New 228-CFX Player System

Imagine your piano reproducing the performances of Rachmaninoff, Horowitz and Rubinstein-some of the greatest artists the world has known. Imagine listeningto Broadway show tunes, jazz improvisations or latin favorities - every genre of music - played on your piano. Imagine PianoDisc.

Pianodisc lets you set the stage for any occasion, with the perfect musical selections played as vividly as if the artists were performing them right before your eyes.

PianoDisc's 228CFX: an all-in-one control unit that combines state-of-the-art technology and unparalleled piano performance.

Now PianoDisc expands your possibilities even further with the 228CFX, a virtual reality player system that offers all of PianoDisc's unique features in one powerful package. With the 228CFX, you can play 3.5" floppy disks, specially formatted PianoCDs or even access Music Expansion, PianoDisc's extraordinary flash memory storage system. The 228CFX also features PianoDisc's revolutionary SilentDrive system, which allows your piano to play with full expression, even at whisper soft levels.

SilentDrive - SilentDrive allows more precise control of the key and pedal solenoids by the PianoDisc PDS-128Plus control unit, Precision control means greater fidelity and more life-like performance by the PianoDisct System.

The SilentDrive's four boards consist of one CPU (central processing unit) and three custom ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) chip-driven boards. The boards communicate using a type of serial information link that runs faster than MIDI. This electronic link allows for the almost instantaneous changes to the solenoid's speed when a new command is given. With SilentDrive, the PianoDisc system plays at much quieter levels, with whisper quiet movement of the solenoids and incredible dynamic expression.

Ribs

All Kawai grand pianos are constructed with full-length White Spruce ribs. These ribs help sound wave patterns energize the soundboard as a whole. All ribs on Kawai grands are notched and continue into the inner rim.

Bridges

Bridges transfer the vibration of the strings to the soundboard. Since many vibrations may be minute, a bridge of the hardest material is essential. Kawai bridges are solid Rock Maple.RX models have a combination of laminated maple and mahogany and are scientifically designed and positioned to maximize performance.

Beams

Beams are the 'backbone' of the piano. Kawai beams are constructed from select hardwood laminates and are glued together in a cross-banding fashion. This makes them infinitely stronger than one-piece construction types, and virtually impervious to weather changes and warpage.

Plates

Kawai has produced designs and castings that make no compromise in quality. Kawai's cast iron plate (harp), finished in smooth bronze, is hard-fit to each frame. This guarantees accurate positioning and proper bearing of the strings on the bridges and ensures the correct position of all the components to follow.

Soundboard

Only carefully selected, straight-grained, solid Sitka Spruce is used in Kawai grand soundboards. Kawai's stringent quality standards require that every piece of Sitka Spruce maintain an optimal number of grains per square inch.

Rim

Kawai grands are unexcelled in strength and design. Both the inner and outer rims are constructed of woods noted for their strength and durability. Using a cross-binding technique, Kawai rims can withstand incredible pressure. They form a "Core System" that, pound for pound, is stronger than steel.

Pin Blocks

All Kawai pinblocks use cross-banded premium Rock Maple. Kawai then glues and screws the pinblock to the rim, as well as being firmly screwed and fitted to the plate.

Stringing

The stringing methods used by Kawai are unique to the industry,offering unmatched tuning stability. Through years of research, Kawai has developed special machinery and techniques which assures absolute precision.

Action

Kawai is renowned for its Ultra-Responsive Action™. An evolution of the critically acclaimed Herz action, the Kawai action has been preferred by more than a generation of the finest pianists. Every part ofthe action is a masterpiece of mechanical efficiency, uniformity, and sensitivity and is built to withstand over a lifetime of use. An incredibly strong material known as ABS Styran is used for the many load bearing parts that would formally have been timber. Although uncommon to the industry, Kawai inspects each action over 100 times and regulates it 5 times before it leaves the factory.

Weighted and Balanced Keys

Evenness of touch is crucial to the player. Every key must respond uniformly in relation to all other keys on the keyboard. The keys of the RX Series grand pianos are individually weighted and balanced to adjust fordifferences in hammer size. Weights are scientifically positioned at different points in each key to provide an even, balanced touch across the entire keyboard for superb control.

Casters

The casters on every Kawai grand are in solid brass and are polished to a mirror-like finish. Kawai casters are another indication of the immense attention to detail that it places into every piano it produces.

Pedals

Like Kawai casters, the three heavy, working pedals on every Kawai grand are cast in solid brass, not plated, brass-capped iron. Capped pedals wear down in time and expose the raw iron base material.