yes, 300 is probably more realistic. usually reverb.com has the exorbitant prices like that. I think people just passively sell stuff, stick a number on it and if someone is eventually willing to pay up. mine is from 89, one owner. no box/manual. iirc I have 3 or 4 data cards for it.
never really thought about selling it, they aren't exactly sought after. more like a craigslist item.

this guys vst version will probably be perfect.

 

Last edited: Jul 11, 2021

i've had one that i bought with a bunch of broken keys on it, and while i was fixing it up i noticed it was pretty cheap, just a little circuit board in a big plastic box. it didn't really blow me away, but it had sounds that i used in recordings, and i miss having it.

 

watching...

 

I missed this the first time, but yes that is an accurate description. I also remember reading in the manual that they claimed it to be the first synth that used PCM samples as the basis of its sounds. Or some such claim. They only made them for a year.

It certainly didn't appear to have enough stuff inside it to take 4 years to emulate.

 

@Kluster, love your Cluster II album cover avatar, one of my favorite "kraut-rock" albums.

 

jeez, i forgot all about this thread. i love the sound of this synth. i am surprised that nobody has come up with a vst emulation yet. i had hopes that it would be done years ago.

 

The K1 doesn't have any filter, maybe he got stuck there. even if cytomic were to make the filter, it might sound better than the original, but making the original would probably be really hard, and that's the real issue I think it's hard to emulate that perfectly unless somehow he could dump the rom and analyze it and that could take a long time. I hope he's doing ok.

 

I’ve been waiting for years for a VST emulation of the Kawai K3. A while ago, one was released, but it didn’t sound like the real synth. Could it be possible in the future?

 

In my opinion, if it's technically possible, there will be emulations of all hardware synths in the future. Why? Because you can make money from it. Companies like Arturia or Cherry Audio have to pay their staff somehow. Some programmers who can do that, in China and India etc., haven't even been born yet, and these emulations fill a gap in the market.

Nils Schneider - K1v ---> www.nilsschneider.de/wp/nils-k1v/
- K1v is a classic rompler that emulates the famous japanese classic Kawai K1 from 1988.

Why are there hardly any Kawaii hardware synthesizer emulations?

Spoiler: Source: Perplexity KI

There are actually very few software emulations of Kawai hardware synthesizers, especially compared to brands like Moog, Roland, Yamaha, or Korg. This is due to several factors:

Recognition and demand: Kawai is primarily known as a piano manufacturer and its synthesizers never enjoyed the same market share or cult status as these manufacturers. As a result, demand for emulations is lower.

Technical features: The Kawai K5000 is one of the few hardware synthesizers with true additive synthesis, which makes emulation technically challenging and potentially discourages developers.

Licensing and legal hurdles: Emulating hardware synthesizers often requires consent or licensing from the original manufacturer. Kawai may be less cooperative in this regard, or there may be no active efforts to promote emulation.

Market and community: The synthesizer community and the software market are primarily focused on models that are iconic in musical history. Kawai synthesizers, although technically interesting, are less present in pop culture and music production than, for example, Moog or Yamaha.

Sampling vs. Emulation: Many "emulations" are based on sampling, such as those from UVI or Arturia. Here, sounds are recorded and offered as a sample library. There are a few sample libraries for the Kawai K5000, but no full-fledged emulations that replicate the synthesis engine.
In summary: Low demand, technical challenges, legal hurdles, and the lack of cult status mean that there are hardly any software emulations of Kawai hardware synthesizers.

 

Last edited: Jun 22, 2025 at 8:45 AM