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.

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.

Richard

March 9, 2012 @ 5:34 am

Wishy, washy, noisy and kinda warm pads, and little else. It was a bargain in its time, but has been superseded left, right and centre by so many synths that it just looks sad in 2012. It's always fun to play with for a bit before turning to more serious and more useful synths, and it will linger in kid's bedrooms for a long time to come.

Johan

March 7, 2012 @ 12:08 pm

The presets are very "late 80's standard rompler stuff" all trying to emulate real instruments basically (as most synths at that time) but start programming and it will sound anything from very soft to pure evil!! I've made some great patches on this machine, maybe it's time to upload a demo.

Steve

February 23, 2012 @ 6:56 am

Hi I wanted to share with everyone that great feeling when you open the K1r box for the first time.

I bought one when they first came out, sold it a few years later (to my regret) and re-bought one Christmas 2011 for next to nothing.

I've been able to (almost) put together the entire package in near mint condition. I think I only miss the sticker you got with the thing.

Part 1 - Box and instrument - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCidPmBYrEw
Part 2- Manuals and Waveforms - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYCavnaKlJo

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.

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