Hello!

Two questions to the peeps in the ML.

The first one is fairly simple. I'm looking for a cheap "maximum P-RAM"
upgrade. Either from a Distributor in Germany (it seems like PPE bought
up another third party provider and stomped all K2000 stuff) or from
somebody who wants to sell it for dirt cheap.

The second one is a bit more delicate for sure:
I'm having a Kurzweil K2000 here, OS is still V1.00 (Calvin). The K2k is
in good shape, the disc drive was replaced once, I'm using a ZIP drive
with it (SCSI) where I stored all my patches on it (thank god it's in
DOS form) and I also put 16MB in 4x4MB SIMM chips into it. No further
options, everything is the default setup.

I still have two OS chips lying around however that never really worked
for me. Those are v2.07C (Engine Chips Lo U3 and Hi U6). I always tried
to put them into the K2k directly, but all I see after that, are blank
patches, there is no sound output and I can access jack sh*t to be honest.

I know however, that if I want to get OS3.87 someday, that I need to do
some soldering stuff to trick out the system that there is a new OS in
it. And I slowly have a feeling that this is the case in terms of OS2.xx
too.

So my question to the people in this ML - does anybody maybe have a
detailed manual, how I can upgrade my OS from v1.00 to v2.07 (even
though it's not helping much other than being able to upgrade to v3.87
without further soldering) with just the Engine Chips?

Soldering is definitely no problem (as long as I'm careful working), but
I finally want to revive my K2000 again as it's a bit too powerful for
using it as a simple MIDI controller only.

Thanks for the help and have a nice day

- Fox

•  6
  New Members

>The first one is fairly simple. I'm looking for a cheap "maximum P-RAM"
>upgrade.

You might be able to find one used (pulled from a dead K2000).
Or maybe there are still some folks who have some stock of them.
This is the option that requires soldering.

>I also put 16MB in 4x4MB SIMM chips into it.

If you wanted to, you could upgrade to 64 Meg (4x16MB)
for fairly cheaply.

>I still have two OS chips lying around however that never really worked
>for me. Those are v2.07C (Engine Chips Lo U3 and Hi U6). I always tried
>to put them into the K2k directly, but all I see after that, are blank
>patches, there is no sound output and I can access jack sh*t to be honest.

What you need are the setup chips to get you from OS 1.xx to v2 or v3.

>I know however, that if I want to get OS3.87 someday, that I need to do
>some soldering stuff to trick out the system

You don't need to solder for the OS upgrade, only for the P-RAM.

Maybe someone on this list knows where you can get P-RAM or
those setup chips.

Jon

•  6
  New Members

Hello,

My name is Chris Gallegos and am new to the group. I purchased a
K2600xs last year and have only recently begun delving into it.
Because I really don't have anything to say yet other than hello and
thanks, I'll limit my post to just that.

Thanks

•  6
  New Members

I can offer a little help -- from memory from about 10 years ago. To upgrade from Calvin version 1.0 to 2.0 or higher, you will need the appropriate Calvin OS EPROMS and the corresponding "PSEUDO" and "GODOT" chips as well. One of them re-maps some of the address lines or address mappings which might explain the blank patches. I'm assuming that you have the Setup EPROMS installed. I don't remember any soldering being required for an OS upgrade. That's for power and ground for the PRAM upgrade. There is (was?) a used K2000 PRAM upgrade on eBay the last time I looked. K2000 parts show up there occassionally -- just get a non-DOA guarrantee.

Also think about buying a working, fully loaded K2000 -- for about the same price as the parts you are looking for. A K2VXS pretty much has it all.

Regards,

R B Meng

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

•  6
  New Members

Thnaks to all...problem solved...Happy Easter

•  6
  New Members

Hey I'm seriusely thinking of buying the pc161 performance controller
but the shop has to order it in so I won't be able to try it out so
I've got a few questions I'm hoping someone can answer about the pc161:

I play progressive rock styles like dream theater and metal styles
like Sonarta Artica and Stratovarius. I saw I guy playing a pc1x on
youtube how was using a cool synth lead playing some jordan rudess
stuff and he assured me that it came from the pc1x internally and
wasn't being midi'd. Any second opinions on the synth lead sounds on
board?

Anyone with specific experience with the pc161 or the k2661 (I assume
they use the same keybeds) but what does the action feel like? I need
something which doesn't feel plasticy or cheap like a juno D. I
played the motif es6 a little bit and liked the action on that.

My main plan is to buy this and a rack some time in the future but if
anyone knows of any good synths for around the same price (can't find
any used k2000 or k2500 anywhere near me) I'm open to suggestions
(except for the Alesis fusion, It seems that Australia didn't get the
price reduction cause I was quoted $5000 for a 6hd to put that in
perspective for Americans or Europeans a motif 6 ES is $3000 and the
pc161 is $1800)

Thanks

•  6
  New Members

--- In KurzList <at> yahoogroups.com, "colpix65" <colpix65 <at> ...> wrote:
>
> Thnaks to all...problem solved...Happy Easter
>

And the trick was....?

•  6
  New Members

Hi peeps,

A friend of mine was given a K1000 and soon after the power supply
blew. I've scoured the net trying to find one for him and have had no
luck.

Any tips of where to try? (please reply to web <at> madfiddler.co.uk)

Thanks,

m

•  6
  New Members

Hello:
Those who have a ZIP drive and a K2000, I ask:
I want to know who long does it takes the SCSI ZIP drive to load the
full RAM (64 Mb).
Thanks.

•  6
  New Members

My advice is don't touch a Version 1 unless you have the Pseudo and Godot chip
upgrades, and IN YOUR HANDS. Without those chips you will NEVER get it running
and that may be the problem now, with your version 2 'upgrade'.

Open the synth and report the version numbers of the Pseudo and Godot chips.
They are labeled with a sticker on the engine board. the ones you want are
version 4 and the other is version 5 (can't remember which.) If you don't have
them... Don't do anything and just live with Version 1.

Pseudo and godot are ONLY availble from scavenged units.

Version 1 upgrades are a real problem. If you followed the upgrade path as they
were released you won't have trouble. The problem is people sat on Version 1's
until Kurzweil stopped K2000 support, so they were orphaned.

Hope you have the right Pseudo and Godot

Do NOT buy any OS or anything until this problem is resolved.

David

-----Original Message-----
From: KurzList <at> yahoogroups.com [mailto:KurzList <at> yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of
Roland Löhlbach
Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2007 10:54 AM
To: KurzList <at> yahoogroups.com
Subject: [KL] Upgrade K2000 OS1.00C to OS2.07C and P-RAM

Hello!

Two questions to the peeps in the ML.

The first one is fairly simple. I'm looking for a cheap "maximum P-RAM"
upgrade. Either from a Distributor in Germany (it seems like PPE bought
up another third party provider and stomped all K2000 stuff) or from
somebody who wants to sell it for dirt cheap.

The second one is a bit more delicate for sure:
I'm having a Kurzweil K2000 here, OS is still V1.00 (Calvin). The K2k is
in good shape, the disc drive was replaced once, I'm using a ZIP drive
with it (SCSI) where I stored all my patches on it (thank god it's in
DOS form) and I also put 16MB in 4x4MB SIMM chips into it. No further
options, everything is the default setup.

I still have two OS chips lying around however that never really worked
for me. Those are v2.07C (Engine Chips Lo U3 and Hi U6). I always tried
to put them into the K2k directly, but all I see after that, are blank
patches, there is no sound output and I can access jack sh*t to be honest.

I know however, that if I want to get OS3.87 someday, that I need to do
some soldering stuff to trick out the system that there is a new OS in
it. And I slowly have a feeling that this is the case in terms of OS2.xx
too.

So my question to the people in this ML - does anybody maybe have a
detailed manual, how I can upgrade my OS from v1.00 to v2.07 (even
though it's not helping much other than being able to upgrade to v3.87
without further soldering) with just the Engine Chips?

Soldering is definitely no problem (as long as I'm careful working), but
I finally want to revive my K2000 again as it's a bit too powerful for
using it as a simple MIDI controller only.

Thanks for the help and have a nice day

- Fox

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

•  7
  New Members