Kawai CA79 Digital Piano

Embracing many of the long-established principles associated with an acoustic piano, the Grand Feel III keyboard action utilized by the CA79 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.

In order to faithfully reproduce the stunning sound of a Shigeru Kawai concert grand piano digitally, Kawai has developed SK-EX Rendering. This special, piano-only sound engine focuses 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, players can choose ten differently prepared piano characters ranging from Classic and Romantic, to Jazz, and even Boogie.

The knowledge and skill of an experienced piano technician are essential to bringing 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 CA79’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.

Complementing the instrument’s class-leading Grand Feel III keyboard action and stunning SK-EX Rendering piano sound engine, the CA79 also offers a strong selection of digital features that further enhance one’s musical enjoyment.

Full Bluetooth® connectivity and USB audio record/playback allow musicians to extend the functionality of their piano, or play along with their favorite artists, while the convenient metronome and integrated lesson functions, featuring classical etudes and Alfred course books, ensure that regular practice is both productive and engaging for aspiring pianists.

Once paired with a phone, tablet, or laptop, Concert Artist owners can enjoy a wide variety of exciting music-related apps that enhance their learning and playing experience, or stream audio from songs and videos directly through the instruments’ premium amplifier and speaker systems without the need to connect additional cables.

The CA79’s redesigned communication standard allows the user-friendly touchscreen interface to also be accessed via the dedicated PianoRemote app for iOS and supported Android devices. The app connects to the piano wirelessly via the Concert Artists’ integrated Bluetooth, providing an effortless way to change sounds, or enjoy the vast array of built-in music content from the comfort of an armchair.

With a strong emphasis on acoustic piano realism, the Concert Artist also features traditional finger exercises, scales, and warm-up drills, and includes companion books for all classical scores to further aid one’s piano development.

Reinforcing the Concert Artist’s reputation as the most realistic digital piano is Kawai’s Grand Feel Pedal System. This unique feature accurately replicates the position and individual weighting of the damper, soft, and sostenuto pedals of the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano to further enhance the CA79’s acoustic piano-like authenticity.

Moreover, it is also possible to adjust the half-pedal sensitivity of the damper pedal, and the effectiveness of the soft pedal using dedicated Virtual Technician parameters, allowing experienced pianists to personalize the instrument’s response to match their individual pedaling technique.

In addition, the CA79 also allows players to specify the type of headphones connected (Open, Semi-open, Closed, In-Ear, Canal, etc.) to ensure an optimal listening experience.

The CA79’s broad music rest is designed to accommodate the most ambitious musical works, with smoothly rounded edges and simulated leather lining the base.

As with a grand piano, the viewing angle of the Concert Artist’s music rest can be adjusted to suit the performer’s height and playing position, or even set to a special ‘composer desk’ angle for greater convenience when notating scores or sketching musical ideas.