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manstud « Outstanding! »
Published on 09/09/14 at 09:57For specifications, see other reviews, but hey, that's basically:
- Stage Piano, heavy feel, 88 notes
- 256 sounds, up to 4 simultaneous games (Main, Sub 1/2/3), each with their button-switch & volume fader
- Global to all 4 parts Reverb, but individual titration of its depth
- Main part has 2 more additional (from 129) and an amp simulator
- The Sub parts 1/2/3 have an additional effect only (of 22)
- Sounds of Piano, Electric Piano, Clavinet, Hammond organ sounds and general
- Drawbars mode for Hammond organs
- Complete master keyboard functions
- 4 inputs for pedals, one expression pedal
- Trio of MIDI connectors, USB to Host
- USB port on the front to: update firmware, read / write or SMF (mp3 WAV /) Audio files
- Headphone Jack
- A stereo line input with volume fader front
- Stereo output
UTILIZATION
Touch is perfect in the category Piano Scene, Kawai oblige, and I would add "MP series" forces.
Not too heavy, very reactive, it is even possible to set it so that the sound goes off early in the race, such as the Hammond organ, and analog synths.
The manual is very well written and thorough at a time, with a very slight damper on a part that particularly interested me (receiving MIDI messages, not always hyper detail), I had to dig with the help bracket Kawai, ultra-responsive, and the solution to my problem was immediately found.
The device is incredibly ergonomic, no complaints from this point of view, it seems to cover all the expectations you can have a keyboard like this, without the limitations found in one or other of its competitors. Impressive on this point.
Everything is very well thought out. In truth, it replaces my previous Nord Stage 2, and I was afraid to feed regret, thinking that the price difference (the MP7 costing half as much as the NS2) justify weaknesses deci beyond.
Well no, it's certainly in his way, as well as NS2 or better sometimes:
- You can preconfigure 4 simultaneous internal sounds while flying via MIDI and / or USB jacks as many external areas (expanders). Each sound (Main, Sub 1/2/3) is freely configurable (layer / split) on the area of low and high keys of their choice (which is not the case of NS2, which offers areas splits between points factory presets). More preferably, it is possible to assign to each portion, a trigger zone located above or below a point of velocity also definable. What do stacks of layers depending on the velocity ...
- 4 pedals are taken as freely configurable and can be assigned to the damper / leslie / phrase / change +/- Setup (= memory configuration MP7), etc ... I would add here that not only saves the Setup sounds configured by the user, but also the entire configuration of MP7. Oh by the way: no mute when switching from one setup to the next.
- The method used drawbars 4 volume sliders of the 4 parts to manage 4 zippers at once. Must juggle 4 buttons to select the group to operate zippers. But it is possible to define an external controller with multiple sliders to control simultaneously via MIDI all 9 drawbars. The buttons for controlling the "Percussion" of the organ are also scheduled.
- Speaking of MIDI, my Nord Stage 2 allowed me (and I usais) to manage its internal sounds from an external master keyboard. Again, it is possible to define a MIDI receive channel for each of the four parts (Main, Sub 1/2/3) and thus control an external keyboard 4 preset sounds in a setup, regardless of whether they are active / splitted or not the keyboard MP7. This is simultaneous and independent of both. Just imagine adding a Mainstage this configuration, and you get a station scene literally very very bad!
- The supplied accessories reassure the sustain pedal is a true progressive sustain pedal, no switch here, and if it is too sensitive under your feet, it can also be set! The desk, unlike the competition (when it provides it) is robust and full metal. No risk of breaking during transport in case too lightly.
SOUNDS
The sounds of piano, electric piano, Hammond organ are to die for! Touch is perfect for all the sounds of piano / E. PIANO, maybe a little less for the organs, but they are still quite playable so.
The rest of the sound range is quite wide and very well made.
The sensation "Ivory Feel" is very very nice indeed!
Small realistic detail when softly attack a key with a piano sound, it puts a bit more time to hit the rope, and that little time is also configurable. As the resonance of the soundboard, noise damper is activated when the sustain pedal, the sound of hammers, the degree of opening of the cover of the grand piano (or equally right) etc ... All that particular via the "Virtual Technician" which allows access to all the details of the pianos / e.pianos and Hammond organs.
The pianos are beautiful, the Rhodes Wurli, Clavinet so are. The amps are a real good job of modeling when we want to adapt the grain of sound. Organs idem, it's big, it's bold, it's snore at will, and once again, everything is customizable at the Leslie.
OVERALL OPINION
In the same price range I had in my possession the Korg SV1: in absolute terms it works pretty well, but if you are looking for a stage piano with a little bit of access to settings and opening outside functions via keyboard controller, forget the SV1 (it is not the target), it bears no comparison with the MP7, which is far, far ahead on all fronts: configuration, external MIDI and especially the sounds!
Twice the price of the MP7, I also owned the Nord Stage 2: no regrets, too, the MP7 has everything, nothing has been omitted, it has virtually no weakness, except maybe. .. missing one or two additional pairs of audio outputs, but it would be the only complaint I have it.
For the rest, nothing to say, this keyboard is a real massacre, especially at the price where it is located: less expensive than all of the competition in the same product line, much more simple and sharp in both the configuration and sound level is also very high fly.
The only fear I could have was to order it without trying. However, all opinions deci read beyond the "reviews" found in Anglo-Saxon webzines few reviews "Live" gleaned from youtube, simplicity demos piano heard on the dedicated website (www.kawaimp.com) allowed me to really hear the sound quality, I've always found above the lot, when compared with the demos of other brands.
Still not sure?
- Stage Piano, heavy feel, 88 notes
- 256 sounds, up to 4 simultaneous games (Main, Sub 1/2/3), each with their button-switch & volume fader
- Global to all 4 parts Reverb, but individual titration of its depth
- Main part has 2 more additional (from 129) and an amp simulator
- The Sub parts 1/2/3 have an additional effect only (of 22)
- Sounds of Piano, Electric Piano, Clavinet, Hammond organ sounds and general
- Drawbars mode for Hammond organs
- Complete master keyboard functions
- 4 inputs for pedals, one expression pedal
- Trio of MIDI connectors, USB to Host
- USB port on the front to: update firmware, read / write or SMF (mp3 WAV /) Audio files
- Headphone Jack
- A stereo line input with volume fader front
- Stereo output
UTILIZATION
Touch is perfect in the category Piano Scene, Kawai oblige, and I would add "MP series" forces.
Not too heavy, very reactive, it is even possible to set it so that the sound goes off early in the race, such as the Hammond organ, and analog synths.
The manual is very well written and thorough at a time, with a very slight damper on a part that particularly interested me (receiving MIDI messages, not always hyper detail), I had to dig with the help bracket Kawai, ultra-responsive, and the solution to my problem was immediately found.
The device is incredibly ergonomic, no complaints from this point of view, it seems to cover all the expectations you can have a keyboard like this, without the limitations found in one or other of its competitors. Impressive on this point.
Everything is very well thought out. In truth, it replaces my previous Nord Stage 2, and I was afraid to feed regret, thinking that the price difference (the MP7 costing half as much as the NS2) justify weaknesses deci beyond.
Well no, it's certainly in his way, as well as NS2 or better sometimes:
- You can preconfigure 4 simultaneous internal sounds while flying via MIDI and / or USB jacks as many external areas (expanders). Each sound (Main, Sub 1/2/3) is freely configurable (layer / split) on the area of low and high keys of their choice (which is not the case of NS2, which offers areas splits between points factory presets). More preferably, it is possible to assign to each portion, a trigger zone located above or below a point of velocity also definable. What do stacks of layers depending on the velocity ...
- 4 pedals are taken as freely configurable and can be assigned to the damper / leslie / phrase / change +/- Setup (= memory configuration MP7), etc ... I would add here that not only saves the Setup sounds configured by the user, but also the entire configuration of MP7. Oh by the way: no mute when switching from one setup to the next.
- The method used drawbars 4 volume sliders of the 4 parts to manage 4 zippers at once. Must juggle 4 buttons to select the group to operate zippers. But it is possible to define an external controller with multiple sliders to control simultaneously via MIDI all 9 drawbars. The buttons for controlling the "Percussion" of the organ are also scheduled.
- Speaking of MIDI, my Nord Stage 2 allowed me (and I usais) to manage its internal sounds from an external master keyboard. Again, it is possible to define a MIDI receive channel for each of the four parts (Main, Sub 1/2/3) and thus control an external keyboard 4 preset sounds in a setup, regardless of whether they are active / splitted or not the keyboard MP7. This is simultaneous and independent of both. Just imagine adding a Mainstage this configuration, and you get a station scene literally very very bad!
- The supplied accessories reassure the sustain pedal is a true progressive sustain pedal, no switch here, and if it is too sensitive under your feet, it can also be set! The desk, unlike the competition (when it provides it) is robust and full metal. No risk of breaking during transport in case too lightly.
SOUNDS
The sounds of piano, electric piano, Hammond organ are to die for! Touch is perfect for all the sounds of piano / E. PIANO, maybe a little less for the organs, but they are still quite playable so.
The rest of the sound range is quite wide and very well made.
The sensation "Ivory Feel" is very very nice indeed!
Small realistic detail when softly attack a key with a piano sound, it puts a bit more time to hit the rope, and that little time is also configurable. As the resonance of the soundboard, noise damper is activated when the sustain pedal, the sound of hammers, the degree of opening of the cover of the grand piano (or equally right) etc ... All that particular via the "Virtual Technician" which allows access to all the details of the pianos / e.pianos and Hammond organs.
The pianos are beautiful, the Rhodes Wurli, Clavinet so are. The amps are a real good job of modeling when we want to adapt the grain of sound. Organs idem, it's big, it's bold, it's snore at will, and once again, everything is customizable at the Leslie.
OVERALL OPINION
In the same price range I had in my possession the Korg SV1: in absolute terms it works pretty well, but if you are looking for a stage piano with a little bit of access to settings and opening outside functions via keyboard controller, forget the SV1 (it is not the target), it bears no comparison with the MP7, which is far, far ahead on all fronts: configuration, external MIDI and especially the sounds!
Twice the price of the MP7, I also owned the Nord Stage 2: no regrets, too, the MP7 has everything, nothing has been omitted, it has virtually no weakness, except maybe. .. missing one or two additional pairs of audio outputs, but it would be the only complaint I have it.
For the rest, nothing to say, this keyboard is a real massacre, especially at the price where it is located: less expensive than all of the competition in the same product line, much more simple and sharp in both the configuration and sound level is also very high fly.
The only fear I could have was to order it without trying. However, all opinions deci read beyond the "reviews" found in Anglo-Saxon webzines few reviews "Live" gleaned from youtube, simplicity demos piano heard on the dedicated website (www.kawaimp.com) allowed me to really hear the sound quality, I've always found above the lot, when compared with the demos of other brands.
Still not sure?