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October 20, 2017

Kawai announces new Novus NV10 hybrid piano

Kawai Novus NV10Kawai Japan is extremely proud to announce the NV10, the very first model in the new Novus series of hybrid pianos.  This remarkable instrument combines Kawai’s finest Millennium III acoustic grand piano keyboard action, including a real damper mechanism, with the latest SK-EX Rendering piano sound engine and premium amplification technologies developed in collaboration with audio specialists Onkyo, to deliver the most realistic grand piano playing experience ever accomplished by a digital instrument.

The ultra-modern NV10 also features built-in Bluetooth® MIDI and audio connectivity, and a stunning 5" LCD touchscreen display embedded within the instrument’s left cheekblock.  It’s strikingly beautiful ebony polish cabinet gives pianists the impression of playing a premium grand piano, while occupying less floor space than a standard upright.

A celebration of Kawai’s 90 years of piano innovation, the Novus NV10 encapsulates the company’s many acoustic and digital achievements, fusing tradition with technology to redefine the grand piano experience for players and audience members alike.

Main Features

- Peerless Millennium III Hybrid grand piano keyboard action with optical hammer sensing system
- Unique real grand piano damper mechanism for true key and pedal weighting
- Latest SK-EX Rendering sound engine with multi-channel piano sampling
- Premium audio processing and amplification technologies powered by Onkyo
- High-fidelity 7-speaker delivery system for enhanced depth and clarity
- Integrated Bluetooth® MIDI and audio for wireless communication with smart devices
- Modern 5" LCD touchscreen display with intuitive swipe operation
- Flexible Virtual Technician function with 19 adjustable parameters
- Convenient WAV/MP3/MIDI file record and playback via USB memory
- Stunning ebony polish cabinet design with Soft Fall fallboard system

 

Millennium III Hybrid grand piano keyboard action, with optical hammer sensing system

The Novus NV10 is the first digital instrument to incorporate Kawai’s leading acoustic grand piano keyboard action technology, renowned for the pioneering use of extended spruce key sticks and innovative ABS Carbon components that are stronger, lighter, and more dimensionally stable than conventional wooden parts.

The specially adapted Millennium III Hybrid keyboard action utilised by the NV10 replaces traditional felt hammers with modern  ABS equivalents that are individual graded in weight from bass to treble, while high-precision optical sensors take the place of metal strings, accurately reading the subtle movements of each hammer as the corresponding keys are played.

In addition to featuring a full acoustic grand piano keyboard action, the Novus NV10 is the first hybrid instrument to also incorporate a real grand piano damper mechanism.  While there are no strings inside the NV10 to require physical damping, this unique feature replicates the true weighting of a grand piano damper pedal, while also mechanically easing the keyboard action’s touch weight as the pedal is pressed – an important acoustic piano characteristic that, until now, has been overlooked.

 

Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano reproduced with new SK-EX Rendering sound technology

The magnificent tone of Kawai’s flagship Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano is at the heart of the Novus NV10 hybrid piano.  Widely regarded as the ‘premier pianos of Japan’, Shigeru Kawai instruments grace the stages of concert halls and musical institutions throughout the world, and are prized for their tonal clarity and exceptional dynamic range.

In order to faithfully reproduce the stunning sound of a Shigeru digitally, Kawai has developed SK-EX Rendering – a brand new piano sound engine that blends multi-channel, 88-key sampling with the latest resonance modelling technology.  Multi-channel sampling captures the sound from different points of the Shigeru Kawai concert grand piano, allowing a broader range of tonal characteristics to be reproduced, and providing a more lively, authentic response to changes in dynamics.  This naturally expressive sound is further enriched by newly developed resonance algorithms, which physically model the complex tonal interactions produced by the strings, dampers, and various other parts of an acoustic piano, giving players the impression that they’re sitting at a living, breathing instrument.

 

Premium audio processing, amplification, and speaker technology – powered by Onkyo

Developed in collaboration with Onkyo, one of Japan’s leading premium audio equipment manufacturers, the Novus NV10 hybrid piano is one of the first Kawai musical instruments to utilise specialist components designed for high-end audio reproduction.  With state of the art technologies such as 1-bit DSD processing, dual DAC signal conversion, and Onkyo’s exclusive DIDRC circuitry, the Novus’ optimised power amplifiers reproduce the Shigeru Kawai grand piano sound with stunning richness and clarity.

This high fidelity sound is delivered using a custom 7-speaker output system, designed to reproduced the three dimensional sound field of an acoustic grand piano.  Lower-range bass frequencies are transmitted with power and precision from the underside of the Novus via a large woofer, while higher frequencies are projected outward using four top-facing speakers.  These mid-range units are calibrated to expand the depth of sound beyond the instrument, thus recreating the length of a grand piano, while still providing a feeling of proximity and presence for the player.  Finally, two dome tweeters placed behind the upper board ensure crisp, clear treble frequencies, allowing the authentic resonances generated by the SK-EX Rendering sound engine to sparkle and shimmer like an acoustic instrument.

The Novus NV10 hybrid piano also incorporate Onkyo’s brand new high-performance Discrete SpectraModule™ headphone amplifier, which combines with Kawai’s Spatial Headphone Sound (SHS) technology to guarantee the finest quality and most engaging listening experience, even when playing in privacy.

 

Integrated Bluetooth® MIDI and Audio connectivity

In addition to standard USB and MIDI jacks for connecting to computers or other instruments, the Novus NV10 hybrid piano also features integrated Bluetooth® MIDI and Audio technology that allows the instrument to communicate with supported smart devices wirelessly.  Once paired to a phone, tablet, or laptop, Novus 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 premium amplifier and speaker system without the need to connect any cables.

 

Full-colour touchscreen display for intuitive, button-less operation

The Novus NV10 hybrid piano is the first instrument of its kind to feature a full-colour 5" touchscreen display.  Discreetly embedded within the left cheekblock, this high resolution touchscreen allows sounds and settings to be selected from an attractive user interface simply by tapping or swiping the display with a finger.  The screen can also be set to turn off automatically while playing, thus preserving the instrument’s acoustic piano-like appearance, and minimising any visual distraction to the performer.

Stunning cabinet design with 6-position adjustable music rest and Soft Fall fallboard

The Novus NV10’s strikingly beautiful grand piano-like cabinet is finished from top to bottom in a luxurious ebony polish finish, with gleaming silver-chrome fittings and an exposed pedal trap-work design.  The instrument’s broad music rest is designed to accommodate the most ambitious musical works, with smoothly rounded edges and simulated leather lining the base.  As with a grand piano, the viewing angle of the music rest can be adjusted to suit the performer’s playing position, or even set to a special ‘composer desk’ angle for greater convenience when notating scores or sketching musical ideas.  Finally, the Novus incorporates the ultra-slow Soft Fall fallboard closing system from Kawai’s premium acoustic instruments, protecting the player’s hands and the piano’s luxurious finish from any harm that a jarring close might cause.

 

The finest acoustic grand piano keyboard action, a real grand piano damper mechanism, stunning multi-channel grand piano sounds, premium audio, amplification, and speaker technologies, modern Bluetooth and touchscreen convenience, and a strikingly beautiful ebony polish cabinet.

Introducing the Kawai Novus NV10: A hybrid instrument that delivers the true grand piano experience.


For more information about the Novus NV10 hybrid piano, please refer to the product page below:

http://www.kawai-global.com/product/nv10