I don't own a Forte but I DO own a PC3K8 which is still a current model in Kurzweil's lineup.

Can you PLEASE tell us why Kurzweil insists on farming out the editor softwares to that useless skidmark of a company Soundtower when users have been bitching about corrupted systems and lost work and crashes for DECADES??????

Seriously I don't know what sort of Devil's NDA they signed to get that job but time and time again they have destroyed countless hours of users' works and STILL you go back to them again for the latest?

I know for me this is a dealbreaker and if I ever sell off my PC3K to upgrade I will not even look at another Kurzweil product and opt instead for a Roland or a Korg. At least THEY can get the bloody software right.

Gary

Hi,

Many fixes in this version and, it's a controller app, not the full blown editor.... and, did I mention it is FREE?

You still can do anything on the Forte or Forte SE itself so nobody really needs it. It's just a help. As a controller with a laptop with a touch screen is pretty neat.

Give it a try!

Don't know about the Roland editor but the Korg editor is not that good. Being that either the PC3K or the Forte can be edited from the front screen completely without having to use an external editor means you are not relying on how well the Soundtower editor works. Personally I would never buy a keyboard based on how well it's editing software works ( Assuming you can edit from the keyboard without having to use editing software) but rather the features and sound quality etc.

I'm a littlebit late to the party here, but I have to say clear and loud: happyrat1 is 110% right!

First and foremost, the desktop editor for the Forte doesn't even reflect all the changes which happened to the Forte (16 parts in multi mode) a year ago. Besides that, there are completely unfinished parts, for example, you can't edit and program what the switches will do in multi mode. The window is completely empty! The arpeggio window is even worse: once you open it, there are no buttons to close it.
And instead of fixing the most obvious quirks, Soundtower wastes their time for yet another "controller" app????? And on top of that Kurzweil happily promotes that unfinished and potentially dangerous software (it destroyed all my programs on the Artis).
Finally, if I may add:
Saying that the app is free and everything can be done on the keyboard, as a kind of an excuse is somehow pathetic, with all my respect. Even if you don't mean it, it sounds like an excuse.
The editors are horrible and Kurzweil do nothing to change that. Period.

The Forte has had a lot of updates to it in the past year and a half [more than any keyboard I have ever owned] so trying to keep up with all of that in the editor sounds like that would be a bit tricky. Now as I had said earlier if one had to rely solely on the Soundtower editor to edit fully on my Forte then yeah that would be another story. Also always back up anything of value.

Hi ahutnick,

the thing is that the editor is unfinished from day one. It has nothing to do with the changes made so far in the keyboard.

1
When you select the multi mode and click edit, then on a program name of the selected part to select a new program, a new window appears with sound categories. This window has only 4 rows with sound categories. The 5th one is missing completely (voices - mallet - hybrid - misc.)

2
When you select the "switch" tab in multi edit mode, it is an empty window. Editing what the switches do is not even implemented.

3
When you select the "arp" tab in multi edit mode, not only do you get an empty window in the MacOS version, the window even lacks the buttons for min/max/closing windows! Once you open the window, you are completely unable to close it except with the "close app" key command which shuts down the whole editor and your work potentially get lost. (In the upper left corner, there should be three round knobs)

And when you go to the download page on the soundtower webpage, it says clearly that you need the latest 2.02. Forte OS update to run the latest version of their editor, yet, this editor still doesn't have 16 parts in the multi mode.
And while Kurzweil really updated the Forte in big steps, the last big update was more then 6 months ago at least. Enough time to implement at least 16 parts in the multi mode (instead of the old 4) and finish those empty windows. Hence, soundtower didn't even check all the windows to assure they can be opened and closed as required by the computer OS.

Of course, we all can program the Forte without the editor, but the fact that it is free must not be an excuse for such a badly written software, especially not when one is promoting it.

Not questioning that the Soundtower editor needs a lot of work but I wouldn't base buying a keyboard on how well it's editor works . My suggestion would be to post your complaints on Soundtower's Facebook page.

Just to make it clear, I didn't say anywhere that I wouldn't buy Kurzweil keyboards because of the horrible editor. I bought three of them in less than two years. I just agreed with happyrat1 that there must be a very strange contract between Kurzweil and Soundtower and it is not for good but for a shame for both companies.
Since I don't use facebook, I cannot post on their facebook. Besides that, the problems with the editor are known to both, Kurzweil and Soundtower, the problems are not since yesterday. I reported them to Kurzweil, and twice to Soundtower.
While Kurzweil at least responds (thanks to their great customer support), Soundtower did not even respond. They spent their time in creating a controller app, nobody asked for, yet they neglect completely the unfinished desktop editor.

Well the free Kronos editor does have it's issues and the paid version (which is not cheap) has some as well. And while I have no hands on experience with Roland or Yamaha editors I would not be surprised if their editors have issues as well. Bottom line for me is I am really happy with my Forte irregardless of the editing software shortcomings.