Kawai made the right call with their early digital stuff by really leaning into that super-bright sparkly aliasing, instead of aggressively filtering the output like most of their contemporaries. It makes them sound so lively.
I recognize those presets - those are Kawai K1 presets that were extracted from Kawai PHm modules. I like how Kawai brought these sounds to home keyboard scene and made it somewhat interesting by layering. I understand why there is no sound editing capabilities on this home keyboard model as sound editing on K1 is somewhat lengthy process of scrolling through many parameters. That being said I like K1 and even created some my own presets for it.
In 1991 (or 92?), I walked into a music store with no intention of buying anything. For some reason they had one of these little guys (the Kawai PH50 labelled version - they were also sold branded as Lowrey.). I had no interest in toy keyboards that day, but as I walked past, I absent-mindedly hit a few keys. The sound that came swirling out of the store's demo speaker setup stopped me dead in my tracks - a glorious D-50 like wash of digital lushness and quirky artifacts. An hour later, I walked out with one under my arm. It was only after I'd gotten it home that I discovered from the manual that it was also multi-timbral. That's right - you can externally sequence three (or was it four?) MIDI channels at the same time with a different sound on each channel. And even more - you can save 30 of these multi-track setups in memory...as well as saving splits, and stacked layers! Over time, I learned that essentially what you have here is lo-fi collection of Kawai K1 presets. It might not seem that big a deal now, but you have to understand - at the time no small battery-powered 'toy' keyboard sounded anything near this. And because of the external form factor, it kind of flew under the radar (but Keyboard Magazine noticed). Sure, the traditional sounds and drum patterns were cheesy, but the non-traditional sounds and pads…amazing! And I don't think there was another mini keyboard with MIDI on sale at all at the time, let alone multi-timbral! I eventually picked up a Kawai K1m, and decided to sell the PH50, yet here it still sits. Twenty years later I finally sold the K1m, yet here it still sits. I tracked down a Kawai GMega in an attempt to replace those presets without shelling out for an overpriced PHm, yet here it still sits. Last year I finally multi-sampled the PH50 for all the sounds I cared about, YET HERE IT STILL SITS.
@@Hainbach haha! well, to be clear, the K1 with the same patches installed is definitely a better choice, especially the K1m desktop in my opinion. my point was that I can't really explain my own behavior with this object...both the way it came into my life and how it refuses to leave!
Kawai had a relationship with Lowrey then, eventually purchased the company (and subsequently shut it down, poor sales). I believe Kawai synths were actually incorporated into some very expensive Lowrey organs. Do you remember how much you paid for Kawai PH50?
@@ShallRemainUnknown that's a tough request. my hazy memory is returning $199 but I might be off. it was definitely less than $200 because I wouldn't have budgeted more than that for an impulse purchase at the time. I remember feeling like I'd gotten an incredible bargain because those sounds could not be had for less than $1k at the time. remember, this was before VSTs, etc., so if you wanted a sound, you had to buy an object, and then you were stuck with whatever that object could or couldn't do. P-Funk legend Bernie Worrell's PH50 sold at auction at Bonham's in 2017 for only $125, but hey, it apparently caught his ear at some point, too.
I found one of these on the side of the road, full of water and with extremely corroded batteries. I took it apart, cleaned the dirt off the circuit boards and contacts, made sure it was totally dried out with a hair dryer, and then put new batteries in it. It completely works! Kawaii may have cranked these out but they were still built with enough quality to take years of use & abuse.
As an Amiga user and 80's horror fan I love this. So much character in this thing! Few months ago I did a soundtrack for a fake 80's slasher movie that plays inside of the video game Paranoid and this was exactly the sound I wanted. Using a real thing was out of the question, but there's Nils K1v VST which seems to have the same presets.
I picked one of these up about 15 years ago at a carboot sale for £5. I knew nothing about it at the time and was amazed when I played it, pretty unique for a home keyboard. I put mine through assorted 90s multieffects units using serial and parallel processing for some even more incredible evolving sounds
That's a beautiful sounding machine. The sound patches are so full of shape and depth. The lo-fi artifacts and effects added to some of the voices remind me of dark indie games that have eerie background tracks in some of the levels. I would add that little machine into a few effects pedals and just get lost in the ambiance. You did an awesome demo with that machine. Nice track too!
If you enjoy this definitely check out the Kawai K1 (if you haven't already). Many of these aliasing-ridden lofi samples mixable with a joystick. I can send you mine if you want;)
Ah yes, the unicorn of home keyboards. I have tons of keyboards and synths and to this day I still do not have the Kawai PH50 pop keyboard featured on QVC back in the early 90s!
I was so surprised when I saw the thumbnail of the PH50! I still have mine from around '89-90? Cool little keyboard and with some effects (mainly Alesis Microverb at the time and maybe chorus) and you could do some interesting 6-7 part productions on a Fostex 4-trk. It really brings back memories writing/playing/recording home demos.
Heck, last I checked some Yamaha PortaSounds are going for as much as a microKORG on reverb. Nostalgia, and increased scarcity, sure do a number on people’s perception of things.
I always wonder why other home keyboards had only the same generic presets, and there were only a few exceptions in last 30+ years, or just some "add-ons" about 1 or two different presets in General MIDI based keyboards. I think many early 90s kids, including me would choose this Kawai PH 50 over any Casio/Yamaha home keyboard. So much fun.
Have you seen the UMPTEEN vids by sizeable channels here where all the guy does is essentially compare electric and acoustic piano presets of top synths/workstations from Yammy/Krog/Noland/Kurzy etc., totally glossing over any and all interesting/atmospheric synth sounds. I've even sought out non-PCM-based synth vids from such channels, thinking to myself "let's see how he's gonna handle THIS ONE", and, lo and behold, it's like he's got no comprehension of anything being EPs/APs, and similar, will gravitate to only sounds in that vein. It's incomprehensible to me, but some just want that refined white bread and McDonald's "butter" ONLY. Sizeable channels(s), too, and guy's technically excellent player (no imagination, though)...
When I was in one of my first bands, we had one of these and Ensoniq mirage. I also had a Yamaha TG33 and a Casio. This was around 1993 or 94. Your delight is bringing back memories. Some…not so good, LOL
@@HainbachIve been loving the songs you've been putting out with vocals. This one is probably one of my favorites youve made. It kinda reminds me of Bowie
oh cool, some of these are on my K1R, i use the 80s rack units for string, piano, and bell presets usually but had just starting checking thru these kind of sounds in that, the Yamaha TX81z, and the Roland D110 to accent some pieces done primarily on Minitaur and Pro-one
Nomads is a 1986 film with Pierce Brosnan. I only saw it once and that was years ago so don’t remember much about it other than it’s a suspense/thriller that’s a bit like a nightmare. Great idea to name the presets based on movies.
Great video! I´ve a similar Kawai keyboard called MS-710 which has the ability to make your own patches by combining two waveforms and editing their envelopes. I did beautiful sounds that reminded me of my Emulator ll.
There are many of these same presets on the more expensive Kawai K1, which I have. This little guy seems like an affordable way to get the same sounds. Pretty neat!
That Slave Labor patch actually sounds very similar to some stuff Jean-Michel Jarred did in 1988, on his album Revolutions. I guess I need to go look at his gear list to see if any kind of Kawai gear was used. Might have just been a delightful coincidence.
Hey Heinbach! I recommend doing a video on the Yamaha PortaSound PSS-380. I found one stored in my parent’s basement many years ago and it’s still my favorite vintage synth in the world. The sound possibilities are endless.
Loved you how put the inspired song with what you had played with so far, in the middle of the video. You made something great with the few sounds, and a couple of tweaks. Great creativity and imagination.
This thing does sound great, I love how breathy many of the sounds are. My friends mom found one in the og box on the side of the road. Beautiful thing
I need to get a new one of these. This was the synth I grew up with. Dad bought it sometime at the start of the 90s, and us kids were always plonking away on it. None of us knew how to play though, so it sounded even more terrible than the already tinny sound from the cheap speakers. Sadly, our Kawai stopped working, because of solder joints cracking. We fixed it once, but then it stopped working again, so I bought a new Casio instead. Good memories!
I have a ph50 I found for $25 during covid. It’s the love of my life. 🥰 I don’t think I’ve seen hainbach smile so much, I think I know why. I feel there something special about old synths from the 80s and 90s it’s like they time traveled from back in time to be with us. I also get to play synths that Id probably never ever know about. I love this little synth. I made two songs last night.
You guys are sleeping on that low budget to mid rage Kawai gear! That was the first video I ever uploaded to TH-cam. I love it great video Hainbach! Some of these Presents are in the k1.
Danke HAINBACH! Du hast meinen Tipp erhört💖💖💖 Das alte PH50 haben vor vielen Jahren Muttis in die Mülltonne gedrückt,deren Kids nicht Klavier lernen wollten! Es wurde denke ich in Deutschland sogar von Quelle und Neckermann vertrieben und hat trotz des Primitiven Stolen Hammersounds an Board.Synths,Kawai Sounds,Strings,Organs,synths,rauchige Sounds,Bells,sfx,eine Stolen B3 mit Perc.MFG Matthias
I love this sweater. I feel like you could say: - you got it on sale from American Eagle (or Old Navy, or The Gap, etc) - you found it in a tiny thrift store right off the highway somewhere in Nebraska for $3, OR -you found it in a consignment boutique on Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles for about $1200 None of those situations would surprise me. Awesome sweater. Love it. 👍🏻👍🏻
As a young lad growing up in the 90s, I had inherited a number of 80s keyboards/synths from my dad and they heavily inspired me to compose my own music. I did not have this particular keyboard, but I did have another Kawai synthesizer with a surprising number of the same presets as this one. (I think it was the K1?) Watching your reaction to them was both endearing and highly nostalgic. It was one of my favorite synths.
there was a kawai ms710 tha had some editing sound parameters, an envelope and layering option, with midi in, it had velocity capabilities for the filter and volume.
I still have one in working condition. I bought it at circuit city for $199.99, it was a marvel toy keyboard especially compared to Yamaha and Casio of the era. They also had a rack version. With a K4 and a midi patch bay I could layer sounds ad infinitum. Wonderful lo fi creativity. By time the M1 came along it seemed Kawai was outdated. BTW I have a K4 that needs a new battery, looking for a home. SF Bay Area.
I wasn't expecting such a fun video to watch and such a great track you produced in the middle! By the way, your voice is so beautiful... the track got some vibes from Pink Floyd to Hammstein 😂 But for sure, the tiny girl dancing was the funniest and cutiest part! Best video of the day!
That track you made in the first half sounds like a down-tempo Depeche Mode song. Sehr gut =] I wish that was the keyboard I had as a kid (instead of the Yamaha PSS-130). Instant vaporwave 😁
My first synth was a Kawai K3, which I knew nothing about the tech inside, but it could do some cool things, was the cheapest thing at the music store and weighed about 400 lbs. They always put a little extra into their devices. It had DCOs with 31 different waveforms! So I'm not surprised they put such unusual sounds in their portasound type devices
I cherish my K3. It has a distinct niche sound. I used to hate only having 2 numbers for a display, but now I appreciate the minimal and direct parameter interface. I like the smooth aftertouch instead of the modern clicky feel aftertouch. I can kinda get my K3 sounds from my Kurzweil K2500, but I suck with VAST and don't enjoy it.
@@ThePrestoPrestissimo The joystick is AFAIK the only part sticking out of the flat case top and so may snap off easily if handled roughly. (I own dozens of strange tablehooters and store them vertically (like books) in large cupboards.)
Absolutely loved the track you dropped in the middle of the video. Felt like I was about to step into a new episode of Tanis or The Black Tapes podcast.
No freaking way! 2:44 that "Dragon Hall" sound is nearly identical to the ambient pad thingy in the song Circle of Eyes by the black metal band Funeral Mist. I wouldn't be surprised if they actually used one of these keyboards for that album considering that most of the black metal genre is all about being as lo-fi as possible.
Oh, that home keyboard just blow my mind with it's sounds! Some of them clearly reminds me the fantastic compositions/soundtracks by the incredible Christopher Franke!! Yes, I'm about those JD-800-ish sounds with a high pitched breathy sweep. Me really like the sounds based on the different noises. But of course there are lots of very interesting sounds to experiment with one. The string pads sounds close to the prophessional models K1/K3. Very cool and inspiring video, Hainbach! Thanks and keep it up - you do it great =) Cheers and Peace!
das ist echt hochinteressant, mir war nicht klar, dass kawai in dem marktsegment der kleinen homekeyboards mitgemischt hat...aber nicht schlecht! danke für's vorstellen und samplen!
After buying my first Kawai PH-50, I was so taken by the sounds it produced, I ended snapping up another three within the year after Kawai stopped making them off of eBay for half price before their used prices started to far exceed the retail price I initially paid for my first one. I've played on major venue stages using my PH-50 as a 2nd or 3rd keyboard to fatten up my patches, either directly as well as via MIDI, or for soloing, and had gotten use to the looks from stage crew personnel as I was setting up-ranging from laughs to smirks-about the dude who's gigging with a "toy piano". When it came time to break down my gear, one or more of those same crew members would often come up to me with questions about where those "incredible sounds" were coming from. I'd bring it to park- or beach-held jams because of it's dual speakers powered by 6 C-batteries. Without fail that PH-50 could always be clearly heard sounding alongside up to as many as 5 acoustic guitars, singers and a blues harp. In addition to enriching the music for those performances with it's amazing array of great sounds and occasional use of drum rhythms, I couldn't seem to ever resist end up demoing how great this little dinky-looking Kawai keyboard really is during a break-to the delight of both musicians and listeners alike-by running through a wide number of its sounds with riffs that showcased my favorite patches. Apart from most of it's 50 great combination patches-a number of which I swapped out with my own-my all-time solo favorites are: #4 Honky Tonk; #5 Al's Rhodes; #11 Pizzicato (for muted guitar arpeggios); 13 String Pad; #17 Analog BR 1 (to fatten a main horn patch); #38 Syn Solo 1 (for kick-ass lead guitar); #41 Jazz Organ (for blues, with a decent Leslie setting the joystick up for mod ); #51 Voice (for SO many moods and songs, like Little Wing ); #83 Steel Drum 1; #87 Vibes 1; #162 Super Jet (intros for Back in the USSR; Jet Airliner); #170 Seagull (Boys of Summer)
This keyboard is well known for having odd (in a good way) presets. They're still pretty cheap in USA (as are a lot of Kawai keyboards) but also fairly rare to find with the working bend control.
@@Hainbach I can imagine, you'll really enjoy this one. It is a synth that forces you to take your time and gifts you an interesting sound-imprint. It also has the tendency to overdrive easily in the higher registers, I am not sure how to describe that behaviour exactly.
Free Decent Sampler Instrument of the PH50: www.patreon.com/posts/free-decent-hero-96471640
Sounds like the K1 chipset
Herzlichen Dank!
Agree. I have a K1... some identical sounds @@DirtyRobot
the K1v VST that came out a bit ago also has this sound set available for it.
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Your ability to make good and interesting music with what most would consider bad or bland instruments never ceases to amaze!
Thank you Marc!
ha! lovely to see you over here, haha!
They're presets
Wouldn't say this was bland. Not compared to other "table hooters" of the time.
A bad carpenter blames his tools.
Kawai made the right call with their early digital stuff by really leaning into that super-bright sparkly aliasing, instead of aggressively filtering the output like most of their contemporaries. It makes them sound so lively.
Agree, always thought the K1 was special for that reason.
I recognize those presets - those are Kawai K1 presets that were extracted from Kawai PHm modules. I like how Kawai brought these sounds to home keyboard scene and made it somewhat interesting by layering. I understand why there is no sound editing capabilities on this home keyboard model as sound editing on K1 is somewhat lengthy process of scrolling through many parameters. That being said I like K1 and even created some my own presets for it.
It's formally the keyboard version of the PHm.
Two minutes in and I was going to say these reminded me of the cinematic sound bank - but no, this is K1 hardware!
There's also the Nils Kawai K1 plugin if someone doesn't want to shell out to either a PH50 or a K1.
Indeed, a great plugin @@ZILtoid1991
I was going to post the exact same think. This is a Kawai K1. I have one, and I love Visitors patch since 1993
The PH50 is so powerful it can just summon it's own backing dancers
It is truly a joy to watch your reactions to these surprising presets.
Yeah this one made me so happy.
I reacted like this when I got my Kawai K1, these Digital Kawai synths are wonderful!
I have the PHm desktop / half-rack version of this. Although it's a budget rompler, there are some unique and weird sounds buried in these units.
In 1991 (or 92?), I walked into a music store with no intention of buying anything. For some reason they had one of these little guys (the Kawai PH50 labelled version - they were also sold branded as Lowrey.). I had no interest in toy keyboards that day, but as I walked past, I absent-mindedly hit a few keys.
The sound that came swirling out of the store's demo speaker setup stopped me dead in my tracks - a glorious D-50 like wash of digital lushness and quirky artifacts. An hour later, I walked out with one under my arm.
It was only after I'd gotten it home that I discovered from the manual that it was also multi-timbral. That's right - you can externally sequence three (or was it four?) MIDI channels at the same time with a different sound on each channel. And even more - you can save 30 of these multi-track setups in memory...as well as saving splits, and stacked layers!
Over time, I learned that essentially what you have here is lo-fi collection of Kawai K1 presets. It might not seem that big a deal now, but you have to understand - at the time no small battery-powered 'toy' keyboard sounded anything near this. And because of the external form factor, it kind of flew under the radar (but Keyboard Magazine noticed). Sure, the traditional sounds and drum patterns were cheesy, but the non-traditional sounds and pads…amazing! And I don't think there was another mini keyboard with MIDI on sale at all at the time, let alone multi-timbral!
I eventually picked up a Kawai K1m, and decided to sell the PH50, yet here it still sits. Twenty years later I finally sold the K1m, yet here it still sits. I tracked down a Kawai GMega in an attempt to replace those presets without shelling out for an overpriced PHm, yet here it still sits. Last year I finally multi-sampled the PH50 for all the sounds I cared about, YET HERE IT STILL SITS.
Thank you for sharing this! I was close to buying a K1 today but this confirms that the PH50 is the sweet spot
@@Hainbach haha! well, to be clear, the K1 with the same patches installed is definitely a better choice, especially the K1m desktop in my opinion. my point was that I can't really explain my own behavior with this object...both the way it came into my life and how it refuses to leave!
i still have the Lowery LSM-1 in my rig. Love the bass
Kawai had a relationship with Lowrey then, eventually purchased the company (and subsequently shut it down, poor sales). I believe Kawai synths were actually incorporated into some very expensive Lowrey organs. Do you remember how much you paid for Kawai PH50?
@@ShallRemainUnknown that's a tough request. my hazy memory is returning $199 but I might be off. it was definitely less than $200 because I wouldn't have budgeted more than that for an impulse purchase at the time. I remember feeling like I'd gotten an incredible bargain because those sounds could not be had for less than $1k at the time. remember, this was before VSTs, etc., so if you wanted a sound, you had to buy an object, and then you were stuck with whatever that object could or couldn't do.
P-Funk legend Bernie Worrell's PH50 sold at auction at Bonham's in 2017 for only $125, but hey, it apparently caught his ear at some point, too.
I found one of these on the side of the road, full of water and with extremely corroded batteries. I took it apart, cleaned the dirt off the circuit boards and contacts, made sure it was totally dried out with a hair dryer, and then put new batteries in it. It completely works! Kawaii may have cranked these out but they were still built with enough quality to take years of use & abuse.
So happy to see the PH50 on your channel 🎉My first synth!! So dreamy, so weird, so unique
I agree with you, it is so very good.
As an Amiga user and 80's horror fan I love this. So much character in this thing! Few months ago I did a soundtrack for a fake 80's slasher movie that plays inside of the video game Paranoid and this was exactly the sound I wanted. Using a real thing was out of the question, but there's Nils K1v VST which seems to have the same presets.
I picked one of these up about 15 years ago at a carboot sale for £5. I knew nothing about it at the time and was amazed when I played it, pretty unique for a home keyboard. I put mine through assorted 90s multieffects units using serial and parallel processing for some even more incredible evolving sounds
After you picked it up I hope you paid for it
can't believe it was Hainbach who composed the opening music of my favourite 1991 Horror flick
I had this in the UK. It was rebranded as a lowrey ls50. I had those 4 parts working with my atari ST!
The free plugin Nil's K1v has an emulation of these sounds if you look under the PHm bank.
I wanted to comment the same! It's one of my favorite vst synths! :)
That's a beautiful sounding machine. The sound patches are so full of shape and depth. The lo-fi artifacts and effects added to some of the voices remind me of dark indie games that have eerie background tracks in some of the levels.
I would add that little machine into a few effects pedals and just get lost in the ambiance.
You did an awesome demo with that machine. Nice track too!
If you enjoy this definitely check out the Kawai K1 (if you haven't already). Many of these aliasing-ridden lofi samples mixable with a joystick. I can send you mine if you want;)
Nice will have a look at your video! Thanks for the offer
Ah yes, the unicorn of home keyboards. I have tons of keyboards and synths and to this day I still do not have the Kawai PH50 pop keyboard featured on QVC back in the early 90s!
@12:31 A wild Hainbach Junior appears!
I was so surprised when I saw the thumbnail of the PH50! I still have mine from around '89-90? Cool little keyboard and with some effects (mainly Alesis Microverb at the time and maybe chorus) and you could do some interesting 6-7 part productions on a Fostex 4-trk. It really brings back memories writing/playing/recording home demos.
Huge YELLo Drive/Driven vibes here. I find funny how considered crappy romplers from the past become highly seeked expensive instruments now.
Heck, last I checked some Yamaha PortaSounds are going for as much as a microKORG on reverb. Nostalgia, and increased scarcity, sure do a number on people’s perception of things.
I always wonder why other home keyboards had only the same generic presets, and there were only a few exceptions in last 30+ years, or just some "add-ons" about 1 or two different presets in General MIDI based keyboards. I think many early 90s kids, including me would choose this Kawai PH 50 over any Casio/Yamaha home keyboard. So much fun.
I love your username "keyhoarder" ❤️
You would have to pry my casio from my cold dead hands.
Have you seen the UMPTEEN vids by sizeable channels here where all the guy does is essentially compare electric and acoustic piano presets of top synths/workstations from Yammy/Krog/Noland/Kurzy etc., totally glossing over any and all interesting/atmospheric synth sounds. I've even sought out non-PCM-based synth vids from such channels, thinking to myself "let's see how he's gonna handle THIS ONE", and, lo and behold, it's like he's got no comprehension of anything being EPs/APs, and similar, will gravitate to only sounds in that vein. It's incomprehensible to me, but some just want that refined white bread and McDonald's "butter" ONLY. Sizeable channels(s), too, and guy's technically excellent player (no imagination, though)...
@@ShallRemainUnknown well i think you should look out for "all presets" vids
@@Hainbachhaha thanks! Btw have you ever encountered the Casio VA 10? I i would love to see your thougths about this little gem
When I was in one of my first bands, we had one of these and Ensoniq mirage. I also had a Yamaha TG33 and a Casio. This was around 1993 or 94. Your delight is bringing back memories. Some…not so good, LOL
Wow. “Visitors” and “poltergeist” sound amazing for a synth like this.
does it have "ARRANGER" strings , for LFO -LFO on Warp records ?????
Hainbach..YOU ARE AN AMAZING VOCALIST!!Keep them coming
Thank you! I am very shy about my vocals, but I have promised myself to get more confident this year.
@@HainbachIve been loving the songs you've been putting out with vocals. This one is probably one of my favorites youve made. It kinda reminds me of Bowie
Tarwater intensifies!
That's an impressive amount of control for a home keyboard, sounds great for a home keyboard too. I own the Kawai K1 and K4 but I still want one 😅
Sounds like this keyboard has your daughter's seal of approval.
Yeah when they dance to stuff I make I am extra happy
oh cool, some of these are on my K1R, i use the 80s rack units for string, piano, and bell presets usually but had just starting checking thru these kind of sounds in that, the Yamaha TX81z, and the Roland D110 to accent some pieces done primarily on Minitaur and Pro-one
Nomads is a 1986 film with Pierce Brosnan. I only saw it once and that was years ago so don’t remember much about it other than it’s a suspense/thriller that’s a bit like a nightmare. Great idea to name the presets based on movies.
Great video! I´ve a similar Kawai keyboard called MS-710 which has the ability to make your own patches by combining two waveforms and editing their envelopes. I did beautiful sounds that reminded me of my Emulator ll.
Impressive lofi synth. Price just went up on Reverb after this video dropped lol
it got 'heinbached'.
@@RussSmith lol
absoluter hammer was du da rausgeholt hast - ich schaue mit viel freude deine podcasts, herzlichen dank!
Ganz lieben Dank!
It legit sounds like something you can fully make a redro indie game soundtrack on.
There are many of these same presets on the more expensive Kawai K1, which I have. This little guy seems like an affordable way to get the same sounds. Pretty neat!
That Slave Labor patch actually sounds very similar to some stuff Jean-Michel Jarred did in 1988, on his album Revolutions. I guess I need to go look at his gear list to see if any kind of Kawai gear was used. Might have just been a delightful coincidence.
the rave dance part surprise was such a nice vibe !
Hey Heinbach! I recommend doing a video on the Yamaha PortaSound PSS-380. I found one stored in my parent’s basement many years ago and it’s still my favorite vintage synth in the world. The sound possibilities are endless.
Loved you how put the inspired song with what you had played with so far, in the middle of the video. You made something great with the few sounds, and a couple of tweaks. Great creativity and imagination.
Thank you very much!
It seems like consumer grade Kawai K1. I know the Terminator one is a patch from that synth. Great synth too! :)
came here to say just this! The patch names definitely sound very familiar, as do the component waveforms of the presets
This review turned into the deleted scenes from Flight of the Conchords
AAAaamiigaaaaa!!! Did you ever make music with Amiga? Protracker and mods, perhaps? :)
Cool synth and video, Thank You!
This thing does sound great, I love how breathy many of the sounds are. My friends mom found one in the og box on the side of the road. Beautiful thing
I need to get a new one of these. This was the synth I grew up with. Dad bought it sometime at the start of the 90s, and us kids were always plonking away on it. None of us knew how to play though, so it sounded even more terrible than the already tinny sound from the cheap speakers. Sadly, our Kawai stopped working, because of solder joints cracking. We fixed it once, but then it stopped working again, so I bought a new Casio instead. Good memories!
Dungeonsynth-In-A-Box
I have a ph50 I found for $25 during covid. It’s the love of my life. 🥰 I don’t think I’ve seen hainbach smile so much, I think I know why. I feel there something special about old synths from the 80s and 90s it’s like they time traveled from back in time to be with us. I also get to play synths that Id probably never ever know about. I love this little synth. I made two songs last night.
really nice presets. I'd spend hours putting all those layers together, even if I had ALL the free plugins. Excellent job Heinbach Sir!
Quite reminescent of a D50 in ways. Kawai was deff a slept on brand over the years! 😊
Ohh! Nostalgia! Got that as my first keyboard back in the late 80s or early 90s. Lots of memories with that one! 😀
This has been incredibly therapeutic for me. Thank you so much for sharing.
You guys are sleeping on that low budget to mid rage Kawai gear! That was the first video I ever uploaded to TH-cam. I love it great video Hainbach! Some of these Presents are in the k1.
Danke HAINBACH!
Du hast meinen Tipp erhört💖💖💖
Das alte PH50 haben vor vielen Jahren Muttis in die Mülltonne gedrückt,deren Kids nicht Klavier lernen wollten!
Es wurde denke ich in Deutschland sogar von Quelle und Neckermann vertrieben und hat trotz des Primitiven Stolen Hammersounds an Board.Synths,Kawai Sounds,Strings,Organs,synths,rauchige Sounds,Bells,sfx,eine Stolen B3 mit Perc.MFG Matthias
This sounds like Babylon 5 soundtrack for me )
Feels like exactly this model was used for almost all artificial sounds in series.
Oh I loved that series!
@@Hainbachyou, sir, are a man of culture 😊
The Terminator sound and Dragonhall were the same ones in the Kawai K1. I made some great samples of it ages ago!
I love this sweater. I feel like you could say:
- you got it on sale from American Eagle (or Old Navy, or The Gap, etc)
- you found it in a tiny thrift store right off the highway somewhere in Nebraska for $3, OR
-you found it in a consignment boutique on Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles for about $1200
None of those situations would surprise me. Awesome sweater. Love it. 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks! I will pass that on to my wife, she got it as a Christmas present for me.
Oh man this thing sounds phenomenal. I may have to try and find one.
As a young lad growing up in the 90s, I had inherited a number of 80s keyboards/synths from my dad and they heavily inspired me to compose my own music. I did not have this particular keyboard, but I did have another Kawai synthesizer with a surprising number of the same presets as this one. (I think it was the K1?) Watching your reaction to them was both endearing and highly nostalgic. It was one of my favorite synths.
What a gorgeous powerhouse of a keyboard! Those sounds are incredible.
Wow I am fascinated by the TOP 10 Chart potential of the composition you made at the middle of the video. With the perfect touch of "cliché" 😊
Some of the presets remind me of various Amiga game soundtracks. Even the "lo-fi-ness" from the Paula chip is there! Very nice!
Yes! Shadow of the beast
there was a kawai ms710 tha had some editing sound parameters, an envelope and layering option, with midi in, it had velocity capabilities for the filter and volume.
Sounds as a Kawai K1 where the sounds from.
I still have one in working condition. I bought it at circuit city for $199.99, it was a marvel toy keyboard especially compared to Yamaha and Casio of the era. They also had a rack version. With a K4 and a midi patch bay I could layer sounds ad infinitum. Wonderful lo fi creativity. By time the M1 came along it seemed Kawai was outdated. BTW I have a K4 that needs a new battery, looking for a home. SF Bay Area.
"Looks cheap, is cheap".
Nope, WAS cheap. Corrected that for you 😅
Here is one for 85EUR
www.kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/kawai-ph50-1980s-synthesizer-keyboard/2417982588-74-6542?ToPasteboard&
It’s a K1! In a different package.
It sounds exactly like a K1. Some of those sounds are in the K1 and are identical.
We love guest appearances!
Oh God this was my first keyboard! The nostalgia is through the roof!
you could make so many Dungeonsynth albums with that keyboard
I wasn't expecting such a fun video to watch and such a great track you produced in the middle! By the way, your voice is so beautiful... the track got some vibes from Pink Floyd to Hammstein 😂 But for sure, the tiny girl dancing was the funniest and cutiest part! Best video of the day!
Hainbach! Super enjoyable video - loved it. Also that first song was great :) very melancholy and atmospheric.
Hainbach has such an amazing singing voice, it really took me by surprise in the best way possible. It almost doesn't even sound like him.
First track had a very "Air" feeling to it. Wonderful!
That track you made in the first half sounds like a down-tempo Depeche Mode song. Sehr gut =]
I wish that was the keyboard I had as a kid (instead of the Yamaha PSS-130). Instant vaporwave 😁
"Sendai" by Jan Linton and the late great Matthew Seligman (Bowie/Dolby bassist) uses these sounds exclusively
My first synth was a Kawai K3, which I knew nothing about the tech inside, but it could do some cool things, was the cheapest thing at the music store and weighed about 400 lbs. They always put a little extra into their devices. It had DCOs with 31 different waveforms!
So I'm not surprised they put such unusual sounds in their portasound type devices
I cherish my K3. It has a distinct niche sound. I used to hate only having 2 numbers for a display, but now I appreciate the minimal and direct parameter interface. I like the smooth aftertouch instead of the modern clicky feel aftertouch. I can kinda get my K3 sounds from my Kurzweil K2500, but I suck with VAST and don't enjoy it.
This is crazy , makes me wanna keep a eye out for it. Love these type of things they made in 80s and 90s. Gues the era of computers made them absolute
videos where he gets visibly excited are the best ones
beautiful - the choir sound reminds me on the "Aaah" Preset from the Kawai K1
The Joystick alone makes this sound really different than what it looks like
It is super fun! I might just buy the K1 too, of which this is an even more cut down version.
@@Hainbach The more the world changes, the more things stay the same
That's the core feature of this thing, shame that its getting tougher to find these in some places with a joystick that works / isn't broken off
@@neilpatrickhairless should fixing a stick not BE a small problem nowadays as repair parts can be printed?
@@ThePrestoPrestissimo The joystick is AFAIK the only part sticking out of the flat case top and so may snap off easily if handled roughly. (I own dozens of strange tablehooters and store them vertically (like books) in large cupboards.)
Wow ! Kawaii has some true gems. I might get this for a score Im doing . I really try to use very few plugins especially synths.
Absolutely loved the track you dropped in the middle of the video. Felt like I was about to step into a new episode of Tanis or The Black Tapes podcast.
Thank you very much!
Excellent video! You did a great job making interesting music using this home keyboard. Well done!
Try a K1 or 4. You'll be able to make similar and much better sounds as they're real synths :)
Omg you took the most low quality sounds and turned them into gold ❤
No freaking way! 2:44 that "Dragon Hall" sound is nearly identical to the ambient pad thingy in the song Circle of Eyes by the black metal band Funeral Mist. I wouldn't be surprised if they actually used one of these keyboards for that album considering that most of the black metal genre is all about being as lo-fi as possible.
Or a K1
@@DragonGrafx-16 is it based on the same chip and has the same presets?
@@nj1255 pretty much
I'm going to keep my eyes open at goodwill for one of these.
11.12 piano / pads reminds me of the korgis everybodys got to learn sometime , great vid
Oh, that home keyboard just blow my mind with it's sounds! Some of them clearly reminds me the fantastic compositions/soundtracks by the incredible Christopher Franke!! Yes, I'm about those JD-800-ish sounds with a high pitched breathy sweep. Me really like the sounds based on the different noises. But of course there are lots of very interesting sounds to experiment with one. The string pads sounds close to the prophessional models K1/K3.
Very cool and inspiring video, Hainbach! Thanks and keep it up - you do it great =)
Cheers and Peace!
Your pullover rocks hard dude.
Great diamond in the rough synth and a wholesome family dance moment? Hainbach always delivers.
Nice! Sounds like it has many presets from the k1. Prob similar synthesis under the hood. I love old Kawai stuff.
das ist echt hochinteressant, mir war nicht klar, dass kawai in dem marktsegment der kleinen homekeyboards mitgemischt hat...aber nicht schlecht! danke für's vorstellen und samplen!
@3:40 This is some premium vaporwave / desert sand feels warm at night sound
After buying my first Kawai PH-50, I was so taken by the sounds it produced, I ended snapping up another three within the year after Kawai stopped making them off of eBay for half price before their used prices started to far exceed the retail price I initially paid for my first one. I've played on major venue stages using my PH-50 as a 2nd or 3rd keyboard to fatten up my patches, either directly as well as via MIDI, or for soloing, and had gotten use to the looks from stage crew personnel as I was setting up-ranging from laughs to smirks-about the dude who's gigging with a "toy piano". When it came time to break down my gear, one or more of those same crew members would often come up to me with questions about where those "incredible sounds" were coming from.
I'd bring it to park- or beach-held jams because of it's dual speakers powered by 6 C-batteries. Without fail that PH-50 could always be clearly heard sounding alongside up to as many as 5 acoustic guitars, singers and a blues harp. In addition to enriching the music for those performances with it's amazing array of great sounds and occasional use of drum rhythms, I couldn't seem to ever resist end up demoing how great this little dinky-looking Kawai keyboard really is during a break-to the delight of both musicians and listeners alike-by running through a wide number of its sounds with riffs that showcased my favorite patches.
Apart from most of it's 50 great combination patches-a number of which I swapped out with my own-my all-time solo favorites are: #4 Honky Tonk; #5 Al's Rhodes; #11 Pizzicato (for muted guitar arpeggios); 13 String Pad; #17 Analog BR 1 (to fatten a main horn patch); #38 Syn Solo 1 (for kick-ass lead guitar); #41 Jazz Organ (for blues, with a decent Leslie setting the joystick up for mod ); #51 Voice (for SO many moods and songs, like Little Wing ); #83 Steel Drum 1; #87 Vibes 1; #162 Super Jet (intros for Back in the USSR; Jet Airliner); #170 Seagull (Boys of Summer)
the Pop keyboard is so rad, i used it a long time ago and it was really cool
Wow. The preset Terminator was used in one of the 90s rave track. 😊 So Kawaii, ok 😮
This keyboard is well known for having odd (in a good way) presets. They're still pretty cheap in USA (as are a lot of Kawai keyboards) but also fairly rare to find with the working bend control.
Is there anything else with such weird and amazing presets in the toy or synth world?
This is crazy to be a basic keyboard. It's over my head. I got to get one of these. This is just crazy
That tune is epic!....new respect...I will check out more of your stuff...thanks from another synth player in S.F. California
Thank you!
These are basically the K1 waves, aren't they? Had a K1m for years, great synth
Having a K1 right next to me, I would say, you could be very right. - Great synth, although a digital filter would've done wonders for it.
Yeah it uses the same engine according to the manual
@@Hainbach I can imagine, you'll really enjoy this one. It is a synth that forces you to take your time and gifts you an interesting sound-imprint. It also has the tendency to overdrive easily in the higher registers, I am not sure how to describe that behaviour exactly.