I was 2nd keyboardist on a broadway musical. Took my usual K2500xs & PC361. I was shocked how dated my K2500 sounded! Sadly My cherished K2500xs with kdfx/all roms and a DMTi that I purchased new in 2000 time has come. Here is the dilemma. My huge Kurzweil and after market library. The sounds are still relevant to me. I purchased a PC361 a few years ago to see if it could replace my trusty steed, before I sank a small fortune in a 88 key version. A go to board yes, not a replacement though. I played a Forte.... Yes like the $5500 I plucked down for the K2500XS (with internal scsi hd & Max sample ram and external hd/cd combo) is worth every penny. But it won't read legacy files. As I understand it I have to get a PC3K8 for that. But I have to sacrifice the new sampled pianos.... is there an alternative solution to buying both. I really want the new piano samples. I deserve the new piano samples. I have owned everything Kurweil from my first K1200 76 Pro. I don't keep up with the latest or greatest, so any suggestions would be appreciated.
The Forte does read KRZ files. As long as those sounds don't reference the internal ROM samples and are RAM sample based the Forte should read those files for the most part well. And being that the Forte can load 3.3 GB vs the 128 MB of the K2500 you will be able to load at lot more of them. Obviously you will definitely have to reprogram the effects and probably edit at least some of those KRZ sounds. Bottom line is if the Kurzweil sounds you want to use are RAM based then the Forte is the way to go.
The PC3K8 can load K series samples and programs, however it CAN also do the German Grand Piano. Unfortunately it cannot do both at the same time.
If you insert the German Grand ROM you have to remove the Sample RAM to make it work.
Damned if you do and damned if you don't.
If, however, your K series programs don't include any sampled voices, THEN you CAN run K programs AND the German Piano at the same time.
Personally I own a PC3K8 and I think it's a magnificent machine that far outstrips my own meagre talents, but as far as I'm concerned I plan to be buried with mine 
Who knows, maybe you can live with a PC3K8 and your K programs and the German Grand all at the same time if you can just live without the K2500 samples. I'd also highly recommend getting the KORE64 ROM. No restrictions on that and I think it's actually required for some K series programs.
OR........
If you are an extremely gutsy dude, you can take your $5000 PC3K8, and your $1000 worth of ROMS and have an EXTREMELY talented tech engineer a switchable daughter board inside the PC3K8 with an external toggle switch which, with a reboot, would allow you to effortlessly switch back and forth between the Piano ROM and the Sample Memory. Not 100% certain if that works without a subsequent firmware update though.
I once suggested it to Dave Weiser and he moaned something obscene about Kurzweil and daughterboards that would make a sailor blush
Gary 
I am sure that you were kidding about doing that to a PC3K8 as I would not recommend that unless you have money to burn in which case you could just buy 2 PC3K8's! 
Being a long time Kurzweil user.... I think you will appreciate the Forte and, eventually, will fill the 3.3 GB of samples...
My 2 cents,
Regards,
Fran
