Hi all, first I'd like to thank everyone who posts to these forums. I've been reading them for a few weeks and find them incredibly helpful.

I'd like to get a digital piano. I think I'd like to pipe it through my computer so I can change the sound, because I'm a computer geek and already have a computer capable of it. But also I'd prefer a digital piano that looks like a piano, simply for aesthetic reasons.

In my area I've looked at a Yamaha YDP-223 and Nocturne, and the Kawai CA series. Can I use one of these as both speakers and a controller, and have the computer generate the sound?

It seems like this should be possible, but I notice that many of these have multiple speakers, and perhaps the speakers and sound of these pianos was designed as a unit, so it might sound weird to pipe in a different sound from a computer. Also it seems more people on the forum either use a stage piano+speakers+computer, or use a full
digital piano with no computer.

Also, if this setup makes sense, does the piano matter much (given the same action)? Would there be any difference between a CA-51 and a CA-91?

Thanks very much!

Hello GreyL, and welcome to the forum

It doesn't matter at all whether you get a CA51 or a CA91 if the wooden action and console look is all you need. But if you are also relying on the Kawai to amplify your computer-generated (through Ivory or Pianoteq or whatever) piano sounds, then there will be a huge difference between the two, as the CA91 not only has far more powerful amps, it also has a real, resounding wooden soundboard. That will put the CA51 to great shame, believe me. If you want to keep your investment reasonable, I would advise you to get the MP8 (...though it isn't a console) and a pair of top-notch studio monitors, as this will run circles around anything else on the market. OR get a CA51 with a pair of monitors, as you should not expect the 51 alone to do justice to your software samples. Last, I frankly do not know whether the CA91, with its built-in amps and soundboard, would sound better than an MP8 or a CA51 with a pair of good powered monitors. Tests and trials have to be conducted, here.

Hope this helps somewhat rather than cause more confusion...

Regards,

Claude

This is very possible. A friend has a Yamaha 223 with audio OUT going to his PC for recording, as well as MIDI OUT going to a Fantom XR rack mount (which can then be used to record, or the THRU on that can be used, and PC based synths can be used with no wire-swapping).

I know the 223 has a switch that shuts the speakers off. I assume that the Kawai will have a similiar setup.

As Bachmaniac points out, you may want to look at the Kawai MP8, because this will give you pitch / mod wheels, which you may want to use with non-piano synths. (Garritan Personal Orchestra, for example, uses a mod wheel for the attack on violin samples). Built in speakers are nice and all, and convienent for practice, but if PC based recording is what you're doing, they're kind of pointless.

I run an M-Audio 88 key midi controller + Ivory (and a ton of other non-piano software synths) through a set of Mackie HR824's... and aside from the cheesey action on the keyboard, I really don't have much in the way of complaints. And as bad as the action is, I'm so used to it that I really don't think about it at my skill level. Better action for me is not going to make my hands more dexterous or accurate, for example.

So really... you have the option to go with a wood key controller, but you will inadvertently pay for other bells and whistles that you don't need or want, especially once you get into the more grand-styled DPs.

I just ordered a CA-51 because I liked the action better than the other brands. I wanted to try a CA-91, but I couldn't find one in my area.

This forum is great, thanks for the responses!