Kawai Digital Pianos
Kawai is one of the world's leading piano manufacturers. From a deep understanding of pianists' desires, structural aspects, and the expressive possibilities of the traditional instrument, arises a constant aspiration to move ever closer to the ideal model for every digital emulation: the acoustic piano.
Playing the piano is an experience that concerns not only sound and touch, but also many other sensations. Some aspects are extremely difficult to reproduce: consider the changes in timbre that accompany dynamics (depending on whether one plays piano or forte), the effects of pedals, the differences in the consistency of the hammer felt, and the resonance of other strings, which vibrate sympathetically even when not directly played.
All these subtle elements have been analyzed by designers in the research and development department, who are entrusted with creating Kawai's elite models, from the early RX–A, to the EX, to today's Shigeru Kawai grand pianos. And it is precisely from the sound of the EX concert grand piano, intended for concert halls and the most prestigious international piano competitions, that the main timbre of Kawai digital pianos is sampled.
Radically innovative technologies have been used to enhance Kawai's wealth of experience in the field of acoustic piano production, translating it into a cutting-edge electronic instrument.
The main objective—to create a digital piano that gets as close as possible to the acoustic grand piano model—has been achieved through a convergence of technological innovation and the digital application of traditional construction methods.
Decisive factors are respectively the Harmonic Imaging™ technology, which concerns the main timbre (the piano sound), and the keyboard and mechanical design for touch.
Attention has also been paid to a series of other characteristics necessary for a high-quality product: from the "other" sounds, which allow digital pianos a versatility unknown to traditional pianos, to the cabinet, important not only for aesthetics but also for the sound diffusion system, to optional features such as Concert Magic and sound effects. In an excellence model, the CA91 (later joined by the CA111 and CA93), even a spruce soundboard has been adopted for amplification, one of the most exclusive features of acoustic instruments.
TOUCH
RM3 Grand
CA13, CA63, CA93
This action, released in 2010, represents the development of AWA actions. It is integrated with the Ivory touch surface, which gives the keyboard the typical roughness of ivory, and in some cases also includes double escapement emulation.
RM3 Grand action
(click to enlarge)
Double escapement emulator (let–off)
CN33, CA93 Some models equipped with RH and RM3 Grand actions can be fitted with this feature, which simulates the touch response — a sort of slight resistance felt at the bottom of the key stroke — corresponding to the double escapement mechanism typical of grand pianos: the sensation for the pianist is decidedly satisfying, especially after playing for a few minutes.
Ivory-effect key covering (ivory touch)
CN23, CN33, CA63, CA93
Models equipped with RH and RM3 Grand actions are fitted with Ivory touch; this new material has a high sweat absorption capacity; like traditional ivory, it therefore prevents fingers from slipping on the keys: hence not only its pleasant feel but especially its functional importance in facilitating fast performances.
SOUND
Harmonic Imaging™
A good concert grand piano produces an extensive range of dynamic nuances, from pianissimo to fortissimo. It is important to note that at each dynamic level not only the power changes, but also the timbre: the lower the volume approaches pianissimo, the simpler the harmonic structure of the generated notes becomes.
Leveraging its great knowledge of acoustic pianos, Kawai has decided to reproduce this complexity by resorting to cutting-edge technology. Specialized technicians for the most demanding tasks – preparing grand pianos for concerts and competitions – have tuned, regulated, and voiced the numerous EX models available. After a meticulous evaluation lasting many hours, a piano with exceptional characteristics was chosen: the progenitor of the CA series.
An extremely accurate sampling was then carried out in the anechoic chamber of Kawai's Ryuyo laboratories, which completely absorbs every echo: this allowed for capturing the purest sound of the best EX grand piano. Starting from this, the performer can then, at their pleasure, introduce a reverb effect.
Conventional sampling only reproduces a small portion of the dynamic range that a piano is capable of. Harmonic Imaging™, Kawai's exclusive process, instead accurately traces the timbre map of an EX acoustic grand piano for every note and every dynamic level. Sampling is therefore not just note by note: each of the 88 keys has been analyzed at different intensity levels, from pianissimo to fortissimo. In this way, the harmonic richness of an EX concert grand is fully utilized: Kawai digital features that harmonic richness that makes the acoustic piano so close to the heart of the listener.
This technology has also benefited from a significant effort in innovation; various technologies have succeeded one another, and every novelty has translated into greater fidelity in reproducing the magnificent sound of the grand piano:
first development, Harmonic Imaging II (CL25, CL35, ES6, MP5, MP8 II, CA18, CA51, CA111, CP116, CP136), with the possibility in some versions of sampling across all eighty-eight notes of the keyboard: thus avoiding the need for approximation through interpolation;
subsequently, Progressive Harmonic Imaging (PHI) technology, which provides even richer timbral details, also with single-note sampling here (CA13, CN23, CN33, CN42);
alongside this in other models is Ultra–Progressive Harmonic Imaging (UPHI), which is even more advanced (CA63, CA93).
Damper effect
CL35, ES6, CN33, CN42, CA13, CA18, CA63, CA93, CA111, MP5, MP8 II
When we play a note on an acoustic piano, the damper — a felt-padded stop — rises and allows the underlying strings to vibrate. If we simultaneously press the right pedal, the dampers of all notes will rise: in this way, by pressing a single note, we will obtain not only that sound, but also many others that vibrate sympathetically, without therefore being caused by a percussion: you can easily experience this phenomenon, which is easier to hear than to explain, through a simple direct test.
This subtle peculiarity of acoustic pianos, which gives fullness of sound to the performance, is often neglected in digital pianos: Kawai has developed a sophisticated algorithm that reproduces it when you use the right pedal. The intensity is selectable on a scale from zero to ten.
String resonance (sympathetic resonance / string resonance)
ES6, CN33, CN42, CA63, CA93, CA111, CP116, CP136, MP5, MP8 II
A similar phenomenon occurs, also through sympathy, even in the absence of right pedal engagement. This function, which is also adjustable up to ten, recreates it with great realism.
Key-off effect
CA63, CA93, CA111, MP5, MP8 II
When a key is struck quickly and forcefully, an additional sonic nuance is generated, particularly in the bass, reproduced since the advent of the 2007 generation of the Kawai CA series onwards: this is the sound of the damper returning to touch the strings as soon as the key (or the resonance pedal) is released.
3D reverb
Enclosed spaces have a natural reflection of sound waves that can be more or less pronounced depending on factors such as the physical configuration of the environment, the wall covering, and the presence of bodies — people, for example — that can absorb sounds: a large concert hall will have more accentuated reverb than a small chamber music room.
The CA series features a full range of options to reproduce the acoustics of a chosen environment: while standard reverb functions set all sounds frontally, as if you were in the back rows, the CA's function virtually places you in the middle of the audience.
Other effects
These options, in combination with the others listed previously, further refine the realism of the CA series' sound result.
echo effect (delay)
tremolo: recommended for vibraphone or electric piano voices
chorus: excellent for modern registers (Electric piano and Pop piano)
rotary speaker: this is the famous Leslie effect, to be paired with the Jazz Organ register; the rotation speed is controlled by the left pedal
acoustic position optimization (Wall EQ) (CA91, CA93, CA111): this function makes it possible to select a different equalization depending on whether the piano is against a wall or far from it.
sound prolongation (damper hold) (CN33, CN42, ES6, CA51, CA63, CA93) in conjunction with the pressing of the resonance pedal, one can decide to prolong continuous sounds such as organ or violin instead of letting them decay as in the factory settings.
VIRTUAL TECHNICIAN
On an acoustic piano, periodic tuning interventions are carried out, which are not necessary on a digital piano since the sound does not alter over time: it is not, in fact, determined by materials sensitive to humidity variations as happens with traditional instruments.
However, the technician's work allows, especially on a grand piano, for the sound to be adapted to the performer's tastes. Kawai has created some advanced software options to recreate these opportunities.
Voicing
CA63, CA93, CA111, MP5, MP8 II, DP1
An expert technician can transform the timbre of an acoustic piano by working on the hammers. This extremely demanding operation is called voicing: it is performed by poking the felt with special needles to soften it, more rarely resorting to other methods to harden it. The Virtual Voicing function, an exclusive Kawai procedure made possible by Harmonic Imaging technology (the DP1 uses a different procedure), allows for virtual voicing: one can act on the color of the sound as the best technician would, moreover in a completely reversible way
Historical temperaments
CN42, ES6, CA63, CA93, CA111, CP116, CP136, MP5, MP8 II, DP1
In Kawai digitals, it is possible to tune the instrument with systems alternative to the tempered or equal temperament (established by Johann Sebastian Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier): there are seven alternatives – in addition to the tempered system in two versions (simple or with an increasing tuning curve that highlights high tones), the Pythagorean one, and a series of systems popular in the Renaissance and Baroque eras.
The key temperament function allows you to choose the key in non-equal temperaments.
Temperaments adopted on Kawai digital pianos
integral equal temperament: the scale is divided into twelve proportional semitones: this makes different keys equivalent, if not in frequency, making modulation easy.
adapted equal temperament: this is an adaptation of the previous, strictly mathematical one, to the physiology of hearing (receptive capacity varies according to sound frequency). This is the default tuning for piano sounds.
pure Mersenne (major and minor): eliminates dissonance between thirds and fifths. The price to pay is represented by the dissonances induced by changing keys. However, the timbral harmony is extraordinary: for this reason, Mersenne is highly appreciated for choral music.
Pythagorean: based on simple mathematical ratios to eliminate fifth dissonance, it is difficult to use in chords, but produces very characteristic melodic lines.
meantone: uses a mean tone between integral minor and major to eliminate third dissonance. Invented to eliminate certain defects of Mersenne (the lack of consonance in some fifths), it produces more beautiful chords than equal temperament.
Werkmeister III, Kirnberger III: these temperaments are situated between the meantone and Pythagorean ones. For music with few accidentals, they produce the beautiful chords of meantone temperament; with an increase in chromaticism, they instead approach the characteristic melodies of the Pythagorean temperament. They are mainly used for Baroque pieces, for fidelity to period performances.
Tuning pitch (diapason)
CN33, CN42, CA13, CA18, CA63, CA93 CA111, CP116, CP136, MP5, MP8 II, DP1 --->
The conventional frequency is 440 Hertz for middle A, but often a slightly sharper (or, less often, flatter) tuning is chosen, also in relation to the characteristics of the instrument or its intended use (particularly in ensemble music). This function allows setting the middle A to other frequencies as well.
Stretch tuning
CA63, CA93 CA111, MP5, MP8 II
This is a technique sometimes adopted in the tuning of concert grand pianos: the low section is tuned to a slightly lower frequency, while conversely the high section is pushed upwards.
Touch curve
CL25, CL35, CN23, CN33, CN42, ES6, CA13, CA18, CA63, CA93 CA111, CP116, CP136, MP5, MP8 II, DP1
The regulation of the action is an important aspect of a technician's activity. This function allows setting the key resistance by acting on the sound response, according to different predefined settings; there are also optimized configurations for your playing style created by advanced touch recognition software.
PEDALS
The pedals replicate the functions of their counterparts on a grand piano (on an upright, the middle one usually controls the sostenuto/soft pedal, a function evidently useless on a digital). The list is in order of inclusion in digital pianos, which can indeed have one, two, or three.
Right pedal
Also called the "resonance" or "forte" pedal, its task is to allow the strings to vibrate freely, without being stopped by the dampers. It is not simply an on/off switch: pressing it fully will raise the dampers completely; it is also possible to depress it slightly, with a partial effect. Pianists make extensive use of this technique, called half-pedaling, to graduate the string resonance to the desired level. The Kawai half-pedaling function (CL35, CN23, CN33, CN42, ES6, CA13, CA18, CA63, CA93 CA111, CP116, CP136, MP5, MP8 II, DP1) is able to accurately recreate this characteristic.
Left pedal
This pedal, also called "una corda" or "soft" pedal, in grand pianos shifts the keyboard to the left, thus reducing the number of strings vibrated by the hammer strike where there are three or two (the "una corda" effect): this results in an attenuation of intensity and a modification in sound color. The left pedal on uprights is a surrogate: the effect is simulated by shortening the hammer stroke, but by doing so, besides producing undesirable alterations to the touch, its unique timbre is lost: not so in the case of the CA series, which reproduces the effect present in a grand piano.
Middle pedal
This is the tonal pedal in grand pianos, one of the last important innovations — although over a century old, dating from 1874 — in the field of acoustic pianos. Almost all recently built grands have it, but very few uprights, including the Italian versions of Kawai K–6 and K–8, as well as the previous CS–40, K–60, K–80. But then, one might ask, what is the middle pedal visible in almost all recently built upright pianos? It is the practice pedal (sordina): by interposing felt between strings and hammers, it limits disturbance to neighbors, however at the cost of significant alterations not only to timbre but also to touch. Digital pianos evidently do not need a practice pedal (there is already external volume adjustment and, to cut to the chase, headphones): the middle pedal, when present, therefore has the tonal function.
KEYBOARD ALLOCATION SERVICES
Under this heading, we group some of the most general functions concerning the organization of the digital piano, in particular the association of sounds to keys.
Voice layering (dual)
CN23, CN33, CN42, ES6, CA18, CA63, CA93 CA111, DP1--->
In all Kawai digital pianos, the included voices can also be used two at a time; a typical combination is between a percussive sound and a sustained one (piano or harpsichord with strings), so that they integrate with each other. This function — not properly present in stage pianos, which have even more powerful alternatives — can also include sophisticated adjustments, such as:
Layer octave shift
Allows raising or lowering the accompaniment sound.
Layer dynamics
This function allows you to maintain control over the dynamic sensitivity of two sounds in order to create a perfect balance between them: for some combinations — especially in the presence of little differentiated dynamics — adjusting the relative volume balance is not sufficient to obtain the desired result.
Keyboard split (split)
CN33, CN42, ES6, MP5, MP8 II, CA18, CA63, CA93 CA111, CP116, CP136, DP1
In many models, you can choose a note that divides the keyboard into two parts assigned to different voices. This is a classic technique for adding a bass voice to the cantabile. The CP series and especially the MP series are not equipped with a simple split, but rather with more complex forms of keyboard division. To enrich the performer's options, the following function may be provided:
Lower octave shift
This will provide more timbres available in the cantabile part.
Four hands (four hands)
CL35, CN23, CN33, CN42, ES6, CA13, CA18, CA63, CA93 CA111, DP1
This function has some formal similarity to the split: here too the keyboard is divided, but to allow two pianists to play simultaneously: thanks to a double transposition, the two performers actually find themselves with the same range of sounds; furthermore, the piano pedal is transformed into a sostenuto pedal for the person playing on the left. Like the following function, it was designed mainly for learning
Lesson function (lesson function)
CL35, CN23, CN33, CN42, CA13, CA63, CA93
This is a collection of warm-up exercises, such as minor and major scales and Hanon studies. These are completed by pages of typical first-year teaching: Czerny, Burgmüller, Beyer, and Bach. You can perform these pre-recorded exercises, using the provided sheet music, modify their speed, listen to only the part for one of the two hands, and even compare your own performance with the standard performance in the instrument, prepared by professionals.
Concert Magic
Each of us is musical, even if it is often an unexpressed potential. This attitude does not refer to mere passive listening to music: most people would like to play a musical instrument, usually the piano or other keyboard instruments.
Concert Magic includes several musical pieces, which are performed by repeatedly pressing a single key; while Concert Magic controls the notes, it is the player who directs the performance — slow or fast, piano or forte.
Kawai developed this function to enable anyone to interpret a musical piece, including the family members of those who already play. The purchase is no longer for one, but for everyone.
FEATURES
Keyboard: 88 wooden keys with Ivory Touch key surfaces
Action: RM3 Grand with Let-off
Sound Source: Ultra Progressive Harmonic Imaging™ (UPHI)
Internal Sounds: 80 voices
Polyphony: max. 192 notes
Display: 16 x 2 characters LCD
Reverb: Room 1, Room 2, Stage, Hall 1, Hall 2
Effects: Chorus, Delay 1, Delay 2, Delay 3, Tremolo, Rotary 1, Rotary 2
Recorder: 10 song, 2 track recorder - 90,000 notes
USB Functions: Play MP3/WAV/MID, Record MP3/WAV, Convert Song to Audio, Load/Save Recorder song
Registrations: 8 memories
Demo Songs: 36 songs + 29 Piano Music pieces
Concert Magic: 176 songs
Lesson Function: Finger exercises + Alfred lesson books
Virtual Technician: Voicing, Damper Resonance, String Resonance, Key Off Effect, User Touch Curve, Temperament, Stretch Tuning
EQ Settings: Wall EQ, Loudness, Bass Boost, Treble Boost, Mid Cut, User (3 band EQ)
Other Features: Dual, Split, Dual/Split Balance Adjust, Four Hands Mode, Key/Song Transpose, Tuning, Metronome (with 100 rhythms), Speaker/Headphone Volume
Pedals: Damper (with Half-Pedal support), Sostenuto, Soft
Finish: Premium Black Satin, Premium Rosewood
Jacks: MIDI (IN/OUT/THRU), USB (to Host, to Device), LINE IN (L / MONO, R), LINE IN Level Adjust, STEREO IN, LINE OUT (L / MONO, R), Phones x 2
Speakers: 7 cm x 4 + 1.9 cm x 2, Soundboard Speaker System
Output Power: 50 W x 2 + 35 W transducer
Dimensions: 146 (W) x 47 (D) x 92 (H) cm
Weight: 87.0 kg
Source: furcht.it
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Well, following all these words, I hope to provide an explanatory video soon 😕
In the meantime, I suggest some of the many videos found online:
