The Kawai K1
Digital Synthesizer (1988)

 

Cult low-fidelity synthesizer based on 8-bits short-cycled waveforms.

A must for noisy textures and raw sounds. Sadly the K1 misses filter structure, later implemented on revamp model k4.

KEYBOARD 61 keys with velocity and aftertouch.
Main panel features a 16 x 2 lines LCD display (now some modern OLED replacements are available), 26 buttons, a data slider, a vector joystick and 2 wheels for pitch bending and modulation.

Back panel terminal connectors:
- Midi interface
- main signal out + AUX out
- footswitch pedal input.

Power supply is external with 12V DC, any general PSU AC/DC 9/12V is OK with correct polarity -)+ and amp rate.

 

TECH a 8-bits cpu NEC D78310G manages up to 16 oscillators or voices polyphony- relative DAC is a uPD-6355G. Each K1 voice is composed by a maxium of 4 assigned waves or SOURCES with a simple ringmodulator (only fixed depth) which modules the sources.

hear ringmodulator

WAVETABLE ROM contains 256 waves at 8-bits resolution organized in 2 families:

- PCM acoustics: 52 waves sampled from true percussions & drums.

- VM cyclic waveforms 204 waves: generated by additive synthesis process out of 128 harmonics
composed by 2 sub-categories:

* BASIC classic basic waveforms e.g square, saw and sine. * FREQUENCY RANGE are spectral transients e.g piano, strings, brass, lead, bell and organ. hear all PCM waves / some VM waves

PERFORMANCE machine manages up to 8 parts with individual parameters:

- keyboard zone assign - voices reserve (with variable priority) - mix gain level - Midi channel assign - semitone transpose - pitch tune -18 preset velocities curves but no possible edit

ENVELOPE a 4-segments + 1 time EG DADSR for each source.

LEFT - Vector joystick controls a global mix amplitude EG moving between 4 oscillators hear pad vector

LFO a single oscillator (4 shapes: triangle, sawtooth, square and random) modulates 2 destinations:

- LFO to pitch - LFO to amplitude HEAR all lfo WAVES

MEMORY (RAM chip is a NEC D4464C9):
- 64 RAM standard patches
- 32 RAM multitimbral
RAM is doubled with memory card model DC8, also compatible with DC16 and DC32.

LEFT Battery replacement: soldered lithium battery 3V Cr-2032

MIDI standard implementation with just a few CC# but full compliant to Midi Exclusives data for both edit and backup.

OS latest official is 1.3 on 27c256 eprom

DOWNLOAD BIN it for free update -

MODIFICATION

Our K1m model has been mutilated and bent: sound is just crazy hear XP circuit bend K1 demo

 

EDIT there are some editors like:

- soundquest (mac/pc) PIC - soundiver (mac/pc) - soundlib (pc) - caged artist (Atari ST) PIC - K1 edit (Atari ST) shareware) PIC - Kawai K1 editor (Commodore Amiga) PIC

K1 - related machines

k1r rackmount version without joystick   k1m desktop version       K1 II: reverb + new drum waveforms K1 rII: rackount K1 II version minus joystick and effect DSP

 

VST PLUGIN / SAMPLED VERSION no K1 VST plugin emulation for the moment, just some free and commercial samples set:

kungrille

free (cycled waves)

n/a

ADVERT GALLERY:

 

DEMO: full track: only K1 full track: by J.Noyce full track: Multi mode 1 ambient: 1 - 2 Vector: strings Synth: 1 - 2 - 3 Noise: 1 - 2 piano: midi - rhodes organ: farfisa like brass: saturday night percussion: Klendathu XP: all PCM waves XP: first VM waves XP: ringmod s1>s2 XP: all LFO waves have some k1 demo? upload!

original brochure

Sample SHOP Report Error DONATE

500 free sounds for k1 k1m k1r - all card dumps.

original bag (ebay)