Kawai MP8

[Moonglow]

Originally posted by Cydonia:

Originally posted by Jazz+:

Did you notice that melodic lines played on the MP8 sound more smoothly than on the more percussive Yamaha? The notes connect in a way that sounds less disjointed or detached. The attacks are less drastic, the hammer strikes are not as accented.

More/less drastic attacks and hammer strikes usually are linked to the samples themselves. Since the Yamaha pianos are associated with a more percussive and bright sound, this is not surprising. One could correct or modify this using different envelope values.

 

Regarding smoother reponse, this usually has more to do with what I refer to as the "keybed system", which includes the way the keyboard works, its switches and the associated electronic parts translating the interface events. Depending on the synth/piano, this "keybed system" will let more or fewer milliseconds between note events and thus create a more legato or staccato overall response. For example, using my Kurzweil MIDIboard on which one can modify this particular response to taste using a dedicated slider, I can test another piano/synth and tell if it's a more legato or staccato type of "keybed system" by comparing its action.

 

In other words, regardless how legato I'm playing, I can make the notes sound staccato on the MIDIboard by moving the slider and vice versa. So if you happen to play on a more staccato "keybed system", your playing will sound that way unless you can have a dedicated parameter for this response. IMHO, it is preferable to have a keyboard which can faithfully render legato. According to what you're saying, that's the case with the Kawai MP8.

Wow, Cydonia, thanks for sharing this info!

[Jazz+]

I was talking about "smoother" in terms of the sound of one note connecting to the next in a melodic run, not the action. I was referring to the character of the attack samples. I don't think editing the envelopes would result in a satisfactory correction on a digital piano.

[Finale]

Even with the best piano samples in the solar system, notes won't connect together (sound legato) if some "weak link" in the system injects too much time between off and on events.

 

My friend Jazzwee, myself and others elaborated on that in an older thread some months ago (I searched to find it but couldn't).

[Jazz+]

It seems you are talking about latency? I am not really following your explanation.

 

I was talking about the envelope of the sample, the Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release of the note samples. It seems you are talking about latency regarding the key sensors sending MIDI messages to the processor (sound engine).

The Attacks on the Yamaha CP300 piano samples are loud in relation to the Sustains. To me, that makes runs sound like the notes are being played marcatto all the time, even when I want to slur them.

[delirium]

update:

I went to music store last week and played MP8

for 40 minutes. After 30 minutes I got used to rubbery and springy keybed plus sharp edges of black keys.

Actually the sides of the white keys are sharp too, so you can get splinter if you have bad luck.

 

Anyway the action is not that bad like I thought

before, I recall some falling apart acoustic grand piano where action was very much alike.

 

In regards to sound I sustain my opinion, its not bad of course but like Marino said it has Kawai flavor and its not as inspiring as Yamahas CP300 or S90ES for me.

My ear is very sensitive to low frequencies so the simple test of the piano sound is playing octaves in low registries to see how clear and deep the sound is. So far S90ES is unquestionable winner in this regard. RD700SX and MP8 have these sounds muddy and rounded.

 

To summarize all pro and against like funny retro action, so-so sound, and odd shape I consider MP8 not a serious competitor to CP300, S90ES or RD700SX, but if it was given to me Id keep it for variety of sounds and shapes in my living room