Kawai
Encyclopedia
The of Japan is best known for its grand and upright pianos, electronic keyboards and electronic synthesizers. The company was established in August 1927, and has its headquarters in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka.
In 2009, the Kawai RX series grand pianos were replaced by the RX-BLAK series. These pianos are very similar to their RX predecessors with a few minor changes. These include a new Acoustic Resonant Solid Spruce soundboard and the addition of phenolic stabilizers on the hammers, which improve performance by adding more positive motion to the hammer shank during forte playing. A variety of minor cosmetic improvements are also featured in the RX-BLAK line, which one may find pleasing in personal opinion.
. These instruments were all analog
and included the following models: 60F, 110F, 100F, 100P, SX-210, SX-240, and SX-400. At some point, Kawai stopped using the "Teisco" brand and so some of these products can be found labelled either Teisco or Kawai.
During the second half of the '80s, Kawai developed and released a number of digital synthesizers. The most known of these are the K series: K1, Kawai K1mkII, K3 (filters and envelopes are analog), K4 and K5. Except the K5, which is an additive
synthesizer, all instruments employ subtractive synthesis
. Uniquely for their price range, all instruments feature aftertouch. Kawai also manufactured rack
versions of most of these instruments, and an external programming device, Kawai MM-16. Kawai XD-5
, a drum
synthesizer based on the K4 engine, was produced in 1989-1990.
Later developments resulted in Kawai KC-10 and KC-20 (produced in the beginning of the 1990s), both are simplistic PCM synthesizers. In 1996 Kawai released the K5000
, an additive synthesizer that greatly improved on the K5 and is now regarded as one of Kawai's very best instruments. It was manufactured in three versions: K5000S, which had 16 knobs for real-time control and an arpeggiator, K5000W which added a sequencer
but lacked both the knobs and the arpeggiator, and the K5000R, a rack version with an arpeggiator, but no sequencer and no knobs. A Knobs Macro Box was sold separately for use with the W and R models. Kawai originally planned to release K5000X, which would combine the features of the S and W models with a 76-key keyboard and enhanced memory, but this was cancelled in the late '90s due to bad sales. Shortly thereafter the company stopped producing synthesizers.
Pianos
Kawai pianos' action is made of synthetic polymer material rather than traditional wood or metal. In their early editions, it was a styran plastic. Afterward, it evolved to a more sophisticated carbon fiber action. Both solutions allow for no swelling due to humidity, lengthening the life of the piano greatly.Grand Pianos
- EX - 9'
- RX-7 - 7'6"
- RX-6 - 7'
- RX-5 - 6'6"
- RX-3 - 6'1"
- RX-2 - 5'10"
- RX-1 - 5'5"
- GE-30 - 5'5"
- GE-20 - 5'1"
- GM-12 - 5'
- GM-10K - 5'
- SK7 - 7'6"
- SK6 - 7'
- SK5 - 6'6"
- SK3 - 6'1"
- SK2 - 5'10"
- CR-30
- CR-40A
In 2009, the Kawai RX series grand pianos were replaced by the RX-BLAK series. These pianos are very similar to their RX predecessors with a few minor changes. These include a new Acoustic Resonant Solid Spruce soundboard and the addition of phenolic stabilizers on the hammers, which improve performance by adding more positive motion to the hammer shank during forte playing. A variety of minor cosmetic improvements are also featured in the RX-BLAK line, which one may find pleasing in personal opinion.
Upright Pianos
- K-8
- K-6
- K-5
- K-3
- K-2
- K15-E
- 907 (discontinued)
- 607 (discontinued)
- 508 (discontinued)
- UST9 (discontinued)
- 506N (discontinued)
Digital Pianos
- CA111
- CA93
- CA63
- KDP80
- CA13
- CN43
- CN33
- CN23
- CL35
- CL25
- CS9
- CS6
- CS3
- CN22 (discontinued)
- CN32 (discontinued)
- CN42 (discontinued)
Stage Pianos
- MP10
- MP6
- ES6
- EP2 (discontinued)
- EP3 (discontinued)
- MP9000 (discontinued)
- MP9500 (discontinued)
- MP4 (discontinued)
- MP8 (discontinued)
- MP5 (discontinued)
- MP8II (discontinued)
Synthesizers
Kawai started manufacturing synthesizers in the beginning of the 1980s under the brand name TeiscoTeisco
Teisco was a Japanese manufacturer of affordable musical instruments from 1948 until 1969, and now its brand is owned by Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co. Ltd. . The company produced guitars as well as keyboard instruments, microphones, amplifiers and even drums...
. These instruments were all analog
Analog synthesizer
An analog or analogue synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically. The earliest analog synthesizers in the 1920s and 1930s such as the Trautonium were built with a variety of vacuum-tube and electro-mechanical technologies...
and included the following models: 60F, 110F, 100F, 100P, SX-210, SX-240, and SX-400. At some point, Kawai stopped using the "Teisco" brand and so some of these products can be found labelled either Teisco or Kawai.
During the second half of the '80s, Kawai developed and released a number of digital synthesizers. The most known of these are the K series: K1, Kawai K1mkII, K3 (filters and envelopes are analog), K4 and K5. Except the K5, which is an additive
Additive synthesis
Additive synthesis is a technique of sound synthesis that creates musical timbre by explicitly adding sinusoidal overtones together.The timbre of an instrument is composed of multiple harmonic or inharmonic partials , of different frequencies and amplitudes, that change over time...
synthesizer, all instruments employ subtractive synthesis
Subtractive synthesis
Subtractive synthesis is a method of sound synthesis in which partials of an audio signal are attenuated by a filter to alter the timbre of the sound...
. Uniquely for their price range, all instruments feature aftertouch. Kawai also manufactured rack
19-inch rack
A 19-inch rack is a standardized frame or enclosure for mounting multiple equipment modules. Each module has a front panel that is wide, including edges or ears that protrude on each side which allow the module to be fastened to the rack frame with screws.-Overview and history:Equipment designed...
versions of most of these instruments, and an external programming device, Kawai MM-16. Kawai XD-5
Kawai XD-5
The Kawai XD-5 is a percussion synthesizer based on the Kawai K4 sample playback + filter + AM amplifier modulation synthesis architecture. It is essentially a Kawai K4r with percussion waveforms, plus speeded up envelopes, gate mode and amplifier to better suit percussion sounds...
, a drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
synthesizer based on the K4 engine, was produced in 1989-1990.
Later developments resulted in Kawai KC-10 and KC-20 (produced in the beginning of the 1990s), both are simplistic PCM synthesizers. In 1996 Kawai released the K5000
Kawai K5000
The Kawai K5000 is a series of digital synthesizers / music workstation manufactured by Kawai Musical Instruments of Japan.-History:The first of the series was the K5000W keyboard workstation introduced in 1996. Soon afterwards the K5000S was introduced, followed its rackmounted sibling the K5000R...
, an additive synthesizer that greatly improved on the K5 and is now regarded as one of Kawai's very best instruments. It was manufactured in three versions: K5000S, which had 16 knobs for real-time control and an arpeggiator, K5000W which added a sequencer
Music sequencer
The music sequencer is a device or computer software to record, edit, play back the music, by handling note and performance information in several forms, typically :...
but lacked both the knobs and the arpeggiator, and the K5000R, a rack version with an arpeggiator, but no sequencer and no knobs. A Knobs Macro Box was sold separately for use with the W and R models. Kawai originally planned to release K5000X, which would combine the features of the S and W models with a 76-key keyboard and enhanced memory, but this was cancelled in the late '90s due to bad sales. Shortly thereafter the company stopped producing synthesizers.