Vintage Synth Explorer

Kawai • K3

The K3 uses the same technologies as the popular K1. Although it was among the first from Kawai, it is surpassed by the K1 and K5. The K3 is a wavetable synthesizer. It has 32 waveforms, some of which are samples of acoustic instruments like piano and percussion as well as some unique waveforms. By combining two of these waveforms you can create unique new sounds or add a twist to a traditional sound. Since there are only 32 of these waveforms, the K3 also features a programmable digital waveform where you can tweak the harmonic content of a waveform allowing for added flexibility and range of sounds.

What's really neat about the K3 is that (unlike the K1) it has analog filters and envelopes! So although the sound may be digital at first, it sure does get warmed going through the filter. The low pass resonant filter even has its own envelope generator. There's also a hi pass filter and a highly flexible LFO. The K3 is an interesting synth, nicely bridging the gap between the analog and digital domain of vintage synthesizers. The K3M is a rackmount module version of the K3. The K3 has been used by Jan Hammer and Patrick O'Hearn.

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Posting Rules: Please keep your comments relevant! Do not post requests for help, do not use for sales, do not post unless you have something interesting to say about this instrument, or we may delete your post.

 

Steven Pelchat

Posted 134 days ago

Grabbed it for 90 bucks at Daddy's Junky Music store. Most voices written over with the same voice. Did a system reset to factory default and all voices came back to their preset value. Build like a tank or even a BBW. Rock solid and heavy. Nice feel to the keys and sound is retro-cool. Very nasal and thick. Farted around with the analog filters, OSC,VCF and VCA. Pushbuttons real easy to program and unlike the Digital stuff like a D10 or D110, you don't have to dig into the levels of menues and learn the button functions. Quick and dirty-just like it sounds. Also own D110,JV1080,XV3080, K1,K4,K5,XD5 and K4r.

Steve Pelchat

jjb

Posted 167 days ago

People keep saying it has no midi through - that isn't true, it does, and it works just fine.

Mitch

Posted 172 days ago

<< it is surpassed by the K1 and K5 >>

That's bull [beep] , K3 has got analog filters, analog chorus and stuffs. K1 is just a cold PCM crap, how can it surpass the mighty K3 ?

CR

Posted 201 days ago

@Jon Hall

I use a RC-2 cart in my K3, and I'm fairly sure that it will work in a k3m as well.

Jon Hall

Posted 239 days ago

I came across a Kawai RC-2 A Memory Cartridge that I believe fits the Kawai K3m ... is this true ??

Any info would be appreciated

hawgryder@cox.net

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