Watch For This Piano Controller

[fastlanephil]

Kawai is soon to start shipping their MP7 digital Piano. It looks like they are raising the bar for all-around digital stage and controller pianos. Judging from the video demos it has nice pianos and a good tone wheel organ with leslie simulation and studio quality pads, choir and such.

Something new is that it can send MMC to other synths or a DAW host while also saving wav, mp3 and standard midi files to a USB thumb drive.

Another unique feature is it's ability to modify the keyboard touch sensors so that it plays more like an organ instead of the standard piano hammer action setting. I will want to try this feature first but it sounds like it could replace my Yamaha P-140 DP and M-Audio Axiom 49. No aftertouch but I always end up having to redo aftertouch in my DAW anyway and my newer libraies don't access aftertouch.

At 46lbs as a gigging board it's a little on the heavy side compared to the Yamaha CP4 or the Casios but still manageable for most. I liked the action as it's similar to the Yamaha CP4.

I think the Yamaha CP4 probably beats it out for piano versatility, especially it's CFX piano if your needing to cut through in a rock band and the Casios at 25lbs with the battery option are great in their own right.

 

[ChrisA]

Another unique feature is it's ability to modify the keyboard touch sensors so that it plays more like an organ instead of the standard piano hammer action setting. I will want to try this feature...

The hammer action is a mechanical feature. How can they modify it by changing only the velocity curve. The keys will still have the same mass linkage.

 

[fastlanephil]

The hammer action is a mechanical feature. How can they modify it by changing only the velocity curve. The keys will still have the same mass linkage.

Here's the quote from Kawai James.

For playing synth VIs (Omnisphere?), the ability to select a higher 'trigger' point for the keyboard will allow a very light, almost semi-weighted feel for leads.