Two great new products were released by Kawai at NAMM Show 2019, the AURES K300 hybrid upright piano and the VPC1 Midi Controller.
AURES K300
Warrick Baker from Kawai Australia shows us the new Kawai AURES K300 hybrid upright piano at NAMM Show 2019
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KAWAI VPC1 MIDI CONTROLLER
Answering the prayers of virtual piano musicians everywhere, the VPC1 packages Kawai’s superb RM3 Grand II wooden-key keyboard action into a professional MIDI controller.
As acoustic piano makers, we understand the importance of first-class touch, so kept things as uncomplicated as possible – a superb action, some USB and MIDI connectors, and a beautifully designed, well-built cabinet.
There are no knobs to snap-off or faders getting in the way of your mouse – just a power switch, 88 real wooden keys, and an incredible concert grand playing experience.
The keyboard action is the most important part of a controller. It doesn’t matter how many gigabytes have been sampled, or how advanced the modelled resonances are – if the controller’s action is sub-par, the virtual piano just won’t feel satisfying to play.
Fortunately, the VPC1 is equipped with Kawai’s latest RM3 Grand II action, featuring our trademark wooden keys and smooth, consistent movement. Unlike other controllers, the VPC1 incorporates additional grand piano keyboard characteristics, such as graded hammer weighting, ivory-like key surfaces, let-off simulation, and bass note counterweights.
These premium features combine to recreate the exceptional touch of a fine concert grand, allowing your favourite virtual pianos to finally feel as good as they sound.
The VPC1’s RM3 Grand II action adopts many of the characteristics of a grand piano keyboard action. Perhaps the most distinctive of these characteristics is the familiar ‘seesaw’ movement of the key.
Connecting the VPC1 to your PC or Mac requires just a single USB cable – that’s all. The VPC1 can draw power from the computer’s USB bus, reducing cable clutter by doing away with the need for an external AC adaptor.
While the VPC1 has been developed primarily for controlling software pianos, standard MIDI jacks are also provided for connecting to hardware sound sources.
Perhaps there’s an old synth or expander module that you just can’t part with, or a semi-weighted board that sounds fantastic, but is let down by a flimsy action – the VPC1 can breathe new life into your existing setup.
It’s even possible to control separate sound sources simultane-ously, adjusting IN/OUT routing for USB and standard MIDI with the VPC Editor software.