Kurzweil Artis 7 stage piano
Discontinued, this product can no longer be ordered.
Product no: 9000-0014-7625 Bax Music Warranty: This product comes with a 3-year warranty.
General
Kurzweil's Artis 7 is the perfect stage piano for keyboardists who perform regularly. Its robust housing weighs just over 12 kg which is light for a product that has as much to offer as this does. With the best sounds from the PC3K and the KORE 64 among those on board, the sound quality is second to none and extremely diverse too. There's even a Hammond B3 simulation and Artis 7's sliders can be used as drawbars.
Kurzweil Artis 7
In addition to the sliders, there's a 3-band EQ among the controls on the front panel for adjusting the sound as you're playing. The semi-weighted Fatar TP8 keyboard can be split into zones or layers allowing you to easily add complexity to your performance. The sliders can also be used to control effects without having to dive into menus which isn't something you want to have to do while you're playing.
Sounds
This stage piano has much more than just piano sounds on board. Electric pianos, organs, wind instruments, strings, vocal sounds, pads and guitars are all among the range of possibilities. There are 256 sounds in all and special software can be used to adjust things like synth parameters. Kurzweil has a reputation for professionalism and the sounds on board the Artis 7 will only serve to reinforce that.
Specifications
Product features
| Number of keys | 76 |
|---|---|
| Weight | 10 - 14.9 kg |
| Housing colour | silver |
| Polyphony (max) | 128 |
| Keyboard type | semi-weighted |
Weight and dimensions including packaging
| Weight (incl. packaging) | 17,5 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions (incl. packaging) | 127,0 x 47,0 x 23,0 cm |
Wrote the following about Kurzweil Artis 7 stage piano
Pros: The Artis ticked all the boxes at a lower price point than its competitors (like the red one from sweden) while providing most of the same functionality. The build quality is very nice with a metal feel and rubbery knobs/pots , it provides a bit less controls than a Nord but has the essentials (pitch bend and wheel, drawbars, key clicks on/off, rotary on/off etc.) with a very decent collection of sounds. I had read comments about the keyed being too springy but i like it, heavy enough for piano but no so much that you can play organ or synth leads on it. Black keys are also very slightly matte (very subtle) which i personally like. The favorite sounds shortcuts are very handy and all the controls well thought out.
It is also provided with a solid sustain pedal and a pair of audio cables which is a nice touch.
Cons: The only issue I have is that the iPad app mentioned on the Kurzweil website doesn't work! It is simply not supported on latest IOS. I have reached out to both Kurzweil and Soundtower, who promised an imminent upgrade but alas according to forums they have been saying this for years.. :-( Not the end of the world as the Mac app works but still, misleading advertising on Kurzweil's part.
The distinctive side panels do not entirely cover the keys which sticks out a little bit (see pictures). Might consider having some custom wooden side panels done.
All in all, a very well build and nice sounding instrument. I am surprised that it is not mentioned more often as a competitors to the Nords. Yes it doesn't have all the controls and sample import from the Nord but you get access to the Kurzweil's well respected PC3 library of sounds and a very useful set of controls (including pitch bend and wheel for the synth solos) in a compact and reasonably light package. Shame about the lack of iPad app though.
