KAWAI Vintage Legacy

KAWAI Vintage Legacy - Gems of the Rising Sun

- 4 synths and 1 drum module explore the vintage sounds of KAWAI.

- 1400 presets deliver the authentic analog sounds of real hardware.

- Rich and charactered sounds - play, edit, layer, or design your own.

KAWAI Vintage Legacy is a collection of 5 instruments, featuring hand-crafted synthesizers and a drum module, created for music production of any style. Based on vintage KAWAI synthesizers from the 1980s, these instruments may not be as well-known today, but their sounds feature a distinct character and unique edge that make them a true hidden gem for today's producers and composers.

Each of the included instruments takes inspiration from classic KAWAI hardware, including the K1, K3, K4, K5, XD5 and R100. Each features its own individual sound and synthesis method, from the K1's digital PCM waveforms to the K3's hybrid analog approach, to the additive synthesis of the K5, these instruments offer a massive range of creative options for sound designers and producers, meanwhile the R100/XD5 drum module features a tasteful 12-bit sample engine perfect for adding a dirty, lo-fi vibe to your beats.

Complete or Discrete

KAWAI Vintage Legacy gives you access to all included instruments (K1u, K3u, K4u, K5u, and R100u) individually, as well as in a monolithic "multi" instrument, combining four synth layers of your choice with a drum machine, for a comprehensive sonic palette - capable of anything from massive stacks to full song production.

Fully-Editable Architecture

Each instrument includes an ADSR envelope, a multimode filter, vibrato, tremolo, and filter frequency controls that can be linked to a MIDI controller's modwheel, as well as effects including drive, bit reduction, chorus, phaser, and 3-band equalizer. Additionally, the multi version includes bus effects, along with 2 configurable delays and reverbs available as send effects from any of the 4 synth layers or the drum machine. Finally, all instruments feature a powerful arpeggiator for added creativity.

K1u

Based on the KAWAI K1, a lo-fi and entry-level digital synth released in 1988. Featuring 256 16-bit PCM samples and DC (Digital Cyclic) waveforms of acoustic instruments, it's perfect for creating everything from punchy and charactered synth sounds to walls of noise.

K3u

Based on the KAWAI K3, a 6-voice digital synthesizer released in 1986. The K3 uses some of the same technology as the K1 (Digital Wave Memory sound generator system) but features analog filters and envelopes, and even envelopes for the filters! We love its gritty wavetable engine, and using (sometimes abusing) the resonant filter.

K4u

Based on the KAWAI K4, a digital synthesizer released in 1989. The K4 is a PCM wavetable synthesizer, used widely in a number of '90s electronic music styles. The sound system is called Digital Multi Spectrum sound generator. It features 16-bit PCM samples with DC (Digital Cyclic) waveform of acoustic instruments and a digital filter section, making it both deeply configurable and extremely capable.

K5u

Based on the KAWAI K5, a digital synthesizer released in 1987. It features an additive synthesis engine (ADD), allowing users to design sounds by way of 127 harmonic levels. The K5 is also 15-part multi-timbral, allowing sounds to be split, layered, overlapped and detuned to create massive sounds or ensembles.

R100u

Based on the KAWAI R100, the first digital drum machine released by KAWAI in 1987. It features 24 basic sounds and eight individual outputs. KAWAI used a 12-bit PCM format and a 32kHz sample rate when recording the samples, resulting in impressive sound quality for its time. The R100 used for KAWAI Vintage Legacy was customized with additional EPROMs, each loaded with modern and acoustic sounds, resulting in a much-improved palette–all with the authentic hardware sound. The R100u also includes a large selection of sounds created with another hidden gem from KAWAI, the XD5 Drum Synthesizer.

KAWAI Vintage Legacy is a powerful and unique collection of instruments that offer a wide range of synthesis approaches and sounds. Whether you're looking to add some lo-fi grit, create new textures, or simply explore the sonic possibilities of these classic synthesizers, KAWAI Vintage Legacy is a fantastic complement on your musical journey.