Death in the family. My 33 year old Kawai K-1 died

[Gurn]

First synth I ever owned. I stupidly left it on during a lightning storm while I was sleeping.

ZAP!

I bought a new wall-wart. No revival. I'm wearing black.

I learned MIDI on that synth. I learned what polyphony & multi-timbral meant.
My first MIDI arrangements were on it. I learned what a MIDI controller was. It was my Kawai K1.

Then after I bought other synths, I learned string pads didn't get better, just more realistic.
The K1 still had the best string pad I'd ever heard. I used it on almost everything for 33 years.

I still have a K1r but it's a rack box I bought off Reverb, not nearly the same.

RIP old friend. You served me so well, I should have watched out for you better.

 

[Jr Deluxe]

I had the same thing happen. Except it was my TV. It's uncanny.

 

[Gurn]

My Mackie CR4's went out in same lightning storm.
I replaced them w/ CR3's bluetooth. They sound better & I don't need cables.

But I can't replace that 33 year old K1. I bought it new. We were both just kids.

 

[KFBR392]

My Mackie CR4's went out in same lightning storm.
I replaced them w/ CR3's bluetooth. They sound better & I don't need cables.

But I can't replace that 33 year old K1. I bought it new. We were both just kids.

I bet it’s a really easy fix. Worth cracking open and doing a visual inspection for any obvious burnt up or friend components.

 

[Maguchi]

First synth I ever owned. I stupidly left it on during a lightning storm while I was sleeping.

ZAP!

I bought a new wall-wart. No revival. I'm wearing black.

I learned MIDI on that synth. I learned what polyphony & multi-timbral meant.
My first MIDI arrangements were on it. I learned what a MIDI controller was. It was my Kawai K1.

Then after I bought other synths, I learned string pads didn't get better, just more realistic.
The K1 still had the best string pad I'd ever heard. I used it on almost everything for 33 years.

I still have a K1r but it's a rack box I bought off Reverb, not nearly the same.

RIP old friend. You served me so well, I should have watched out for you better.

Wow, 33 years! Great that it lasted that long and you were able to use it for so many years. Love the sounds of those older electronic keyboards.

 

[Gurn]

I bet it’s a really easy fix. Worth cracking open and doing a visual inspection for any obvious burnt up or friend components.

I will but I opened a K1m module once. I remember trying to replace its battery.
It required soldering. What a mess. I ended up replacing the module.

I'm not hopeful here.




Battery still good after 33 years too. Always lit up - every time.

Wow, 33 years! Great that it lasted that long and you were able to use it for so many years. Love the sounds of those older electronic keyboards.

 

[Valtyr]

Bummer, sorry you lost your old k1. My first nice digital synth was a Kawai k4. I still have it, its Mostly functional.

 

[gigsup]

The French horn patch on that thing is the best.

 

[KFBR392]

I will but I opened a K1m module once. I remember trying to replace its battery.
It required soldering. What a mess. I ended up replacing the module.

I'm not hopeful here.




Battery still good after 33 years too. Always lit up - every time.

Post pics and we’ll try to figure out what’s up.

 

[Kristal_McKinstry]

I have a K5. I don't think I've played it in five years. The reed foot-pump organ kind of took it's place for convenience in testing out melodies, and my Artiphon Instrument-1 through an iPad with several parallel apps is easier to travel with.

I keep it around because it is a very nice feeling keyboard for all my synths, should I ever really get back around to any of them.

 

[Stokely]

I had a Kawai K-something way back in the late 80s...I mostly used it for leads as I recall. Looking at pics doesn't help, as I sold it not too long after once I got my E-mu Proteus (which I needed far more in my rig than a 2nd synth to go with my Roland JX10.) It was probably a K3. It did sound good.

 

[Gurn]

Bummer, sorry you lost your old k1. My first nice digital synth was a Kawai k4. I still have it, its Mostly functional.

K4 has some spooky beautiful sounds.

The French horn patch on that thing is the best.

Yeah, I remember. Very long, wide decay. I don't have it on my K1r. I need to sysex that.
I noticed on the K1 MIDI controller messages went wacky in a good way. After-touch in my stringpad in one sequence went on forever & it was magic. I was able to play w/ it.

It made me sound like Vivaldi.

Post pics and we’ll try to figure out what’s up.

Thanks. I'll have to open it up. Right now - display is just black.
New wall wart works on my K1r but not on K1.

I'll open it up & post a pic.

 

[KFBR392]

K4 has some spooky beautiful sounds.




Thanks. I'll have to open it up. Right now - display is just black.
New wall wart works on my K1r but not on K1.

I'll open it up & post a pic.

I think it’s likely something simple like a burnt out diode or voltage regulator near the DC input jack. Especially since the synth isn’t getting power.

 

[Dubious]

about 10 years ago I bought a K1, yamaha TX7 and an Accoustic 134 combo amp off a dude in a for $120.

Loved that k1 but foolishly flipped it a few years ago when i wasn't logging as much hours doing electronic stuff.

Sold the Tx7 for more than the original deal.

Still have the 134

 

[drpoyer]

I used to fix these things… although I had no clue what I was doing, I was the amp tech. They are actually easy to work on. Putting them back together however was 50% of the labor charges.

 

[TJontheRoad]

Likely easy fix as long as the spike didn't get past the internal PSU.

 

[gigsup]

K1 was my first store bought synth, I remember it being $750 new. Great MIDI platform.
I can't believe its been over 30 years, really haven't used it in 20, but it's cased up somewhere...
It's time for CPR, break out the paddles!