Would like to hear about the pros and cons of the Kawai ES6 please. Thank you.

pros: sounds like a real piano
cons: none

emenelton, thanks for taking the time to respond. Appreciate it!

the settings for normal vs bright sound produce 2 distinctly different sounding pianos - to me it doesn't sound like an eq adjustment at all, rather a different 'model' of piano

My ES4 is amazing and the ES6 is a step up from that.

Ken

From my experiences the ES6 is the closest digital piano to the real thing. I do think the touch is a little light but you soon adjust to it.

I can't find that it has more than 1-level sampling, is that right?
It doesn't seem to have option of 3-pedals.
It doesn't have AWA Grand PRO.

It has accompaniments and lots of effects which few other can offer in combination.

I'm thinking, since this is an arranger piano, of how difficult it would be to get more styles.

I know that Yamaha has a very large third party style support system (mostly free) as well as it's own IDC style purchase base, and Korg has been supporting extra styles (but not free) as well, but what about Kawai?

I purchased my Tyros3 arranger because of the excellent availability of styles, but since I've purchased my Roland E-80, and KorgPA2XPro, I'm learning not all companies are as supportive in this department....the pickins are slim for the latter two.

Yamaha's CVP line uses the same styles format as the Tyros, so there is a plentiful supply.

Anyone here know about any style libraries available for the ES6, both free and for sale?

Also, regarding playing styles on the ES6...does the accompaniment support chord inversions, like F/G, or D/F#? I couldn't find it in the manual.

Many songs use these inversions; the function is called ON BASS Fingering on the Tyros3, and Korg and Roland have it as well under different names.

Does the Kawai ES6 support these chords? Surely they wouldn't have left such an important part of style playing off such an expensive instrument?

Snazzy

Separate stand and pedal accessories are available.

HM3II stand:



F300H 3-pedal unit:





Correct. The only 'slab type' digital piano that utilises the AWA Grand PRO II action is the MP8II.

Kind regards,
James
x

Snazzy, the ES6's 'Rhythm Section' feature shouldn't really be compared with the complicated arranger functions of instruments such as the CVP or Tyros. It's intended to provide a basic backing accompaniment, allowing the player to augment their performance.

Additional styles are not available, partly because there is no effective way to transfer data to and from the instrument beyond MIDI.



I have to confess, I'm not entirely familiar with the concept you're describing, however the chord used for the Rhythm Section accompaniment can be changed by playing the full chord, or a simplified version. The full list of recognised chords appears in section 4 of the owner's manual appendix (page pp.77-pp.80).

Kind regards,
James
x

Hi James,

On the Tyros and CVP, heck, even on my little PSR-S910 there is a setting in the accompaniment section that allows you to select fingering modes for left hand chords.

This feature is also on the Korg, and Roland arrangers, including the latter's KR-series.

When set to On Bass, or Bass Inversion, the performer can play chords with a different root note than the tonic. The piece, A Whiter Shade of Pale is a good example, with the chord progression as follows: C, Cmaj7/B, Am, Am7/G, F, Fmaj7/E and so on...I probably don't have to show you this, as you're probably very familiar with this type of progression.

On Bass chords are hardly new...they are in Classical, Jazz, Country, and every other genre. Now, the Casio PX-330 is an arranger piano, much in the same line as the Kawai ES6, but it's much, much cheaper, and yet it has the proviso for chord inversions, or On Bass chords, if you like.

Are Kawai supposing their prospective buyers are not advanced enough to play chord inversions, or will never need to?

At the ES6's price level, an arranger piano of this caliber should at least address chord inversions, or why put an accompaniment system in at all?

I'm very surprised at this omission, as I know Kawai are quite capable of going toe to toe with any of the "big three". I had one of their electric grands some time ago, and it was terrific...even had a little string synth that sat on top...they also made a great controller keyboard, the M-8000 that was far ahead of the competition. Their MP-9000/9500 digital pianos were also running with the pack quite nicely...I liked them a lot.

Do you have any input into what they add to their instruments? If so, may I suggest a more versatile accompaniment section? This is not meant as a slight against Kawai; I'm a firm believer in competition, as we, you and I, the players, always benefit; so please take my comments and suggestions in the good spirit in which they are given.

Snazzy