Kurzweil PC4 SE User manual

It’s the

sound

™

Part Number 910590-001

Rev. 001

GETTING STARTED GUIDE

Features of the PC4 SE

Sounds

Getting Started

is guide will give you a quick overview of the PC4 SE. For more details, download the PC4 SE

Musician’s Guide from www.kurzweil.com.

Features of the PC4 SE

Sounds

• FlashPlay technology utilizing 2GB of instrument samples including:

• Optimized German D and Japanese C7 Pianos, Triple Strike Piano, 73 Electric Piano,

Clavinets, Harpsichords, Celeste, Bowed and Hit Crotales, Vector Synthesis Waveforms

• Updated Rock, Synth and Orchestral sounds from Kurzweil’s PC4, SP6, PC3, and KORE64

• 10 Categories of Programs (Piano, E. Piano, Clav, Organ, Strings/Pad, Brass/Wind, Synth,

Guitar/Bass, Drum/Perc, Misc)

• KSR: Kurzweil String Resonance (Piano String Resonance Simulation)

• Piano programs support optional Half-Damper pedal for half pedaling

• KB3 Organ simulation with control of 9 drawbars

• Kurzweil’s highly acclaimed VAST Synthesis and FX engine

• FM: Classic 6 operator FM synthesis

• Arpeggiator with dedicated On/O and Tap Tempo buttons (up to 5 simultaneous in Multi Mode)

• CC Sequencer with dedicated On/O and Tap Tempo buttons (up to 5 simultaneous in Multi Mode)

• More than 4000 User IDs to save your own Programs and Multis

• 256 voices of polyphony

• 16 MIDI Channels for multitimbral applications in Program Mode

• 16 MIDI Tracks for recording in Song Mode

• 5 Zone MIDI Controller in Multi Mode

Quick Start

Controllers

• 88-key fully weighted hammer action keyboard with piano like feel

• Control section with 5 assignable knobs, sliders, and buttons

• Assignable Variation button

• EQ button

• Transpose buttons

• Arpeggiator section with buttons for Arpeggiator Enable, Arpeggiator Latch, CC Sequencer Enable,

and Tap Tempo

• Pitch wheel

• Assignable modulation wheel

• 2 assignable switch pedal jacks (each jack can be used with a dual pedal for up to 4 switch pedals)

• 1 assignable CC pedal jack

Quick Start

Be sure to check the Kurzweil website at www.kurzweil.com for new sounds, documentation

and software updates.

Setting Up the PC4 SE

1. If your PC4 SE keyboard has been out in the cold during shipping, give it time to warm

up to room temperature before powering it on, since condensation may have formed

inside.

2. Place the PC4 SE on a keyboard stand or on a hard, at, level surface.

3. Connect the DC power adaptor to the PC4 SE DC Power jack.

4. Make sure your power outlet is compatible with the included power adaptor, then plug

the power cable into the power outlet.

5. Plug the included Switch Pedal into the SW1 (SUSTAIN) jack on the PC4 SE rear

panel.

6. If you have an additional switch pedal, plug it into the SW2 jack for Sostenuto control.

7. If you have a MIDI CC pedal (also known as a MIDI expression or volume pedal), plug

it into the CC (VOLUME) jack for volume control.

Quick Start

Powering On the PC4 SE

8. If you are using speakers, turn the master volume all the way down on your amplier

or mixer. Using standard (1/4-inch) audio cables, rst plug into the input jacks of your

amplier or mixer, then plug the other end of the cables into the PC4 SE AUDIO OUT

jacks. (Connecting in this order minimizes the possibility of static discharge damage.) For

a mono signal, only use the LEFT (MONO) jack, and leave the RIGHT jack unplugged.

Balanced (“TRS” or “Stereo”) cables are recommended if your mixer or amp supports

balanced inputs.

9. If you are using headphones, connect stereo headphones to the headphone jack on the

rear panel.

10. Move the PC4 SE VOLUME Slider all the way down.

Powering On the PC4 SE

1. Power on the PC4 SE by pressing the POWER button on the right rear panel.

2. If you are using speakers, turn up the volume on your amplier or mixer.

3. Slowly turn up the PC4 SE VOLUME Slider and play some notes to check the volume

level. (If you have a CC pedal plugged into the CC (VOLUME) jack, make sure it is set

to the maximum volume position).

4. If you are using speakers and the PC4 SE is not loud enough, turn up the volume on

your amplier or mixer.

5. If you are using a mixer and hear distortion, reduce the gain level on the mixer, or use

the mixer’s Pad button if it has one (a button that typically decreases the audio input level

by 20 dB).

6. After using the PC4 SE, if you are using speakers, turn the master volume all the way

down on your amplier or mixer before powering o the PC4 SE.

Auditioning PC4 SE Sounds

1. e PC4 SE starts up in Program Mode. Use the NAVIGATION buttons, ALPHA

WHEEL, or CATEGORY buttons to select a dierent Program. See PC4 SE Sounds on

page 14 for more details on selecting Programs or Multis.

1. To hear a Program Demo song for the current Program, press the KEYPAD and ENTER

buttons simultaneously.

2. To hear the capabilities of the PC4 SE, you can play the multi-channel demo songs. Press

the KEYPAD and 0/MISC buttons simultaneously to listen to a multi-channel demo

song.

3. To switch between auditioning Programs or Multis, press the PROGRAM or MULTI

Mode button under the MODE label to the right of the display.

The Front Panel

Automatic Power Saving

e PC4 SE has an automatic power saving feature (Auto Power O) that can automatically

power o the PC4 SE after a period of inactivity, in order to conserve electricity. e Auto

Power O feature is enabled by default. e default Power O Time is 8 hours, which will

cause the PC4 SE to power o after 8 hours of inactivity.

A count down timer warning will be shown in the display a few minutes before the PC4 SE

is powered o. At any time, touching any PC4 SE control or playing a note will cause the

PC4 SE to remain powered on, until the PC4 SE has been inactive for the set Power O

Time.

Auto Power O can be disabled in Global Mode. e Power O Time can also be adjusted

in Global Mode.

The Front Panel

VOLUME Slider

The Front Panel

BANK Buttons

TRANSPOSE Buttons

PITCH WHEEL and MODULATION WHEEL

EQ Button and VOLUME Slider

VARIATION Button

SAVE Button and EDIT Button

CONTROL Section

CHANNEL/PAGE Buttons

FAVORITES Buttons

Display

EXIT Button

NAVIGATION Buttons

ALPHA WHEEL

SPLIT and LAYER Buttons

MODE Buttons and USER Button

CATEGORY Buttons

ARPEGGIATOR Section

VOLUME Slider

e VOLUME Slider controls the volume level of the AUDIO OUT and HEADPHONE

jacks.

Display

e display is the main user interface for the PC4 SE. Use the display to view Program and

Multi names, controller assignments, and editing functions.

The Front Panel

ALPHA WHEEL

In Program and Multi Mode, use the ALPHA WHEEL to navigate through the Program or

Multi list.

In Program Edit or Multi Edit Mode, use the ALPHA WHEEL to scroll through the list of

values for the currently selected parameter. Turn the ALPHA WHEEL counter-clockwise or

clockwise to select the previous or next value. Turn the ALPHA WHEEL slowly to change

the value by one increment, or turn it quickly to jump several increments.

NAVIGATION Buttons

e NAVIGATION buttons move the cursor in the display and allow you to select the

current parameter to be edited.

MODE Buttons

Press the MODE buttons to access PROGRAM, MULTI or GLOBAL Mode. See Modes on

page 17 for a description of each Mode.

CATEGORY Buttons

In Program Mode, the CATEGORY buttons allow you to select and browse Programs in 10

categories of instruments. Engaging the KEYPAD button allows you to use the CATEGORY

buttons as an alphanumeric keypad. e KEYPAD button is always on in Multi Mode, and

where needed for editing parameter values.

FAVORITES Buttons

e FAVORITES buttons can be used to instantly recall your favorite Programs and Multis.

To assign the currently selected Program or Multi to a FAVORITES button, press and hold

the desired FAVORITES button for a few seconds until the display indicates that the favorite

has been saved. Press a FAVORITES button to instantly select the stored Program or Multi.

BANK Buttons

e BANK buttons can be used to select dierent banks of favorite Programs and Multis. In

Program and Multi Mode, the currently selected Bank number and name are shown on the

display. To select Bank 1, press both BANK buttons simultaneously.

The Front Panel

TRANSPOSE Buttons

e TRANSPOSE buttons can be used to change the tuning of notes played on the PC4 SE

keyboard in semitones (also known as half steps). e current transpose amount is shown in

the display. Press both TRANSPOSE buttons simultaneously to reset the transposition to 0.

PITCH WHEEL and MODULATION WHEEL

Use each wheel to respectively perform pitch bends or vary the modulation amount. e

MODULATION WHEEL will perform an assigned modulation for each Program or Multi.

e name of the current assignment is shown in the display when the wheel is moved.

VARIATION Button

Pressing the VARIATION button will perform an assigned variation for each Program

or Multi. e name of the current assignment is shown in the display when the button is

pressed.

e VARIATION button will typically modify the sound by adding an orchestral string

section or synth pad layer, or enabling an eect.

For KB3 Organ Programs, the VARIATION button controls the Rotary Speaker speed,

changing between fast and slow. e display shows “KB3” when a KB3 Program is selected.

CONTROL Section

e CONTROL section is used to control various Program and Multi parameters.

In Program Mode: e knobs, sliders, and buttons control synthesis and FX parameters

for the current Program. Controller assignments can be adjusted or set to user-assignable

parameters in Program Edit Mode.

In Multi Mode: e knobs, sliders, and buttons typically control Zone volume, synthesis

and FX parameters for the current Multi. Controller assignments can be adjusted or set to

user-assignable parameters in Multi Edit Mode.

In Program and Multi Mode: When a KB3 Organ Program is selected, the knobs and

sliders behave like Organ drawbars, and the buttons control various Organ functions. e

display shows “KB3” when a KB3 Program is selected.

The Front Panel

EQ Button

On the main Program and Multi Mode pages, turn on the EQ button to view and control

the Master FX parameters, which can apply EQ and compression to all audio produced by

the PC4 SE.

When viewing the Master FX parameters, use the Switch 1 button to enable/disable the

Master EQ, and use the rst 4 Knobs in the CONTROL section to control the 4 on screen

Master EQ parameters.

When viewing the Master FX parameters, use Knob 5 in the CONTROL section to control

the Master Compressor. When the knob is all the way down, the compressor is disabled.

Turn the knob up to enable the compressor and increase the compression amount.

Note: To set your Master FX settings as default settings to be applied when the PC4 SE is

powered on, you must enter and exit Global Mode, or select the desired settings on the

Global Mode Master FX page, then exit Global Mode to save the settings as defaults.

When viewing the Global mode Master FX page, turn on the EQ button to control the

parameters with the CONTROL section knobs and buttons as described above.

Turn o the EQ button to return the CONTROL section knobs and buttons to their

Program or Multi assignments.

ARPEGGIATOR Section

Use the ARP and LATCH buttons to control the PC4 SE’s Arpeggiator.

Use the CC SEQ button to turn the CC Sequencer On or O.

Use the TAP TEMPO button to set the tempo of the Arpeggiator and CC Sequencer, the

rate of tempo synced FX (such as Delay), or the tempo of the current Multi or Song. To set

the tempo, press the TAP TEMPO button a few times at the desired rate. You can also set

the tempo by pressing the TAP TEMPO button, then adjusting the tempo with the ALPHA

WHEEL, or by using the KEYPAD buttons to type a numeric value followed by pressing

ENTER.

The Front Panel

SPLIT and LAYER Buttons

Use the SPLIT button to quickly create a Multi where keys in dierent ranges of the

keyboard play dierent instrument sounds.

Use the LAYER button to quickly create a Multi where dierent instrument sounds are

layered in the same key range, so that keys in one range of the keyboard play multiple

instrument sounds at the same time.

e Split and Layer functions allow you to quickly create Multis without using Multi Edit

Mode to congure Zone key ranges, Programs, and volumes. After creating and saving a Split

or Layer Multi, you can edit additional Multi parameters in Multi Edit mode.

SAVE and EDIT Buttons

ese buttons are used when editing Programs or Multis to create User sounds. In Program

Mode, press the SAVE button to save a User Program with the current controller settings.

EXIT Button

In Program Edit Mode, Multi Mode, or Global Mode, press the EXIT button to return to

Program Mode. In Multi Edit Mode, press the EXIT button to return to Multi Mode.

USER Button

Press and enable the USER button to access previously saved User Programs or Multis. Press

and disable the USER button to access all Programs or Multis (Factory and User).

CHANNEL/PAGE Buttons

Use the CHANNEL/PAGE buttons to change the current MIDI Channel in Program Mode,

or the current page in Program Edit, Multi Edit, or Global Mode.

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