The Kawai MP7 has a full 88-keys making it great for mimicking a grand piano. Unlike a grand piano, it has a small frame making it very easy to move around.
The MP7 can produce woodwind, percussion, and strings sounds. It has 28 different acoustic settings, as well as electric pianos, organs, and pipe organs. This is definitely worth taking a closer look at.
All sounds can be customized using the adjustment knobs next to the built-in LCD display. Sounds can be multi-layered and recorded. A USB input is available for downloading and uploading music.
This machine has 3 key sensors per key that guarantee notes are played on demand.
Many keyboards miss notes if the same key is played twice in rapid succession; the route cause for the missed note is the user not releasing the key completely before pressing it again. The 3 key sensors eliminate this issue.
The MP7 is very customizable. The micro editing features make it possible to mimic other types of pianos.
The 256-note maximum polyphony chip is a memory chip; this chip allows 256 notes to play at one time without cutting off any notes.
The piano also includes a piano pedal, capable of “half-pedaling.” The length of time the pedal sustains sound is completely customizable. The pedal can produce sustainable sound like a real piano, or long-term sustainable sound that cannot be produced by a grand piano.
Technical Specifications of the Kawai MP7
- Dimensions: 6.75” X 53.33” X 13.33”
- Weight: 46 lbs
- Keys: 88 keys, 3 sensors per key
- Polyphony: 256-note maximum
- Pitch: Pitchbend, Mod Wheel
- Effects: 129 (all customizable)
- Functions: keyboard zone (4 zone split)
- Amplifiers: None
- Speakers: None
- Inputs/Outputs: USB, MP3, 2 Wave Audio, 3 outputs
- Display: LCD display
- Damper Pedal
Sounds
- 28 different acoustic settings
- electric pianos, organs, pipe organs, and more
- 4 zone keyboard
Features of the Kawai MP7
This digital piano features a full 88-keys, mimicking a grand piano. The keys feel like a real grand piano as well. It is also very easy to move around with its small frame.
This piano can produce acoustic and electronic sound in a superior way that other top digital pianos in the under $2000 price range cannot match. It has a smooth sound, and the keys feel like a grand piano.
There are digital keyboards that sound and feel better than the Kawai MP7, but none of them beat its price. The MP7 has 28 different acoustic setting to try out.
The piano also includes settings for electric pianos, organs, pipe organs and plenty more. There are ways to customize all tones to your preferred sound.
If you find that you have experimented with the tones too much, you can reset the entire keyboard back to the manufacturer default settings. There are multi-layered sounds available as well.
You can play along with a preset drummer or combine instruments to play the same notes simultaneously. The LCD display is a great feature on the MP7.
Knobs for editing various functions of the keyboard surround the LCD display. The 3 key sensors are another great feature on this piano.
The 256-note maximum polyphony chip is a memory chip. The chip allows 256 notes to play at one time without cutting off any notes. The piano pedal has a realistic feel that is capable of “half-pedaling.”
Half-pedaling creates a medium amount of sustained sound, simulating the organic function of a real piano pedal. The amount of time a note is sustained is completely customizable, unlike a real acoustic piano.
The MP7 can take a USB flash drive to save music or upload. The keyboard can be assigned 4 different zones so you can play 4 different instrumental sounds in real time.
The keys do not need to be evenly dispersed either. All the keyboard needs, in terms of zones, is for the four zones to add up to 88 keys.
The Pros and Cons of the Kawai MP7
The additional instrument tones, other than piano, are not especially great on this machine. The woodwinds, percussion, and strings sound pretty good, but the most impressive sound coming from this piano is the acoustic piano.
Even if you are a beginner, it is easy and fun to edit sounds to create great music. The rest of the keyboard is full of buttons, as are most keyboards traditionally, but don’t be intimidated.
It’s a good digital piano for beginners, because there are enough features that are easy to understand to get started. One disappointing aspect to the MP7, for the beginner, is the lack of built in speakers.
Most people prefer products to be ready to use out of the box, but in this case it is a good thing. Keyboards’ primary function is not to produce sound or music; many people might disagree with this statement at first, but please continue to read for clarification.
Keyboards main function is to organize sound, whereas a speaker has one and only one function, which is to produce sound.
Generally speakers that are built into a keyboard are of low quality; therefore it is not worth having the speakers built in.
Also, speakers create vibration, which can be the downfall of many electronic devices. Vibration rattles small electrical components and wears out connections.
Many keyboards will miss a note if a key is played twice. Usually the cause is the key was not allowed to rise completely up after the first note.
The 3 key sensors, in the MP7 guarantees each note will be played no matter how fast you play, or how many times you repeat the same note.
The MP7 is also very customizable. The micro editing features make it possible to mimic other types of pianos. Realistic sustainable sound can be created, but so can new age, long-term, electronically sustained sound.
Some of these features do not apply to the beginner, but it is important to consider the longevity of the machine.
If you like something you’ve produced, save it on the USB. The USB port can also be used to upload multi-instrument songs to listen to play along with or learn.
Conclusion
Investing in this keyboard is a way of investing in a long-term engaging experience. This is a very respectable keyboard.
There are two ideal demographics that should strongly consider purchasing this machine. The first is a beginner digital pianist that is confident they will continue playing and improving.
This customer will quickly get a general understanding of the keyboard and will be able to grow into the other features. The keyboard should be relevant to this customer for several years.
The other ideal customer is a moderate to experienced digital pianists that is one a bit of a budget. This keyboard has all the necessary features to keep the average digital pianist engaged.
The Kawai MP7 is very reasonably priced for all its capabilities.