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 high 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.

STRL

March 31, 2011 @ 9:08 pm

The K3 is the best of the cheaper digital waveform/analogue filter hybrids in my opinion. Sure the ESQ1, SQ80 and DW8000 have more programming options, but as for the basic sound of the instrument, the K3 wins every time.

Lamster

February 27, 2011 @ 4:28 pm

Wrong it only weighs 5 million Lbs in the flight Case. The K3 is a personal taste. It does what it does and you either love it or hate it. Before I got mine I had Mono synths and a Korg Poly 800 so I loved it as it did so much more. The poly800 layout is similar so if you understood that the K3 is second nature. Ok so on the p800 you had to select the parameter and press buttons up down and sideways. On the K3 you press the parameter button and waggle the data wheel. But the K3 is far far far more classy. Also some K3's had wooden end cheeks either that or patterned plastic to look like it

Teleny

January 14, 2011 @ 10:24 pm

I hated this big old heavy beast. (It must weigh 6 million pounds!) There was a lot of hype about it, but I never really liked it's metallicy sound. Granted, I'm not much into programming-more of a player, but this thing was LIMITED. I was never happier than the day I sold it... That was back in the 90s. I can see no reason why anyone would want one now unless it was $5. I say that and I love the K4. But the K3 is just not very useful.

Lamster

December 21, 2010 @ 10:31 am

I'm not a techno knob jockey It's not analogy hype the hype was lovely digital quality sound when we were all encouraged to part with are old synths so we could buy a DX7. Even the best emulated stuff from the like of arturia or native doesnt cut it against the real thing. It gets close but no cigar it just lacks the warmth and the atmosphere. the K3 however does have a certain presence about it.

mik303

November 26, 2010 @ 2:13 am

I were looking for a K3M for a quite sometime and I finally managed to get one with a memcard. I checked the insides and it seems to be using the SSM2044 filter chip (mutator uses the same ssm also). Unlike the guy below, I think that SSM is one of the best filters you can have on a synth. It makes the tone better even if you are not a plain filter jerking wannabe techno guy like me. I also think that the internal waveforms are really useful. It's refreshing to have a synth that has more waveforms than the basic saw/square. It might not be a modulation monster but my K3M is filled with very impressive synthpads from the previous owner. I also have many other good synthesizers: JP8, SUNSYN, A6 Omega8, Voyager, MKS-50 MKS-70, MKS-80, ESQ-M, MW1, EX-8000 etc and I can honestly say that my Kawai is just as important than any of them.

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