Kawai’s MP7 stage piano offers a variety of beautiful concert, jazz, and pop grand piano sounds – appropriately voiced and mic’d for a broad range of musical styles. Not only can you enjoy playing the MP7’s original sounds, you may also delve into the powerful Virtual Technician to adjust the piano beneath your fingertips. A traditional upright is provided too, for songs that evoke a feeling of nostalgia, or simply call for a slightly more intimate tonal character. And for playing in a live band setting, additional mono piano sounds ensure that the MP7 will cut through even the heaviest of mixes.
GRAND SOUNDS
The Kawai EX concert grand piano is widely regarded by professional pianists and piano technicians as one of the finest instruments within its class. The beautiful sound of the Kawai EX concert grand piano is at the heart of the MP7, with all eighty-eight keys of this world-class instrument painstakingly recorded, meticulously analysed, and accurately reproduced as high-fidelity digital waveforms.
EXTRA-LONG SAMPLING
With expanded sound memory, the MP7 boasts some of the largest samples of any Kawai digital piano. This ‘eXtra Long’ standard of Harmonic Imaging technology extends the important attack portion of piano sounds by up to 120%, articulating the natural detail and resonance characteristics of each note more clearly, and improving the instrument’s organic tonal quality overall. When playing a fine piano, the amount of pressure applied to the keyboard affects not only the volume of the sound produced, but also the unique tonal character of each note.
The E.PIANO category features a treasure trove of authentic tine, reed, and modern electric pianos. Warm, creamy, smooth, slick, dark, or gritty… whatever the style or sound, the MP7’s vintage EPs are guaranteed to get any player’s fingers moving. The DRAWBAR category contains a broad selection of classic drawbar organ sounds in both modelled and sampled forms. The first three sub-categories activate the MP7’s brand new tonewheel organ simulation, transforming the stage piano into a vintage electromechanical organ, with nine real-time adjustable drawbars, and authentic percussion panel controls.
The MP7’s PAD/SYNTH category represents another major improvement over its predecessor, featuring brand new sample data for all of the core sound groups. High quality pads, saw, square, pulse, and poly leads, and a number of other useful voices provide the essential building blocks for recreating classic and modern synth patches.
The knowledge and skill of an experienced piano technician is essential to bring out the best of a fine acoustic piano. In addition to meticulously tuning each note, the technician also performs numerous regulation and voicing adjustments that allow the instrument to truly sing. The MP7’s Virtual Technician parameters simulate these refinements digitally, allowing performers to shape various aspects of the acoustic piano sound’s character to suit their personal preferences. Perform touch weight and voicing adjustments, regulate subtle hammer and key release noises, and fine-tune string, lid, and damper resonances – all in real-time.
The tonal character of an amplifier or speaker cabinet is an important component of any vintage electrical instrument. The MP7 therefore includes an amp simulator within the MAIN zone, helping to fatten the sound with nostalgic analogue warmth. In addition to the five distinctive speaker cabinet types, the MP7 also provides extensive control over the amplifier’s drive and volume levels, in addition to dedicated frequency and tone adjustments. It’s even possible to select the kind of microphone used to mic the amp, along with axis positioning and ambience levels. For vintage EP and organ lovers, the MP7’s infinitely tweakable amp sim is icing authenticity on a deliciously sweet cake.
ULTRA-REALISTIC REVERB
After adding effects, adjusting the Virtual Technician, plugging-in to an amp sim, and tweaking the sound, another piece of the sonic jigsaw involves placing the instrument in an appropriate acoustic setting by applying realistic reverb. The MP7’s redeveloped reverberation modelling allows players to position themselves within one of six environments, ranging from a small practise room to an inspirational grand cathedral. The desired reverb depth can be freely adjusted for each zone, adding detail and realism that bring performances to life.
FLEXIBLE SOUND EDITING
In addition to the various effects, reverb, amp simulator, and Virtual Technician parameters, the MP7 also provides a comprehensive range of sound editing controls. Direct access to resonance and cut-off, along with full DCF/DCA attack, decay, sustain, and release parameters allow stock sounds to be adjusted to taste.
EFFECTIVE EQ
With the desired sounds selected and their characteristics adjusted, the final step is to tailor the overall audio content using equalisation. This important process can enhance particular qualities of a tone, reduce aspects that may be less pleasant, or remove specific frequencies altogether. The MP7’s global EQ controls provide immediate access to a powerful four-band graphic equaliser, with two of the mid-range bands adjustable as a parametric EQ.
The Kawai MP7, 88 key stage piano and master controller with weighted, Responsive Hammer II action, 256 voices, reverb, effects, onboard song recorder, four zones, USB, MIDI, and damper pedal unit really is one of the most flexible stage keyboards you’ll ever see.
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