Kawai CA401

Description

CA401

An outstanding introduction to Concert Artist quality

Featuring the authentic Grand Feel Compact wooden-key keyboard action, brand new SK-EX Competition Grand piano sounds, and modern Bluetooth® connectivity, the piano-focussed CA401 offers many of the strengths of the premium Concert Artist models within a more modest and affordable package.

HIGHLIGHTS

■  Class-leading Grand Feel Compact wooden-key keyboard action
■  Ivory Touch key surfaces, triple sensor, let-off, counterweights
■  Progressive Harmonic Imaging sound with 88-key sampling
■  Brand new SK-EX Competition Grand piano sounds
■  High quality audio processing and amplification hardware■  Latest Bluetooth® MIDI and Audio v5 wireless connectivity
■  Built-in classical etudes and Alfred lesson books
■  Spatial Headphone Sound for enhanced depth and realism
■  Cheekblock control panel with high resolution OLED display
■  Attractive cabinet with 3-position music rest and score support pinsFeel InspiredA piano that will encourage enthusiastic players to become accomplished pianists, and transform living rooms into grand concert halls.  This is the ambitious philosophy behind Kawai’s latest Concert Artist series – premium instruments that capture the essence of playing a magnificent concert grand piano, and inspire musicians of all ages and abilities to realise their true artistic potential.

 

TOUCH

The Touch of a Grand Piano: Grand Feel Compact wooden key action

With an emphasis on piano-focussed authenticity, the CA401 utilises the superb Grand Feel Compact wooden-key keyboard action.  As its name suggest, the GF Compact action has been designed to reproduce the authentic touch weight characteristics of the industry-leading Grand Feel keyboard actions, within a smaller form factor.

 Long wooden key    Counterweight    Balance pins    Weighted hammers
 Let-off mechanism    Triple sensor    Ivory Touch key surface

This action retains the long wooden keysticks used for all 88 black and white keys, and the familiar ‘seesaw’ mechanism employed by acoustic grand piano actions for centuries. However, despite its smaller unit size, GF Compact features an extended key pivot length, providing a more consistent touch weight when playing towards the rear of the keyboard. This crucial detail, along with various other acoustic piano-like characteristics, ensures the CA401 delivers the most realistic playing experience in its class.

Grand Feel actions | Explanation video

This video outlines the history of Kawai’s wooden key keyboard actions, and examines how the latest generation Grand Feel actions incorporate characteristics from acoustic grand pianos.
The video also explains the importance of ‘seesaw’ key movement, and other meticulous details that replicate the feel of playing an acoustic grand piano.

 

Bass key Counterweights

In addition to grade-weighted hammers, the Grand Feel Compact keyboard action also features counterweights attached towards the front of the bass keys.
As with an acoustic piano, these finely balanced weights help to lighten the touch of the keyboard during pianissimo passages, while adding a feel of greater substance when playing with force.

 

 

Triple sensor key detection

The Grand Feel Compact keyboard action utilises 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.

 

 

Ivory Touch key surfaces

The impressive CA401 features Kawai’s highly regarded Ivory Touch 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.
Furthermore, this moisture is absorbed without dirt or grease permeating the surface, allowing the keytops to be wiped clean easily using just a damp cloth.

 

 

 

Let-off Simulation

As the most authentic digital piano keyboard action in its class, Grand Feel Compact even reproduces the ‘let-off’ characteristic of acoustic piano actions.
This subtle ‘notch’ sensation can be felt when playing the keys of a grand piano very gently, and may be used by experienced pianists to aid control when playing pianissimo passages.

 

 

SOUND

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

Eponymously named after the company’s second president, the Shigeru Kawai range of luxury grand pianos were conceived as the next step in evolving the art of the piano. Each world-class instrument is hand-crafted by experienced piano artisans, using the finest available materials to ensure optimum touch, tone, and artistic expression.

Widely regarded as ‘the premier piano of Japan’, the flagship SK-EX grand piano graces the stages of concert halls and musical institutions around the globe, receiving universal acclaim for its tonal clarity and exceptional dynamic range. The magnificent tone of the SK-EX is at the heart of the CA401, with this new model featuring the latest SK-EX Competition Grand recreation of this peerless instrument.

SK-EX Competition Grand sound

The brand new SK-EX Competition Grand captures the sound of the latest generation SK-EX-L instruments, that in recent years have achieved success at the Chopin, Hamamatsu, and Sendai international piano competitions.

This piano sound possesses a brilliant, clear tonal character, with a distinctive thick attack, and is specifically recorded from the pianist’s position for the ultimate performance experience.

 

FEATURES

The Variety of a Digital Piano: Convenience & Flexibility

Complementing the instrument’s class-leading Grand Feel Compact wooden-key keyboard action and Progressive Harmonic Imaging piano sounds, the CA401 also offers a variety of convenient digital features that further enhance one’s musical enjoyment.
A selection of different instrument voices, built-in lesson songs, and the ability to record and playback performances are just some of the features accessible from the cheek-block control panel, while built-in Bluetooth® MIDI and Audio functionality allow connecting to smart devices wirelessly for running apps or streaming music.

Integrated Bluetooth® connectivity

In addition to a standard USB-MIDI port for connecting to computers, the CA401 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, CA401 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 instrument’s impressive speaker system without the need to connect additional cables.

PianoRemote app

The latest CA401 is compatible with Kawai’s latest PianoRemote control app for iOS and supported Android devices. This app connects to the piano wirelessly via the Concert Artists’ integrated Bluetooth feature, providing an effortless way to change sounds, adjust settings, or enjoy the vast array of built-in music content from the comfort of an armchair.

Grand Feel Pedal System

Reinforcing the CA Series’ reputation as the most realistic digital pianos in their price range 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 a Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano, ensuring that players master the proper pedalling technique required to perform on an acoustic piano.

 

 

DESIGN

Grand performance within a modern, attractive cabinet

The CA401’s modern cabinet incorporates a rounded topboard and tapered leg design, with minimalist toe blocks for additional stability. Its flat fascia and tall upper board give the instrument a traditional, upright piano-like quality, while at just over 48 centimetres deep, the CA401’s compact body is suitable for apartments and other narrow spaces.

 

Broad, adjustable music rest

The CA401’s broad music rest is engineered to accommodate the most ambitious musical works, with smoothly rounded edges and a sturdy base for supporting large score books.
As with a grand piano, the viewing angle of the instrument’s music rest can be adjusted to suit the performer’s playing position, or laid flat for convenience when notating scores or sketching musical ideas.

 

 

Score support pins

The CA401’s music rest base also incorporates score support pins, which can be raised to hold the pages of thicker score books securely in place.
The smooth, rounded edges and gently tapered design give the score support pins a high quality, premium feel, while their crystal-like transparent finish also helps to prevent obscuring the notation behind.

Easy to use interface with OLED display

The CA401 features an easy to use control panel neatly embedded within the left cheekblock, with a high resolution OLED display providing information about the currently select sound, function, or setting.
Unlike other digital pianos in its class, the CA401’s various sounds and functions are all selected directly from the control panel, without needing to press and hold buttons while remembering different key combinations. This helps to simplify operation, and ensures that the piano can be enjoyed by even the youngest members of the family.