BTW, what was that model of Kurzweil again? I can try some searching too.
K2500X. From 1996!!! I am having to scurry to find 1.4 disks. I found a box on Amazon. The OS updates, from my reading, were wonky and there were cases that in upgrading the OS the sounds got scrambled. I don't have the media to reload the sounds. (I know some here would say "Then just keep running the 27 year old OS, but I don't roll that way. I also drive a car rather that a horse drawn buggy.) What disks I have here are NOT high density so I can only format them to 720k. The process requires 1.4mb disks.
I joined a Kurzweil forum similar to this and immediately saw the same mix of nice people and pompous braggards and jerks as I see here. (Any wonder why I am so "popular"?) On the first thread I looked at I had to endure some azzclown telling us about his brand new Prophet 10, which had NOTHING to do with the topic outside of him wanting to brag that he has a Prophet 10. That braggadocio really rubs me wrong. I guess forums everywhere have that element...
I read that page in the 147 page manual I had printed and bound and it doesn't do what I want. This board has a daughterboard in it. To that daughterboard ROMS get plugged in. Those ROMs are then loaded with software on the 1.4 disks I need to find. There is no way I have found yet short of taking the thing apart to see if that daughterboard is installed and if so, how many ROM boards are installed on it. I can see that I have no sounds between 199 and 770, then no 800s. The 900s are populated. That is the "orchestral" set. There are 3. Piano, contemporary and orchestral. From what I can surmise I have base, piano and orchestral installed.
This is a huge problem with used gear that requires deep knowledge. My friend is supposed to call me tonight and we will compare the contents of mine with the contents of his. He has everything available. And here's where the ugly starts is that even if he dumps everything he has and tries to install it here, without knowing if I have 3 ROM blocks or not would make that a really tenuous path. I KNOW that I have 1 ROM block to be able to have the orchestral block installed. This is worse than long division!!
Steve, earlier today I posted on that group. I just said hello, that I am a newb to Kurzweil, and that I guarantee I'll have a LOT of questions as time goes by.
A guy replied that if I wasn't smart enough to read the manual and learn what I needed to learn that I probably shouldn't have bought the keyboard. He then went on to do a major flex, boasting to me about how well HE can program it.
THAT is the kind of guy that keeps people from posting. Also the kind of guy I want to track down and punch several times. And then give him a heel stomp to the head while he is laying flat on the ground. And to quote Ivan Drago, "If he dies, he dies..."
Why do so many people suck? Is there really a need to rub stuff in people faces like that? I've had this thing for less than 2 weeks!!
I'm sure that you know this but just in case you have forgotten the musician whom boast the loudest are the ones whom can't play. Be very careful of a quiet musician. They are the ones that can blow you away with their chops.
At least that has been my observations. YMMV
Life is short so make sure you spend as much time as possible on the Internet arguing with strangers.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
A guy replied that if I wasn't smart enough to read the manual and learn what I needed to learn that I probably shouldn't have bought the keyboard. He then went on to do a major flex, boasting to me about how well HE can program it.
Wow. What an a$$ hole.
As much as I am a firm believer that one should avail oneself of the documentation as their first resort, I also understand that - with all due respect extended but none intended - it is usually written by engineers, with all that implies.
Sometimes they can be really poorly written and hard to understand. Sometimes the information is just missing. And sometimes the manual is just flat out wrong. I've seen all of those.
Byron Dickens
BIAB. CbB. Mixbus 32C 8 HP Envy. Intel core i7. 16GB RAM W10. Focusrite Scarlett 18i 20. Various instruments played with varying degrees of proficiency.
Well all of that is good to know, Notes, (and a great flex, by the way) but the question really meant "How complex of a piece of gear will you tolerate"? This Kurzweil is a fantastic sounding board but the manual is like advanced calculus. 147 pages of complex information similar to what the Chinese train schedules must have looked like. <...snip...>
I understand and feel your pain
I have a Roland XV-5050 that I bought to use with my Wind MIDI controller. I'm sure it's a very powerful unit, but the manual is way beyond my synth programming knowledge. It may as well be written with Kanji characters for me. I wouldn't understand it any less if it did.
My solution: I went to a company called Patchman Music, and Matt the programmer also plays and makes patches for wind synthesis.
I mostly use a Yamaha VL70m for wind synthesis. It's physical modeling synthesis makes it seem like I am playing an instrument, instead of controlling a synthesizer. I can modify patches on the VL to suit my playing style, I can't even begin to that with the XV.
However, the VL is monophonic. If I want to play a horn section, all I get is one horn.
The XV is polyphonic. The Patchman bank has a nice horn section. Plus it has a few other things the VL lacks, a good steel drum, B3, vibes plus voice patch and a few more that are great for background parts, but unlike the VL, not as expressive for leads.
The XV also comes with thousands of other patches that I'll probably never use because I can't figure out how to even modify them for wind synthesis. But that's OK, it does what I bought it to do.
I actually know this guy. He lives 20 minutes from me and works out of his home. I talked to him when I was looking for a specific thing for an Ensoniq board. I dated a girl many years back that lived on the next street over from him.
The thing is, he does sounds. I need help with the actual keyboard. I will email him but this question is so specific I am not optimistic. He's a really smart guy though so maybe. Also an outstanding photographer. Must be doing really well because he lives in a rich guy house in a rich guy suburb. One of those places that works really hard to "keep the city clean".
And a tangent point to this thread, it took me about 3 hours to find a seller on Amazon who would verify they actually HAD a box of 3.5 floppies to sell me. Several advertise them, but some want as high as $50 for a box of 10. Um.... no. I wrote to those sellers and asked if they'd reduce to a reasonable, honest price instead of gouging. They threw supply and demand in my face to justify those prices. I replied "Demand? I may be the only person in the world who needs these and it is for a very specific, one time use thing. They did not reply to that one.
Eddie, I haven’t read the whole thread, but if you need a 3.5” floppy, make sure you know what density is required. Our old Yamaha Clavinova still works and it takes DD 720 K, but will not work with HD 1.5 MB.
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
I need 1.4mb Matt. The Kurz will format both 720k or 1.4 meg but I don't have any HD disks. They arrive Tuesday. I can do some things on 720k disks but to backup sounds before I do an OS upgrade I need high density. I have 3 disks here that are not HD and found out yesterday that I need HD for the ROM Block backups. This old board was built before SD cards became the norm. (1996) Love the sounds in the Kurzweil though so all of this dancing will be worth it eventually. I have not yet connected the keyboard with my Kurzweil rack synthesizer. (They are not in the same room yet. Not even on the same floor of the house in fact. Once all this housekeeping is done I can do that.)
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
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Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
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Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
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This Free Bonus PAK includes:
The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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