The CA99 in the latest flagship digital piano from Japanese piano manufacturer Kawai. One of the first instruments to feature the new Grand Feel III wooden-key keyboard action, the flagship model CA99 represents the very best in piano sound quality and amplification technology found in the acclaimed Kawai Concert Artist series pianos.
Upright Piano Beauty
Available in four colour finishes, the premium cabinet design of the CA99 gives the impression of a small, modern upright piano. The touchscreen interface is hidden as it 'sleeps' when not operated - the instrument looks and sounds like a traditional acoustic piano to those who don't know better!
Colour finishes available: Polished Ebony, Satin Black, Satin Rosewood and Satin White.
Subtle, yet stylish cabinet details include a soft-close fallboard, wide music stand, large leg grip (for a lighter feel) and brushed metal hinges.
Grand Feel 3 Keyboard Action
One of the most important considerations when choosing a digital piano is the keyboard action. One of the main reasons that Kawai digital pianos have surged in popularity over recent years is because their wooden Grand Feel keyboard offers an authentic acoustic piano playing experience. The new Grand Feel III keyboard is more responsive, more consistent and more durable than the Grand Feel II model.
Featuring a long natural wooden key with balance pins and let-off mechanism, the Grand Feel 3 keyboard offers a realistic piano key 'feel'. Counterweights ensure the upward motion of the key is fast and the triple sensors capture every nuance of your performance. The surfaces of the keys are textured with simulated ivory for the white keys and simulated ebony for the black notes. A revised hammer cushion structure brings a firmer key-stop to give faster key return and a less 'spongy' feel than previous models.
New Features & Improvements vs CA98
- NEW: Grand Feel III wooden key keyboard action with Ivory & Ebony Touch Key surfaces
- Improved SK-EX Rendering sound engine with multi-channel piano sampling
- Improved Virtual Technician function with 22 adjustable parameters
- Improved TwinDriveSoundboard Speaker system with new 360 degree speaker diffuser panels
- Improved Integrated Bluetooth® MIDI and audio connectivity, with aptX support
- Updated LCD touchscreen UI with sister Piano Remote control app for iOS/Android
- Stunning contemporary upright piano cabinet design with Soft Fall fallboard system
- Authentic new electric piano, organ, harpsichord, strings, and bass sounds
The Very Best Kawai Concert Grand Piano Voices
The Kawai CA99 features enhanced Shigeru Kawai EX Concert Grand piano voice with multi-channel sampling and resonance modelling. The Virtual Technician feature allows you to craft your own piano voice using the 22 adjustable parameters - just like an acoustic piano tuner. Save your own unique piano sounds for instant recall. New Virtual Technician parameters introduced with the CA99 are Hammer Noise (simulates the sound of hammers striking strings and keys hitting the keybed), and Release Time allows the simulation of different piano sizes.
Three Piano Pedals For A Grand Piano Experience
The Kawai CA99's three metal piano pedals behave the same as those found on an acoustic Grand Piano. The damper (sustain) pedal offers half-pedalling, and - new for the CA99 - the soft pedal also offers progressive pedalling. The middle pedal is for sostenuto by default, although the pedal functions can be re-assigned to other convenient functions within the menu system.
Premium Audio System With Soundboard Speaker
Kawai has collaborated with premium Japanese hi fi manufacturer Onkyo to create a bespoke audio system for their high-end digital pianos. The CA99 introduces improvements to the audio performance including premium dome tweeters & top speakers which give a low distortion output, without colouring the sound character.
One of the unique features of the CA99 is the 'Twindrive' Soundboard Speaker which you will find on the back of the instrument. A traditional acoustic piano's voice is its natural wood soundboard, which resonates to create sound. Kawai has incorporated a wooden soundboard with ribs - just like an acoustic piano which results in a more realistic sound experience. It appears that the sound of the CA99 is emanating from around the whole instrument, rather than from a speaker system placed above the knees of the player - as found on other digital pianos.
The sound is further enhanced by the introduction of speaker diffusers to create a 360 degree sound field. This means that a natural sound is heard from everywhere in the room.
5" Touchscreen User Interface
A convenient 5 inch touchscreen provides a familiar user interface which has been improved dramatically over previous models. Furthermore, Kawai now offers a control app for iOS and Android devices so that you can control the instrument on a larger touchscreen such as Apple iPAd or Android tablet.
Operation of the CA99 is very simple - there are three main screens which intuitively give you access to all the instruments features. The operating system has been designed by Kawai's in-house musicians and developers. All acoustic piano voices are available behind one on-screen button and changing voices is simply a matter of using swipe left/right gestures.
Other functions such as metronome and recording are available with a simple on-screen button. Subtle, yet convenient features have been included - such as the memorising of the most recently played voices.
Built-In Lessons & Piano Music
The CA99 is pre-loaded with hundreds of piano music titles, tuition music and exercises to help you practice. These are all found behind the on-screen 'MUSIC' button. Titles can be conveniently listed by Title, Composer, Genre etc and most songs can be used for Concert Magic, Lesson or simply to listen to. There is now a full screen or 'mini player' feature which allows the use of the piano's other features whilst song playback is in operation.
Bluetooth MIDI & Audio with apt:X Support
The CA99 allows bluetooth streaming of external audio players through it's high quality Onkyo audio system. This feature is further improved by the inclusion of apt:X support. apt:X is a technology which compresses and then decompresses audio as it travels between devices. This means audio can be transmitted over bluetooth without loss of quality. *apt:X requires external devices to also support the technology.
Bluetooth MIDI means you can connect external devices such as bluetooth enabled laptops and tablet computers to the CA99 without the need for cables. Record your compositions in to software such as Apple's Garage Band, Steinberg Cubase, SIbelius and many more music applications.
Adjust the tone of the CA99 to your room's acoustics
The overall tonal output of the CA99 can be adjusted to the environment in which the instrument is placed using the tone control (EQ). There is also a WallEQ feature for adjusting the tone dependent on the type of wall materials behind the CA99.
Kawai CA99 Dimensions
Width: 1445mm / Depth: 470mm / Height: 1010mm