Grand Feel III action

One of the things Kawai takes extremely seriously is their action. This is why the CA701 has Kawai’s industry leading Grand Feel III action. Unlike many digital pianos, these instruments make use of long wooden keys. The length of the key allows for an accurate reproduction of a grand piano’s key system where the fulcrum of the key is halfway down the key’s length.

Unlike most digital pianos where the fulcrum is placed at the end, a complex system of weights is used to emulate the missing extra length. The ivory touch key surface accurately replicates the feel of real ivory. Even the moisture absorbing characteristics of ivory are included, meaning that your fingers are less likely to slip on the surface of the key.

The keybed includes a triple-sensor system, rather than the standard double sensor system. This means an extra sensor is placed in between the sensors that would normally detect the key being pressed down and released completely. This allows for accurate replication of techniques such as fast repetitive notes where the key may not fully rise before being depressed again, the intermediary sensor can detect this.

Extra pianos

The CA701 comes with a new piano to add to the already impressive complement of piano sounds. The SK-EX Competition Grand. This piano was recorded in a natural and peaceful environment with multiple microphone types and placements used to faithfully capture the sound and character of Kawai’s latest flagship SK-EX grand piano.

The SK-EX Competition Grand has a bright tonal character with fantastic clarity, the attack is distinctive and thick and the recordings were done from the player’s position. This gives you an unparalleled sense of closeness with this instrument that is only surpassed by being in the presence of the physical piano.

Updated Bluetooth

Bluetooth V5 is now included in this instrument. Giving you more reliable and lower latency audio and MIDI without the need for cables. The pairing process is also more intuitive with better functionality with smartphones and other devices.

Improved DACS

The CA701 includes a new and improved DAC that vastly improves the quality of sound through the speakers and headphones. This has replaced the former 1-bit processing method and now has a three-stage process of converting the CA701’s internal sounds into physical sound waves. The result is a more natural and acoustic feeling piano sound.

Six-speaker system

The CA701 features a six-speaker system that is designed to immerse you in the sound of your instrument as if it were an acoustic grand piano. There are two front-facing tweeters that provide the higher frequencies, two top-facing speakers provide the midrange and the bottom speakers located underneath the keyboard provide the low end and bass.

With the CA701, the diffuser panels have been improved upon the previous generation. These are mounted above the top-facing midrange speakers and expand the tonal projection and allows for a natural sound no matter where in the room the listener is.

New touch panel and Virtual Piano Artisan

The CA701 features an improved anti-glare display for the 5-inch touch panel. The smooth matte surface is less slippery, allowing for smoother operation. It also has a reduced amount of reflections making the viewing angle wider too. This vastly improves the viewing experience while you’re sitting at the instrument. The panel can also be turned off completely which reduces the amount of distraction when playing.

The Virtual Technician has been improved with the new Virtual Piano Artisan functionality. Now you have a unified list of parameters to edit as well as presets for different modes. For players who experiment with tuning or take part in historically informed performances then the temperament can be altered without diminishing the quality of the piano sounds.

New cabinet design

This piano now has a more impressive presence in your practice space thanks to the extra height added to the body. Clear acrylic score support pins are subtly embedded in the base of the music stand allowing for heavier music sheets or books to be held in place reliably. The pedals have been improved with a deeper distance, more like this instrument’s acoustic counterpart.

Specifications

Keyboard: Grand Feel III (GFIII) action with Let-Off, Triple Sensor, and Counterweights, 88 wooden keys with Ivory and Ebony Touch key surfaces
Sound source:
- SK-EX Rendering: 88-key multi-channel piano sampling, 88-key resonance modelling
- Harmonic Imaging XL: 88-key piano sampling
Internal sounds:
- SK-EX Rendering: SK-EX Competition Grand (5 rendering characters), SK-EX Concert Grand (5 rendering characters)
- Harmonic Imaging XL: 96 sounds
Keyboard modes: Dual, Split, 4Hands (Volume/Balance adjustable)
Polyphony: max. 256 notes (depending on selected sound)
Effects:
- SK-EX Rendering: Ambience (10 types)
- Harmonic Imaging XL: Reverb (6 types), Effects (24 types)
  - Chorus x 3
  - Delay x 3
  - Tremolo x 3
  - Auto pan x 2
  - Phaser x 2
  - Rotary x 6
  - Combination x 5
Virtual Technician (Depending on sound): Touch Curve, Voicing, String Resonances, Damper Noise, Undamped String Resonance, Cabinet Resonance, Key Off Effect, Fallback Noise, Hammer Noise, Hammer Delay, Topboard, Decay Time, Release Time, Minimum Touch, Stretch Tuning, Temperament, Temperament Key, Key Volume, Half-Pedal Adjust, Soft Pedal Depth
Internal recorder: 10 song, 2 track recorder (approximately 90,000 note memory capacity)
USB recorder:
- Playback: MP3, WAV, SMF, KSO (internal song file)
- Record: MP3, WAV, Overdub audio, Line In & Bluetooth Audio Recording
Metronome: 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 3/8, 6/8, 7/8, 9/8, 12/8 + 100 drum rhythms, 10~400 bpm (20~800 bpm for eighth note rhythms)
Internal songs:
- Demo songs: 39 songs
- Music: 205
- Lesson songs: 578 Songs from Alfred, Burgmüller, Czerny, Beyer, Bach, and Chopin lesson books (sold separately), 140 Finger Exercises
Transpose: Key Transpose: -12~+12 semi-tones, Song Transpose: -12~+12 semi-tones
Other Settings & Functions:
- Speaker / Headphone: Tone Control, Low Volume Balance, Speaker Volume, Speaker Character, Wall EQ (CA901 only), Spatial Headphone Sound, Headphone Type, Headphone Volume
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth On/Off, Bluetooth Audio Pairing, Bluetooth Audio Volume
- USB Memory Rec.: Recording Format, Recording Level, Formatting USB Memory
- MIDI: Play MIDI Channel, Send Program Change, Local Control, Multi-timbral Mode
- User data: Reset Sounds (Favorite/Recent/User), Reset Music (Favorite/Recent/Recorder), Factory Reset
- System: LCD Brightness, Display Scale, Auto Display Off, Auto Power Off, Startup Screen, Startup Settings, Language, Information
Display: 5” anti-glare LCD touchscreen (480 x 800 pixels)
Bluetooth:Bluetooth (Ver. 5.0; GATT compatible), Bluetooth Low Energy MIDI Specification compliant, Bluetooth Audio (Ver. 5.1; A2DP compatible)
Jacks:
- Audio: LINE IN (1/8″ STEREO), LINE IN Level, LINE OUT (1/4″ L/MONO, R), Headphones x 2 (1/4″, 1/8″)
- MIDI / USB: USB to Host, USB to Device, USB for Update
Pedals: Grand Feel Pedal System, Damper (with half-pedal support), Soft (with half-pedal support), Sostenuto
Speaker system:
- Drivers:
  - 13 cm x 2 (woofers)
  - (8 x 12) cm x 2 (top speakers with diffusers)
  - 5 cm x 2 (tweeters)
- Power: 110 W (55 W + 55 W)
Power consumption: 45W
Cabinet:
- Key cover: Sliding type
- Music rest: Collapsible type (6 angle adjustability), Score Support Pins
Dimensions (W x D x H): 1450 x 495 x 970 mm (57″ x 19 1/2″ x 38 1/5″)
Weight: 76.5kg (168 2/3 lbs)