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Description
Premium Concert Artist authenticity Combining Kawai's industry-leading Grand Feel III wooden-key keyboard action, brand new SK-EX Competition Grand sounds with multi-channel sampling and resonance modelling, premium audio processing and amplification technologies, and a powerful 6-speaker output system, the CA701 delivers grand piano playing authenticity at a competitive price. Feel Inspired A piano that will encourage enthusiastic players to become accomplished pianists, and transform living rooms into grand concert halls. This is the ambitious philosophy behind Kawai's latest Concert Artist series - premium instruments that capture the essence of playing a magnificent concert grand piano, and inspire musicians to realize their true artistic potential. Touch The Touch of a Grand Piano: Grand Feel III wooden key action Embracing many of the long-established principles associated with an acoustic piano, the Grand Feel III keyboard action utilized by the CA701 combines realistic materials, motion, and mechanism to recreate the exceptional touch of the finest concert grand pianos.All eighty-eight black and white keys are crafted entirely from long pieces of wood, with finely textured ivory and ebony-like surfaces applied to absorb moisture and assist control. Each wooden key pivots smoothly on a balance pin - the ends rising and falling to replicate the familiar 'seesaw' motion of an acoustic piano action. When pressed, the back of the key lifts, triggering a grade-weighted hammer to strike a pressure switch. The amount of force applied to this switch is then measured, and the corresponding note played with authentic tonal character and volume. Extra-long key length, Extra-long pivot length In addition to featuring extended, fully wooden keys, Grand Feel keyboard actions also boast some of the longest key pivot lengths - matching that of a Kawai grand piano.This extended key pivot length provides a more evenly balanced touch weight from the front to the rear of each key, allowing greater fluency and expressive control, while also minimizing the need to readjust one's technique when playing an acoustic grand piano. 88-key Graded Counterweights In addition to grade-weighted hammers, the Grand Feel III action also features metal counterweights, attached beneath each key, and graded across the length of the keyboard.As with an acoustic piano, these additional weights help to balance the touch of the keyboard during pianissimo passages, while providing a feeling of greater substance and solidity when playing with force. Triple sensor key detection The Grand Feel III keyboard action also features an accurate triple-sensor key detection system for enhanced playing realism.The added third sensor improves responsiveness when playing the same key repeatedly, and unlike conventional two sensor keyboard actions found in many digital pianos, allows the sound of a single note to be gradually 'layered' without the previous tone being lost.In addition, Kawai's action technology also monitors the speed at which each key is lifted, influencing the release character of piano sounds, and providing a greater range of expression between staccato and legato playing. Ivory & Ebony Touch key surfaces The exceptional CA701 features Kawai's highly regarded Ivory Touch white key surfaces as standard. This finely textured material gently assists playing control, and possesses a natural, matte finish that is smooth but not slippery.To complement these premium white keys, Kawai has also developed Ebony Touch, a special black key material that reproduces the finely-textured grain and rich lustre of real ebony wood. The result is a keyboard surface that looks and feels as luxurious as some of the world's finest grand pianos, inspiring musicians of all levels to become better pianists. Let-off Simulation As the most authentic digital piano keyboard action, Grand Feel III even reproduces the 'let-off' characteristic of acoustic piano actions. This subtle 'notch' sensation can be felt when playing the keys of a grand piano very gently, and may be used by experienced pianists to aid control when playing pianissimo passages.In addition, the Grand Feel III action supports playing notes from the let-off point (sometimes referred to as playing 'off the jack'), allowing the most advanced piano techniques to be performed. Sound The Sound of a Grand Piano: Shigeru Kawai SK-EX Eponymously named after the company's second president, the Shigeru Kawai range of luxury grand pianos were conceived as the next step in evolving the art of the piano. Each world-class instrument is hand-crafted by experienced piano artisans, using the finest available materials to ensure optimum touch, tone, and artistic expression.Widely regarded as 'the premier piano of Japan', the flagship SK-EX grand piano graces the stages of concert halls and musical institutions around the globe, receiving universal acclaim for its tonal clarity and exceptional dynamic range. The magnificent tone of the SK-EX is at the heart of the CA701, with the latest model featuring two distinctive recreations of this peerless instrument. SK-EX Competition Grand The brand new SK-EX Competition Grand captures the sound of the latest generation SK-EX-L instruments, that in recent years have achieved success at the Chopin, Hamamatsu, and Sendai international piano competitions. This piano sound possesses a brilliant, clear tonal character, with a distinctive thick attack, and is specifically recorded from the pianist's position. SK-EX Concert Grand The SK-EX Concert Grand captures the sound from an earlier SK-EX instrument, and is characterized by a warm, sensitive tone, and wide attack with rich reverberation. The tonal elegance of the SK-EX Concert Grand neatly complements the brilliance of the latest Competition Grand incarnation, allowing performers to enjoy the contrasting qualities of both sounds. SK-EX Rendering sound engine In order to faithfully reproduce the stunning sound of a Shigeru Kawai grand piano digitally, Kawai has developed SK-EX Rendering. This special, piano-only sound engine focusses the Concert Artist's DSP power, combining multi-channel, 88-key sampling with the latest resonance modelling technology to deliver pure acoustic piano authenticity. When SK-EX Rendering is selected for either the Competition Grand or Concert Grand sounds, players can choose five differently prepared piano characters, ranging from Classic and Brilliant to Romantic, Rich, and Vintage. Multi-channel Sampling While digital pianos typically employ single-point stereo sampling, the SK-EX Rendering engine's multi-channel sampling captures the sound from different points of the Shigeru Kawai concert grand.This modern technique not only allows a broader range of tonal characteristics to be recorded and reproduced, but also improves the connection felt between the keyboard and piano sound, resulting in a more lively and authentic response to changes in dynamics. Full Resonance Modelling This naturally expressive Shigeru Kawai sound is further enriched by newly developed resonance algorithms, which physically model the complex tonal interactions produced by the strings, dampers, and various other parts of an acoustic piano.Unlike other resonance simulations, SK-EX Rendering generates resonances for the damper pedal and all 88 keys progressively (i.e. in gradual amounts, not simply on or off), allowing the Concert Artist to behave - and therefore be controlled - more like an acoustic piano. Harmonic Imaging XL sound engine Accompanying the dedicated SK-EX Rendering pianos, the CA701 also features the flexible Harmonic Imaging XL sound engine, which offers a broader selection of instrument voices, and the ability to combine sounds. Harmonic Imaging XL also showcases a selection of alternative acoustic pianos captured with full 88-key stereo sampling.The Kawai EX full concert grand piano has frequently been selected by professional pianists in such prestigious events as the Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Rubinstein international piano competitions, while the Shigeru Kawai SK-5 chamber grand and Kawai K-60 upright allow performers to enjoy the contrasting tonal characteristics of various different piano sizes and voicing configurations. Personalized piano adjustments The knowledge and skill of an experienced piano technician is essential to bring out the best of a fine acoustic piano. In addition to tuning each note, the technician also performs numerous regulation and voicing adjustments that allow the instrument to truly sing.The CA701's powerful Virtual Technician function simulates these refinements digitally, allowing discerning musicians to shape aspects of the selected piano's character to suit their personal preferences.Perform touch weight and voicing adjustments, regulate hammer and key release noises, and fine-tune string, damper, and cabinet resonances. It is even possible to adjust the precise tuning, volume, and character of individual notes - all in real-time. Rich sound selection Supplementing the beautiful acoustic piano voices, the CA701 also features an excellent selection of additional instruments, ranging from electric pianos and drawbar or church organs, to strings, human choirs, and synth pads, inviting musicians to add greater variety to their performances.
