- NEW: Grand Feel III wooden key keyboard action with Ivory & Ebony Touch key surfaces
- IMPROVED: SK-EX Rendering sound engine with multi-channel piano sampling
- IMPROVED: Virtual Technician function with 22 adjustable parameters
- IMPROVED: TwinDrive Soundboard Speaker system with new 360° speaker diffuser panels
- IMPROVED: Integrated Bluetooth® MIDI and audio connectivity, with support
- NEW: Updated LCD touchscreen UI with sister Piano Remote control app for iOS/Android
- NEW: Stunning contemporary upright piano cabinet design with Soft Fall fallboard system
- NEW: Authentic new electric piano, organ, harpsichord, strings, and bass sounds
Kawai CA-99 Digital Piano
HIGHLIGHTS
FEATURES
THE TOUCH OF A GRAND PIANO: GRAND FEEL III WOODEN KEY ACTION
Embracing many of the long-established principles associated with an acoustic piano, the Grand Feel III keyboard action utilized by the CA99 combines realistic materials, motion, and mechanism to recreate the exceptional touch of the finest concert grand pianos.
All eighty-eight black and white keys are crafted entirely from long pieces of wood, with finely textured ivory and ebony-like surfaces applied to absorb moisture and assist control. Each wooden key pivots smoothly on a balance pin – the ends rising and falling to replicate the familiar ‘seesaw’ motion of an acoustic piano action. When pressed, the back of the key lifts, triggering a grade-weighted hammer to strike a pressure switch. The amount of force applied to this switch is then measured, and the corresponding note played with authentic tonal character and volume.
THE SOUND OF A GRAND PIANO: SHIGERU KAWAI SK-EX CONCERT GRAND
The Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano was conceived as the next step in evolving the art of the piano. Earning a reputation as the ‘premier piano of Japan,’ it graces the stages of concert halls and musical institutions around the globe, receiving universal acclaim for its exceptional clarity and dynamic range. The SK-EX has frequently been selected by professional pianists at such prestigious events as the Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Rubinstein international piano competitions. With its magnificent tone and wonderfully responsive touch, the SK-EX can best be described with one word – incomparable.
In order to faithfully reproduce the stunning sound of a Shigeru Kawai concert grand piano digitally, Kawai has developed SK-EX Rendering. This special, piano-only sound engine focuses the Concert Artist’s DSP power, combining multi-channel, 88-key sampling with the latest resonance modelling technology to deliver pure acoustic piano authenticity. When SK-EX Rendering is selected, players can choose ten differently prepared piano characters ranging from Classic and Romantic, to Jazz, and even Boogie.
VIRTUAL TECHNICIAN - PERSONALIZED PIANO ADJUSTMENTS
The knowledge and skill of an experienced piano technician is essential to bring out the best of a fine acoustic piano. In addition to tuning each note, the technician also performs numerous regulation and voicing adjustments that allow the instrument to truly sing.
The CA99’s powerful Virtual Technician function simulates these refinements digitally, allowing discerning musicians to shape aspects of the selected piano’s character to suit their personal preferences.
Perform touch weight and voicing adjustments, regulate hammer and key release noises, and fine-tune string, damper, and cabinet resonances. It is even possible to adjust the precise tuning, volume, and character of individual notes – all in real-time.
PREMIUM AUDIO TECHNOLOGIES
Developed in collaboration with Onkyo, one of Japan’s leading premium audio equipment manufacturers, the CA99 utilizes specialist components designed for high-end audio reproduction. With cutting-edge technologies such as 1-bit processing, dual DAC signal conversion, and DIDRC filtering, the Concert Artist’s optimized power amplifiers reproduce the Shigeru Kawai grand piano sound with stunning clarity, richness, and power, while the high-performance Discrete SpectraModule™ headphone amplifier ensures the finest quality listening experience, even when playing in privacy.
TWINDRIVE SOUNDBOARD SPEAKER SYSTEM
Complementing the premium quality drivers, the CA99 also incorporates the latest version of Kawai’s highly-regarded soundboard speaker system. This unique audio technology embraces the rich, harmonic qualities of wood by using transducers to channel sound energy onto a large soundboard, in order to produce a more natural, organic tone. Long wooden ribs securely attached to the soundboard further broaden the frequency range and volume of the resonating sound, resulting in a remarkably authentic playing experience that immerses the performer, and faithfully reproduces the tonal ambience of an acoustic piano.
The TwinDrive system represents the third generation of Kawai’s soundboard technology, and features an improved primary transducer redesigned to deliver more power and volume.
In addition, a secondary transducer, mounted towards the treble end of the instrument, helps to further expand the tonal range produced by the soundboard beyond the existing low frequencies, allowing mid-low and even mid-high ranges to also benefit from the warming, acoustic properties of wood.
THE VARIETY OF A DIGITAL PIANO: CONVENIENCE & FLEXIBILITY
Complementing the instrument’s class-leading Grand Feel III keyboard action and stunning SK-EX Rendering piano sound engine, the CA99 also offers a strong selection of digital features that further enhance one’s musical enjoyment.
Full Bluetooth® connectivity and USB audio record/playback allows musicians to extend the functionality of their piano, or play-along with their favorite artists, while the convenient metronome and integrated lesson functions, featuring classical etudes and Alfred course books, ensure that regular practice is both productive and engaging for aspiring pianists.
All functions are accessible from the CA99’s 5″ touchscreen display, which 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 instruments’ acoustic piano-like appearance, and minimising any visual distractions to the performer.
INTEGRATED BLUETOOTH® CONNECTIVITY
In addition to standard USB and MIDI jacks for connecting to computers or other instruments, the CA99 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, Concert Artist 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 instruments’ premium amplifier and speaker systems without the need to connect additional cables.
PIANOREMOTE APP
The CA99’s redesigned communication standard allows the user-friendly touchscreen interface to also be accessed via the dedicated PianoRemote app for iOS and supported Android devices. The app connects to the piano wirelessly via the Concert Artists’ integrated Bluetooth, providing an effortless way to change sounds, or enjoy the vast array of built-in music content from the comfort of an armchair.
BUILT-IN LESSON & FINGER EXERCISES
The CA99’s convenient lesson function allows aspiring pianists to learn piano with classical Czerny, Burgmüller, Beyer, Bach, Beethoven, and Chopin etudes, or a collection of songs from the popular Alfred’s Basic, Adult, and Premier course books.
With a strong emphasis on acoustic piano realism, the Concert Artist also features traditional finger exercises, scales, and warm-up drills, and includes companion books for all classical scores to further aid one’s piano development.
GRAND FEEL PEDAL SYSTEM
Reinforcing the Concert Artist’s reputation as the most realistic digital piano 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 the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano to further enhance the CA99’s acoustic piano-like authenticity.
Moreover, it is also possible to adjust the half-pedal sensitivity of the damper pedal, and effectiveness of the soft pedal using dedicated Virtual Technician parameters, allowing experienced pianists to personalize the instrument’s response to match their individual pedalling technique.
SUPERIOR HEADPHONE EXPERIENCE
The CA99’s Spatial Headphone Sound (SHS) technology enhances the depth and realism of the instrument’s sound when listening through headphones or earphones. The player can select one of three different acoustic presets that adjust the spatial positioning of the sound, while also helping to reduce auditory fatigue when using earphones or headphones for extended periods of time.
In addition, the CA99 also allows players to specify the type of headphones connected (Open, Semi-open, Closed, In-Ear, Canal, etc.) to ensure an optimal listening experience.
SPECIFICATIONS
Keyboard |
Grand Feel III (GFIII) action - 88 wooden keys - Grade-weighted hammers - Ivory Touch white key surfaces - Ebony Touch black key surfaces - Let-off simulation - Triple sensor key detection - 88-key Graded counterweights |
|
Pedal |
Grand Feel Pedal System - Damper (with half-pedal support) - Soft - Sostenuto |
|
Piano Sound |
Pianist mode: SK-EX Rendering - 88-key multi-channel sampling - SK-EX recording Sound mode: Harmonic Imaging XL (HI-XL) - 88-key stereo sampling - SK-EX, SK-5, EX recording 256 note maximum polyphony |
|
Piano Resonance |
Pianist mode: Resonance Modeling - Damper Resonance - String Resonance - Undamped String Resonance - Aliquot Resonance Sound mode: Acoustic Rendering - Damper Resonance - String Resonance - Undamped String Resonance - Cabinet Resonance |
|
No. of Sounds |
SK-EX Rendering: 10 rendering characters Harmonic Imaging: 90 sounds |
|
Reverb |
Pianist mode: Ambience (10 types) Sound mode: Reverb (6 types) |
|
Brilliance | ✔ | |
Other Effects | 24 types | |
Speakers | Soundboard Speaker System 8 cm x 4 (top speakers with diffuser) 2 cm X 2 (dome tweeters) |
|
Output Power | 135 W (54 W x 3) | |
Headphone Enhancements | Discrete SpectraModule™ headphone amplifier Spatial Headphone Sound Headphone Type Headphone Amplifier |
|
Display | 5" LCD touchscreen (480 x 800 pixels) | |
Key Cover | Upright piano type (with Soft Fall system) | |
Music Rest | Upright piano type (fixed position) | |
Dimensions | Width | 57 1/3" (145.5 cm) |
Depth | 18” (45.5 cm) | |
Height | 36 1/2” (92.5 cm) (not including music rest) | |
Weight | 167 lbs (76 kg) | |
Basic Functions | Dual Split Four Hands Transpose Tuning Favorite |
|
Internal Songs | Demo Songs | 39 songs |
Music | 205 or 218 songs (Depending on market) | |
Lesson Songs | Burgmüller 25 (25 Etudes Faciles, Opus 100) Czerny 30 (Etudes de Mécanisme, Opus 849) Czerny 100 (Hundert Übungsstücke, Opus 139) Beyer 106 (Vorschule im Klavierspiel, Opus 101) J.S. Bach: Inventionen Sonatinen Album 1 Chopin Walzer (Chopin waltzes series) Chopin Etudes (Opus 10) Alfred’s Premier Piano Course Lesson 1A Alfred’s Premier Piano Course Lesson 1B Alfred’s Basic Piano Library Lesson Book Level 1A Alfred’s Basic Piano Library Lesson Book Level 1B Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course Lesson Book Level 1 |
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Internal Recorder | 10 song, 2 track recorder Approximately 90,000 note memory capacity |
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Metronome | Time Signatures | 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 3/8, 6/8, 7/8, 9/8, 12/8 |
Drum Rhythms | 100 patterns | |
Bluetooth® * | Bluetooth® MIDI Bluetooth MIDI Device Name Bluetooth Audio Bluetooth Audio Volume |
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USB Audio Recorder | Record | MP3 WAV Save as SMF/KSO |
Playback | MP3 WAV SMF KSO |
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Other Functions | Overdubbing Line In recording Bluetooth Audio Recording |
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App Functions | - | |
Connector Jacks | Headphone | 1 x 1/4", 1 x 1/8" Stereo jacks |
MIDI | MIDI IN, MIDI OUT, Bluetooth® MIDI | |
Line Out | 1/4" L/MONO, R [unbalanced] | |
Line In | 1/8" Stereo | |
USB to Host | ✔ | |
USB to Device | ✔ | |
Others | USB for Update | |
Power Consumption | 55 W | |
Power | Power cable | |
Bench | Matching Bench | |
Others | Warranty Card Owner's Manual Internal Song List |