Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Kawai ES7 user thread

Apologies for misleading you all. The ES7 does in fact hold the individual piano settings even when local control is off, so I can keep the touch and bass light/treble heavy settings etc. However, it doesn't resolve the recording issue: at present the usb recording produces absolutely zero when using the s/w piano, whether local control is on or off. Not sure if this is an escalation of my usb problem, which Kawai are investigating. Briefly, pops and drop outs at random, having tried 3 different memory sticks, when recording the ES7 native sounds. I have in the past recorded from the Pianoteq demo to the ES7 usb, so recording from a s/w piano worked then. Anyone got any thoughts why the Italian sound doesn't get picked up via usb?

I have just been playing around more with the Italian and becoming more pleased with it, although adding some ES7 input improves matters. It is unfortunate that the difference between the sound from the ES7 speakers and headphones is so different for the Italian. (Less so with ES7 sounds) However, there is no reason why I should not have one version of the Italian for public use and another for use with headphones. Next performance is the end of September, so I've got time.

My mixer has a USB audio output connector on it and I plug that into the computer via USB port. The cable for this came with the mixer, I think. When I bring up Audacity, I can set the input channel to that port. It is very intuitive and simple.

To clarify, the ES7 has two USB ports:

1) USB to Host: This is used to connect the instrument to a computer in order to send/receive MIDI data, offering a more convenient alternative to the traditional MIDI IN/OUT cables.

2) USB to Device: This is used to load/save song data, settings, etc. and to play/record MP3, WAV, and SMF files.

Please note that it is not possible for the sound produced by your computer to be recorded by the ES7's 'USB to Device' port - regardless of the software used.

Some Kawai models (MP10, CA95) allow audio connected to the instrument's LINE-IN jacks to be mixed with the internal sound and recorded to an MP3/WAV file using the USB audio recorder, however the ES7 does not offer this functionality.

Kind regards,
James
x

Thank you for clarifying that James. Yesterday I thought I had cracked it: recording to internal memory and then transferring the blended sound to usb. Re-testing today, using s/w piano and slow strings and transferring this to usb - to WAV format - only the slow strings sound was copied.

*!**@*%!!!!!!

Thanks also Don for the info re a mixer. I have also an alternative method, using my old minidisc deck which has near-cd recording capabilities, but the deck will not last for ever and there's another step in converting the audio to digital - another little box I have - before final editing in Audacity. I was hoping to avoid having anything other than keyboard and computer to record s/w piano or a blend of s/w piano and ES7.

Ah well, back to the learning curve.

AMAC 2013 Kawai ES7 - Greg Coffin

Do you have to have an "odd" hair style to lend credibility to your review ?

Or ... did he just get out of bed ?

Thanks for posting the video Marko!



"Different strokes for different folks", man.



James
x

I am reviving this thread because I just found a sound that is particularly pleasing to me and thought others might benefit from the same concept.

Even though I have fairly high quality powered monitors, I have not been completely satisfied with the sound I get through them. Nothing I can really put my finger on but the sound always seems to need and little extra bite here and there that is missing. So, usually blend the sound of my ES7 built-in speakers with that sound.

Just lately, I thought I would try taking the sound I get through my mixer and run it back through my ES7 and ... VIOLA !!!! ... it sounds very good.

So, now I am running my ES7 into my mixer via my lineouts and then running it back into my ES7 via the stereo line-in port and I leave my volume completely off on my ES7 so I am getting no native ES7 sound at all through my ES7 speakers.

It sounds pretty good.

Will it last ? Who knows.

But, for now ... it is very nice.

Hi Don,
your post looks very interesting but also very confusing for me. Could you be so kind and explain me a little bit more details? I just got that ES7 produces piano sound and you send it to your mixer using line-outs. I assume this is separate hardware box, does it also provide its own amplifier? Then you send signal from the mixer back into the ES7 line-in. Now major confusion starts, you set volume on ES7 off, which means probably it's own amplifier is off too and later you write that you don't get any "native" ES7 sound from ES7 speakers. So, do you get any sound from ES-built in speakers or not? If not, then why you do connect mixer into ES7 line-in at all? Also what exactly is producing the sound (what speakers exactly, ES7's or your monitors'). What amplifier exactly is used in the chain? (again ES7's or mixer's)
Sorry for asking, I'm just about to purchase ES7 next year when it becomes available here so I'm curious if you for example find ES7's pre-amplifier or even amplifier a little bit on the weak side hence my exact question what's connected to what...
Thanks!
Karel

Sorry 'bout that.


Let me be more detailed ...


I hook into my mixer from the ES7 via lineouts (left and right).
The mixer has a volume control on it so I can raise or lower the volume of the signal that gets sent back out. The mixer also allows me to filter out portions (highs or lows) of the sound to my liking.

Then I run that sound back out of the mixer and into my ES7 via the audio In (Stereo) plug.

It then is heard through the speakers on the ES7. That is pretty much it.

I mentioned the part about lowering the volume control on the ES7 because that is what determines the volume of native ES7 sound that gets sent to the speaker system. I do not want any of that sound, so I set the volume to zero. That way, the only sound going out the ES7 speakers is the sound from the mixer.

Still probably a little confusing but after you get you ES7 it might make more sense to you.

Let me see if I have this straight:

1) volume control on ES7 does not affect valume of line-in
2) amplifier/eq you have outside ES7 is somehow better than what is inside ES7
3) you don't use your monitors anymore

Is that correct?. 2) is interesting because people often say that whatever they plug to line-in of their DP sounds worse through DP's speakers (than headphones, other speakers), because it bypasses the internal EQ, which is fine-tuned to deal with the internal speakers' characteristics. What you observe is exactly the opposite.

Right on all counts.

Weird isn't it ?

And more good news ... the sound I hear through my phones connected to the mixer is the same sound I hear through the air via my ES7 speakers. It doesn't get any better than that.

I also have the option of using a software piano sound (via midi connection) running back through my mixer and out through my ES7 speakers. Those sounds, however, are not as pristine as the natural ES7 Concert Grand sound I am getting now.

However, it has also been my experience that the sound I "love" today may not stay in that category forever. But for right now, it is my go-to setup.

Go figure ...

@Don

I just tried your setup this morning via my 802-VLZ3. Wow, sounds so good via internal speakers. Great suggestion! So easy too -not sure why I haven't tried this before. Just have to be a little careful with mixer - don't want to overload speakers. Also, agree with you 100% when you say "....it has also been my experience that the sound I "love" today may not stay in that category forever" Im always making adjustments with the near endless options on the ES7. Keeps it fun and interesting.

Thanks, Marko

That is good to hear.

I sometimes get the sense that what I like is somehow not normal. LOL ...

Well, by looking at your current system it seems like you can easily step outside of normal! Nevertheless, I try to follow your posts and find you to be very insightful - whether posts are normal or not is to be determined

Ah! Now I got it, that means that ES7 does two things at once:
- it send signal both to linouts and to internal amplifier + speakers
- it receives signal from line-in and mix it with internal signal and sent it to either final amplifier and speakers or just to the speakers.
So basically by turning volume down you do exactly what you like, i.e. hearing sound produced by your external mixer/amplifier.
So good that you enjoy builtin sounds (concert grand) again!
Thanks for clarification!
Karel

So what would be the conclusion to draw from your findings - that ES7 has good speakers but less good amplifier/EQ?

I would say it says nothing about amplifier. The only reason amplifier was even mentioned was because I turned it down to eliminate the native ES7 sound being directed to the built-in speakers.

The mixer certainly has more possibilities for modifying the sound than does the ES7. At least, that has been my experience.

I thought that maybe since both you and Marko bypassed the internal amplifier and used an external one (both of you different), it might mean that the internal amp/eq combo is to blame. But you are right that this says nothing about the amp alone.

I might add, I think it says volumes (pun intended) about the speakers on the ES7. They are very good.

Of course, another element to all of this is the fact that the sound is coming out of the top of the digital piano instead of wherever one might set the external speakers. There is something more pleasing to having the sound coming right from the instrument you are playing. At least, that is how I feel.