Kawai CN 29 R digital piano, rosewood

Kawai CN 29

Featuring the Responsive Hammer III keyboard action with 88-key counterweights, stunning SK-EX and EX concert grand piano sounds, and a delivery system developed with audio specialists Onkyo, the piano-focussed CN29 offers best-in-class touch & tone, Bluetooth connectivity, and built-in lesson and recorder functions within a compact, elegant cabinet.

The Touch of a Grand Piano: Responsive Hammer III keyboard action

The CN29's class-leading Responsive Hammer III keyboard action recreates the supreme touch of an acoustic grand piano, with its realistic movement and rigid, springless design providing a smooth and natural piano playing experience. The instrument's triple-sensor key detection system enhances responsiveness and accuracy, while structural reinforcements throughout the action assembly help to minimise noise and key wobble during staccato and fortissimo passages.

The weight of the keyboard is appropriately graded to mirror the heavier bass hammers and lighter treble hammers of an acoustic piano, while let-off simulation recreates the subtle 'notch' sensation felt when softly playing the keys of a grand piano. These important characteristics allow discerning pianists to practise their expanding repertoire with confidence, and ensure that there are no unpleasant surprises when called upon to perform using the finest acoustic grand pianos.

Authentic 88-key Counterweights

In addition to grade-weighted hammers, the Responsive Hammer III keyboard action also features counterweights embedded within each black and white key.
As with an acoustic piano, these finely balanced weights help to lighten the touch of the keyboard during pianissimo passages, while adding a feel of greater substance when playing with force.

Triple sensor key detection

The Responsive Hammer III keyboard action utilises an accurate triple-sensor key detection system for enhanced playing realism.
The added third sensor improves responsiveness when playing the same key repeatedly, and unlike conventional two sensor keyboard actions found in many digital pianos, allows the sound of a single note to be gradually ‘layered’ without the previous tone being lost.
In addition, Kawai’s action technology also monitors the speed at which each key is lifted, influencing the release character of piano sounds, and providing a greater range of expression between staccato and legato playing.

Ivory Touch key surfaces

The impressive CN29 features Kawai’s highly regarded Ivory Touch key surfaces as standard. This finely textured material gently absorbs fingertip perspiration and oils to assist playing control, and possesses a natural, matte finish that is smooth but not slippery.
Furthermore, this moisture is absorbed without dirt or grease permeating the surface, allowing the keytops to be wiped clean easily using just a damp cloth.

Let-off Simulation

As the most authentic digital piano keyboard action in its class, Responsive Hammer III even reproduces the 'let-off' characteristic of acoustic piano actions.
This subtle 'notch' sensation can be felt when playing the keys of a grand piano very gently, and may be used by experienced pianists to aid control when playing pianissimo passages.

The Sound of a Grand Piano: Two world-class instruments

Earning a reputation as the ‘premier pianos of Japan’, Shigeru Kawai instruments grace the stages of concert halls and musical institutions throughout the world, and are prized for their outstanding tonal clarity and exceptional dynamic range.
The CN29 captures the magnificent tone of the flagship Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano. This peerless instrument is hand-built by Master Piano Artisans at the Shigeru Kawai Piano Research Laboratory in Ryuyo, Japan, and widely regarded as one of the finest instruments in its class.
In addition, the CN29 also features the distinctive sound of Kawai’s highly acclaimed EX concert grand piano, which has been selected by professional pianists in such prestigious events as the Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Rubinstein international piano competitions, among others.

Full 88-key stereo piano sampling

The rich, expressive sound of the SK-EX and EX concert grand pianos is at the heart of the CN29, with all eighty-eight keys of these world-class instruments painstakingly recorded, meticulously analysed, and accurately reproduced as high-fidelity digital waveforms.
Recording each key individually in this way – as opposed to stretching the same tone over several different notes – preserves the grand pianos’ unique harmonic character, and guarantees that the sound heard when playing any one of the CN29’s weighted keys is a faithful representation of the original acoustic source.

Harmonic Imaging technology

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. Therefore, in order to construct a realistic acoustic portrait of each grand piano, not only is each key recorded individually, but also at a wide variety of different volumes, ranging from gentle pianissimo to thunderous fortissimo.
The CN29 offers a highly detailed acoustic portrait, employing Kawai’s proprietary Progressive Harmonic Imaging sampling technology to ensure smooth tonal transitions across the keyboard and throughout the entire dynamic range.

Personalised piano adjustments

The knowledge and skill of an experienced piano technician is essential to bring out the best of a fine acoustic piano. In addition to tuning each note, the technician also performs numerous regulation and voicing adjustments that allow the instrument to truly sing.
The CN29’s Virtual Technician ‘Smart Mode’ simulates these refinements digitally, with ten preset configurations that intelligently adjust various characteristics of the grand piano to match different musical styles.
For greater flexibility, ‘Advanced Mode’ allows players to perform touch weight and voicing adjustments, regulate hammer and key release noises, and fine-tune string and damper resonances using the dedicated Virtual Technician iPad app.

Features:

• Class-leading Responsive Hammer III keyboard action
• Ivory Touch key surfaces, triple sensor, let-off, counterweights
• Progressive Harmonic Imaging sound with 88-key sampling
• Shigeru Kawai SK-EX & Kawai EX concert grand piano sounds
• Amplification & speaker system developed with Onkyo
• Integrated Bluetooth® MIDI wireless technology
• Built-in classical etudes and Alfred lesson books
• Spatial Headphone Sound for enhanced depth and realism
• Cheekblock control panel with high resolution OLED display
• Attractive, modern cabinet available in three wood finishes

Specifications:

• 88 Keys with Responsive Hammer III Keyboard Mechanism - 3 Sensors - Ivory Touch Surface and Let-Off Simulation
• 19 Sounds
• 192 voices polyphonic
• Bluetooth MIDI technology
• Lesson Function
• Dual Function
• 4 Hand Mode
• Metronome
• Transposer
• 19 Demo songs
• 1 Track sequencer (3 songs 10,000 notes)
• Retractable keyboard cover
• 3 Pedals with Grand Feel mechanism
• 2 Headphone jacks
• MIDI IN/OUT
• USB to Host
• Bluetooth 4.1
• Speakers: 2x 20 Watt Onkyo
• Dimensions (W x D x H): 1360 x 405 x 860 mm
• Weight: 43 kg
• Colour: Rosewood