KURZWEIL 250 - 1988

What would you call an instrument that combines the functions of a sampler, sound library, sequencer and automated mixer all in one efficient, well-integrated, portable system?

You might call it powerful, ingenious, the musician's dream come true, or the smartest buy on today's audio scene.

We call it the Kurzweil 250.

Since its introduction in 1984, the 250's recreations of real instrument timbres have become the standard by which sampled sound is evaluated.

But superb sounds are just one part of the Kurzweil advantage.

The Kurzweil 250 keyboard instrument and the 250 RMX rackmount system both offer sophisticated user sampling and editing capabilities, a powerful 12-track sequencer, complete MIDI capabilities and extensive interface facilities.

Start with our ROM sounds

The Kurzweil 250 is available with 341 ROM-based presets (called Keyboard Setups) which are made up of 96 separate instrument sounds.

These include the legendary Kurzweil Grand Piano plus a rich variety of acoustic, electric and electronic instruments—all captured by Kurzweil's Contoured Sound ModelingTM technology.

Thesounds include everything from "Mellow Bassoon" to " 1000 Wild Marimbas."

At the push of a button, each voice is ready to be played on the 250's 88-note, weighted,
wooden keyboard, or on any MIDI controller you choose.

You can program up to 40 user-definable keyboard setups, too. As many as six voices can be layered on a single key.

The keyboard can be split into 87 different sections, so you can actually assign a different instrument or combination of instruments to each key.

Then add some sounds of your own

But we don't restrict you to using only our sounds.

The versatile Kurzweil 250 comes equipped with a user sampling system that includes extensive editing capabilities.

Kurzweil's unique Sound Modeling Program lets you choose any of 14 different sample rates, from 5 KHz to 50 KHz. You get a maximum sample time of 100 seconds at 5 KHz and 10 seconds at 50 KHz. Sampling memory can be doubled by adding the SUPERAM I option, and quadrupled by adding SUPERAM II.

Whichever option you choose, you'll have the benefit of Kurzweil's unsurpassed 18-bit floating point sample resolution, for the warmest, most accurate samples available today.

Our high signal-to-noise ratio stays the same, no matter how loud or soft a note is.

Onboard sequencing, too

And for building finished compositions with all those great sounds, the 250 is equipped with a 12-track/12,018-note sequencer.

It has enough memory to record, orchestrate and edit even the most complex pieces of music. Our onboard sequencer has all the features you'd expect to find on a stand-alone device.

Features like full track and event editing, auto punch in/out, looping, sequence chaining and quantization.

But it also has unique features youwon't find elsewhere, such as microtuning and our Sequencer MixBoard with solo and mute, which turn the 250 into an automated mixer.

Everything can be synchronized to a variety of sources using the 250's variable rate external sync and MIDI sync capabilities. Which brings us to another important point:

MIDI and Macintosh make it even nicer

The 250's MIDI implementation is thorough in every respect.

It has full multi-timbral capabilities, which allow any voice to be addressed on any MIDI channel.

Each of the 12 sequencer tracks can also be assigned to any MIDI channel, enabling the 250 to command multiple external devices.

On each MIDI channel, the 250 can send and receive all continuous controller messages, including receiving polyphonic pressure.

By means of QLSTM (Quick Load System), the 250 can team up with an Apple® MacintoshTM computer to expand its data storage and retrieval powers many times over. QLS lets you rapidly save and load samples, sequences, keyboard setups and more with the Mac and enables you to take advantage of Kurzweil's ever-expanding Sound Library on Mac disks.

QLS isalso your link to third party soft-ware for on-screen programming. SD Convert, 'm a standard feature of QLS, lets you harness the power of the Sound Designer and Softsynth®
sound editing programs.

Kurzweil's own Keyboard Mover and Sequencer Mover software enable you to edit and organize your disk files of sequences, key-board setups and instruments.

A smart investment

The Kurzweil 250 combines the functions of a sampler, sound library, sequencer and automated mixer all in one compact, roadworthy package.

You could spend a lot more on stand-alone units to perform all these jobs and still come away with a lot less performance.

Weighing 95 lbs. and measuring just under 5 feet in length, the 250 keyboard is ready to travel to virtually any location, any gig, anywhere, anytime.

The 250 RMX, which fits in a standard 19" rack, is even more ready, able and willing to hit the road.

KURZWEIL — THE ULTIMATE MACHINES.