The ES920 is the latest flagship model in Kawai's lineup of portable digital pianos with built-in speakers. It is designed for pianists who need an instrument which offers the very best sound quality and keyboard feel in an instrument that is light enough to carry around to different locations. The ES920 has some features which put it in a league above other portable pianos in the same price category such as 4 Band Graphic EQ, 40watts amplification/speaker system designed in collaboration with Onkyo, and Bluetooth MIDI and Audio functionality with aptX support for wireless communication and audio playback.
Best-In-Class Keyboard Action
The ES920 is equipped with Kawai's Responsive Hammer III keyboard action. This key action has grade-weighted keys (heavier in the bass registers and slightly lighter in the treble), counterweights for faster key return, and every nuance of your performance is captured using a triple-sensor system. The RH3 key action also features let-off simulation for an authentic grand piano experience.
Harmonic Imaging XL For Improved Piano Voices
Kawai has included their Harmonic Imaging XL piano voice technology in the ES920. Additional memory allocated to the on-board piano voices allows for the use of extra-long samples (recordings of individual acoustic piano notes) - in some cases these are double the length of the samples found in non XL based instruments. The result is a more refined piano voice, with apparently less sample looping noticeable when holding sustained notes. When combined with the RH3 keyboard action, the piano sound of the ES920 offers an exquisite piano experience from a portable instrument.
More Than Just Piano Voices
In addition to the ten on-board acoustic piano voices, the ES920 offers an additional 28 voices covering various instrument types as follows: E.PIANO x 6, ORGAN x 5, HARPSI/MALLETS x 4, STRINGS/CHOIR x 8, BASS x 5.
The total polyphony (the total number of notes which can be played simultaneously) is 256 notes. This means that even when playing sustained arpeggios in Dual Mode, you're unlikely to have notes cut-off mid performance, which is something which results from instruments that offer lower polyphony count.
Two voices can be split on the upper / lower sections of the keyboard and there's even a four-hands mode so two people can play the piano but hear the same octave registers in both upper and lower areas of the keyboard. The volume and balance between layered or split keyboard sounds is adjustable via the bright OLED display screen.
All these features and it weighs just 17kg!
It's quite amazing that Kawai has managed to pack in all these great features to an instrument that weighs just 17kg. This makes it ideal for use at home, on the road, or even for students studying at college/university where a portable instrument is more appropriate for their accommodation.
Digital Effects - More Powerful Than Other Digital Pianos
Kawai is renowned for including a wide range of digital effects in it's ES series models. These are often overlooked by potential purchasers of portable instruments but they can be used to make such a difference to the overall sound. The effects section of the ES920 is divided into three parts as follows - all three effects sections can be active simultaneously which results in some really professional sounding results:
REVERB: Use the reverb effect to add ambience to your sound. Six types of reverb effect are available to simulate the sound of different playing environments: Room, Lounge, Small Hall, Concert Hall, Live Hall, Cathedral. We would urge you to experiment with these as they sound superb.
MULTI EFFECTS: In studios, producers and musicians add effects to the sound of their instrument to give a more professional, creative or 'authentic' sound. The ES920 has 16 digital multi effects to enhance or change the sound of the voices you're playing. Here's the full list of multi-effects found in the Kawai ES920: Mono Delay, Ping Delay, Triple Delay, Chorus, Classic Chorus, Ensemble, Tremolo, Classic Tremolo, Vibrato Tremolo, Auto Pan, Classic Auto Pan, Phaser, Classic Phaser, Compressor, Rotary 1, Rotary2
AMP SIMULATOR: Back in the 60's and 70's, studio and stage musicians used different types of combo amplifiers to change the character and tone of their instrument's sound - especially when playing E.Piano, Clav and Tonewheel Organ voices. The ES920 simulates the sound of three types of amplifiers (S.Case I, S.Case II, L.Cabinet) and offers parameters to manipulate the Drive, Level, EQ Low, EQ High of each amplifier model.
Craft Your Own Piano Voice with VIRTUAL TECHNICIAN
Kawai's Virtual Technician feature gives you the tools of a piano technician to manipulate and create your own individual piano voice in line with your own tastes. Want to change the tuning? - no problem! Add some open string resonance? - no problem! You can change a huge range of parameters which affect the overall sound and performance of the piano - and you can even use the Kawai Piano Remote app to do this via Bluetooth if you prefer.
Here's a list of the basic parameters available for editing within the Virtual Technician feature: Touch Curve, Voicing (mellow, bright etc), Resonance (Damper, string, cabinet and other resonance generators), Noise & Effects, Temperament & Tuning, Others (Hammer Delay, Minimum Touch, User Key Volume, Half-Pedal Adjust, Soft Pedal Depth).
On-Board Recording Options
The ES920 has an on-board 2-track MIDI song recorder which can record up to 10 songs ? approximately 90,000 note memory capacity. In addition to the MIDI recorder, the on-board USB Audio recorder (USB stick not included) can record your performance in .MP3 or .WAV formats - ideal for sharing on the internet or with friends.
Metronome & Rhythm Section
Use the built-in metronome to aid practice - the time signature and tempo is fully adjustable. Take your practice and performances to new levels by using the built-in drum rhythms - and add the four-part bass/chord auto accompaniment too! There are 100 drum rhythms from which to choose, covering many styles of music from ballads & latin, to jazz and funk. Each rhythm style has two variations.
Other Features Worth Mentioning
- Registration Memory Function to save your favourite 24 settings for instant recall
- 128 x 64 pixel OLED Display
- 4-Band EQ sliders for ultimate control over tone
- Supplied with high quality metal F-10H damper pedal (with half-pedal support)
- Bluetooth AUDIO + MIDI support
- Connectors: LINE IN (1/8" STEREO), LINE OUT (1/4" L/MONO, R [unbalanced]), Headphones x 2 (1/4?, 1/8?), MIDI (IN/OUT), USB to Host, USB to Device, DAMPER (for F-10H), DAMPER/SOFT/SOSTENUTO (for GFP-3/F-302)
- Speakers: 8cm x 2 - output power 20w x 2
- Available in BLACK or WHITE
Kawai ES920 Dimensions
The Kawai ES920 measures 1340 (W) x 375 (D) x 145 (H) mm
Kawai ES920 Weight
The Kawai ES920 weighs 17.0KG