Kawai Musical Instruments is a Japanese brand which was founded in 1927 by Koichi Kawai who used to work for Yamaha as an engineer. A talented constructor also appeared to be a resourceful originator. Koichi Kawai became the first in Japan to design and build a complete piano action, receiving many patents for his designs and inventions.
The company builds Japanese piano models which can surely compete and even excel the products made by Western manufacturers. Kawai instruments combine advanced and unique technologies which have been developing for years in the design and engineering laboratories, high quality of the components and matchless sound. Kawai brand received recognition as a great digital piano maker thanks to its CA and CS series.
The company went big with ES series of stage digital pianos which included a number of models being constantly revised and elaborated. ES7 and the new one ES100 released in 2015 are very popular today. ES7 digital piano offers the function developed by Let-Off company which allows accurate imitating of grand piano mechanism; it also offers an auto accompaniment function. The model has the brand processor PHI (Progressive Harmonic Imaging) implanted – it emulates the sound of a real acoustic instrument. Music effects are programmable; it’s possible to record your playing via USB and get high quality. The model features full MIDI implementation.
The next model is called ES8 – it’s an 88-key digital piano with a 256-voice polyphony and featuring all the basic functions you could find in ES7. The digital piano ES100 comprised a 192-voice polyphony, the possibility to control string and damper resonance. ES100 is known for its Imaging Sound acoustic system thanks to which you won’t lose any sound characteristic or nuance during active performing and using the pedals. The model offers two performance modes: dual (layering timbres) and split (… a keyboard into zones). There is a two-line LCD showing you the settings info.
MP series digital stage pianos are compact though still offer same great sound quality and fine keyboards. Now the series includes MP7 and MP11 models. MP6, an MP7 predecessor, having a 192-voice polyphony comprises Letoff technology and hammer action system RH (Responsive Hammer) which ensures high endurance. The keyboard of the model can be divided into 4 zones fixing different individual settings. MP6 offers USB port which can be used not only for integration with other MIDI devices but also for saving and uploading. Kawai MP7 stage piano differs from its predecessor sporting a 256-voice polyphony and a wider preset range.
MP11 digital 88-key piano with a 256-voice polyphony offers the keyboard based on the new brand technology called Grand Feel – it will introduce you to the realistic feel of fully weighted hammer action keyboard. To make the press on a key easier while playing quick and dynamic arpeggio each key has a weight on the back side of a bit different, elongated form which imitates the key of the Kawai’s concert grand piano. Kawai’s instruments have a noble key coating – Ivory Touch which is a premium technology. Ivory Touch keyboard is smooth but not slippery because the texture of the coating ensures moisture absorption and overall nice performance. MP11 is a piano which is meant for stage – it offers mainly key instrument programs among which are pianos, electric pianos and harpsichord. There are just a few guitar, drum and bowed string sounds and there are no synth sounds at all as well as there are no effects because the keyboard of this model is about delivering great piano performance only. If you’re sure that you need more instruments in your keyboard you should opt for MP7.
CL series included portable digital pianos CL-26, CL26II, CL36 which are first of all affordable and aimed at learning at home. KDP series unlike CL series offers a bigger polyphony (192 voices) and hammer action technology IV-F to make you feel like you’re playing the real grand piano keys.
CN series digital pianos includes CN25 and CN35 models. CN25 model features a 192-voice polyphony and the new version of Responsive Hammer III which allows emulating a real acoustic instrument. The model also includes a learning system for beginners with recorded Concert Magic pieces. CN35 is an improved version of CN25 concerning a polyphony increase and basic specs elaboration.
Kawai CA models - CA15, CA17, CA67, CA97 – are equipped with the modern technology Harmonic Imaging XL (HI-XL) which allows precise imitating of a real acoustic piano mechanism. CS series offers premium models: CS3, CS4, CS7, CS10. These digital pianos will let you feel the absolute realism of acoustic play because it embraces all the latest Kawai technologies.
Today Kawai is a true technological leader among digital piano makers which were widely approved and recognized. They produce synthesizers which have been the first choice of many musicians since Kawai started to launch products. The company received more than a dozen of prestigious awards and got to the top becoming a digital piano market leader.