Kawai CA99 Hybrid Digital Piano

Introduction

The Kawai CA99 Concert Artist HYBRID Digital Piano is the successor to the award-winning CA98 model and is the flagship model from Kawai’s acclaimed and ground-breaking Concert Artist (CA Series) Digital Pianos. The Concert Artist digitals from Kawai have for many years now, been understood to push digital piano boundaries further than any other line of digitals with respect to authentic piano experience, and have famously been used by Kawai to unveil their most innovative and impactful contributions to the world of digital pianos.

Among other features, the brand new CA99 showcases: Kawai’s latest Grand Feel III Wooden-Key Action, their Harmonic Imaging HI-XL Tone Engine with Shigeru Kawai-EX Multi-Channel Sampling and Resonance Modelling, a built-in 5” LCD touch-screen, premium audio technology by Onkyo as well as the innovative Kawai TwinDrive Soundboard made of Solid Spruce.

The CA99 is without questions the most advanced hybrid digital piano in its class and is an absolute marvel of modern digital piano technology. If you’re looking for a high-quality instrument that makes absolutely no compromises and is on the cutting edge of what’s possible in a digital piano TODAY – then look no further than Kawai’s CA99 Concert Artist HYBRID Digital Piano

Action

Grand Feel III Action

Probably one of the most exciting developments about the new Kawai CA99 (and new CA79) is Kawai’s big un-veil of their latest Grand Feel III Wooden-Key Keyboard Action. Those who know a bit about the history of Kawai digital pianos, know that likely their biggest contribution to the market was their innovation in wooden-key actions. Kawai has made several incarnations of these actions over the years, each one bringing the touch of digital pianos ever closer to that of acoustics.

Kawai’s Grand Feel III Keyboard Action features: 88 wooden keys crafted in geometric relation to acoustic piano keys, ebony and ivory-like key surfaces for added grip while planing, the longest key sticks and pivot points in a digital piano action (pivot points are the same as in Kawai grand pianos), graded/weighted hammers and graded counterweights for optimal key control and realism, triple sensor key detection for ultimate accuracy and updated let-off simulation for the highest level musicians to not sacrifice touch when playing at the softest dynamic levels.

Although the ‘Grand Feel II’ was already a fantastic effort and considered by many in the industry to be the best digital action to date, the ‘Grand Feel III’ has been meaningfully improved to give the player even more control and authenticity in the touch

Sound/Tone & Connectivity

The sound and tone that the CA99 produces is truly nothing short of remarkable. The foundation for the piano sound engine stems from one of the finest concert instruments in the world – the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX Concert Grand Piano. Kawai meticulously records each individual note on the SK-EX via multi-channel sampling and at a plethora of dynamic levels, to create the basis of their newest “SK-EX Rendering” sound engine, which the CA99 has received. Multi-channel piano sampling is a modern technique that allows this tone engine to process a far greater depth/range of tone than with single-point stereo sampling. Kawai then applies Resonance Modeling to these samples via their proprietary ‘Harmonic- Imaging-HI-XL’ sound technology, which enhances the sound of the samples to account for the complex tonal interactions between various parts of an acoustic piano, such as: Damper resonance, string resonance, harmonics etc. (much like with the wooden key actions, Kawai has released several incarnations of this modelling technology across various CA models)

For their top-line digital pianos (which of course includes the CA99), Kawai partners with Onkyo – one of Japan’s leading premium-audio equipment manufacturers, to design and make their audio circuitry, amps, headphone amps, and speakers. Some of the various inner workings that Onkyo designs/makes for the CA99 include: 1-bit DSD processing, Premium Dual DACs, DIDRC Filter Circuit, Premium Power Amplifiers and a Discrete Spectramodule ™ Headphone Amplifier. These state-of-the-art audio technologies allow the sound/tone of the ‘SK-EX-Rendering’ tone engine from Kawai, to be delivered as clearly and perfectly as possible.

The speaker system on the CA99 is especially noteworthy, as it’s ironically what makes this instrument a HYBRID piano. To start, there are six premium speaker drivers on the piano (not including the soundboard speaker system). Four are the top speakers that cover the mid-range frequencies and two are the dome tweeters which cover the high range frequencies. These speaker systems are all developed by Onkyo audio engineers for each individual model, to deliver as clear a tone from the Shigeru Kawai EX Grand as possible as well as to spatially recreate it’s tone sources. The top speakers also have 360 degree speaker diffusers on them, which expand the piano projection in all directions and create a more natural piano tone throughout the room.

Another important contribution from Kawai to the world of digital pianos was their introduction of solid spruce soundboards (as used in acoustic pianos) for the creation of sound in digitals pianos. And so, for the CA99, Kawai introduces their third incarnation of Kawai’s digital piano soundboard, which is called: ‘The Twin Drive Soundboard Speaker System’. The way this soundboard works is it filters sound energy via two transducers into the wooden soundboard material, which allows the tone to get enhanced by the natural harmonic and musical qualities of wood – much like an acoustic piano bridge transfers the energy into a soundboard.

The primary transducer takes care of the low and mid-low range frequencies (installed on ‘bass end’ of soundboard), whereas the secondary transducer takes care of only mid-range frequencies (installed on treble end of soundboard). The soundboard helps to warm up and naturalize the sound of the CA99 in comparison to a piano such as the CA79. Possibly the most pleasant part of this feature for the musician is that the piano comes alive and resonates much in the same way that an acoustic does, and gets rid of that “computer-y feeling” that digital pianos give some players

In terms of connectivity, the CA99 of course has every imaginable option, including: Bluetooth Ver 4.1, Bluetooth Midi, Bluetooth Audio, USB to device, USB to Host, MIDI In/MIDI Out, 2 Stereo Jacks (one 1/4”, one 1/8”), Line Out (1/4” L/MONO, R) and a Line in (1/8” stereo with the volume knob). In other words …. everything.

Notable Features

• SK-EX Rendering + Harmonic Imaging XL (HI-XL) audio processing
• Grand Feel III Action, with wooden keys, let off, graded hammer weights, graded counterweights, triple sensor, ebony/ivory touch key surfaces
• Contemporary Upright Cabinet Design with Softfall Fallboard (Premium Rosewood, Satin Black, Satin White or Ebony Polish)
• Grand Feel Pedal System – Damper (with Half-Pedal Support), Soft, Sostenuto
• TwinDrive Soundboard Speaker System with new 360 Speaker Diffuser Panels
• Improved Virtual Technician Function (22 parameters)
• Reverb Types: Pianist Mode – Ambience (10 types), Sound Mode – Reverb (6 Types)
• Integrated Bluetooth Midi and Audio Connectivity, with aptX Support
• 100 Instrument Sounds
• Speakers by Onkyo: 4 Top Speakers with Difusers, 2 Dome Tweeters, Twin Soundboard Speaker System; 135W total output power
• Headphone Amps/Spatial Headphone Sound Technology by Onkyo
• 5” LCD Touchscreen Display UI with Sister Piano Remote control app for iOS/Android Devices
• Key Cover/Upright Piano Type Music Rest
• Basic Functions: Dual, Split, Four Hands, Transpose, Tuning, Favorite
• 286 Internal Songs, 13 Collections of Lesson Songs (Burgmüller, Chopin, Czerny, Beyer, Alfred Lesson Books etc.)
• Metronome + 100 Drum Patterns
• Internal Audio Recorder: 10 songs, 2 parts, 90,000 notes of total memory (Playback/Record as: MP3, WAV, SMF or KSO)
• 256 note polyphony
• Bluetooth – Ver4.1, Bluetooth MIDI, Bluetooth Audio
• Audio Connectivity: USB to device, USB to Host, MIDI In/MIDI Out, 2 Stereo Jacks (one 1/4”, one 1/8”), Line Out (1/4” L/MONO, R) and a Line in (1/8” stereo with volume knob)

Conclusions/Summary/Overall Impressions

Kawai has out-done themselves yet again in the release of their new flagship Concert Artist Series Model, the HYBRID CA99! This piano has it all, and will truly make you forget it isn’t an acoustic piano. If you’re after a long-term digital piano solution and want the absolute best available – then put the Kawai CA99 on your shopping list!!

MERRIAM pianos have been a Kawai dealer for almost 25 years and are the largest in Canada. For the best prices on the Kawai KDP70 and others in stock feel free to visit us at one of our GTA locations.

Good luck with the shopping, and thanks for checking out our comparison video!!

Kawai CA99 Owner’s Manual

• [English] FP-30X Owner’s Manual

Kawai CA99 Related Resources

• [VIDEO] Kawai CA99 Digital Piano Review & Demo
• [VIDEO] Kawai CA99 vs Casio GP-510 Digital Piano Review, Comparison, & Demo
• [VIDEO] Kawai CA99 Digital Piano Hybrid Playing Demo – “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers
• [BLOG] Kawai Digital Piano Series Overview