I just sold my Roland Piano and I'm now back on the new piano hunting trail again. Trawling around the local dealers, and some not so local, weighing up the price and features of the different manufacturers I'm now undecided between the Kawai CN-23 and the CN-33, just one, possibly dumb, question, what is "Key Let Off"?

Good question. Wikipedia has a description: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_maintenance

I have a CN33, have only been playing for a few months, and can't feel or detect what the let-off simulation is giving me. I think there's something there, but who knows. Maybe in a few years when I'm better.....

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Thanks spanishbuddha, there's approximately £200 difference between the CN-23 and CN-33, I'm just trying to weigh up what more I'd get for the 200 quid if I bought the CN-33.
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Perhaps this should be posted in the acoustic piano section.

And risk a debate about why a digital piano couldn't have true let-off. I wouldn't do it!!

Hello crusader / bluebilly,

The CN33's 'let-off' functionality is similar to that of Roland's 'escapement' function. Both systems attempt to recreate the 'knotch' felt when playing the keys of a grand piano very softly.

In this picture it should be possible to see the CN33's let-off simulation a little more clearly than in the CN33/CN23 brochure. Essentially, as the hammer moves, the knotch in the middle rubs against the black rubber part, creating a very slight notch sensation.

As with an acoustic grand piano, it's a very subtle feeling that you only notice when playing notes very slowly. However, some pianists believe that understanding this 'notch' allows them to improve the expressiveness of pianissimo passages.

The £200 difference in price between the CN23 and CN33 obviously buys you a lot more than just this let-off simulation, but I'm not here to do a sales number on you - that's the dealer's job.

I hope this helps.

Cheers,
James
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Thanks James, I tried a CN-23 but they hadn't got a CN-33 in the store, I liked the CN-23 so I can only assume the CN-33 would be better.

James, do you know why Kawai decided to remove this feature from the CA63's RM3 keyboard?
Is it not appreciated by customers? It would seem to make zero difference in manufacturing cost to still include it if it is a desirable feature.

I think that has do do with competition and marketing decisions.
Let off is a feature that commonly only the higher priced models have. It might serve as an argument to pay a little bit more.

Also, costs are not only manufacturing and material. I think it is relatively expensive to adjust the wooden keyboard with those paper washers and screws at the hammers. To all this come warranty and support costs.

I understand well that in todays market the marges are low and they must calculate with every penny. If they sell 100000 CA63 and have 1$ less expenses, then they earn 100000$ thats enough to employ 3 people for one year....

theJourney, I believe it's more a case of the CA63 not featuring let-off from the beginning, rather than it being removed.

As for why let-off is not present on the CA63, I can only assume that this is to create a staggered model line-up with the CA63, CA93, and then whatever may fallow.

Cheers,
James
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I just had another try. It's subtle, there's a very very slight 'bump' when you push a key down. I can't feel it at all in normal playing including extremely soft, my senses are all concentrated or attuned elsewhere. Maybe it's something an advanced pianist only can make use off. I'm not sure that this feature alone warrants the price difference between a CN23 and 33, but the 33 does have other additional features too.

Even so, if I decide to sell my CN33 one day in the future I will make sure to advertise prominently this important feature for the demanding pianist. :-)

Let off is a necessity for an acoustic piano. Without let-off (implemented by the escapement mechanism) it would not be a piano. Piano makers have tried to minimize the feel that you sense when the hammer is released from the jack, but it cannot be entirely eliminated.

A digital piano has no need for an escapement, hence there is no let-off ... unless a manufacturer wants to add it in just to provide an authentic piano feel.

But that feel is just an unavoidable defect found in every acoustic piano. There's little to be done about it. You HAVE to disengage the hammer during its motion so that it can move freely after it strikes the string and rebounds. So you're stuck with that "little bump".

That simply doesn't apply to a digital piano. There are no strings for the hammers to strike. Hence the escapement/let-off is moot. To actually pay extra for a digital piano that replicates this let-off defect is silly.

I'm not buying anything until they implement the authentically uneven keys of a well-worn piano.

Oh and the annoying sounds of random flotsam like a paperclip or two down in the works, I demand that too.

I agree...escapement/let off, call it what you will...load of old nonsense on a DP...does not and cannot improve playing, it's just marketing. And I have no doubt any tangible click or notch feeling in the action of an acoustic is an inevitable (and undesirable) consequence of the mechanics involved.

Steve

The key on a piano is a lever. The lever is connected to a hammer, which hits the string. If the lever and hammer are completely stuck to each other, when you press the lever to push the hammer toward the strings, the hammer would hit the string and not bounce back if the key is pressed down. The string would make a sound like a thud. In order for the string to freely vibrate and sound good, the hammer need to bounce on the string. The means the hammer needs to disconnect from the key lever. The let off button makes this happen and the hammer fly freely towards the string. At the moment the hammer disengage from the lever/key, there is a slight click-feel in your figure tips. Pianists often use the feel when playing softly to judge the distance of the key before reach the bottom of the key bed. It is an integral part of the experience in playing an acoustic piano.

Roland does a pretty good job of simulating this with the PHAII w/ escapement and PHA III. It's completely unnecessary for a digital piano, but if a pianist wants a digital piano to duplicate every nuance of an acoustic piano then it's nice to have.