Back to navigation


Kurzweil’s Affordable V.A.S.T. Performance Workstation





This article was


Written By





Our Product Research Team





Get to know them!





The Kurzweil PC4 SE performance controller and synth workstation may be affordable, but it’s not stripped down. In fact, it puts the stunning sound quality and many of the performance control features of its bigger sibling, the PC4 within reach of more musicians than ever before. Featuring massive polyphony, a modern 6-operator FM engine, a 16-track sequencer, and more, the Kurzweil PC4 SE delivers a powerful update of the company’s renowned V.A.S.T. synthesis technology. The PC4 SE packs their patented FlashPlay technology, 256-voice polyphony and powerful DSP into a portable performance controller and synth workstation designed to meet the demanding requirements of professional performing artists, songwriters, and studio musicians. The PC4 SE’s 88-note, Real Piano Hammer Action (RPHA) keybed is velocity-sensitive and gives you the sublime feel of an acoustic grand piano.





Related Videos: PC4 SE 88-key Performance Controller / Synth Workstation





NOW PLAYING:


Why Buy Your Keyboard From Sweetwater? | Daniel Fisher





How to Shop for a MIDI Controller Online


Never run out of amazing sounds again





If you frequently find yourself scrounging for truly great sounds, a bounteous sonic cornucopia awaits! The PC4 SE is loaded with over 1,500 expertly sound-designed factory presets. We would be remiss if we didn’t single out two stunning, highly optimized, renowned concert grand pianos ? a 9-foot German model and vintage Japanese 7-footer ? both with breathtakingly realistic Kurzweil String Resonance (KSR) modeling. Modeled after classic tonewheel organs, KB3 ToneReal Organs mode gives you hands-on control of 9 drawbars, rotary speed, chorus/vibrato, brake, percussion and more. Also included are a broad selection of sounds from Kurzweil’s K2700, PC4, and PC3 Series as well as the KORE 64 expansion.





The immediacy of hands-on, realtime control





Equipped with 23 programmable physical controllers ? including dedicated Split and Layer buttons for on-the-fly split and layer combinations ? the PC4 SE provides the immediacy of hands-on, realtime control. The intuitive, streamlined user interface consists of a brilliant 4.3-inch color LCD display, dedicated front-panel transposition and tempo controls, LED-backlit pitchbend and modulation wheels, programmable knobs and sliders, switches, fast categorized instrument selection, dedicated arpeggiator and sequencer transport controls, and more. In addition to MIDI I/O and USB/MIDI, The PC4 SE provides flexible connectivity that includes jacks for two switch pedals (with half-damper support) and one continuous-controller pedal, plus a USB-to-device port that accepts a thumb drive for external storage.





Powerful features ? and a monster FM Synth engine





With 2GB of factory sample content, an additional 2GB of user storage, and up to five Zones in Multi Mode, the PC4 SE shines as both a performance controller and synth workstation. The PC4 SE comes loaded with over 1,500 handcrafted factory programs, a versatile FX engine with full editing capabilities, a 16-track Sequencer, five Arpeggiators, five Riff Generators, flexible MIDI control with 5 MIDI CC Step Sequencers, and extensive native V.A.S.T. editing capabilities. But the star of the show just might be the powerful 6-operator FM synthesis engine that natively imports original ’80s and ’90s FM SysEx files!





Award-winning Kurzweil effects onboard





The PC4 SE is equipped with 32 powerful FX units and over 1000 complex FX chains, integrated into programs featuring award-winning Kurzweil effects. Avail yourself of studio-grade reverbs, delays, choruses, flangers, phasers, distortions, rotary speakers, compressors, and more. Also onboard is a global Master FX section with 3-band EQ and Compression.





FlashPlay technology loads sounds instantly





One of the features keyboardists at Sweetwater love about the PC4 SE is its ability to load any sound instantly. Kurzweil calls it FlashPlay technology, and it means you’ll never slow down or botch a performance due to loading times. You’ve got 2GB of killer sounds in the Kurzweil PC4 SE ? all with zero load time ? giving the PC4 SE a staggering amount of horsepower you’ll appreciate whether you’re wowing an audience onstage or impressing collaborators in the studio. Kurzweil knows what you need to perform with confidence, and you get it all in the PC4 SE.





Kurzweil PC4 SE 88-key Performance Controller / Synth Workstation Features:


88-note, velocity-sensitive Real Piano Hammer Action (RPHA) keybed


4.3-inch, 480 x 272 high-resolution color LCD with adjustable brightness and full-time on-screen help tips


Real-time, hands-on control with 23 programmable controllers


Pitch and Mod wheels; dedicated Transpose controls


256 voices of V.A.S.T. polyphony


2GB of factory sounds plus 2GB of user storage


Find sounds quickly with categorized sound selection


Store and recall 250 Programs/Multis via 5 Favorites buttons (x 50 banks)


FlashPlay technology with zero load time


1500 factory programs; 4000 user programs


6-operator FM Engine with the ability to import original ’80s and ’90s FM SysEx files


KB3 ToneReal Organs with realistic drawbars, rotary speed, chorus/vibrato, brake, percussion


9 sets of programmable knobs, sliders, and buttons


Dedicated Split and Layer buttons


Extensive native V.A.S.T. editing capabilities


16-track Sequencer with dedicated front-panel transport buttons


5 simultaneous Arpeggiators (Classic or Step) with dedicated front-panel controls


5 MIDI CC Step Sequencers


5 simultaneous Riff Generators


Dedicated front-panel transposition and tempo controls


Ribbon connector input


USB/MIDI (A and B ports), USB-to-device


2 x 1/4-inch balanced TRS analog outputs (32-bit DAC)


Rear-panel 1/4-inch headphone output


2 switch pedals inputs (with half-damper support); 1 CC pedal input


Sustain/switch pedal included (half-damper pedal sold separately)


External power supply (included)