The Kawai MP6 has arrived !

[hfmadopter]

Actually just about 24 hours ago now. I'm still assessing and working with it with an open manual between text messages from my daughters who don't seem to be able to leave me alone right now. Usually that's fine but not right now !

So far:

Love the keys. The weight is a touch heavier than my grand in the upper treble and very very slightly lighter in the bass. Mid section about the same as my grand. It really has let off that you can feel if you depress a key slowly.

Love the touch sensativity and expression capability. Besides that it's infinately variable. Not so much a weight change but a velocity change and snappy change to expression. Even the damper pedal is extremely realistic to the point of hearing dampers let off the strings if you depress the damper pedal alone. You get true open string sound when playing and the pedal is not a switch trype so you get variable amounts depending on how deep you press the pedal.

Tone, thus far have settled on Mellow Grand 2 with some adjustments to that. The bass is super strong, my speakers are not up to it's capability and I have to lower my woofers volumes down at the speakers as well as the bass at the piano. The treble is super strong and very very realistic, a crystaline tone up there. Mid range around middle C is my problem thus far and from what I've read about this online it may be my speakers as well. Last night I got it pretty decent though, then lost the setting ( of course) and I actually have no clue at the moment what I had hit on to get there but it did not save !! I'll back track the manual and see where I was at, maybe get a clue.

I've lowered the overall tuning from A440 to A438 like my grand is and that produces a somewhat familiar feel to the sound as a beginning point. I will work with temperment today.

The future definately has a better sound system for this piano in it. I'm running off the head phone jack with a decent set of computer speakers and they can't match it's capability.

Tonight I must find the save button because I lose setups before that happens !!

I have to work Sat but Sunday I will look into building a wood stand and may track down another speaker system. The wife and I have come to terms on that, she wins I build a hard wood stand and stain it in satin black like the grand piano, since this will be in the living room next to the grand piano. Meanwhile getting familiar, wish me luck.

[outin]

Congratulations! I hope you two spend many wonderful moments together!

BTW. My DP search is still on. I am going to go try the Kawais as soon as my work situation calms down a bit.

[hfmadopter]

Congratulations! I hope you two spend many wonderful moments together!

BTW. My DP search is still on. I am going to go try the Kawais as soon as my work situation calms down a bit.

Outin, first thanks !

 I don't even want to discuss work right now. I think I work on two Saturdays per year and this week and next are them, along with the rest of the two weeks. I didn't pick the best of times to have this piano arrive.

As to your search, look long and hard ! Some Rolands I tried came a touch closer on the action to my grand but this is not the top Kawai either.

[iansinclair]

Sounds as though you are going to have a good time playing with your new toy -- when you get a chance!  Congratulations!

Don't stint on the speakers and perhaps amplifier -- piano is second only to organ in being difficult to reproduce electronically.  If need be, claim that they can be used for the TV, or for some game or other?

[johnmar78]

Hfma, you must be excited for sure, now you have written a review for mp6, how about show us some raw samples, like grand scale c to g lower ocaves all across the keyboard  using mp3 /wav files much appreciated......

[hfmadopter]

Sounds as though you are going to have a good time playing with your new toy -- when you get a chance!  Congratulations!

Don't stint on the speakers and perhaps amplifier -- piano is second only to organ in being difficult to reproduce electronically.  If need be, claim that they can be used for the TV, or for some game or other?

I'm tossed on the route to go here. I'm almost thinking Amp/mixer and speakers vs power amp speakers. I have to talk with some willing people about this.

[hfmadopter]

Hfma, you must be excited for sure, now you have written a review for mp6, how about show us some raw samples, like grand scale c to g lower octaves all across the keyboard  using mp3 /wav files much appreciated......

I'm nowhere near ready to do that Johnmar, it's not set up permanently yet at all. I'm still working on setup with my computer speakers till I get the real ones. At this very moment the piano is sitting on top of my grand piano attached to nothing and I'm leaving for work in 30 min. ( taking the manual with me today !). I had just popped on here last night to make my announcement ! I'm here having coffee and oatmeal now.

In due time, thanks for the thought though.

[austinarg]

What about the left pedal? Is it una corda or the only thing it does is lower the volume?

[49410enrique]

im so happy for you! i am especially glad that someone on here finally 'discovered' these instruments! i have for months/years(?) suggested these in the common/countless digital piano threads that pop up from time to time from people asking for advice on which instrument to consider, and i felt that my loan cries championing these things would forever go 'unheard'/fall on death ears.

it is my hope that folks will happen upon your thread/posts in the future when they go about their research so that a stronger case in favor of these awesome pianos can be made.

i have loved these things since in first 'discovered' them for myself years ago and have had my mind made up that when i can afford one, it will be something along these lines. those kids really know what they're doing! (indeed kawai in general as their pianos are consistently my favorites, i.e. RX grands, and my dream the shigeru ).

im super happy for you, congrats on a fine instrument. i hope it inspires you to play more, learn more, discover more.

[hfmadopter]

What about the left pedal? Is it una corda or the only thing it does is lower the volume?

That pedal set is an option and I have the standard single pedal that came with the piano ( which works very well). I see no mention in the manual about the method of attack to gain soft pedal. It mentions that the second pedal can be assigned I believe three different functions, one of which is to use it as an effects pedal. So in that catagory I imagine there are several different functions within the one. I may never know to be honest, I don't use much soft pedal and if I do it will probably still be with the grand ( I used it in Nevue's version of Silent Night back at Christmas Eve though)..

As to this digital , it's very touch responsive, I doubt I would need that function anyway. I can only tame my grand so much, in that case now and then I do resort to the left pedal.

So now I've gone all around Robinhoods Barn to tell you I don't know !!!!! Sorry.

[hfmadopter]

im super happy for you, congrats on a fine instrument. i hope it inspires you to play more, learn more, discover more.

Yes Kawai makes quality instruments. I will enjoy this piano, already do. I just need to get through some intitial learning curves. As you can imagine with 256 sounds and everything is tweakable, I'm rather muddling through. I am gaining though.

Thank's so much for responding and for the well wishes ! Now I am going to go and make a Jalepeno Ranch salad dressing from a base of Greek Yogurt. It's a great dressing and very low fat. Then a shower and on to the piano.

Edit:

Well did all that and now I'm back. I set everything  so very close to my grands sound and low and behold LOST it again ! I said to my wife I was going to shut it down and turn it on and see if it saved. Nope . Back to the manual and look for the step I'm missing and you know it will be simple.

I have to say though it was a very convincing sound. My wife came in from the kitchen to see if I was playing the grand or the digital. This time I wasn't doodling around after the edit, I played some pieces, it convinced her anyway. And that's still on the computer speakers.

Edit again:

Got it, hit the Store Button but then the Up Button twice to see the screen say " storing don't touch any buttons". It's in a section of the manual right after the midi section and I thought it was part of the midi section and it is not. Very simple task, as I thought it would be. Now I can go on to doing my edits of the various sounds when I get out of work later .