Kawai Digital Pianos
Background
Kawai Digital Pianos is one of three dominant brands in the digital piano industry, along with Yamaha and Roland. They manufacture a wide array of home digital pianos, although their participation in the electronic music instrument market is limited to this category. They have focused their design and manufacturing exclusively on home digital pianos, and have enjoyed double digit sales increases since 2009 as their reputation and level of innovation continue to increase. Up until the mid-2000’s, Kawai was primarily known as a builder of high-quality acoustic pianos, approaching market dominance in many price points and quality levels with instruments such as the Kawai K3 upright, the Shigeru Kawai Concert Grand and SK2, the RX2 / RX3 / RX6, and their wood-key action stage pianos. They were also known for their digital products, but less positively; they were actively competing against Roland and Yamaha in maintaining full product lineups, from portable keyboards, to stage pianos, arrangers, digital grand pianos, midi sequencers, tone generators, and more. A refocusing was in order, and after attracting some high-profile talent from the competition, Kawai began to laser in on the home digital piano market. Even though they represented a relatively small percentage of the overall electronic piano industry, Kawai knew they would do well since piano building was their first and primary passion.
Focus On Home Digitals
With the elimination of virtually all other products from their lineup, Kawai Digital steamed ahead with their plan to focus (and stay focused) on the home digital piano category, investing substantial sums of money into piano sound technologies, new key action designs, rugged and long-lasting cabinets, and simple but effective interfaces. Early successes included the CA5, the MP8, the CP115, and the CN2. As Kawai Digital continued to push forward with its Harmonic Imaging technology, AWA action, and long-lasting construction, further model development yielded even greater successes. The latest batch of instruments contains many of the internet’s most talked-about digital pianos: the CE220, the CN24, the CS10, the MP10, MP6, ES7, ES100, and CA65/95. The influence that the internet has had on Kawai’s success cannot be understated; in fact, Kawai has never actively promoted its product at the same level as Yamaha and Roland. Instead, Kawai relies on a fiercely loyal and well-equipped dealer network to get the word out. However, with the inclusion of web research into almost every single customer’s buying habits, word-of-mouth of Kawai has gone viral.
Current Success
Kawai’s facilities are operating at 100% capacity, producing pianos for orders and back-orders all over the world. Merriam Pianos is fortunate and honoured to carry the Kawai lineup of digital pianos, and has been lucky enough to win Kawai’s prestigious Dealer-Of-The-Year award 13 times in a row. Kawai currently has models listed as top picks or staff favourites on virtually every major keyboard website and digital piano shopping guide, and is in the process of building an entirely new facility to accommodate the huge increase in demand for the product.
Background
Kawai’s CN series has been around for nearly a decade, and in that time has made a name for themselves in the digital piano industry. The CN series has been designed to be used in a high demand education environment (practice rooms, music school classrooms), but has proven a popular choice for an in-home setting as well.
Who’s it for?
The Kawai CN is built with the “Piano purist” in mind. Designed for prominently classical/jazz playing styles, this would take a player from the very start to the tenth year of playing. As an “in home” digital piano, a CN makes sense for a player who does not have a need to move their instrument around. These pianos are best for a player that wants to sit below the $2000 price point, and is looking to find one of the more realistic playing digital pianos in comparison to an acoustic.
Major features
- Progressive Harmonic Imaging sound technology with 88-note piano sampling
- Responsive Hammer II (RH II) Action with Let-off
- 15 exceptional instrument sounds
- Dual and Four-Hands modes
- 192-Note Polyphony
- Built-in Alfred piano lessons
- Grand Feel Pedal System
- Sliding key cover and matching bench
- Premium Rosewood Finish
Kawai CN24
Kawai CN34
Background
The Concert Artist has been Kawai’s flagship digital series for the last 12 years. With the amount of acoustic piano materials and mechanisms used
in this digital line up, the CA series falls into more of a Hybrid digital piano category setting them apart from the majority of the digital market. Over the years, the majority of Kawai’s major developments in digital pianos have been introduced though the CA series.
Who it’s for
Kawai recognized the rise in urbanization, and the increasing demand for ultra-realistic digital pianos to serve as a true acoustic piano replacement in a condo, or apartment setting. The wooden keys and spruce sound board make the touch and tone of this series suitable for professional players, and the versatility of the built in tones, effects, and accompaniments make this an incredibly versatile instrument. Much like the majority of Kawai’s instruments, the CA series still is quite piano focused. For someone that wants to be able to control everything from the Topboard position, through to custom voicing and decay time, the CA might be the series for you.
Main Features
- Grand Feel (GF) Wooden-Key Action with Let-off
and Ivory Feel Keys
- Harmonic Imaging XL Sound Technology
with 88-key Piano Sampling - USB Audio – Play/Rec MP3 and WAV Files
- USB to Device & USB to Host
- 80 Premium Instrument & Vocal Sounds
- 256 Polyphony (max.)
- Built-in Practice Exercises and Alfred Lesson Songs
- Grand Feel Pedal System
- Concert Magic and Hymn Player Functions
- Built-in Classical Music – 2 hrs.
- Soundboard Speaker System*
*Only available on the Kawai CA95
Kawai CA65
Kawai CA95
Background
The majority of Kawai’s high performance 88-note stage pianos fall into the MP series. Since 1998, Kawai has been producing professional grade stage pianos in the “MP” series developed for high level pianists in search of a realistic and versatile instrument for the stage.
Who it’s for
Although originally developed for gigging musicians, the MP series has found itself home to recording studios, university classrooms, and rehearsal spaces, as well as its primary use on the stage. This series is designed to be portable, but has never sacrificed the action, nor tone to do so. The lack of inboard speakers cuts down on weight dramatically which frees up weight for full wooden key actions in a number of models. The MP series is designed for a musician that needs an orchestra at the tips of their fingers, but is unwilling to compromise on touch or tone to get there.
Main Features
Kawai MP11
Grand Feel (GF) wooden-key action with Let-off, Triple Sensors and Ivory-touch surfaces
Harmonic Imaging XL with 88-key piano sampling
40 Voices, including 12 Concert, Jazz and Pop Grand
Piano sounds
Vintage E. Piano sounds with amp simulations
6 Reverbs and 129 Effects, all customizable
Virtual Technician – customize virtually every element
of the piano
208 User Memories
USB Recorder – MP3 and WAV audio plus MIDI
Triple Pedal Assembly included – Damper, Sostenuto
and Soft
Kawai MP7
Harmonic Imaging XL
RH2 Action with Let-off, Ivory Touch and Triple
Sensor Detection
USB Audio – play and record MP3 and WAV files
256 Note Polyphony
256 Sounds
256 User Setups
208 User Memories
4 Internal/External Zones
Virtual Technician
Kawai MP11
Kawai MP7
Background
The CS series is one of the first of its kind. Such a huge emphasis has been placed on digital pianos to sound and feel as much like an acoustic piano as possible, yet little attention has been put into the aesthetic appeal of these instruments. The CS series pairs top of the line digital technologies with a much more traditional ebony polish cabinet.
Who it’s for.
The CS4, CS7 and CS10 are geared towards professional level musicians, or players that are not willing to make any compromises in any of of their digital. These hybrids are designed for those on the look out for a digital piano that could easily pass as it’s close acoustic cousin . Some models actually use the same wooden components from Kawai’s acoustic pianos (GF action, Soundboard speaker system) and are available in authentic upright piano cabinets. This digital series is meant for the musician that demands the bleeding edge of digital technology, as well as a beautiful showpiece for the family room.
Main Features
CS4
Progressive Harmonic Imaging sound technology with
88-note piano sampling
RHII Graded-hammer Action
Let-off, Ivory Touch & Triple Sensor Detection
Grand Feel Pedal System
15 Sounds / 192 – Polyphony
Dual and Four-Hands Mode
Piano Music
Alfred Lessons – Basic 1A & 1B
3-Song Recorder
40-Watts / 4-Speaker Sound System
Polished Ebony Finish
Kawai CS7
Harmonic Imaging XL sound technology with
88-note piano sampling
GF Wooden-Key Action
60 Exceptional Instrument Sounds
Dual, Split and Four-Hands Modes
256-Note Polyphony
USB Audio Capability
Built-in Alfred Piano Lessons and Finger Exercises
Grand Feel Pedal System
Classic Leg and Toe-Block Design
Sliding Key Cover and Matching Bench
Polished Ebony Finish
Kawai CS10
Authentic Upright Piano Cabinet
Harmonic Imaging XL sound technology with
88-note piano sampling
GF Wooden-Key Action
Exclusive Soundboard Speaker System
80 Exceptional Instrument Sounds
Dual, Split and Four-Hands Modes
256-Note Polyphony
USB Audio Capability
Built-in Alfred Piano Lessons and Finger Exercises
Grand Feel Pedal System
Fallboard and matching bench
Polished Ebony Finish
Kawai CS4
Kawai CS7
Kawai CS10
