[23 August 2025] V.A.S.T. is back and now available! Here’s how to get your hands on a Kurzweil K2061 or K2088.
Kurzweil K2061 and K2088 V.A.S.T. SynthesizersGet the New Kurzweil NowAll the DetailsKurzweil K2061 and K2088: Details RevealedPrice and AvailabilityMore InformationKurzweil shares specs of the K2061 and K2088Kurzweil K2061 and K2088 (NAMM 2024 Leak)More information about Kurzweil
Get the New Kurzweil Now
After a year and a half, Kurzweil’s two updates on its V.A.S.T. synthesis system are now available. You can find the K2061 and K2088 at Thomann*.
Affiliate Links
Kurzweil K2061
No customer rating available yet
$2,150.00 / £1,899.00 / 2,199.00€ at
Kurzweil K2088
No customer rating available yet
$2,444.00 / £2,175.00 / 2,499.00€ at
All the Details
[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.
Kurzweil K2061 · Source: Kurzweil
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.
Kurzweil K2088 · Source: Kurzweil
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.
Kurzweil K2061 · Source: Kurzweil
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.
Kurzweil K2088 · Source: Kurzweil
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.
Connectivity · Source: Kurzweil
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.
More Information
K2061 product page
K2088 product page
The manufacturer at Thomann*
More from Kurzweil
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!
K20 series on Kurzweil’s website
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.
Kurzweil K2061 · Source: forums.musicplayer.com
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.
Kurzweil K2088 · Source: forums.musicplayer.comKurzweil K2088 · Source: forums.musicplayer.com
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.
More information about Kurzweil
Musicplayer forum
Kurzweil website
More from Kurzweil
*Note: This article contains advertising links that help us pay for this site. Don’t worry: the price for you will always be the same! If you buy something through these links, we will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!
The post Kurzweil K2061 and K2088 V.A.S.T. Synthesizers: Now Available! appeared first on gearnews.com.
