Kawai NOVUS NV-10S

Millennium III Hybrid grand piano keyboard action, with optical hammer sensing system

The NOVUS Kawai NV10-SS is the first digital piano to incorporate Kawai’s leading acoustic grand piano keyboard action technology, renowned for its extended spruce key sticks, and innovative ABS Carbon components that are stronger, lighter, and more dimensionally stable than conventional wooden parts.

The specially adapted Millennium III Hybrid keyboard action utilised by the Kawai NV-10S replaces traditional felt hammers with new ABS equivalents that are individual graded in weight from bass to treble, while high-precision optical sensors take the place of metal strings, accurately reading the subtle movements of each hammer as the corresponding keys are played.

Grand Piano Damper Mechanism for authentic pedal control

In addition to featuring a full acoustic grand piano keyboard action, the NOVUS Kawai NV-10S is the first hybrid instrument to also incorporate a real grand piano damper mechanism. While there are no strings inside the Kawai NV-10S to require physical damping, this unique feature replicates the true weighting of a grand piano damper pedal, while also mechanically easing the keyboard action’s touch weight as the pedal is pressed.

Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano reproduced with latest SK-EX Rendering sound technology

The magnificent tone of Kawai’s flagship Shigeru Kawai SK-EX full concert grand piano is at the heart of the NOVUS Kawai NV-10S hybrid digital piano. Widely regarded 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 tonal clarity and exceptional dynamic range.

In order to faithfully reproduce the stunning sound of a Shigeru digitally, Kawai has developed SK-EX Rendering – a brand new piano sound engine that blends multi-channel, 88-key sampling with the latest resonance modelling technology. Multi-channel sampling captures the sound from different points of the Shigeru Kawai concert grand piano, allowing a broader range of tonal characteristics to be reproduced, and providing a more lively, authentic response to changes in dynamics. This naturally expressive sound is further enriched by newly developed resonance algorithms, which physically model the complex tonal interactions produced by the strings, pedals, and various other parts of an acoustic piano, giving players the impression that they’re sitting at a living, breathing instrument.

Alternative acoustic piano sounds and a strong selection of additional instrument voices

In addition to the latest SK-EX Rendering piano sound engine, the NOVUS Kawai NV-10S hybrid digital piano also incorporates Kawai’s highly regarding Harmonic Imaging XL technology, showcasing a variety of alternative acoustic piano sounds and a strong selection of additional instrument voices. The Kawai EX full concert grand piano has frequently been selected by professional pianists in such prestigious events as the Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Rubinstein international piano competitions, while the Shigeru Kawai SK-5 chamber grand and Kawai K-60 upright, allow performers to enjoy the contrasting tonal characteristics of various different piano sizes and voicing configurations.

Supplementing these realistic acoustic piano voices, the NOVUS Kawai NV-10S hybrid digital piano also features an excellent selection of additional instrument sounds, ranging from electric pianos and drawbar and church organs, to strings, human choirs, and even atmospheric synth-style pads, inviting musicians to add greater variety to their performances. Furthermore, the Dual playing mode also allows two different sounds, such as grand piano and strings, to be layered together, while the Split and 4Hands playing modes divide the keyboard into two independent sections.

Virtual Technician adjustments to personalise the instrument’s character

The NOVUS Kawai NV-10S hybrid digital piano’s Virtual Technician feature allows various characteristics of the selected acoustic piano, electric piano, or harpsichord sound to be shaped from the instruments’ touchscreen display, with settings to adjust voicing and regulation, string, damper, and cabinet resonances, and subtle hammer, damper, and key release noises. It is even possible to adjust the precise tuning and volume of individual notes, before storing one’s favorite instrument configuration to memory.

Integrated Bluetooth® MIDI and Audio connectivity

In addition to standard MIDI jacks for connecting to other instruments, the NOVUS Kawai NV-10S hybrid digital piano also boasts integrated Bluetooth MIDI and Audio technology that allows the instrument to communicate with supported smart devices wirelessly. Once connected to a phone, tablet, or laptop, Kawai NV-10S owners can enjoy a wide variety of exciting music-related apps that enhance their learning and playing experience, or stream audio from songs and videos through the instrument’s speakers without any additional cables.

USB to Device functionality, with MP3/WAV file recording and playback

The NOVUS Kawai NV-10S hybrid digital piano is equipped with USB connectors that not only allow the instrument to be connected to a computer for MIDI use, but also to load and save data to USB memory devices directly. This ‘USB to Device’ feature allows recorded songs stored in internal memory to be saved to USB for posterity, or standard MIDI files (SMF) downloaded from the internet to be conveniently played back without additional hardware.

USB memory devices can also be used to play back MP3 or WAV audio files, allowing musicians to learn the chords or melody for a new piece, or to simply play along with their favorite songs. It is even possible to save performances as MP3 or WAV files for emailing to friends and family, listening to on the move, or for further editing using an audio workstation.

Premium audio hardware, powered by Onkyo

Developed in collaboration with Onkyo, one of Japan’s leading premium audio equipment manufacturers, the NOVUS Kawai NV-10S hybrid digital piano is one of the first Kawai musical instruments to utilise specialist components designed for high-end audio reproduction.

With cutting-edge technologies such as 1-bit processing, dual DAC signal conversion, and Onkyo’s DIRDC filtering, the Kawai NV-10S’s optimised power amplifiers reproduce the Shigeru Kawai grand piano sound with stunning clarity, richness, and power, while the high-performance Discrete Spectra Module headphone amplifier ensures the finest quality listening experience, even when playing in privacy..

Full-colour touchscreen display for intuitive, button-less operation

The NOVUS Kawai NV-10S is the first instrument of its kind to feature a full-colour 5” touchscreen display. Discreetly embedded within the left cheekblock, this high resolution touchscreen allows sounds and settings to be selected from an attractive user interface with the swipe of a finger. The display can also be set to turn off automatically while playing, thus preserving the Kawai NV-10S’s acoustic piano-like appearance, and minimising any visual distraction to the pianist.