Hi there!

I got my MP6 delivered yesterday and obviously I had fun with it for probably too long considering my efficiency at work today. There are more comprehensive reviews so I won't go into general technical details, just the stuff that marked me :

• This thing is heavy. I know it's not that heavy for stage pianos in the same market price, but damn, since it's my first I was surprised (and because I had to go home using the subway, not that happy! :D). But when you open it up, you can see why it's not lightweight. The thing is almost pure metal, very well built. It looks and feels very, _very_ solid. I mean, I instantly forgave the weight because I rarely find such good looking, robust and clean pieces of hardware nowadays -- and that's not limited to DPs, it's true of many fields. Even the music stand is pure metal.
• The touch is really awesome. It feels artificial at first, but that's like every DP I tried. On the other hand, it grows on you very very fast and is a joy to play after an hour or so. It's heavy enough and feels precise, seeing as I'm still learning it has a "secure" feel in the play, like I'm not afraid to slip or miss notes or something, dunno how to express that better...
• It also syncs very well with the VST I have (Galaxy Vintage D), without fiddling with the touch response and stuff like that. There's an option for "User touch" which should create a velocity curve based on your playing but after trying it twice I probably did it wrong and it came out way too bright - I barely had to force to bring out what looked like the highest volume. So I stick with "Normal", and it's all fine and dandy My main reason for buying a new DP was the keyboard (I had the first PX casio ever made and it was very light and plastic). Very happy with that part of the product
• The piano sounds are cool. On that front, the Nord piano was the clear winner for me though, but I have a VST I like alot already and as a matter of fact, I do like the bright/slightly metallic quality of the Kawai. I have a Kawai upright at my parents' house and the response and connection with the sounds feels more realistic than with my old DP.
• I have some serious flaws I need to work on, namely my left hand volume is too high and I must learn to "pearl" the melodies in my right hand. Both of those weren't well captured by my old DP, whereas the MP6 reacts more like the acoustics I play. I clearly hear the high volume of my LH and the tone of my RH is too muddy so it's all good Obviously, nothing should beat working on a real acoustic for that, but that's a significant improvement for me and my practice. I'm teaching at a university and they have pianos somewhere, I should probably ask if I can practice on them some times during the week, would be nice.
• I don't have alot of experience on the other sounds, like EPs and Hammonds. They sound good to me, and I like the sound of FM e-pianos and there are some of that too so I'm happy I suppose I have to fiddle around with effects and layers to sculpt the sounds a bit. This is my first "stage" piano with that kind of capacity. Is there someplace I could find informations on classic sounds and effects and how to get them out of a stage board? Or is the only and better way to learn everything about that is through trial and error? Seems daunting... I mean like, I understand what an EQ is for theoretically but as far as knowing how to manipulate it to get this or that sound I'm really lost Any pointers on that are welcome!! I really want to learn to manipulate and play with those sounds at some point
• The church organ sounds looked good to me on the CA-63 I tried in the store, but now they sound a bit too thin and dry. Upping the reverb make them sound better, and layering them helps. I think that they have a better output on monitors than in headphones too, but I have no monitors to test it out. The base sounds are still pretty awesome, and since you can layer 4 of them you can work on some fun registration with that I'm a trained pipe organist so I feel good about that. I'll try to bring it inside a church with some kind of amp and try the sounds "in place" soon!
• The samples capture some of the stereo image of real pipe organs. On most, because of aesthetics, the front pipes are arranged in a symmetrical fashion and the back pipes are increasing/decreasing, but not always in a stereo fashion to the player. The Kawai seemed to simulate the increasing position on the patch I heard it on, but I'll try again tonight.
• Another cool thing I want to try is simulating a crescendo pedal by layering sound and upping the volume of the layers through an expression pedal. Since I don't have one, which one would you recommend?
• I wanted to use the MP6 to play MIDI (and MP3 but that it does very well) backing tracks. If you load a midi file from USB, it seems you can only have 2 tracks. But, if you use the MP6 as a tone generator, you can use 16 tracks and you can record the output AND your playing directly from the MP6 - which can't play a MIDI/MP3 file and record at the same time, at least I don't see how. So this is pretty nice! There are some quirks though :
  • You have to put the "MIDI Receive mode" to "Multi" in the system options. This is indicated in the manual.
  • BUT, the program changes way of working puzzled me. I don't have much experience with MIDI stuff. If I read the manual correctly, there are 2 cases for program changes, which depends on the "Program change mode" being "Panel" or "Multi". There is a Program Change Mode in the options, but the manual states that it's used when _sending_ MIDI program change, and the choices are "Panel/GM" and not "Panel/Multi". I found it all very confusing and spent alot of time fiddling around sending MIDI controls manually. In the end I got around it with the options :
    
    --> Set on the MP6 (SYSTEM) Rcv Mode = Multi
    --> Set on the MP6 (SYSTEM) Prg Mode = Panel
    --> Use the "Program change mode=Panel" in the MIDI program list (section 12.3 in the manual) to determine the CC to send
    --> Send in order :
    ----> Bank MSB (CC0)
    ----> Bank LSB (CC32)
    ----> Program number (minus 1!)
    
    For the Ambience Drumkit you'd send 0-1-124. Programs are numbered 1-128 in the manual but it looks like the Kawai understands 0-127. I edited these in the MIDI file manually in Reaper too, couldn't get my edition of Band in a Box to send the correct program changes. I still need to try out stuff but the order in which you send the program changes may have some impact too...
• 
  
  This still may be a case of me not having enough MIDI experience and not understanding what the manual is saying, but I found it a bit confusing
• On the "ringing" piano sound issue there was a week or so earlier, I think I may be able to hear this. That said, it really feels like it's just a "feature" of the Kawai sounds. They have this metallic ringing quality that is a bit harsher than other brands. I don't dislike it for now, in fact on some stuff I play I find that having that very bright and ringing high-end renders quite well. I'd imagine you could EQ the heck out of that too, I'll have to try It's like on the Vintage D, there's some harsh resonance between the strings of different notes when you go high on the keyboard. It may be sampling errors, but it may just be how the instrument sounds and what makes it special
• The capabilities as a controller are very satisfying. The transport buttons can be sent through and are understood by Reaper through "MMC", which I didn't know about! That's pretty cool Although I think for the sake of simplicity I'll still use my NanoKontrol for that.
• There's another thing about the transport that didn't really register with me in the store, although it's so awesome. You can play WAV/MP3 _and_ you have rewind/forward buttons which are slow enough and accurate. This is so great for transcribing stuff. The rewind thing used to be on cassette players, but now , if at all possible (on my phone I can't...), it's usually too fast, and you have to press a LONG time on "Previous track" to get it. I don't know, it always seemed tedious to me to use that on mp3 players. In fact I used my computer to transcribe, which isn't that user-friendly when you have to be in front of the piano at the same time...
  
  But now, I can just plug in my headphone in and a USB key of my favorite MP3s, play along, pause, rewind, test riffs out directly from the one piece of hardware!! It looks like nothing I know, but the workflow is so slick I find it awesome =) I'm so happy and grateful for that.

If I had some suggestions so far it'd be :

• A clearer manual on the MIDI stuff for newbies like me
• If possible, playing backing tracks (audio) and recording audio at the same time.
• Quicker configuration for the Foot SW pedal. Like, I'd prefer it as a Soft Pedal for piano and triggering the SW button on other stuff, or triggering the effect, but I have to change it alot, can't seem to grasp how to save this setting on each sound
• Maybe make the sustain pedal or Foot SW defaults to Rotary Speed on Drawbar organs?
• Having the Reverb act on all 4 layers? Maybe there's an option for that but I didn't find it. Also, having a very excessive "Cathedral" type reverb. It may be overkill but as a matter of fact I like those on pipe organs. I'll dig deeper tonight!
• On the stereo image thing of pipe organ sounds, it'd be nice to be able to choose which type of image you want, like :
  • Player 1 (Increasing position Left = low keys, Right = high keys)
  • Player 2 (Increasing position Right = low keys, Left = high keys)
  • Player 3 (Chromatically alternating position)
  • Audience (Hardly any stereo image)
• You need the metronome to be on in order to change the beats or rythms it plays. If you're looking for a specific rythm it get annoying. A pause or mute option would be nice if not present already!

Sorry for my English and for the wall of text!

Talaf, it's late here, and I've still got to do the washing-up. I intended to have a quick jam on my Nord for 10 minutes, but that was over two hours ago...)

I'll try to pick-up on some of your queries tomorrow, however I just wanted to point out that a software update for the MP6 is coming soon, and will add some of the features you're interested in.

Cheers,
James
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If you want to transcribe from recordings, give the program Transcribe! a whirl.

http://www.seventhstring.com/

They have a free trial you can download. The features I like so far are the ability to slow things down and to loop small segments that I'm focusing on.

Thanks for the extensive review Talaf!

Yes that's the software I use for transcription. Another nice feature is the spectrogram telling you which note is played in the section for busy lines when you're not too sure. It doesn't do everything for you but it helps!

Still, the ability to be on your instrument and loop/rewind/replay the part you want to transcribe is very comfortable.

Ok I had some fun with the (pipe) organs. The stereo image stuff is (low keys left --> high keys right) and is only on some patches, not every one of them. I could get a fatter sound by applying a light delay to them, which also acts as some kind of over-the-top reverb I also applied a bit more reverb.

Although there's a "Voix Celeste" register, you can get nice results by layering a reed with a chorus effect. Choir with a chorus effect is nice too, although the 5-6-A is only one that wasn't too breathy for me. There's also a celeste effect which by its name should do kind of that stuff but the chorus is prettier

2 layers of Principles (4-3-B) with different octaves, a baroque mix (4-4-D) and a reed (I like 4-5-D) gives you a very nice registration to play with! I like it better than the Ensemble sounds, although I should try them with some reverb and delay too.

Talaf, you might be interested in the following thread from Rafa:

http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1725689

Cheers,
James
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Hello Talaf,

As promised, here are some comments to your initial post.



Correct. Currently the MP6 loads SMF songs from USB into the instrument's song memory. In future it will be be possible to also play 16-track SMF songs directly from USB (e.g. without needing to load them into memory first).



Ah, my apologies, there is a mistake in the owner's manual.
The table in Section 12.3: Sound Program Number List shows an incorrect header.

incorrect: Program change Mode = Multi
correct: Program change Mode = GM



This is standard convention when listing Program Change numbers. Please refer to this explanation on Wikipedia.



The MP10 features an 'Overdub' option to record 'into' an existing MP3/WAV file, however this functionality is currently not supported by the MP6.



Yes, the next software update adds this functionality.



Reverb is applied to all four internal zones (layers).
As stated in the owner's manual on page 27.

Note: REVERB type is common to all internal zones. You cannot select a different type for each zon, but you can individually turn on/off or set different depths for each zone.



I believe adding a pause option could cause a conflict with the recorder's functionality. Fortunately, the next software update allows the metronome settings to be stored to a SETUP/POWERON memory.

I hope this helps. Thanks again for posting your impressions and useful feedback.

Cheers,
James
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Thanks a lot!



I'll try the GM option right now to see how it works. Since this means that this option changes the way the MP6 understands MIDI program changes, you might want to update the manual on section 10.2.9 too ; it states that the option determines the format when "sending" MIDI program change.

When set to GM it works wonderfully except for drums in Band in a box. After digging a bit, it looks like you have to go into Preferences > Channels > Options > Check "Drum bank changes" and everything's a charm. BIAB has the correct bank (MSB 210, LSB 0) but unless this checkbox is on, it doesn't send the CC messages on the drum track. Go figure =)

In fact, when set to GM any other program than BIAB works natively. I could have saved myself and James' some time if I tried before, sorry



That's actually what I meant, because when I want to add depth I have to do so for each layer. In the end since you "stay on the same page" on the screen while switching between the zones, it's not that big a deal though. You doodle the knob 4 times, it's pretty quick.



This could be very nice, you could create backing tracks directly from the instrument.

I checked with one of the MP programmers and it doesn't look like this feature will be coming to the MP6 any time soon, unfortunately.

Cheers,
James
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Too bad, but it's more of a convenience thing anyway. Just played for 3 hours straight, this board is alot of fun =)

Is the "Enhancer" effect a compressor?

I'm not really sure what the enhancer is, but I use it all the time when I play out. It really helps me cut through. I tweak the level depending on the room size and all sorts of other variables. It's one of my favorite knobs. That board is really great.

Hey James, I haven't been here in quite some time and have been out playing and making music for a change, lol. Anyway I have an MP6 (long story of how I went back to having one after a Yamaha CP5, Roland RD700GXF and NX and a CP50) and was wondering if you will be able to use the sliders in tone-wheel registration mode as drawbars in this next update? I know it would only be four at a time, but boy would that feature finally make the tone-wheel registration more realtime friendly! Also to you know if the programers for the MP6 will add any of the "virtual technician" features to the MP6 from the MP10 (or if they even can). I assume that the MP6 sells more units than the MP10 (not trying to put down the MP10, it's a great board..just too heavy) and it's already a a shame that they downgraded some of the piano features (PHI instead of UPHI+ "virtual technician" features) and EP features (1 amp instead of 6) to customers that simply don't feel like carrying around a 70 pound stage piano. Can and will some of the MP10 piano and electric piano features be integrated somehow into the MP6 through an update without having to create an MP7?

Thanks, a lot and sorry for the probing, lol.

That would have saved me a lot of time, heartache and money! Please, Kawai, listen to the many, many potential customers who want the highest possible quality and feature set in a lightweight board!!!

Hey Rhodie73!



Sounds good!



Man, what a merry-go-round, but congrats on getting the MP6!



Yes, this was one of the most heavily requested improvements from MP6 owners, so you will be pleased to note that it's been added to the new software update. As you say, you're restricted to four drawbars at a time, with the cursor showing which group of drawbars are 'active', however it's undoubtedly a big improvement over individual adjustment.



Due to the hardware differences between the MP6 and MP10, I don't know if it would be possible to add new Virtual Technician parameter's to the MP6. Also, it arguably makes sense to reserve certain features for the flagship model - especially given the MP10's emphasis towards acoustic piano simulation.

To return to the MP6 software update, while it has been extensively tested internally and by the folks at Kawai's overseas subsidiaries, the software still has 'beta' status. New features and operation changes (such as the tonewheel drawbar control) mean that certain parts of the owner's manual must also be rewritten (and translated) before the update can become 'official', and pre-loaded onto new instruments at the factory.

I'm obviously working hard to get the documentation updated as soon as possible, to allow the update to be made publicly available online. However, in the meantime, if you wish to try the new MP6 software, please contact your local Kawai subsidiary (i.e. Kawai America, in your case) to receive the update files via email.

Cheers,
James
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Thanks so much James! That's great news and I will be looking forward to the update! Despite my whining about the MP6 and MP10 comparisons, I truly do enjoy playing the MP6 and feel it is an unbelievable value!

What are the tonewheel organs like on the MP6 by the way? Is the Leslie effect any good and can distortion be added?

The tone-wheel organs are pretty good for being a digital piano and not a dedicated clone-wheel. I'd say it is similar to the Roland RD700NX and it's VK series derived tone-wheel organ. And I'm sure that after this update for the MP6, it will function similar to the NX in terms of controlling 4 drawbars at a time and using a button to activate the remaining drawbars. The leslie effect will not blow people out of the water nor be a contender against Neo's Ventilator. However, it get's the job done and you can hear the separation of vamp times between the upper and lower rotors. It's not too bad though! If you are using Zone 1 on the MP6 you can have the amp simulator activated that will allow you to add warmth and distort the sound if desired. I'm just looking forward to this update so the sliders can finally be used as mock drawbars.

You can have an amp and another effect on zone 1?

Yep

OK saw it, and then I was "OK cool so I'll just use the -Assign- stuff for playing with the amp parameters", but Kawai was one step ahead it seems =)