The Concert Artist flagship

Combining Kawai’s latest Grand Feel III wooden-key keyboard action, advanced SK-EX Rendering piano sound engine with multi-channel sampling and resonance modelling, premium amplification and speaker technologies powered by Onkyo, and an authentic wooden soundboard, the CA99 delivers one of the finest grand piano experiences available in a digital instrument.

Features:

•  Latest Grand Feel III wooden-key keyboard action
• Ivory & Ebony Touch key surfaces, 3-sensor, let-off, counterweights
•  SK-EX Rendering piano sound engine
•  Premium audio processing and amplification
•  Powerful 6-speaker output system with TwinDrive soundboard
• Integrated Bluetooth® MIDI and Audio
• Modern 5″ LCD touchscreen display
•  Premium upright cabinet design with SoftFall fallboard
• 144.5 (W) x 47 (D) x 101 (H) cm

TOUCH

The TwinDrive system represents the third generation of Kawai’s soundboard technology, and features an improved primary transducer redesigned to deliver more power and volume.

In addition, a secondary transducer, mounted towards the treble end of the instrument, helps to further expand the tonal range produced by the soundboard beyond the existing low frequencies, allowing mid-low and even mid-high ranges to also benefit from the warming, acoustic properties of wood.

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 utilised by the CA99 combines realistic materials, motion, and mechanism to recreate the exceptional touch of the finest concert grand pianos.

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.

Ivory & Ebony Touch key surfaces

The exceptional CA99 features Kawai’s highly regarded Ivory Touch white key surfaces as standard.  This finely textured material gently absorbs fingertip perspiration and oils to assist playing control, and possesses a natural, matte finish that is smooth but not slippery.

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.

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 minimising the need to readjust one’s technique when playing an acoustic grand piano.

SOUND

The Sound of a Grand Piano: Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand

The Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano was conceived as the next step in evolving the art of the piano. Earning a reputation as the ‘premier piano of Japan,’ it graces the stages of concert halls and musical institutions around the globe, receiving universal acclaim for its exceptional clarity and dynamic range.  The SK-EX has frequently been selected by professional pianists at such prestigious events as the Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Rubinstein international piano competitions.  With its magnificent tone and wonderfully responsive touch, the SK-EX can best be described with one word – incomparable.

SK-EX Rendering sound engine

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 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, players can choose ten differently prepared piano characters ranging from Classic and Romantic, to Jazz, and even Boogie.

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.

Personalised 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 CA99’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 CA99 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.

Furthermore, the Dual playing mode also allows two different sounds, such as grand piano and strings, to be layered together for a richer, more luscious tone, while the Split and Four Hands modes divide the keyboard into two independent sections with separate sounds for each.

DELIVERY

Premium audio technologies

Developed in collaboration with Onkyo, one of Japan’s leading premium audio equipment manufacturers, the CA99 utilises specialist components designed for high-end audio reproduction.  With cutting-edge technologies such as 1-bit processing, dual DAC signal conversion, and DIDRC filtering, the Concert Artist’s optimised power amplifiers reproduce the Shigeru Kawai grand piano sound with stunning clarity, richness, and power, while the high-performance Discrete SpectraModule™ headphone amplifier ensures the finest quality listening experience, even when playing in privacy.

SPEAKER SYSTEM

As the flagship model of the Concert Artist series, the CA99 features a powerful hybrid speaker configuration that combines premium driver units with Kawai’s highly-regarded soundboard speaker technology, delivering crystal clear treble frequencies and warm, resonant bass.

Integrated Bluetooth® connectivity

In addition to standard USB and MIDI jacks for connecting to computers or other instruments, the CA99 also features integrated Bluetooth® MIDI and Audio technologies that allow the instrument to communicate with supported smart devices wirelessly.

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.

Grand Feel Pedal System

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 CA99’s acoustic piano-like authenticity.

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

PianoRemote app

The CA99’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.

Flexible USB connectivity

In addition to wireless functionality, the Concert Artist is also equipped with USB ports that allow the instrument to be connected directly to a computer for MIDI use, or to load and save data to USB memory devices.

This latter USB to Device functionality allows recorder songs stored within internal memory to be safely preserved on USB flash drives, or for standard MIDI files (SMF) downloaded from the internet to be played back and enjoyed using the instrument’s exquisite Harmonic Imaging XL sounds without additional hardware or cables.

Built-in lesson & finger exercises

The CA99’s convenient lesson function allows aspiring pianists to learn piano with classical Czerny, Burgmüller, Beyer, Bach, Beethoven, and Chopin etudes, or a collection of songs from the popular Alfred’s Basic, Adult, and Premier course books.

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.

DESIGN

• Premium quality upright piano cabinet
• Slimline design, solid construction
• Attractive cabinet finishes

SPECIFICATIONS

・ Harmonic Imaging XL (HI-XL)
– 88-key stereo sampling
– SK-EX, SK-5, EX recording

256 note maximum polyphonyPiano Resonance・ SK-EX Rendering: Resonance Modelling
– Damper Resonance
– String Resonance
– Undamped String Resonance
– Aliquot Resonance

・ Harmonic Imaging XL: Acoustic Rendering
– Damper Resonance
– String Resonance
– Undamped String Resonance
– Cabinet ResonancePiano Adjustment・Virtual Technician (21 parameters)
– Touch Curve (incl. User Touch Curve)
– Voicing (incl. 88-key User Voicing)
– Damper Resonance
– Damper Noise
– String Resonance
– Undamped String Resonance
– Cabinet Resonance
– Key-off Effect
– Fall-back Noise
– Hammer Noise
– Hammer Delay
– Topboard Simulation
– Decay Time
– Release Time
– Minimum Touch
– Stretch Tuning (incl. 88-key User Tuning)
– Temperament (incl. User Temperament)
– Temperament Key
– Key Volume (incl. 88-key User Key Volume)
– Half-Pedal Adjust
– Soft Pedal Depth

* Available parameters may vary depending on selected sound.
* ‘User’ parameters require system software v2.08 or later.

・Virtual Technician Smart Mode (10 presets)No. of SoundsSK-EX Rendering: 10 rendering characters
Harmonic Imaging XL: 90 voicesReverbSK-EX Rendering: Ambience (10 types)
Harmonic Imaging XL: Reverb (6 types)Brilliance✔Other Effects24 typesSpeakersTwinDrive Soundboard Speaker System
8 cm x 4 (Onkyo top speakers, with diffuser)
2 cm x 2 (Onkyo dome tweeters)Output Power135 W (45 W x 3)Headphone EnhancementsDiscrete SpectraModule™ headphone amplifier
Spatial Headphone Sound
Headphone Type
Headphone AmplifierDisplay5″ LCD touchscreen (480 x 800 pixels)Key CoverUpright piano fallboard with Soft Fall systemMusic RestUpright piano type (fixed position)Product
Size & WeightWidth144.5 cm (57″)Depth47 cm (18 1/2″)Height101 cm (39 2/3″)Net Weight83 kg (183 1/3 lbs.)
89 kg (196 lbs.) [Ebony Polish]Packing
Size & WeightDimensions155 (W) x 60 (D) x 109.5 (H) cm
* Packed in a pre-assembled stateGross Weight103 kg (without bench)
110 kg (with bench)
109 kg (without bench) [Ebony Polish]
116 kg (with bench) [Ebony Polish]Available FinishesPremium Satin Black (CA99B)
Premium Satin White (CA99W)
Premium Rosewood (CA99R)
Ebony Polish (CA99EP)Basic FunctionsDual
Split
Four Hands
Transpose
Tuning
Low Volume Balance
FavoriteInternal SongsSound Demo39 songsPiano Music29/42 songs *Concert Magic176 songsLesson SongsBurgmüller 25 (25 Etudes Faciles, Opus 100)
Czerny 30 (Etudes de Mécanisme, Opus 849)
Czerny 100 (Hundert Übungsstücke, Opus 139)
Beyer 106 (Vorschule im Klavierspiel, Opus 101)
J.S. Bach: Inventionen
Sonatinen Album 1
Chopin Walzer (Chopin waltzes series)
Chopin Etudes (Opus 10)
Alfred’s Premier Piano Course Lesson 1A
Alfred’s Premier Piano Course Lesson 1B
Alfred’s Basic Piano Library Lesson Book Level 1A
Alfred’s Basic Piano Library Lesson Book Level 1B
Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course Lesson Book Level 1Internal RecorderTotal Memoryapproximately 90,000 notesNo. of Songs10 songsParts2 partsMetronomeTime Signatures1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 3/8, 6/8, 7/8, 9/8, 12/8Drum Rhythms100 patternsBluetooth *Bluetooth (Ver. 4.1; GATT compatible)
Bluetooth Low Energy MIDI Specification compliant
Bluetooth Audio with aptX supportUSB Audio RecorderRecord/PlaybackMP3
WAV
SMF (Playback only)Other FunctionsOverdubbing
Line In recordingApp FunctionsPianoRemote (iOS/Android)
PiaBookPlayer (iOS/Android)Connector JacksHeadphone1 x 1/4″, 1 x 1/8″ Stereo jacksMIDIMIDI IN, MIDI OUTLine Out1/4″ L/MONO, R [unbalanced]Line In1/8″ Stereo (with volume adjust knob) [unbalanced]USB to Host✔USB to Device✔OthersUSB for UpdatePower Consumption55 WPowerPower cableBenchFixed-height or height-adjustable bench *HeadphonesHeadphone hookSheet MusicClassical Piano Collection *
Classical Lesson Scores *
Finger ExercisesOthersWarranty Card *
Owner’s Manual
Internal Song Lists