Kawai CN-39 digital piano

Introducing the Kawai CN-39 Digital Piano

The Kawai CN39 compact digital piano offers a huge specification and makes for a great value family piano.

While the main piano sound comes from the flagship Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand, it is packed with other instrument voices including drum kits, all of which can be recorded either on board or to USB memory, and there are 100 rhythm styles too.

Bluetooth MIDI and audio streaming enables playing along with your favourite songs and compatibility with smart devices for learning, making it a useful tool for the advancing musician.

Dominic Barnett – Chamberlain Pianos

Responsive Hammer III (RHIII) key action

The Responsive Hammer III (RHIII) action recreates the distinctive touch of an acoustic grand piano, with its realistic movement and accurate 3-sensor technology providing a smooth, natural, and highly responsive piano playing experience.

The weight of the keyboard is appropriately graded to mirror the heavier bass hammers and lighter treble hammers of an acoustic piano, while structural reinforcements within the action assembly ensure greater stability during fortissimo and staccato passages.

The CN-9 stage piano also features Kawai’s Ivory Touch key surfaces that gently absorb finger moisture to assist the player’s performance, while, let-off simulation recreates the subtle ‘notch’ sensation felt when softly playing the keys of a grand piano, satisfying the expectations of the most discerning pianists.

The magnificent sound of the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand

The MP-11SE's primary piano sound comes from Kawai’s flagship Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand , with all 88 keys recorded, meticulously analysed, and accurately reproduced as high-fidelity digital waveforms. Recording each key individually preserves the grand piano’s unique harmonic character, guaranteeing a faithful representation of the original acoustic source. Additionally, the SK-EX is also captured at a variety of different volume levels from pianissimo to fortissimo, which allows an accurate acoustic portrait of the instrument to be assembled using Kawai’s Harmonic Imaging XL technology, resulting in smooth tonal transitions across the keyboard and throughout the entire dynamic range.

The naturally expressive Shigeru Kawai sound is further enriched by advanced resonance algorithms which physically model the complex tonal interactions between the strings, dampers, and various other parts of an acoustic piano. These resonances are generated for all 88 keys progressively, allowing the Concert Artist to behave just like an acoustic piano. Employing Kawai's latest SK-EX Rendering engine, the CN39 utilises multi-channel sampling to capture the sound from different parts of the piano. This technique not only allows a broader range of tonal characteristics to be recorded and reproduced, but also further improves the connection felt between the keyboard action and piano sound.

The powerful Virtual Technician feature simulates these careful refinements digitally, allowing performers to shape aspects of the piano’s tonal character and playability to suit their unique personal preferences.

Over 350 Addition Sounds

If the beautiful concert grand piano sound wasn't enough, Kawai has added over 350 additional instrument sounds for you to enjoy. These range 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 Four Hands modes divide the keyboard into two independent sections. The volume balances for each playing mode can also be adjusted quickly and easily using the real-time panel controls.

Additionally, the virtual technician feature allows arious characteristics of the selected acoustic piano, electric piano, or harpsichord sound to be shaped at the touch of a button, 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 personalised instrument configuration to memory.

Bluetooth Connectivity

The latest Concert Artist instruments feature built-in Bluetooth MIDI connectivity, allowing the pianos to communicate with smart devices wirelessly, and be enjoyed with a wide variety of music-related apps. Moreover, Bluetooth Audio capability also enables the sound from songs and videos to be played through the instruments’ Onkyo amplifier and speaker systems without any additional cables. APT-X is supported as well for highest audio quality.

Enhanced Headphone Experience

One of the many benefits of owning a digital piano is the ability to connect a pair of headphones, allowing players to enjoy the instrument without disturbing others. The CN39’s Spatial Headphone Sound (SHS) technology subtly enhances the depth and realism of the pianos’ sound when listening through headphones, and helps to reduce auditory fatigue when playing for extended periods of time.

Authentic Pedal Response

Reinforcing the CN39’s reputation as the most realistic digital pianos in its price range is Kawai’s Grand Feel Pedal System. This development accurately replicates the position and individual weighting of the damper, soft, and sostenuto pedals of a Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano to further

More useful information

Owner's Manual
MIDI ManualSong list