Kurzweil appeared on the popular 1950s and 1960s quiz show “I’ve Got a Secret” to reveal that he had made a computer that could make music. Since those early days, Ray has come to define the computer age of music making.

Founder of Kurzweil Music, Ray designed some of the industry’s most noted electronic instruments of the 1980s and 1990s.

Ray was a pioneer in the field of optical character recognition (OCR) and he has published several highly successful books on technology and the future of intelligence including The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence released in 1999.

About NAMM | The Model for Industry Growth

Before there was an industry or an association, there was a belief…in music. That belief led to a mission: to unify, lead and strengthen the global music products industry and increase active participation in music making.

More than a century later, that mission has attracted a growing, thriving worldwide community of thousands of deeply passionate, talented companies that make, buy and sell the instruments that allow millions of people to make music. That community is called NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry.

NAMM is able to support the association’s mission with a business model based on a circle of benefits that promotes industry growth. The circle begins with the revenue derived from NAMM’s trade shows, which is channeled back into the industry through the NAMM Foundation’s funding of industry charities and in the form of advocacy and market-building programs and initiatives, further increasing public awareness. This leads to increased demand of music products, growing the industry and, ultimately, promoting trade show growth, which completes the circle. To support individual Members, NAMM offers industry education through NAMM University, publishes valuable one-of-a-kind statistical reports, and brings the industry together at events and global meetings.

Founded in 1901, NAMM has been the engine driving the music products industry, enabling both large and small businesses to maximize productivity and reduce the costs of doing business. With more than 9,000 Members in the United States and 100+ other countries, NAMM is ultimately dedicated to expanding the market and giving people of all ages the opportunity to experience the proven benefits of making music.

— NAMM Headquarters

Stevie Wonder with a Kurzweil keyboard.

25 years since the launch of Kurzweil’s K250 ground-breaking synthesizer, Stevie Wonder joined Ray Kurzweil for the launch of Kurzweil’s new flagship model, the PC3K. On Friday night, in a small suite at the Anaheim Hilton, an invited audience saw Kurzweil present Stevie with the new model who then enthralled the audience with an impromptu performance of two songs.

The PC3K keyboard expands the PC3 line to include key new features along with backwards compatibility with the legendary K Series product line. In addition to all of the innovative features that made the PC3 a major success, the PC3K features 128 MB of non-volatile user sample memory. Utilizing a breakthrough in sample flash technology, the PC3K allows user samples to remain intact after a power-cycle, with zero load time upon powering back on. The PC3K can load .WAV files, but more importantly, it can load legacy Kurzweil .K files from the K2000, K2500 and K2600 keyboards.

This opens up a whole new world of sonic possibilities; users can now combine the PC3K’s unmatched Dynamic V.A.S.T. synthesis engine with the staggering library of K Series samples generated by users and developers alike for over 15 years.

Along with K Series samples, the PC3K will support the importing of most K Series keymaps, programs and setups, providing seamless integration for existing K series customers and an enticingly large collection of sounds for new Kurzweil users to explore. From Broadway and West End performers and high profile pop stars to working players, the PC3K will allow musicians who’ve relied on Kurzweil for years to continue using their sounds with the next generation of our technology, without having to start over from scratch.

Mike Papa, Kurzweil National Sales Manager for American Music and Sound, couldn’t be more thrilled. “This is the breakthrough the industry has been waiting for – the added value of 18 years’ worth of K Series sound development is simply immeasurable. It’s mind-blowing to think that artists can continue to build upon the body of work they’ve been creating for just under two decades, when most other manufacturers require users to re-invent the wheel each time a new platform is introduced.”

In addition to the ability to load samples, the PC3K offers basic sample editing and full keymap editing. Of course, all of the features and presets that made the PC3 so popular are present as well; anti-aliasing VA oscillators, improved KB3 Mode, Classic Keys, Orchestral and String Sections sound sets, the renowned Kurzweil Grand Piano, Cascade Mode, 16 independent Riffs and arpeggiators, Song Mode and QA mode, unparalleled MIDI control, and the list goes on.

Another major improvement added to the PC3K is the inclusion of a USB host port to support the use of thumb-drives for data loading and storage as well as OS updates.

I shared some anecdotes from my 33 year friendship with Stevie and 25 year history of Kurzweil Music.

Stevie shared his thoughts about the same history, said some gracious things, and sang a couple of songs using a Kurzweil PC3K keyboard I presented to him (our new flagship instrument).

Click here for a detailed product description of the  Kurzweil PC3 family of products and the recent PC3X innovative Performance Controller Keyboard:  ”The PC3X’s new Dynamic V.A.S.T. architecture is a huge step forward in synthesis, the fruit of several major strides we’ve made in improving processing power, flexibility and user-friendliness.”

— Ray Kurzweil, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Kurzweil Music Systems

© Upbeat Daily, 2010 | The Official NAMM Show Publication

At the heart of every SP model is the famous Kurzweil Grand Piano sound. We started with the highest quality samples and then used a powerful synth engine behind the scenes to make them truly come to life as only Kurzweil could.

Pristine reverbs, which decay into complete silence, add the finishing touch to a sound which has come to be known as an industry standard worldwide.

The SP3x builds on the design of the highly successful SP2x with an expanded sound set of 512 programs. In addition to pianos, the SP3x offers a wide variety of other top notch sounds, including winds, voices, synths, brass, bass, guitar and ensembles. With a wide range of sounds, effects and extensive MIDI controller capabilities, the SP3x  is equally well suited for use on stage, at home, or in the studio, and is perfect for worship based music.

The SP2XS joins the SP2 and SP3 to round out the product line, providing an option for players who need a high quality built-in sound system in a professional grade instrument. With a custom 20 watt per channel power amplifier and matched, high efficiency speakers with full range 3×5″ drivers, the sound system has been optimized for the SP2XS’s enclosure, delivering stunning sound quality.

“I kept looking for external speakers – I couldn’t believe that what I was hearing was coming out of the keyboard itself. Simply amazing!”, says Kurzweil national sales manager, Jeff Dunmire.

The SP2XS and the SP3x are both currently available | click here to see more on the KMS website

click here to watch the video from MSNBC

Kurzweil, who founded Kurzweil Music in 1982, will work with Kurzweil Music Systems management on technology strategy and will also be a primary spokesperson for the company.

Ray Kurzweil (L) accepts award from Mike Papa at NAMM

At the recent NAMM convention, piano maker Young Chang North America (acquired by Hyundai in 2006) and Kurzweil Music Systems jointly presented “Life Achievement Awards” to Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, and Ray Kurzweil in its 50th Anniversary Celebration.

“We were very proud to honor Ray Kurzweil, Stevie Wonder and Billy Joel,” said Kurzweil Music Systems national sales manager Joe Papa. “Stevie tried to turn down his award, stating that he wanted to ‘give his to Ray Kurzweil, who really deserves it.”

When the crowd of dealers, Young Chang/Kurzweil executives, musicians, and music industry people heard that Ray will be working as a consultant with Kurzweil Music Systems, they let out a cheer with loud applause.”

“The combination of Kurzweil Music’s strong core technology, with the new Kurzweil ‘Mara’ chip technology, which is stronger than anything else in the industry, and strong brand with Hyundai’s resources, management excellence, and manufacturing reliability will be unbeatable,” said Kurzweil in an impromptu acceptance speech.

At NAMM, Kurzweil Music Systems also introduced the Kurzweil PC3, “the ultimate performance controller keyboard, offering an enormous collection of stunning preset sounds, comprehensive real-time controller functions, 128 high quality channels, and the power of a full blown workstation.”

Ray Kurzweil (left) accepts award from Mike Papa at NAMM.

Hyundai has appointed Ray Kurzweil as Chief Strategy Officer of Kurzweil Music Systems. Hyundai, one of the world’s largest corporations, plans to work with Ray Kurzweil to “build Kurzweil Music Systems into one of the largest music instruments brands in the world,” Kurzweil stated.

Kurzweil, who founded Kurzweil Music Systems, Inc. in 1982, will work with Kurzweil Music Systems management on technology strategy and will also be a primary spokesperson for the company.

At the recent NAMM convention, piano maker Young Chang North America (acquired by Hyundai in 2006) and Kurzweil Music Systems jointly presented “Life Achievement Awards” to Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, and Ray Kurzweil in its 50th Anniversary Celebration.

“We were very proud to honor Ray Kurzweil, Stevie Wonder and Billy Joel,” said Kurzweil Music Systems national sales manager Mike Papa.

“Stevie tried to turn down his award, stating that he wanted to ‘give his to Ray Kurzweil, who really deserves it. When the crowd of dealers, Young Chang/Kurzweil executives, musicians, and music industry people heard that Ray will be working as a consultant with Kurzweil Music Systems, they let out a cheer with loud applause.”

“The combination of Kurzweil Music’s strong core technology, with the new Kurzweil ‘Mara’ chip technology, which is stronger than anything else in the industry, and strong brand with Hyundai’s resources, management excellence, and manufacturing reliability will be unbeatable,” said Kurzweil in an impromptu acceptance speech.

At NAMM, Kurzweil Music Systems also introduced the Kurzweil PC3X, “the ultimate performance controller keyboard, offering an enormous collection of stunning preset sounds, comprehensive real-time controller functions, 128 high quality channels, and the power of a full blown workstation.”

Dave Weiser, Kurzweil Music Systems | Hip hop legend and film composer RZA talks to Terry Gross on NPR. He talks about Kurzweil Music, its VAST (Variable Architecture Synthesis) technology, and his personal technique starting at 9:45. Listen to the full audio interview below.

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NPR Fresh Air
RZA | Myspace
RZA presents #WuWednesday