ElmerJFudd Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 Leak from German site... fake? http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a284/pichosterforme/AAF71788-7174-4472-8E84-E9FA7FB979CE.jpg http://www.musikhaus-hogrebe.de/instrumente/tasteninstrumente/digital-pianos/kawai-es-8-schwarz-detail "It was improved in substantial points opposite the ES7: RH3 keyboard (ES7: RH2) Harmonic Imaging XL sound engine (like CAx7 series, ES7: PHI) 3 "wing" [bad translation] sound: Shigeru Kawai ex, Kawai ex, Shigeru Kawai SK-5 (like CAx7 series) Improved loudspeaker system White model with new Snow White colour (ES7: Ivory White) extended Virtual Technician and much more besides!" Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marko in Boston Posted August 15, 2015 Share Posted August 15, 2015 Why would it be fake? ES7 is due for an update. The specs seem to be what would be expected for a successor. My ES7 was a work horse with 1000 plus hours on it. Excellent board. Cant wait to try the ES8. [font:Century Gothic]KAWAI ES7 | ROLAND RD-800 | YAMAHA CP4 | YAMAHA STAGEPAS 400i | PRESONUS R65 & T10 | SHURE SRH1540 | SENNHEISER HD650 | K&M OMEGA [/font] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElmerJFudd Posted August 15, 2015 Author Share Posted August 15, 2015 All the things on the list get a thumbs up from me. Nothing official yet... but I'm really hoping they shaved weight. Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamer65 Posted August 16, 2015 Share Posted August 16, 2015 Model refreshes often include UI changes, too. I doubt that the controls are 1:1 the same as in ES7, therefore the image is likely photoshopped. Anyway, I expect official announcement within the next 3 weeks. And the specs are tasty One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain. - Bob Marley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElmerJFudd Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 Yeah it's available in September in the EU. No US info yet. http://m.kawai.co.uk/es8.htm Was hoping for a design alteration with a little weight off. But overall a nice upgrade. Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Looks and sounds like a winner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bachus Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Looks and sounds like a winner. Sure, as the ES7 was a winner to, yet i dont see much reason for ES7 players to upgrade.. A name like ES7+ would also have sufficed Korg Kronos 88, Yamaha Tyros5 (76), Integra 7, macbook pro/mainstage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Sure, as the ES7 was a winner to, yet i dont see much reason for ES7 players to upgrade.. A name like ES7+ would also have sufficed New action, new piano sounds, improved speakers, improved virtual technician... All significant upgrades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElmerJFudd Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 Available in white and black, 22,5kg. Half a KG more than the ES7. 48.5lbs Could that all be the RH3 action? Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brenner13 Posted August 17, 2015 Share Posted August 17, 2015 Me likey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Where's Kawai James with the insider info? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobias Åslund Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 I saw this at Thomann.de this morning. Looks promising! Lots of info can be found at the British site - including sound demos: http://www.kawai.co.uk/es8.htm Too much stuff, too little time, too few gigs, should spend more time practicing...! 🙄 main instruments: Nord Stage 3 compact, Yamaha CP88, Kurzweil PC4, Viscount KeyB Legend Live Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kawai James Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Where's Kawai James with the insider info? I'm here for you Dana, what would you like to know? The ES8 takes the updated keyboard action from the CN35/CN25 console models and combines it with the sounds from our top-end CA97/CA67. What's not to like? I saw this at Thomann.de this morning. Looks promising! Lots of info can be found at the British site - including sound demos: http://www.kawai.co.uk/es8.htm The multi-language owner's manuals, brochures, and an English language product overview are also available from the Kawai-Global website. We're currently working on English language product pages, which should be online some time next month. Cheers, James x Employed by Kawai Japan, however the opinions I express are my own. Nord Electro 3 & occasional rare groove player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 I'm here for you Dana, what would you like to know? Ballpark U.S. price? Is the action closest to the MP7, VPC1 or MP11? Is the Rhodes sound the same as the ES7 or is it a new sample? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voxpops Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Ballpark U.S. price? Is the action closest to the MP7, VPC1 or MP11? Until James gets back: Kraft Music has it available for pre-order at $2,199. The action is like the MP7's but with the addition of counterweights in the keys. This is an impressively specced instrument, and unless Roland trumps it with an FP90 based on the LX17, I'll be buying one when I get back to the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Thanks. Looking forward to playing one at Sam Ash. The demos I've heard are refreshingly free of some of the issues that continue to plague the competition's piano samples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voxpops Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Just a quick update. Kraft has just dropped the pre-order price to $1,999. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kawai James Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Dana, voxpops beat me to it... Kraft has just dropped the pre-order price to $1,999. Same price as the ES7. The action is like the MP7's but with the addition of counterweights in the keys. Yep. I attempted to provide an explanation of the benefits of counterweights over the PianoWorld forum, here. Cheers, James x Employed by Kawai Japan, however the opinions I express are my own. Nord Electro 3 & occasional rare groove player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brenner13 Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Ooh..me really likey a lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElmerJFudd Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 Kawai UK has posted demos of the sample sets included in the ES8. Go to this webpage, http://m.kawai.co.uk/es8.htm There are 5 boxes on the upper left hand corder of the screen. Obviously the pair of eight notes icon reveals the audio player. Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Calame Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I took delivery of a new ES8 last week. I figured the only way to REALLY know if it was a significant upgrade from my ES7 was to buy it - and do a series of A/B tests. I ordered it from Kraft Music, knowing they have a 30 day return policy (I of course would pay freight both ways - I figured that was the cost of a thorough test). Well - I sent in my warranty card yesterday - it's definitely a keeper. The action does seem a but more solid/quiet, but the real differences are in the piano tones, and - surprisingly - the sound system. The samples are brighter than the ES7, requiring a bit more tweaking (heavy+ touch curve, dynamic voicing) for my taste. But they are noticeably fuller than their ES7 counterparts. And just to make sure the sound system was really that much better (that it was not just better tones), I plugged in my old Kurzweil ME-1 module in both the ES7 and ES8 - it sounds WAY fuller thru the ES8. I anticipate using it without external speakers at smaller venues, which I wouldn't do with the ES7. I'm a happy camper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kawai James Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Thank you for the positive feedback Larry, glad to hear you appreciate the improvements. Cheers, James x ps. I'm currently in the process of adding product information to Kawai Japan's 'Global' site, with the ES8 page going online last week. I hope to add a SoundCloud playlist shortly, with some additional demos. Employed by Kawai Japan, however the opinions I express are my own. Nord Electro 3 & occasional rare groove player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Calame Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 one more thing - decays are significantly longer. The ES8 added a decay setting to the virtual technician - values 1-10. At 1 the decay time is about the same as ES7. At 5 (the default) it's about 3x, and at 10 about 5x. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RABid Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 I thought this was another Motif thread. This post edited for speling. My Sweetwater Gear Exchange Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Throbert Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Damn, I'm still happy with my ES3 but only for a controller. Triton Extreme 76, Kawai ES3, GEM-RPX, HX3/Drawbar control, MSI Z97 MPower/4790K, Lynx Aurora 8/MADI/AES16e, OP-X PRO, Ptec, Komplete. Ashley MX-206. future MOTU M64 RME Digiface Dante for Mon./net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana. Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 [video:youtube] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Never Played an ES. I wonder how it would compare to an old MP8-II "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kawai James Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Never Played an ES. I wonder how it would compare to an old MP8-II Much better sound quality (88-key sampling, more velocity layers, faster DSP) and a more responsive keyboard action. However, despite its age, the all-wood keys on the MP8II are difficult to top. Cheers, James x Employed by Kawai Japan, however the opinions I express are my own. Nord Electro 3 & occasional rare groove player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.