k2000 0.1.2

A library for working with the Kurzweil K2000/K2500/K2600 series of synthesizers.

k2000

A Python package for communicating with the Kurzweil K2000/K2500/K2600 family of synthesizers over MIDI.

To use, just:

pip install k2000

Make sure you're on Python 3.8, 3.9, or 3.10. (Other versions may work too.)

What?

Back in the 1990s, Kurzweil Music Systems - founded by Raymond Kurzweil and Stevie Wonder - released an extremely advanced line of synthesizers known as the K2 series. Compared to the music technology we have today in the mid-2020s, these synthesizers were... actually not bad. They still hold up today.

This library contains code for communicating with an attached K2-series synthesizer (specifically the K2000, K2500, or K2600) via MIDI, implementing its entire SysEx protocol, allowing for full interface control and full object read and write support.

How?

A quick-start example:

from k2000.client import K2500Client

c = K2500Client("My MIDI Interface Name")
assert c.is_connected

print(c.get_screen_text())
# ProgramMode    Xpose:0ST   <>Channel:1  
#                     998 Choral Sleigh   
# KeyMap Info         999 Pad Nine        
#  Grand Piano          1 Acoustic Piano  
#  Syn Piano            2 Stage Piano     
#                       3 BriteGrand      
#                       4 ClassicPiano&Vox
# Octav- Octav+ Panic  Sample Chan-  Chan+

# Navigate around the UI a bit:
c.up()
c.down()
c.number(125)
c.enter()

# Access object data:
name, program_data = c.programs[125]
print(f"Got {len(program_data):,} bytes of program data for Program \"{name}\".")
# prints: Got 586 bytes of program data for Program "Fast Solo Tenor".

# Dump all effect data, for example:
for i, value in c.effects.items():
    if value is None:
        continue
    effect_name, effect_data = value
    do_something_with(effect_name, effect_data)

# Take screenshots!
image = c.screenshot()
image.save("screenshot.png")
# Which gives...

Why?

I was doing some reverse engineering and this library helped make that reverse engineering easier.

More generally, though; you could use this library if you wanted to:

• Load or dump programs (or setups, or effects, etc) from your K2-series synth via Python.
• Control the interface of your K2-series synth (i.e. push buttons, read the text and graphics) over MIDI
• Take screenshots of your K2's display over MIDI
• Automate the control of your K2 for scraping, testing, etc.

Ironically, this library doesn't support sending MIDI notes; just the SysEx commands to control specific functions of the K2.

License

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2019-2023 Peter Sobot

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
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in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
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The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
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THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
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