Categories
Sound Chip

Kurzweil Contemporary ROM Soundblock

 Kurzweil K2000 sound expansion chip with pop/rock/new age/jazz/fusion etc. samples

(image from kurzweilmusicsystems.com )

The Kurzweil K2000 Contemporary ROM Soundblock is a ROM chip containing many new samples and patches for the K2000.

It features 100 new programs (typically loaded in the “800” Program directory) and 50 new Setups (also typically loaded in the “800” Setup directory), but of course it’s possible to use this chip as the base for custom sounds. Since this expansion is ROM, there is nothing to load, and the programs and setups are readily available as soon as the synthesizer boots up.

The quality of this board is outstanding – Quite a few years have passed since its original release, but even today, these are some really high-quality samples and programs, and a superb addition to a K2000 series synth.

The electric guitars, Clavinet, percussion, and brass in particular are incredibly realistic… but all the other sounds are very good as well.

One thing I noticed early on, is how well all these new sounds “gel” together when they are recorded in the same mix. The Kurzweil engineers have done a great job of meticulously sampling all the nuances and tonal character of each instrument, and present them in a way that is extremely playable, recordable, and ultimately, very enjoyable for a musician/keyboard player.

Check out some of the sounds from this expansion chip.

Kurzweil Contemporary ROM Soundblock audio demos

Programs

Setups

The Contemporary ROM Soundblock came with an additional diskette that offered many more programs.  Many of these extra programs are standouts, especially the tone wheel organs!  Check out audio demos from this diskette:

Contemporary ROM Programs and Demos diskette

Kurzweil K2000 Contemporary ROM Soundblock links

kurzweil.com

Categories
Patch Library

Best of Analog – Andrew Schlesinger / New Age

 K2000 format program diskette

The Kurzweil K2000 “Best of Analog” diskette was programmed by Andrew Schlesinger and offers a directory for Analog and one for New Age.

The “Analog” offering is particularly strong, with outstanding emulations of classic synthesizers.

The “New Age” folder is also quite charming, offering, among others, the classic Korg M1 “Lore” sample as the base of several well-crafted patches.

Kurzweil K2000 “Best of Analog” audio demos

ANALOG dir.

NEWAGES dir.

Kurzweil K2000 “Best of Analog” specs

Year of release:1990s
Disk type:Floppy disk
Directories:Two

Kurzweil K2000 “Best of Analog” links

kurzweil.com

Categories
Music Software Software

Magix Dance Factory

Sample CDs + application in Acid style, including virtual instruments (4 CD-ROM set)

Magix Dance Factory specs (From the factory notes:)

Be your own DJ mix master and create amazing sounding dance mixes.

Dance Factory lets you be the DJ.  Start jamming today and create awesome hit mixes and DJ loops.  Record up to 32 tracks and experiment with the massive selection of sound samples included.  And if you can’t find that perfect sample you’re looking for, create your own original WAV files for the funkiest sounds.  You have total control so let your imagination go wild!

Pick your favorite dance style from techno, drum ‘n bass, trance, rap, gabba, pop, house, hip hop or rave.  Create in all tempos ranging from 70 to 240 BPM.  Drag-and drop samples, mix in a drum pattern, and then crank the volume.  For the very best sound, modify reverb and flanger effects and add in your very own vocals using the Vocalizer.  You’ll definitely blow your friends away!

So get your party started today with Dance Factory!  Create dance mixes in minutes and save them as CD-quality WAVs.  Listen to your recordings on your computer or burn them right to CD (using your CD recording software and CD recorder).  Best of all, you won’t need hours of music lessons.  Perfect for the music and dance lover in all of us.

Making dance jams has never been so easy!

(The package contains a few virtual instruments:)

BDM 2    Create bass and drum patterns.

Vocalizer    Record your own vocals and add reverb, phaser and pitch effects.

DB 303    Synthesizer to create your own acid house loops with amazing effects.

Live Jam    Choose your samples and jam in real time as you mix your track.

Melody Maker    Produce new melodies with just a few mouse clicks.

Amazing Features!

Record up to 32 tracks
Create your own WAV files
3,000 WAV samples included
Mix Arranger for easy song creations
Over 30 completed songs included
Save mixes as CD-quality WAV’s
Add effect for enhanced CD quality
Sample Library for easy selection of samples
Import WAV files from other programs

System Requirements:

Pentium 166 MMX – Windows 95/98 with 32 MB of RAM
800×600 high color graphics – 120 MB hard disk space
4 X CD-ROM drive – 16 bit sound card

Magix Dance Factory audio demos

Check out these two on-board audio demos:

Magix Dance Factory – comments

It received a Future Music Platinum Award.

Covers:

  • techno
  • drum ‘n bass
  • trance
  • rap
  • gabba
  • pop
  • house
  • hip hop
  • rave

Magix Dance Factory photos

Magix Dance Factory links

www.magix.com

Categories
Sample CD

Stand By Music Pro. B-3 Organ – The Legend

Sample CD

This is a sample CD from a German company – Stand By Music Pro. – that I bought in early ’90s.  I used it quite a bit and built a few very good velocity-switch Hammond patches on my Roland W-30 at the time.

This is an audio CD containing B-3 notes, sampled every semitone.

Here’s the on board demo:

Stand By Music Pro. B-3 Organ – The Legend audio demo

Categories
Digital Accompaniment Keyboard Keyboard

Casio CTK-601

Auto-accompaniment keyboard

Casio CTK-601 audio demos

(For web-space and time reasons, I recorded only the most significant, well-programmed rhythms and the most good-sounding and intriguing tones)

The two Casio CTK-601 factory demos:

Demo song 0
Demo song 1

Casio CTK-601 rhythms

Casio CTK-601 tones

Casio CTK-601 photos

Casio CTK-601 manual

Casio CTK-601 specs

  • light and portable;
  • surprisingly some very good sounds;
  • good accompaniment programming;
  • powerful, crisp on-board speakers

A great little keyboard!  Best Buy used to sell these for very little money, and I got one new.  Its set of General MIDI sounds is pretty good, and the synthesizer section offers a great way to shape your own sounds very easily.

Year of release1990s
Polyphony24-voice
Presets200 (168 ROM + 32 User) tones
Rhythms100, with auto-accompaniments
Keyboard61 keys (five octaves)
Responds to velocityyes
Sound generation methodPCM
MIDIyes, in-out
Sound expansion capabilitiesNo
Effectsdigital reverb (Room, Stage, Hall)
Controlspitch bender (a bit awkward to use)
Outputsstereo output/headphones
Displayyes, LCD non-backlit

Casio CTK-601 links

https://www.casio.com/products/electronic-musical-instruments