Thought I'd start a new thread now that they've been announced.

English brochure: http://www.kawai.co.jp/worldwide/support/catalogue/MP-e.pdf

Release dates (in Japan at least) appear to be 11-5-2010 for the MP6 and 12-3-2010 for the MP10:

http://www.kawai.co.jp/ep/products/mp6/?p=ep_top
http://www.kawai.co.jp/ep/products/mp10/?p=ep_top

Update:
MP6 page in English: http://www.kawai.de/mp6_en.htm
MP6 manual in English: http://www.kawai.de/service/mp6_e.pdf
MP6 audio demos: http://kawaius.com/main_links/digital/PRO_2010/mp6_audio.html

MP10 manual in English: http://www.kawai.de/service/mp10_e.pdf
MP10 audio demos: http://kawaius.com/main_links/digital/PRO_2010/mp10_audio.html

Aaron

MP10/MP6 news release (in Japanese):

http://www.kawai.co.jp/press/2010/0908-2.asp

Cheers,
James
x

Heh, that makes for a rather amusing Google Translation

Large pictures:
MP6: http://www.kawai.co.jp/info/material/photo/2010/20100908-2-2L.jpg
MP10: http://www.kawai.co.jp/info/material/photo/2010/20100908-2-1L.jpg

Aaron

¥ 273,000
¥ 178.500

How much in Euro?

My Japanese translation skills are also a bit rusty, as you can see:

MP10: Total of 27 tones (UPHI)

Piano (9), E. Piano (7), Krabi (2)
Strings (3), Pad (3), vibraphone,
Harpsichord, choir


MP6: Total of 256 tones (PHI)

Piano (28), Harpsichord (4),
E. Piano (20), Krabi (4), Mallett (8)
De Rover (32), organ (28)
Accordion (4) Strings (20)
Vocal (12) Brass (32)
Pads and synth (32), bass (12)
Guitar (16), drum kit (4)


Would love to see the actual sound lists from the user manual, though!

Obert, according to xe.com, 273000 yen = 2557 euro = $3250 USD

178500 yen = 1671 euro = $2126 USD

Now, of course that's just a mechanical calculation on today's exchange rate. I don't know what the pricing will be in each individual country; I'm sure the products will cost relatively more in some locales and relatively less in others.

Yes, it would be interesting to know the official prices of other known models, just for a simply comparison.

CA93, for instance, is about 2.700 euro here in Italy.

More importantly, both new ones are about 10,000 yen (about $120) more than the boards that they are replacing.

So, should be similarly priced to the MP5 and MP8II hopefully.

MP5: 168,000
MP6: 178,500
MP8II: 262,500
MP10: 273,000

Aaron

The sound names aren't terribly imaginative, I'm afraid.
However, nor do they mean a great deal - many of the acoustic and electric piano sounds use new samples not found in previous Kawai instruments (yes, including the CA93...), so it's not really possible to draw direct comparisons.

Cheers,
James
x

The brochure's a nice piece of work. Lots of pertinent information but not too technical and written in language a musician will relate to. I wonder whose work this was?

James, can you explain in layman's language what the difference will be between playing a UPHI-equipped piano and a PHI piano? In other words what will be lost in the MP6 compared to the MP10?

Thanks.

That's quite mysterious, especially for the acoustic piano sounds (UPHI); let's wait and see!

voxpops, UPHI requires twice the amount of sample memory as PHI - it's a more detailed and therefore more expressive sound.

Cheers,
James
x

I am really looking forward to trying the MP6. Why not the MP10? Simply too heavy for an aging, gigging musician. Which is a shame. And while I'm sure that the MP6 will be a fine instrument, I have a question/complaint/plea that is addressed to Kawai, Roland, Yamaha: why do you feel it necessary to dumb down the lighter-weight models in your range?

Obviously, the lighter, plastic action has to be accepted as part of the deal, but how much does the better software weigh? Why should those of us who need a more portable model have to put up with an inferior engine? I know it's all down to marketing techniques, but these are stage pianos; surely the powers that be know that there are plenty of players who will pay a premium for the best electronics but who cannot manage the extra weight.

That said, I really hope that these two new entrants blow the CP range out of the water.

My point (in my last post) precisely. So, James, let's have an MP6II with the UPHI. I don't want to sacrifice 50% of the sound detail to save my back!

So James, now that they're announced is there any chance we can see those manuals you've been working on?

Aaron

+1

I'm GASing like crazy!

The new MP10 is gorgeous! I suppose the depth is bigger then MP8 because of the RM3 action.

It's great the pitch bend and mod wheel placement, good job Kawai!

For me it would be a piano to keep at home for studying, so no problem for weight, but the fact it is less wide than MP8 really helps.

I'm looking forward to try it!

My understanding is UPHI is "ultra progressive" while PHI is just "progressive". I think this means the UPHI has more velocity sample layers. I think Kawai uses the term "progressive" to mean what most of us call "velocity layers"

If I'm right then you should hear a more realistic change in tone as you move from pp velocity to ff.

BTW what will the marketing people have to come up with next? What's after "ultra". Maybe in 10 years Kawai will have "WSMUHI" and "APUHI" so people will have to ask if "Way Super Mega Ultra HI" is better or worse than "Advanced Premium Ultra HI" Why can't they just come out and say what it really is?

Now, let the speculation begin as to where the price points are for these two items.

The MP5 lists for $1495 but was available online for around $1100; the MP8ii lists for $2495 but was available online for around $1900...

I would imagine that Kawai would price the MP6/MP10 a bit higher, if for no other reason than to keep everyone who bought an MP5 or MP8ii last month, from kicking themselves.

It does seem that they did a good job of allowing the stocks of old instruments to be cleared before introducing the new stuff. However, if there is a retailer out there with a stack of MP5's or MP8ii's that they want to sell at a huge discount, I sure would be interested. (Either of those two instruments is far superior to my talents. Me getting an MP10 would be like Mr. Magoo getting a Maserati.)

I completely agree with the issue of stripping down the sound quality in lower priced products. The discussion has been on this forum more often. Someone repeatedly compared it to the SN boards found in almost ALL current Roland products -> they all offer the same basic SN piano sound, but differ in amount of sounds, tweak-ability and hardware features.

I'm almost 100% sure that the electronics and software required to enable the same basic sound quality over the whole range of products is not the ultimate "cost issue" once it has been developed. It's purely marketing trick and I'm sure people really would love to have the choice in spending more on extra sounds and more and better hardware on high-end products , but don't want to sacrifice the quality of the few basic sounds that are left on the lower priced products when they decide that these products better fit their needs. Indeed in terms of weight and/or features they really need and others they can do without.

It's fully in line with how current marketing departments work in all product ranges these days and no surprise, but nevertheless a disappointment that Kawai hasn't got the will to be different in this respect.

31kg is a lot to carry around, so it's understandable that a striped down version in hardware (but please not in sound quality) is a logical choice for a lot of people. If Kawai doesn't offer that, than the competition may have very interesting alternatives and they simply might loose a potential customer. Please manufacturers think twice; someone who wants all the bells and whistles buys the top-end machine anyway, but others might be pushed away !

I really like hows it says kawai in front of the hands on the mp10 just like it would on a grand piano.



Same here.

Just looking at the specs and the pictures, I can see that Kawai really listens to customer needs and complains.

Really good job Kawai!

At least Yamaha tells you how many layers a particular sample set has. Not sure why Kawai is playing this so close to their chest.

If they keep on with the "Harmonic Imaging" terminology they'll soon wear out the English language. I personally can't take their sampling technology seriously until they introduce "Super Tremendous Ultra Progressive Imaging Design" (STUPID).

To QBert; € 2700 for the CA-93 in Italy ?! That's cheap (€ 3299 over here); if they introduce the MP10 with a similar price difference in Italy, I might come over and buy it over there, add a nice vacation and still keep some money in my pocket ;-)

(If my car and back can cary the extra weight that is...still oemphf ; have to get used to that idea before I can persuade myself to go for the MP10).

What about "Super Harmonic Imaging Technology"?

Aaron, while the Kawai Japan website hosts brochure PDFs on this page, there currently isn't a natural 'home' for the owner's manuals. I'm a little reluctant to start uploading one or two files at a random URL, but will try to find a better solution in the near-ish future.

Cheers,
James
x

Ha! Crap, why didn't I think of that?

James,

No worries, I'm just eager for more information I'm sure you'll let us know when they're available.

Now I just need to find a dealer with a CA63/93 so that I can see how I like the RM3 action...

Aaron

I think you'd enjoy the British system for grading technical rock climbs. Yes this is 100% serious, in common usage and not a joke. Only brits (or maybe piano marketing execs) could invent this:
The British System

Not that Americans are smarter, the common US system is almost as bad. They started using decimal points like 5.6, 5.7,... and then as people could climb routes harder than 5.9 they added 5.10. (not to be confused with 5.1 which would be so easy to even bother with) and then had to add a 5.11 which is a full step, not a tenth, above 5.10.