The K1 is one of Kawai's most economic digital synthesizers in the K-series. The K1 has 256 digital samples of waveforms, 50 of which are from acoustic instruments. You combine up to four wave shapes to create very new and unique sounds. The K1 is capable of very good acoustic recreation, excellent unique synth sounds or at times, completely noisy walls of complex sound.

(click to enlarge)

The K1 comes in many options: the K1m module/desktop version and the rackmount K1r (pictured above). It makes a great entry-level or back-up synth. Budget digital D-50-like synthesis doesn't get much better than this! It is used by Cirrus and Lab-4.

34 VISITOR COMMENTS

Johnclive021

August 20, 2011 @ 4:23 am

I have a K1 keyboard and a K1r I want to transfer the voices from the K1 to the rack, tried the Blok dump but only the patch names have changed not voices, any ideas on how to do this.

gridsleep

August 18, 2011 @ 11:48 am

Why is there no Kawai K-2 synthesizer? There is a K-2 upright piano. No K-2 synth. I don't think the K-1 II counts. Another one of those mysteries, methinks. Has anyone ever seen one? I'm going to have to ask the guys at Kawai tech support.

gridsleep

August 8, 2011 @ 5:57 pm

With 256 source sounds, being able to use 1 to 4 in a performance, yields 4,195,023,360 separate soundscapes before modulation. For such a simple synthesizer, that is more than a lifetime of experimentation. It really sounds much better than one would think. I was surprised when I first started using it. If you just remember that you are after the sound, not the hype, this can do as well as a Motif or other high powered workstation.

lammergyer

April 29, 2011 @ 11:28 am

After digging into the programming parameter menus and testing the individual waveforms, I've discovered part of the secret of this synth's appeal is that the envelopes and effects are part of the waveform itself. I think the designers planned this somewhat brilliantly. Leave out expensive effects and filter chips and put a ton of waveforms that are so unusual that, when combined, create a totally unfamiliar sound. As for programmers, the K1 is as fun as the DX7 and Korg DSS1. 'Stravinski' blends beautifully with Korg's Cathedral organ patches.

justin

April 24, 2011 @ 2:12 am

Larry youre a hateful dumbass.

Before you cast the blame, maybe you should understand the most basic of information about something you plan on using.

Just a thought.

Oh yeah, you need to plug it in to SOME [beep] ING SPEAKERS YOU DIP [beep] !!!

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