Kurzweil K2061 and K2088 V.A.S.T. Synthesizers: All the Details
4,5 / 5,0 | 
[23 January 2025] Just in time for NAMM 2025, Kurzweil has finally shared the details on the upcoming K2061 and K2088 synths, prototypes of which had surfaced at NAMM last year. With a reworked and expanded V.A.S.T. engine, the K20 series picks up where the legendary K2000 left off. But there’s more!
Kurzweil K2061 and K2088: Details Revealed
To say that the Kurzweil K2000 set new standards for sample-based synthesis when it appeared on the scene in 1991 would be an understatement. More than 30 years later, the V.A.S.T. engine (Variable Architecture Synthesis Technology) still has a lot of die-hard fans. Gigging keyboard players in particular swear by the sounds that can be traced back to the legendary K2000.
Last year at NAMM, Kurzweil briefly showed the prototypes of the K2061 and K2088 (see below). Since then, we didn’t hear much about how the development was moving along. Just in time for this year’s show, the manufacturer has now shared the details and official pictures of the new synths.
The Kurzweil K2061 and K2088 feature an evolution of the original V.A.S.T. engine with 32 layers per program and 256 voices of polyphony. The 2 GB factory library contains over 2000 programs and 500 multis with a focus on synth sounds from the K2000, K2500, and K2600. Selected sounds from the K2700, Forte, PC4, PC3, and SP6 are also included.
In addition, both new synths have 2 GB of non-volatile memory for user samples. Thanks to backwards compatibility all the way back to the K2000, you can load pretty much any sound from Kurzweil’s vast (pun intended) library, but the K2061 and K2088 also understand WAV and AIF. According to the manufacturer, the FlashPlay technology ensures that sounds are ready to go with virtually zero loading time.
But that’s not all. In addition to sample-based sounds, the new K20 series features a six-operator FM engine that can load DX7 programs. The virtual-analog VA1 engine is also included, as is the KB3 organ simulation. A generous effects section with 32 FX units and over 1000 complex effect chains is the icing on the cake.
The synths are 16-part multitimbral, and all 16 zones can be used to control internal sounds or external MIDI gear. All 40 controls, including the rotary knobs, faders, buttons, wheels, 3-section ribbon controller, aftertouch, pedals, and more, can be assigned per zone. In addition, each zone gets its own arpeggiator and step sequencer.
While the K2061 features a semi-weighted keybed with aftertouch (Fatar TP/9), the K2088 has weighted hammer-action keys (Fatar TP/40L, also with aftertouch).
Price and Availability
According to Kurzweil, the K2061 and K2088 will begin to ship soon. The 61-key model will be about $2199, while the 88-key variant will set you back closer to $3000.
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Kurzweil shares specs of the K2061 and K2088
[04 March 2024] Kurzweil has shared some specs of the upcoming K2061 and K2088 previewed at NAMM 2024. The new K20 series is designed to bring back the famous K2000 V.A.S.T. synthesizer, but with modern technology.
According to Kurzweil, the new K2061 and K2088 synthesizers will feature a “resculpted” K2000 synth library (2 GB) and will be compatible with libraries from the K2 era. The new synths support up to 32 layers per program and offer flash sample playback with 2 GB of user sample memory. In addition, they also feature the VA, FM, and KB3 engines. The maximum polyphony is 256 voices.
While the Kurzweil K2061 will offer a 61-key synth-action keybed, the K2088 will offer 88 hammer-action keys with aftertouch. With 16 zones and over 30 physical controllers (including a ribbon controller), the new K20 series doubles as a versatile MIDI controller for external gear.
As of now, Kurzweil hasn’t said when the new synths will become available. We’ll keep you updated!
Kurzweil K2061 and K2088 (NAMM 2024 Leak)
[29 January 2024] According to reports in the Musicplayer forum, Kurzweil is getting ready to launch two new keyboard workstations: the K2061 and K2088. While they haven’t been officially announced, the manufacturer offered a sneak preview of the prototypes at NAMM.
Both the K2061 and K2088 offer long ribbon controllers similar to the one found in the K2700. The nine faders / drawbars and parts of the user interface also seem to have been lifted from the K2700, which leads me to believe that the K2061 will offer many of the same features, possibly at a lower price point. However, Kurzweil has omitted the drum pads and reportedly also the built-in audio interface.
If I’m not mistaken, the K2061 marks Kurzweil’s first 61-key instrument since the discontinuation of the PC3 A6. I imagine that many gigging musicians will be pleased to see a compact synth-action alternative to the manufacturer’s large-format workstations. While the K2088 will reportedly feature a Fatar TP/40L keybed, Kurzweil has yet to decide on a keybed for the smaller version. As of now, there’s no word of a 73/76-key version.
Reports also indicate that both keyboards offer internal power supplies. They should also be compatible with K2700 and V.A.S.T. sound banks and include the KB3 organ and VA engine.
As of now, there are no official details about the new Kurzweil K2061 and K2088 workstations, but they do look like a nice alternative for players who do not need the full feature set of the K2700. We’ll keep you posted when new details emerge.
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7 responses to “Kurzweil K2061 and K2088 V.A.S.T. Synthesizers: All the Details”
K2000 is definitely in my bucket list! I heard it on a music store when I was young and fell in love instantly!
The K2061 is Kurzweil’s first 61-key instrument since the discontinuation of the PC3 A6. This is expected to be welcomed by gigging musicians as a more compact alternative to Kurzweil’s large-format workstations.
k2000 and 2gb of samples in 2024 ?
and these engines are romplers beside vast
and fm engine in korg is like vast on steroids with big lcd and edditor
vs this ?? i mean i know making synths cost money but at least buy some modern hardware inside and add 64gb sd card or like that
to pay this super old slow memory is lol in 2024
similar to 2 – 4 voice synths for 1500+
Get the K2700 then.
The legacy support is just an addition to the K2700 compatibility. It’s a feature.
Everything else aside, that tiny screen and UI bring the whole thing down. The Korg M3’s passive matrix mess of a touchscreen from 15+ years ago puts this to shame functionality-wise. If they don’t want to re-engineer for a touch screen, at least use a decent size LCD.
Been waiting for over a year for this. Love it!
I’m disappointed that the small left hand ribbon has been dropped. Yes, you can use the large center one, but you have to move away from the wheels when soloing, and some bending tricks are best on a wheel and others on a strip. Grouping the two together is the perfect layout, and Kurzweil used to think so too.
I guess it looks like I’m still stuck with my K2500S 76 for another decade!
I hope they’ve done a better job of patch compatibility than the last gen. It failed rather spectacularly on a lot of VAST K2500 patches…
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