Description
Kawai NV10S
HIGHLIGHTS
- ■ Peerless Millennium III Hybrid grand piano keyboard action
■ Unique real grand piano damper mechanism
■ SK-EX Rendering piano sound engine with multi-channel sampling
■ Premium audio processing and amplification technologies
■ High-fidelity 7-speaker delivery system for enhanced depth■ Integrated Bluetooth® MIDI and Audio wireless technology
■ Modern 5″ LCD touchscreen display embedded within cheekblock
■ Flexible Virtual Technician function with 19 adjustable parameters
■ MP3/WAV playback, record, and overdub to USB
■ Stunning ebony polish cabinet with Soft Fall fallboard system
CONCEPT
The Novus NV10S is the perfect blend of tradition and innovation. A stunning hybrid instrument that combines a full grand piano keyboard action and damper mechanism, with the latest digital sound and amplification technologies.
Designed for and tested by professional pianists, the NV10 provides the unmistakable feeling of playing a premium quality acoustic instrument, with all the practicality and convenience of a modern digital.
Introducing the Novus NV10S – a hybrid instrument that delivers the true grand piano experience.
- A quest for perfection
- Koichi Kawai designed and built the first complete acoustic piano action in Japan in the early 1900s. In the decades that have followed, Kawai engineers continue to pursue the company founder’s quest for perfection, pioneering the use of state-of-the-art materials and designs that advance the piano art form.
- The Millennium III grand piano action found in today’s Kawai GX series instruments exemplifies Koichi’s philosophy.
This highly-coveted action incorporates components produced using ABS Carbon, an extremely sturdy and rigid composite material that allows these action parts to be stronger, lighter, and faster than their conventional wooden counterparts.
In addition, Kawai GX series grand pianos also utilise extended-length key sticks, providing greater control and a more even response from the front to the back of the playing surface.
TOUCH
The Millennium III Hybrid action represents the latest milestone in Kawai’s rich legacy of piano innovation, and serves as the centre-piece of the Novus NV10S. It comprises almost 10,000 individual parts, each playing a crucial role in allowing the performer’s fingertips to express feeling and emotion through music.
- The future of the piano
- Based on the GX series’ proven action design, Millennium III Hybrid retains the composite parts and extended key sticks of its acoustic cousin, while replacing the traditional felt hammers with individually-weighted ABS equivalents. As a hybrid piano, there are no metal strings inside the Novus for these hammers to physically strike when the keys are played, therefore their precise movements are instead captured using high-resolution optical sensors mounted above the action.
Millennium III Hybrid delivers all of the benefits of a premium Kawai grand piano action within a digital instrument. This feat of modern engineering allows pianists of every level to enjoy the unmatched feeling of playing an acoustic grand piano, regardless of the time of day, or the size of their home.
- ABS hybrid hammers
- The Novus NV10S’ precision-engineered ABS hammers have been designed for structural stability and optimum keyboard touch-response.
Each individual hammer is grade-weighted to mirror the heavier bass and lighter treble hammers of an acoustic piano, ensuring that the NV10S’ key touch-weight feels the same as a well-regulated acoustic instrument.
- Optical hammer sensors
- The precise movements of each hammer are measured using high-resolution optical sensors, providing greater accuracy than conventional key-based sensor systems.
This more advanced approach closely reproduces the mechanical flow of an acoustic piano, and allows rapid pianissimo passages with mordents or trills to be performed with greater fluency.
FEEL
The Novus NV10S’ beautiful chrome plated pedals and exposed pedal rods are sourced from the same GX series instruments as the premium Millennium III keyboard action. Moreover, in addition to featuring a full grand piano action, the Novus NV10S is the first hybrid instrument to also incorporate a real grand piano damper mechanism.
- Unprecedented realism
- There are no metal strings inside the Novus to require physical damping, as the instrument’s sound is produced digitally.
However, in order to reproduce every aspect of playing a grand piano, the NV10S retains the damper mechanism behind the keyboard action, with graded weights attached to each damper lever replicating the load of traditional wood and felt parts, as the keys and pedal are pressed.
- This innovation allows pianists to not only hear how the damper pedal affects the Novus’ generated sound, but also feel the various mechanical interactions through their hands and feet.
Such attention to detail is unprecedented in a digital instrument, and further reinforces the NV10S’ objective of delivering a true grand piano playing experience that is indistinguishable from the real thing.
SOUND
The spirit of the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano is at the heart of the Novus NV10S. Each world-class instrument is hand-crafted by Master Piano Artisans (MPAs), utilising the finest available materials to ensure optimum touch, tone, and artistic expression.
- The premier piano of Japan
- Widely regarded as ‘the premier piano of Japan,’ the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX graces the stages of concert halls and musical institutions around the globe, receiving universal acclaim for its magnificent tonal clarity and exceptional dynamic range.
- Shigeru Kawai is also frequently provided for official selection at some of the world’s most prestigious music competitions, including the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan.
At the 10th edition held in November 2018, three of the six grand finalists selected the SK-EX throughout the competition, including 1st prize winner Can Cakmur.
- Naturally expressive sound
- In order to reproduce the stunning tonal qualities of the Shigeru Kawai concert grand piano digitally, the Novus NV10S incorporates Kawai’s latest SK-EX Rendering technology.
This advanced piano sound engine combines the well-established process of sampling with the modern approach of physical modelling, to produce a piano sound that is both rich in natural acoustic character, and dynamically responsive to the player’s musical desires.
- High-performance delivery
- Developed in collaboration with Onkyo, one of Japan’s leading premium audio equipment manufacturers, the NV10S features specialist filtering and amplification components designed for high-resolution sound reproduction.
These technologies improve tonal clarity throughout the dynamic range, while helping to preserve the unique harmonic characteristics of the Shigeru Kawai piano.
- Advanced speaker system
- This high-fidelity sound is delivered through the NV10S’ powerful 7-speaker output system, which combines a large 20 cm woofer enclosed within the instrument’s base, with four premium quality top-facing mid-range drivers, and two tweeters placed behind the upper board. The result is a remarkably authentic playing experience that immerses the performer, and faithfully reproduces the three dimensional sound field of an acoustic grand piano.
LOOK
In addition to housing the keyboard action, damper mechanism, and pedal system of a grand piano, the Novus NV10S’ stunning ebony polish cabinet exhibits numerous other acoustic piano characteristics that enhance the instrument’s form and function.
- Acoustic piano personality
- The NV10S grand piano-like music rest is broad enough to accommodate the most ambitious of musical works, with tapered edges and simulated leather lining the base.
The viewing angle can be easily adjusted to suit the performer’s height and posture, while a special ‘composer desk’ position provides optimum comfort and productivity when annotating or transcribing scores.
- With its classic curved side arms, the Novus NV10S’ acoustic piano inspired cabinet design also boasts an actual grand piano fallboard.
This generously-sized keyboard cover incorporates Kawai’s Soft Fall system with dual-damping mechanism, to ensure a smooth, ultra-slow shutting motion that protects both the player’s hands and the instrument’s finish from a jarring close.
FEATURES
While the Novus NV10S’ core features are unquestionably derived from an acoustic piano, the instrument neatly incorporates various additional technologies that provide the modern conveniences of a premium digital piano.
- These features are primarily controlled through the NV10’s touchscreen LCD, which is discretely embedded within the instrument’s left cheekblock. This high resolution touchscreen allows sounds and settings to be adjusted from an attractive user interface simply by tapping or swiping the display with a finger.
For piano purists, the screen can be set to fade out automatically while playing, thus preserving the Novus’ classic appearance, and minimising any visual distraction to the performer.
- Unlike an acoustic piano, the Novus NV10S provides a variety of options for connecting to other devices. Headphone and audio jacks allow the instrument to be played in silence, or for the sound to be amplified for halls and other large settings, and USB and MIDI ports for transferring music data to and from a computer.
The NV10S even supports Bluetooth® MIDI and audio functionality, providing an effortless way to connect and enjoy smart devices wirelessly.
- PianoRemote app
- The NV10S’ 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 Novus’ 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.
DIMENSIONS
SPECIFICATIONS
| Keyboard | ・ Millennium III Hybrid grand piano action – 88 wooden keys – 88-key graded ABS hammers – IHSS contact-less optical sensors – Grand piano damper mechanism |
|
|---|---|---|
| Pedal | – Damper (grand piano damper mechanism with half-pedal support) – Soft (with half-pedal support) – Sostenuto |
|
| Piano Sound | ・ SK-EX Rendering – 88-key multi-channel sampling – SK-EX recording・ Harmonic Imaging XL (HI-XL) – 88-key stereo sampling – SK-EX, SK-5, EX recording256 note maximum polyphony |
|
| Piano Resonance | ・ SK-EX Rendering: Resonance Modelling – Damper Resonance – String Resonance – Undamped String Resonance – Aliquot Resonance・ Harmonic Imaging XL: Acoustic Rendering – Damper Resonance – String Resonance – Undamped String Resonance – Cabinet Resonance |
|
| Piano Adjustment | ・Virtual Technician (21 parameters) – Touch Curve (incl. User Touch Curve) – Voicing (incl. 88-key User Voicing) – Damper Resonance – Damper Noise – String Resonance – Undamped String Resonance – Cabinet Resonance – Key-off Effect – Fall-back Noise – Hammer Noise – Hammer Delay – Topboard Simulation – Decay Time – Release Time – Minimum Touch – Stretch Tuning (incl. 88-key User Tuning) – Temperament (incl. User Temperament) – Temperament Key – Key Volume (incl. 88-key User Key Volume) – Half-Pedal Adjust – Soft Pedal Depth* Available parameters may vary depending on selected sound. * ‘User’ parameters require system software v2.08 or later.・Virtual Technician Smart Mode (10 presets) |
|
| No. of Sounds | SK-EX Rendering: 10 rendering characters Harmonic Imaging XL: 90 voices |
|
| Reverb | SK-EX Rendering: Ambience (10 types) Harmonic Imaging XL: Reverb (6 types) |
|
| Brilliance | ✔ | |
| Other Effects | 24 types | |
| Speakers | 10 cm x 4 (top speakers) 1.4 cm x 2 (dome tweeters) 20 cm x 1 (woofer) |
|
| Output Power | 130 W | |
| Headphone Enhancements | Discrete SpectraModule™ headphone amplifier Spatial Headphone Sound Headphone Type Headphone Amplifier |
|
| Display | 5″ LCD touchscreen (480 x 800 pixels) | |
| Key Cover | Grand piano fallboard with Soft Fall system | |
| Music Rest | Collapsible type (6 angle adjustability) | |
| Product Size & Weight |
Width | 148 cm (58 1/4″) |
| Depth | 65 cm (25 1/2″) | |
| Height | 99.5 cm (39 1/4″) [music rest flat] 121 cm (47 2/3″) [music rest raised] |
|
| Net Weight | 132 kg (291 lbs.) | |
| Packing Size & Weight |
Dimensions | 160 (W) x 77 (D) x 54 (H) cm (main unit) 160 (W) x 77 (D) x 48.5 (H) cm (stand) |
| Gross Weight | 163 kg (main unit + stand) | |
| Available Finishes | Ebony Polish | |
| Basic Functions | Dual Split Four Hands Transpose Tuning Low Volume Balance Favorite |
|
| Internal Songs | Sound Demo | 39 songs |
| Piano Music | 29/42 songs * | |
| Concert Magic | 176 songs | |
| 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 |
|
| Internal Recorder | Total Memory | approximately 90,000 notes |
| No. of Songs | 10 songs | |
| Parts | 2 parts | |
| 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 (Ver. 4.1; GATT compatible) Bluetooth Low Energy MIDI Specification compliant Bluetooth Audio with aptX support |
|
| USB Audio Recorder | Record/Playback | MP3 WAV SMF (Playback only) |
| Other Functions | Overdubbing Line In recording |
|
| App Functions | PianoRemote (iOS/Android) PiaBookPlayer (iOS/Android) |
|
| Connector Jacks | Headphone | 1 x 1/4″, 1 x 1/8″ Stereo jacks |
| MIDI | MIDI IN, MIDI OUT | |
| Line Out | 1/4″ L/MONO, R [unbalanced] | |
| Line In | 1/8″ Stereo (with volume adjust knob) [unbalanced] | |
| USB to Host | ✔ | |
| USB to Device | ✔ | |
| Others | – | |
| Power Consumption | 60 W | |
| Power | Power cable | |
| Bench | Fixed-height or height-adjustable bench * | |
| Headphones | Headphone hook | |
| Sheet Music | Classical Piano Collection * Classical Lesson Scores * Finger Exercises |
|
| Others | Warranty Card * Owner’s Manual Internal Song Lists |
|
* Depending on market location.Specifications are subject to change without notice.
