Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Kawai VPC1: a 3D model for any DIY purposes

Hello VPC1 enthusiasts,

I would like to share with you a 3D model of the VPC1 for any DIY projects like flattening the top of the board for a laptop, designing a wood cabinet or an alternative music rest, or whatever you want.

I made the model using the free and easy to use SketchUp software.

The model can be downloaded from the SketchUp 3D warehouse here.





Have fun !

David-san

Great job David!

May I ask, how did you go about measuring all the dimensions?

Ah, I see you own a VPC1. Naruhodo!

Would you have any objections to my posting information about this 3D model on the VPC facebook page?

Cheers,
James
x

Thank you James!

Yes I own a VPC1 and love it exactly like it is (except that I would like to have some minor changes in the firmware that would make my life easier). And yes, feel free to share my model on the VPC Facebook. I am not a Facebook user so I won't come to see ;-)

David

Many thanks David!

Which changes would you like to see in the firmware, just out of interest?
Please understand that I cannot promise that they will be implemented, but I can at least propose them to the development team.

Cheers,
James
x

@James,
You ask me to do something that I dislike, i.e. to answer to a question that is not related to the topic. So I hope that nobody will go on discussing my very good proposition ;-) or we will have to start an appropriate topic for this.

I want a virtual piano that works like a basic EP, such that my children can start it and stop it by pushing the computer on/off button. My virtual piano rig is composed of a VPC1 connected via USB to a NUC computer hosting Ivory Cantabile and the Ivory II American Concert D VST. I don't want to use a screen, a keyboard or a mouse as I don't need it to play piano. This works fine, but the VPC1 is not powered on automatically, so that I need to push the ON/OFF button of the VPC1 each time I start the piano, which is not a big deal. Unfortunately, the Ivory curve I use, is not stored when the VPC1 is not powered, and it is quite easy to power the VPC1 off when doing the trick to change the response curve. Whatever, if for any reason the ON/OFF button of the VPC1 is used to power the unit off, then Ivory Cantabile loses the USB connection and there is no way to recover it without a screen and a mouse (or a MIDI SysEx that I cannot send through the lost USB connection). It is possible to circumvent this issue using the VPC1 MIDI connection rather than the USB, but well, I have personally many reason to use the USB of the VPC1. So I propose, the following firmware change to solve this issue :

- add a "slave power on" mode for which the VPC1 is powered on and starts automatically when powered from a USB connection, and never stops until the unit is no more USB powered (I would add the possibility to still be able to power the unit off using the button, but only after pushing the button say at least 10s) => this "slave power on" mode could be set or unset from the MAC/PC VPC1 Editor.

Do you think you could make me happy ?

@all others

AND NOW, TADAAA... as an apology for those who can not bear this short digression and to show them that this post is related to the subject of this topic, here is an example of using the 3D model to design some custom wedges in order to flatten the top of the VPC1 for a laptop or anything else.







And please Mr. Kawai don't flatten my VPC1 I like it curved!

Have fun,

David

Oooh - we may need to badger you to offer those wedges for sale - I like'em!

Hello David,



I'm not sure I understand this point. The VPC1 should automatically recall the previously selected preset memory when turned on. So if you select memory 2 on the VPC1, then turn the controller off, memory 2 should be recalled when the VPC1 is powered on. If you are using a customised touch curve, you may need to double-check that it is assigned to one of the VPC1's preset memories.



How about disconnecting the reconnecting the USB cable? Perhaps this will be sufficient to force Windows to rescan the USB bus, and re-establish the connection in Cantabile.



That's an interesting idea, and certainly worth suggesting to the VPC team. However, again, I cannot promise that it will be implemented with a future firmware update, nor am I absolutely sure if will solve the problem of Windows requiring a refresh of the USB bus to recognise the VPC1.



Wow, very nice!
I like the little piano playing character sitting in the middle of the VPC1 too.

Cheers,
James
x

How many pallet do you need ?


No it is not recalled when the VPC1 is no more connected to a power outlet or a powered USB. Then memory 1 is recalled. In my situation perhaps I could store a copy of the Ivory curve in memory one...


Don't look at my photos with the laptop. In my piano rig all cables, PC and audio interface are supposed to be hidden under the VPC1. Thus it is not easy to disconnect and reconnect an USB cable. However, this doesn't solve the issue, because there is no message sent from Windows to an application to say "an USB peripheral" was reconnected. Each application has to poll continuously the USB connection, which is not very efficient. In Cantabile developers fight against latency and don't want to lose time polling the USB. So, if for any reason the USB connection is lost you have to restart the audio engine of Cantabile, which implies that you need a screen and a mouse. As I have no screen and keyboard, if this happen, I have to reboot my computer.


There is no reason for refreshing the USB when the connection is not broken, which is always the case if the VPC1 is not powered off. If something goes really wrong you can still power off the VPC1 by pushing 10s the ON/OFF button and rebooting the computer.

If Japanese engineers are like French engineers, they have to think that the idea comes from them.


No, "very nice" is when the top of the VPC1 is clean, without computer, but of course with my little jazz man character playing on it.

Hello David,

For reference, do you know of any other keyboard controllers that behave in this way?

I'm still not sure what you're requesting is possible. Even if the VPC1 was to power-on automatically when the PC's power is turned on (from sleep mode?), I'm not sure this necessarily guarantees that the USB connection will remain established in Cantabile.

Kind regards,
James
x

Hello James,

I have no experience of another USB equipped master keyboard, but I tested an audio interface without ON/OFF switch that behaves like this.

1) it is important to power on and start the VPC1 before the computer boots and starts Cantabile (about 15s with my computer, while the VPC1 seem to be instantly on when pushing the ON button)

2) it is important not to be able to power off the VPC1 when the USB is active, i.e. connected to the computer (at least not easily, that's why I propose to hold the ON/OFF button about at least 10s)

If
- the VPC1 USB is connected to the computer and never disconnected
- the VPC1 is powered on and starts before the computer starts Cantabile
- the VPC1 cannot be powered off anymore when using USB

then there are no reasons that Cantabile looses the USB connection, at least it never happened with my piano rig. If it would happen because of a software bug, then it would still be possible to reboot the computer.

Lots of software "loses sight" of a MIDI device when that device becomes unavailable. Example: Bomes MIDI Translator. But other software does not. Example: Kontakt. Them's the breaks.You could do away with the VPC velocity curve, and, in its place run a program called "Velocity Curve" on the PC. It will always remember your velocity curve. And it never "loses sight" of your MIDI device.

@MacMacMac
Thank you for the tip of using the "Velocity Curve" software, it is also possible to change the curve in Cantabile, but the Ivory curve of the VPC1 is OK for me and I have no idea of how I could copy it from the VPC1 to another software...

But to tell the truth, my central issue is really the lost of the USB MIDI connection.

Seems to me Kawai have used a common ploy with the curved upper surface, in order to deter the placing of beer glasses (empty or otherwise) or cigarettes (lit or otherwise). This concurs with current car manufacturing trends.
Better still to have curved it towards the back rather than the front. . . .

The option I use with my VPC1 and computer is to leave them both on all the time, except that the computer can go into S3 sleep. The options in the computer allow keeping the USB port powered during sleep, so VPC never turns off. However, I am using the regular midi input, with the USB only used to power the VPC; I don't know if a USB midi connection would be maintained during sleep, even with power maintained on the port.

The power drain of the sleeping computer and the powered-up VPC are so small that there's little economy in turning them completely off, especially when you consider the advantage of being able to play a few seconds after waking the computer with no further action.

By the way, the VPC1 will turn on to the last chosen touch curve. I know this because I've set it up to use curve 3, just because I'd rather have the pilot light normally be green rather than red, orange, or blinking.

If that's the case, they're copying the idea from Fender Rhodes whose pianos were always curved-topped until the later (less classic) designs.

I used to balance a synthesiser on top of the Rhodes but the weight would interfere with some of the bass note's vibrations. It was a common sense trade off of the sort one used to have to make in those days.

Ciggies and pints would go on the side pieces at either end of the keyboard. There are still incriminating marks at the bass end.

@peterws
The VPC1 is only partially curved, so that you can easily put your bier or coffee mug on the flat part of the top. You can even secure it using magnet strip.

@joflah
I you use the regular MIDI connector of the VPC1, you can power it on and off again without any problem. The MIDI standard requires the use of a galvanic isolation based on the use of an optocoupler, it is thus not possible to detect if the MIDI connector is connected to the VPC1 or not, i.e. it doesn't change anything if you disconnect or reconnect it. However, if you disconnect the USB side of your MIDI adapter from the computer, you will be face to the same problem I have, at least using Cantabile.

If the VPC1 is off, but still powered, than it keeps the last chosen touch curve, it is not powered it is lost.

In my situation, if I forget to start the VPC1 when starting the computer, I will have to reboot. I power off the VPC1 inadvertently, for instance when changing the curve, or if my son do it because it is fun to press the funny colored button, I will have to reboot. If you have no problem using a USB to MIDI adapter, it because there is no ON/OFF button on it

One point which I have verified twice today - my VPC1 does indeed return to the previously selected touch curve when powering up, even when connected and powered only through USB.


(I don't use an adapter, but midi directly into the sound card, but that's just by the way.)
I have just now verified (for my system, but using only USB to both connect and power the VPC1), that the only thing I need to do after disconnecting and reconnecting the USB cable to the VPC1, is to turn on the VPC1, and to stop and restart Midi-ox, the program that I use to connect the midi input to the music programs I use. No computer re-boot is needed.

My system is an older Windows XPSP3 PC.

In any case, what about just leaving stuff on and letting the computer take a nap, as I suggested?

@joflah
Remember that I have no screen, no mouse and no keyboard connected to my computer, I use it like a virtual piano expander. The only possibility I have to act on my computer is then to turn it on or off. That's why I need to reboot if I need to reinitialize my setup.

I have NO problem in a normal situation, my only problem is that there is an ON/OFF button on the VPC1. It wouldn't change anything to keep my piano rig powered, if the VPC1 goes off because my son pushed the OFF button, I have to reboot.

Could you maybe just put a piece of tape over the power switch?

@lolatu
And how would I start the VPC1 or change the touch curve if I put a piece of tape on the button ? (FYI when not playing, the VPC1 goes off automatically after 120min)