Kawai MP4

I'm looking around at a compact stage digital piano and this is at the top of my list at the moment! I'm not sure what the software version was but I understand that the latest version gives you 256 set ups (as opposed to the original 64). The sound programs and set ups are excellent out of the box and whilst I didn't do any editing, the user interface looks very friendly.

It's got up to 96 notes of polyphony which is more than adequate. The keyboard action is in my opinion superb for an electronic instrument. No one is going to fool me into saying that a digital piano can have the same action as a real grand piano but this action is very playable! It has built in effects including a reverb processor and a separate effects processor with effects incoluding chorus, flanger, phaser, overdrive, rotary speaker etc. It doesn't have expansion capabilities as such but it does have a USB port so I'm assuming you can use that for extra storage and/or direct midi interfacing with a computer. It comes with 64 preset sound programs and the newer OS allows up to 256 'set ups'. These are programs containing splits/layers/midi set ups. Up to 4 zones can exist which is very good (compared to many of the competition offering only 2 zones). I'm not sure whether the keyboard can transmit aftertouch- I hope it can but even the girl in the shop couldn't tell me.

The sounds are awesome in my humble opinion! I'm particularly fussy when it comes to piano, EP and organ sounds and this instrument certainly didn't dissapoint in any of these 3 areas! The pianos and EP's responded fantastically to the keyboards touch- almost feeling 'organic' in a way. I didn't get this feeling playing other digital pianos in the shop from Roland and Yamaha (some which were more expensive!). I especially liked the 2nd concert piano program. 2 of the EP programs were also standouts, amongst the other great sounds. I come from an organ background and was suitably impressed at the organ programs (both electronic and pipe). However, these don't respond as well as the piano sounds because the instrument has a weighted keyboard and organ sounds don't feel right being played from this kind of keyboard IMHO! There are also other sounds including 2 nice clavs, vibraphone, marimba, strings, vocals, pads, harpsichords and brass ensemble sounds. The strings and brass sounds aren't exactly standout material on their own but are great when layered with other sounds. The bass sounds (electric and upright) are very good and excellent for split set ups with the piano/EP/organ programs. I really liked the sound of the onboard effects and liked the rotary speaker effect on the organs (usuallyI dislike electronic sounding rotary effects but these ones are good!). I LOVE the fact that the acoustic piano programs aren't bathed in reverb, as is often the case in other instruments!

I would use this at a gig with no problems. It also looks fantastic and is compact for this kind of instrument. It weighs around 20kg and thankfully HAS AN INTERNAL POWER SUPPLY. I HATE EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLIES ON SUPPOSEDLY PROFESSIONAL INSTRUMENTS! Notice how I shouted when I expressed my opinion about this topic! :)

I've owned Kawai organs and also a Kawai K5000S additive synthesizer. I found the company good to deal with (Kawai Australia).

I haven't bought it yet so it can't get lost or stolen haha:). If this was to happen, I'd certainly look at another one- although I've heard that Kawai should be releasing an MP5 soon. However I'm not sure whether this is more like an MP8 (which is a great instrument but too big for my needs). I've been playing for 27 years and been teaching for 16 years. I also have a project studio and whould use this as my main studio MIDI controller as well as a nice compact piano for live gigs. I love the sound, look and feel of this instrument. I love the fact that it's got a built in power supply! It's reasonably compact and lightweight and it's action is fantastic. I can't say there is anything I'd hate about it. I'm seriously contemplating buying one of these instruments. :)

Had the MP4 for 2 weeks now, and played it every day without fail.

The MP4 is extremely easy to use. The manual is mostly very clear. Basic stuff like setups are well explained. I had a small problem trying to get a foot pedal to turn on the rotary simulation, but solved it in the end. Just had to understand that I needed to set the foot switch to turn on the SW switch, and link that to the rotary effect.

The interface is really intuitive. After buying this on ebay, I played it for 5 hours straight with hardly a glance at the manual. Got to bed at 12:30 AM.

Polyphony at 96 is great. I have been playing jazz gigs with an XV2020 (blush), and immediately noticed the lack of note stealing.

The interface is terrific, allowing fast access to most of the features - reverb, effects, EQ etc.

The effects are good enough. I'm not a huge user of effects, so can't really comment, but the lesley sim is great.

The EQ is great - I always need to tweak the EQ for different venues, and having it available so easily will be very convenient. Not gigged the piano yet though.

Also nice having a USB connection - just plugged it into the PC and was able to upgrade the OS (it now comes with 256 setups (original was only 64). Also Sibelius picked it up as a device immediately. Haven't done much with the midi yet, but I'm sure I will plug it into my Alesis Ion for some Weather report stuff - the midi mixer panel which allows you to select internal, external midi, or both for each of the 4 zones will be terrific, giving me some nice pads from the Alesis but with a proper Kb.

In fact the midi mixer panel is really neat. A switch at the bottom of each zone to switch that zone on or off, a slider above this button to mix the voice level for that zone, and a zone select button above the slider to select that zone for editing.

But as others have commented, you don't buy this for the features.

I tried this in a music shop in the summer, and was convinced immediately. The sounds are great.My personal favourite is the Studio Grand 2 (nice bit of bite for playing Herbie Hancock), and Classic EP 2 - a Wurli which you can really dig into. I find the trem is a bit much for me, but by default the 4 realtime controllers are switched to effects, allowing you to control effect depth and rate (usually) and reverb depth and time.

I have left the response curves etc at factory - that feels most realistic to me. I have played a range of pianos over the years - uprights, grands, Rhodes suitcase (stiffest action I have ever played!), Rolands (home piano is a Roland) - and am very happy with the MP4. In fact, since I bought it I have not played the Roland, playing the MP4 instead. I do not understand the guy below who said the action was stiff and unresponsive. Perhaps his was faulty, or perhaps he was expecting more of a synth kb ?

Only caveat is that so far I have only played it throught my roland KC keyboard amp and headphones in the house - not played live, but difficult to believe it will be a problem.

Although mainly a jazz pianist, I am classically trained, and have been playing Mozart and Bach since I had the board. All very nice. Very expressive.

Difficult to know about reliability. I moved from a midi controller (SL-880 & XV2020) to this due to midi being too much hassle for live gigs.

The build looks good, and with everything I have read about Kawai, I would not bother taking a backup.

Not had any reason to do so.

I've been playing piano for close to 40 years and at the moment I am very happy. My wife calls it "your new mistress!" as I keep sneaking away to play it. I would certainly get another. The weight is perfect for gigging (MP8 would be too much). Width is about 2 cm too wide to get along the back seat of my Scenic :-(

I didn't look at many other products, as I have tried out Roland and Yamaha pianos over the last few years when depping for various big bands, accompanying at recitals etc. In general, I have found the actions of Roland and Yamaha too light for me. The SL-880 action was great, but the MP4 is just right.

It has been a delight so far, and doesn't get in the way of making music.

I was looking for an easy touse keyboard and this is it. Buttons very clearly marked and intuitive. Everyhting works as you would expect. Very clear manual.

96 note polyphony. Superb weighted hammer action. Incrediblly dynamic. You can really control your volume with the weight of your fingers rather than volume controls. Not a ton of special features but then, that would only tempt me to get cheesy. This board is meant to be played, not programmed.

I'm very picky about the organ sounds having had a B3 in the past and this does not disappoint. Love the gradual rotary effect.

Piano, Epiano and vibes all great. No tack/honky tonk sound.

No opinon yet but seems much more rugged than most. A little heavy at 45lbs. Real power cord as opposed to wall wart. I like that. This is not a toy but a real stage piano.

I would buy this again in a heartbeat. Having had origianl Rhodes and Hammond equipment in my youth, I was looking for something that would really re-create those sounds in a reliable portable package at a reasonable price. This is really it.

Software and manuals are ok.
No problem to store, navigate or update sounds.
The display is not brilliant (small) - but who cares?
You will soon automate pushing the buttons, without even looking.

Polyphony is not a problem (96), and there
is plenty of adjustments and effects. more than you need.
ON the MIDI side It has after touch, as one of the few in this price range.

It can FEEL like an old honky tonk, like a synth, or a new upright.
And yes thats right: I does Not feel like a yamaha, at all.
In fact the feel of the mp4 action is close the Roland rd300. in my eyes. For the record: I like the action of the Kawai ES4, I liked the Roland FP2 - and the RD300 too.

In the end I had to decide between the MP4 and the Roland RD300.
They're both good pianos. But I like the sound of the MP4.
I like the Action. I like the Build quality. I Like it!
and finally - better MIDI support kind of did it' :)

Not much to say.
The sound Is very dynamic.
I think I can hear a bit of an "electric string" buzz in the lower midtones. But that might be just me.
And as said earlier. You can adjust EveryThing.

It took me about 2 days to 'figure out' a Setup, tone curves, tuning
reverb etc to create a piano sound that suits me.
But thats not too bad?! At least it's possible!

I've solely used to acustic pianos. Uprights and Grands.
I had a Juno II in the mid 80's but sold it the following year.
and i Can't Really believe it:
The MP4 Does actually Sound, Feel and respond Just like a Piano.

I havent Had -One- Japanese gizmo, or Thing, that has let me down since.. since?? ..
I cant even remember. Early 80's .. ?

Looking at how its built I believe my grandson
will inherit the MP4 off me in 2045.

But as i've had it for 3 days only:
I have no Opinion.

never dealt with them, and don't assume I will.
Its a Kawai, and its built like a tank.

Making a long story short: Its worth it.

In fact. I have tried EVERYTHING the last few weeks (except kurzweil and Nord) - Yamahas of all kinds from ??400-1000 (action just not...),
M-audio Prokeys 88 (a joke). Hoped i would like the Korg SP 200, but no. Roland rd300, fp2. (both nice...) casio (honky tonk action!)

In the end it was the Roland RD300, the Kawai ES4 - or the MP4.

I ended up going for the MP4 -
Cos It's impossible not to make friends with it.
If you think you dont like the action!? adjust it!
Same with the sounds. This machine can be Tweaked to you liking.
But it takes a good day to familiarise.
So, dont think you 'dont like it' because of sound or action.
This machine needs to be tested properly.

At the same the mp4 can become a full blown midi controller.
Its one of the few that for instance delivers AfterTouch...

I've had it for 3 days now.
We're about to become true friends.
:)

ease of use is good.manual is succinct and clear.

the polyphony(96)is ideal.Action is too stiff and unresponsive.

acoustic piano sounds are poor.A picky person that plays classical would get annoyed easily with this piano.As i said the action is too stiff and unresponsive,you can make your custom velocity and EQS but that doesnt help much.For the price the sounds are average to poor especially the grandpianos...

it seems dependable.

havent broken it but i never will coz im returning it and i got me a casio px310 and it sounds and feels much better.

i play liszt etudes and this really gets in the way of progress.the casio px310 i have now is much better suited for classical playing,ironically.

Very easy to use.. very intuitive.. 2 hours with the keyboard and manual are enought to know everything this machine can do, and how to do!

Polyphony is great.. 96 notes.. i am always layering 4 sounds and i have never lost one note.

This piano has 20 effects..and the best are the real time controlers, very hard to find on a stage piano.

As a master controler, this stage piano is great.. 4 midi zones, 4 volume slides, 4 assignable knobs.. i would love if the 4 slides and the 2 wheels could be assignable too.

It hasnt a sequencer.. but has a metronome \o/.. no styles and others stuff..

Lets start with the Grand Piano Sound.. ok... its amazing.. its not so beautiful as roland's pianos samples but its very realistic, dynamic, responsive, the feel on this keyboard is GREAT!!! the Grand Piano is perfect for classic music..

There is one thing i love on this board.. its a dinamic effect that can be configured on piano samples. Bright , Mellow and Dynamic, using the dynamic option, the sample is going bright as harder you hit.. and mellow as soft... nice function!!

The classic rhodes Ep is very nice.. but there is only one or two... wurly is good too..

Organs are great.. but are all very similar.. most of them are B3's.. i would love if it had another variations like farfisa, vox..
The leslie sim.. is very good.. i like it a lot.. but the Rotary effect 2 lacks distortion. But is very usable..

Strings, bass, pads and anothers sounds are just ok.. no better than korg,yamaha,roland.

It should have more synth sounds.. but this is a stage piano, not a synthetizer.

Kawai support here on my country is very good..

If it were lost or stolen i would kill myself.. just because i wouldnt have money to buy another... here in brazil this Keyboard coasts about $2100.. RD700sx coasts almost $3400..

I think this stage piano is the best on this price range.. i've tried Rolands Fp2 , RD170 , Kurzweil Sp88x, Privia PX400r, but no one come close..i have heard good things about Yamaha P120, but its pretty basic..

Kawai Rox.. i am pretty sure that my next keyboard will be a Kawai K5000s

When designing this piano, Kawai tried to make it as easy as possible to use - and it is. The manual is clear and to the point and only 60 pages long. The preset piano sounds are fantastic - this is why you buy this piano. No editing is needed - used it at a gig straight out of the box!! Editing patches is also very easy.

The keyboard action is wonderful - having been convinced in the past that Roland were the best - this piano is far superior. It is so responsive. A great feature is that you can program the sensitivity to your playing style and touch - it records how you play and automatically adjusts to that user setting. if you want to use it. It is extremely relaxing to play. Again, when designing this piano, the keyboard action was of paramount importance and Kawai worked on the relationship between keys and sound. Brilliant!!! Unlike other so-called "top" manufacturers who import another brand of keybed such as Fatar and stick it in their board. (The nearest action to it I've played is the Roland RD 300X but you can't do half as much on it.)
The midi spec. is impressive, though I won't really need to use it.

This is why you should buy this piano - for its piano sounds. Big debate about this as it is a very subjective thing -but this is my opinion.
Major manufacturers design and build their pianos to sound wonderful (quadruple sampling, string resonance etc...)in isolation but never test them in live situations with other instruments. They often sound very "woolly" in the mix and no matter how you try with effects etc... they never really sound how you want them to.
NOT SO with the the MP4!!! The piano sound is so CLEAR and precise that it fits in with other instruments straight away. ( Just listen to the clarity of the MP3 on Purgatory Creek of the Kawai MP8 to see what I mean - same piano)
You can adjust the amount of string resonance you want without spoiling the sound. I have been waiting for years to play an instrument like this - I have tried them all (nearly) and I'll say it again - FANTASTIC. If I could score it 11, I would.

Built like a rock and looks amazing.

Kawai UK and Europe replied to my e-mails in minutes.

If the retail price of this was double I would still pay it. Incredible value for money. I was thinking of saving up and buying a Nord Stage - so glad I didn't.
If I could, I'd buy another just to be self-indulgent!!!!
I have been a Roland piano player for a few years now and owned an RD 700SX, 300SX, RD 700, A-90 EX as well as Kurzweil PC2X and K2600X which I disliked. (Fatar actions that squeaked and stuck.)
I played it at a gig last night and played completely differently, doing things I never knew I could!
This is a beautiful, expressive instrument. Thank you Kawai.

Really basic understanding of presets is needed. Most sounds are max. 2 clicks away.
Sparse design evenly spaced over the instrument. Wheel and Mod. a bit on the far upper left side.

For the price absolutely top notch. Great Action, I was mainly looking for a midi controller with piano type action, and I did try out more than 20, bought the P90 and returned next day, too stiff (fooled by the weight of the action first), in my oppinion the MP4 is probably the only Digital Piano to come close to realistic 88 piano action anywhere between 1200-2200 ?... forget Roland and Yamaha, you really need a heavyweight like the MP8 or 9500 (with wood keys) to beat the MP4 in terms of action. There's no intermediate really. It's either the MP4 or selling your car for the ultimate esoteric grand or the big Bro MP8.

Compared MP4 to MP8 in real time. Same Grand sounds (the reverb might be a bit richer on the MP8, not sure.) In terms of sound I'm really happy with it, if you want a standard Piano dial Grand/Studio without Reverb. Love the EP's (and I'm a sucker for Fenders, not the DX thhough.) the rest will probably never be used.

Built solid (23kg). Metal body. Nice Design.

hope will never need to find out.

It's awesome for this price. If you're looking for a realistic 88 midi controller (not the toys M-audio and co. sell you) this is it.
If you're looking for the best Piano sound you probably need to check if it's to your liking first. But I would definetly say it's VERY good compared to the competition even with stuff twice the price (except Kawai of course).

I can?t believe I?m the first to write a review on this product, as it seems to have been around since summertime. I start this review in the hope that others will follow in my footsteps and that I won't feel alone in the Internet community reviewing an excellent stage piano! I'm using Windows 98 with a USB driver I downloaded from the Net. So far, I haven't managed to save anything onto the computer, probably because I need more than just a USB driver. The presets are excellent. Pianos are superb with plenty of variety between the eight sounds such as concert, studio, mellow, modern and rock. The electric pianos also sound great and there are twenty different effects one can use with them. There are infinite ways to tweak the sounds but it's nice to know you can go back to square one just by pressing two buttons. There are 8 presets (Piano, Electric Piano, EP 2 + Mallet, Organ 1, Organ 2 + Harpsichord, Strings + Brass, Vocal + Pad and Bass) with eight sounds in each. I'm not going to bore you going through all the presets but I'm just going to say that it's not overburdened with sounds you don't need (like guitar). I've never played the MP9500 but the layout is the same. What I like is the four multi-function knobs, which can be change settings like Effect, EQ, Cutoff and MIDI CC#. All these can be saved to one of the 64 Setups, which is very easy to do. You can also assign your own names to the Setups, which is very cool. Manual is precise and to the point.

Polyphony is 96, which I doubt I'll exceed, as I've never managed to do it on my Yamaha keyboard, which has only 32. Keyboard action is superb but I can't and won't try to compare it to the MP9500, which I've never played and never will. The MP9500?s action is probably better but I like the MP4's action, as it's not too heavy and not too light. This is the piano I'd been looking for after my frustrations with the Roland RD-300 SX. Everything the Roland can do, the Kawai can do better. No expansion capabilities and no sequencer (except metronome). About the only thing you can save on it are the setups, which is very handy for where this piano will be used i.e. on the stage. MIDI capabilities are superb. It also has a USB port. It has the capacity to transmit aftertouch. There are 4 zones, Internal, External or both with 4 faders to control volume. They can be layered or split any way you like. For example, three separate zones can be used to play piano, strings and bass and the last fader can be used to control an external keyboard. The possibilities are endless. There are no rhythm sets on this rig but it does have the capacity to start and stop an external sequencer and control the beat using the in-built metronome. If you search hard enough, you can also set the foot pedal to start the external sequencer.

I use Pianos, EP's, Organs, strings (for layering with piano) and bass. The main piano sound is the Concert Grand which sounds very realistic and the reverb that goes with it helps too. It has a damper effect called Sympathetic Resonance which is the sound the strings on the piano make when the damper is lifted. Very noticeable when wearing headphones and is ideal for giving the sound a richer texture while playing. It can be turned off. It is very good for playing classical music but can also be used to play some modern piano ballads. The second Concert Grand has a slighter harder edge to it and is more suited to playing contempory music. The other pianos I use here are Studio Grand and Rock Piano, which has the typical edge needed for playing songs like Karma Police. At the moment, I'm using just one EP, the classic EP, which is the sound of a Wurlitzer. I was delighted with this as I use it to play some of David Gray's music. Yes I'm a fan and yes he uses (or rather his band uses) a Kawai MP9000. The preset sound has set the tremolo a little too slow but this can easily be adjusted using the EFX knobs. It's good for playing some of REM's or Sterephonic's music as well. The EFX can easily be turned off using the button on the panel. The organs sound good with the one standout for me being the Hi-Lo organ. I use this because it faithfully recreates the sound of "Fix You" by Coldplay. I only throw around these big names in music to give the uninformed an idea of how good some of the sounds on this piano are. I use the strings as accompaniment with the pianos. They do the job but I wouldn't use them for solo work. The Basses are excellent with all the sounds you'd expect like Acoustic, Finger, Pick, Fretless and Synth. I use Finger Bass mostly and while it is good for playing single note chords. it's not so good for playing basslines like what you hear in the music of The Doors.

Yes, I can depend on it and I'm happy that I don't have to worry about external power supplies anymore. I would use it in a gig without a backup as I've never had any problems with Japanese musical products. Frankly, I wouldn't have much of a choice as one 20kg stage piano is enough to drag around in one night!

Never dealt with the company and don't think I'll ever have to, as all the info I need is on the web. I bought it on the net from a big store in Germany at a slightly reduced price as it had "retoure" written after it i.e. it was probably returned from someone in France. The reason became obvious when I had a good look at it. The very top black key on the right hand side of the piano was broken. I rang them up and they advised me that it wasn't worth sending it back to Germany to be repaired. They told me to get a quote of what it would cost to repair in Ireland. I don't want to do that as there are very few Kawai dealership's in Ireland and I don't think they's be too accomodating to someone who bought one of their products off the net and not off them. Saved me ?400 though! They were right too as it makes no impact on my playing and the problem is merely an aesthetic one. I think there's an easy solution to it but I don't want to risk opening it up as it warns me that ther are "No User Serviceable Parts Inside." So if anyone knows of a risk-free way to repair this, please don't hesitate to email me.

If it were stolen, I would buy it again and it is worth what I paid. I've been playing classical piano (if you can call the stuff I play "classical") for about nine years and around four years ago my parents bought me a transcription of "Imagine" and my interest in contempory music took off from there. Sadly all I had at my disposal was a 49-key Casio, which just about did the job until the power supply gave up. Then I got a Yamaha DGX-200, which was like a Godsend in comparison to the Casio (which now languishes in the upper levels of my wardrobe). I still play the Yamaha and I still believe it's as good if not better than some digital pianos three times the price. I love everything about the MP4 and I've yet to find anything I hate about it. I compared it to the Roland RD-300 SX (far better than Roland) and the Kawai ES-3 (big step up from ES-3 though I shouldn't compare these two products despite the fact they're within the same price league). I don't think there's anything I wish it had. Please forgive the massive overuse of cliches in this review but it has everything I want and nothing I don't. It helps me make music in ways that other digital pianos do not.