Kurzweil K250 - Manufacturer Optional Components

Manufacturer Optional Components

• Sampler: 12-bit sample rate of 5 kHz to 50 kHz, 100 to 10 seconds of sampling time respectively. Six different sampling modes: quick take, de-emphasis, slow decay, normal decay, fast decay and speech. Samples are fully editable. 1MB ROM standard. 1/4 inch microphone input jack for sampling source.
• 2 MB SuperRAM (increases the sampling RAM available from 1 MB to 2 MB).
• 4 MB SuperRAM II (increases the sampling RAM available from 1 MB to 4 MB).
• Sound Block A - a.k.a. "Expanded Basic Sound Block" (adds an additional 88 non-destructive ROM sounds).
• Sound Block B - a.k.a. "Rock Sound Block" (adds an additional 59 non-destructive ROM sounds).
• Sound Block C - a.k.a. "Classical Sound Block" (adds an additional 43 non-destructive ROM sounds).
• Sound Block D - a.k.a. "Brass Sound Block" (adds an additional 35 non-destructive ROM sounds).
• Separate output board (providing twelve 1/4 inch jack discrete monophonic outputs in addition to the polyphonic stereo outputs). See Monophony and Polyphony (instrument).
• Plexiglas sheet music stand.
• Performance (tubular) keyboard stand.
• Volume swell pedal.
• Daughterboard for installing up to two additional ROM sound blocks beyond the capability of adding four sound blocks.
• Kurzweil 250 Quick Load System (QLS)
  • For Apple/Macintosh Computers (See: Apple Inc.) - Latest version is version 3.8. Will work with most Apple/Macintosh computers using Macintosh System 6 to Mac OS 9.2 (and possibly later, not verified) for use in uploading/downloading information to/from the Kurzweil K250 and working with that data. Data could also be viewed and/or manipulated using other third party software. A serial interface on the Apple/Macintosh computer is required; on early Apple/Macintosh computers (typical) it is known as a DB-9 connector or Mini-DIN 8 connector (typical) and on later Apple/Macintosh computers it is known as a Geoport, which is a Mini-DIN 9 connector. Some early Geoports using Mac OS 7.5.3 or earlier may not work with the Apple-supplied hardware driver - a driver that is known to work is the Opcode Open Music System 2.3.8 SerialDMA driver (freeware) available at: If the Apple/Macintosh does not natively contain a DB-9 connector or Mini-DIN 8 connector or Geoport an adapter will be required for interfacing the K250 to the Macintosh—the only known third-party adapter is available at the GeeThree Stealth Serial Port adapter website:
  • For IBM PC compatible personal computers (PC's) - See Third Party Optional Components below.
• QLS cable for connecting the Apple/Macintosh DB-9 or Mini-DIN 8 (typical) or Geoport port to the Kurzweil DB-37 computer jack (DB-9 Male or Mini-DIN 8 Male or Geoport Male to DB-37 Male) -or- the PC DB-9 to the Kurzweil DB-37 computer jack (DB-9 male to DB-37 male).
• QLS Modem Board (SCSI Board) - Apple/Macintosh or PC computer interface for saving/loading of samples, setups, keyboards, sequences and bins using QLS or MacAttach software (predecessor to QLS software for Apple/Macintosh).
• Battery-operated 256 KB RAM cartridge and optional cartridge adapter kit for data storage and retrieval. (Note: Kurzweil indicated a cartridge kit is required, however it has been verified by the author of this article that the cartridge kit is not required if care is taken while inserting and removing cartridges to/from the cartridge slot).