Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Some questions regarding the Kawai MP11

Hey guys!

So I have recently decided that it is time to get myself a professional keyboard, and I have decided upon the Kawai MP11, due to the fact that I will be heavily using it to record in a studio setting with the occasional gigging on the side (I have a crew, so weight wasn't an obstacle for me). I am getting all set to buy, but I have a few questions I would like answered first, and I figured you all would be the best people to answer them for me! Please bear with me if a few of the questions are "amateurish," as I am newer to the keyboarding scene (I work with pianos 99% of the time).

• I am a fairly intense piano player (heavy on the touch) when I am playing. With actual pianos this has been no problem, but I was wondering if the MP11 would suffer pretty quickly from this kind of usage. Reviews say it is built like a tank, but I don't know if they are referred to the strength of the keys or how well the key mechanisms will hold up. I have an old Kawai ES1 that I have used for years for just practice, and it has suffered from this a bit (the keys have sunk down a bit where I have playing them more often).
• As this keyboard does not come with its own built in speakers, what do you guys recommend I use instead? As I am spending so much on the MP11, I would really like to keep the price <$200. I don't think I really want monitors, as I am playing it for a small room and not just myself, and I don't need big speakers for gigs, as I already have those. I was thinking about installing some sort of surround sound system, but I don't know which one would be best suited for this. In many respects, this is the biggest question I have regarding this keyboard.
• Is there any nice wooden stand for the MP11 (sort of like what the ES8 has)? While I don't dislike the MP11's stand, I would like something a little classier if I am going to make it the centerpiece of my room. I have considered just making one myself in the style of the ES8's, but I was wondering if something like that already exists.

Thanks for your time guys! I hope that you don't find my questions too simplistic. :p Also, shout-out to PianoManChuck for the great videos he makes that helped me come to the conclusion that the MP11 was the keyboard for me!

Hi there,
Regarding amplification, what do you already have? IMHO a home stereo system can work better than a "keyboard amp". If you don't want to use your big speakers, a pair of small powered speakers or some kind of mini P.A. should work well.

Well, the keys themselves are constructed in a manner more similar to a real piano than most digital pianos. Real wood black and white keys, pivoting on a balance rail with metal pins and felt bushings. There are felts/foam to cushion the action, and these may or may not be as similar to what is in an acoustic, but that'll be the same for any other DP you're looking at. So I really wouldn't worry about sturdiness, it's really, really solid, and there's no creaking or bending of any kind.



While I don't really advocate this approach, I pretty much did the same thing. I spent $200 on headphones, and <$200 for a pair of 5" monitors. The headphones are sublime, they're amazing for digital piano output, both for the MP11's onboard sound and for the VST I now use. The monitors have been turned on a total of maybe 30 minutes in the time I've owned the piano, but then again I almost never practice "out loud" and rarely perform.



I don't think there's a stand at all, let alone a wooden one. But there are no complex interlocking mechanisms or joinery required for an MP11, it will just sit atop a wooden frame, so if you're set on a nice looking wooden stand, I think you can buy/build one pretty easily.

Hello John, welcome to the forum!



I believe the MP11's wooden key action will hold up fine. There are many users of older wooden-key MP boards (dating back to the first MP9000) that still play the action daily - some owners clean and service the action themselves, and maintain that the keys feel just as good as they did when the instrument was new.

That being said, plastic key actions can also withstand a fair amount of playing, especially the more recent actions have structural reinforcements to ensure the keybed remain rigid. However, please bear in mind that your ES1 is getting on for almost 17 years old, so it's not surprising that the felt and cushioning material beneath the more frequently played keys has compressed over the years, especially if the instrument has never been serviced during this time.



I'm not overly knowledgeable when it comes to speakers and sound reinforcement, so will defer to a fellow PW member on that particular question. However, I expect the general consensus will be that $200 for a speaker configuration (at least stereo) may not be sufficient to really get the most out of the MP11. As Bourniplus notes, it could be that your existing speakers may be suitable for this task...even if they may not match the appearance of the room.



Unfortunately, Kawai does not produce a dedicated furniture stand for the MP11 (nor the MP7 or VPC1) in the manner of the ES8/ES110. A similar topic was recently raised by madshi in relation to the VPC1 earlier in the week. As you will see from that thread, some MP/VPC customers have crafted their own furniture stands to allow the instrument to be used in their living room. I accept that this is not for everyone, but it may be one option to explore if you're skilled with wood.

I hope this helps!

Kind regards,
James
x

After two year using this piano I'm really happy with it and Kawai support is fantastic. I'd not discuss on sound or features, but I can tell you that unless you do not care about the sound it is a mistake to put a low end amplifier on it. Budget $1K/channel. A weak point on this keyboard is the keytop wear. Whatever material it is used is not as wear resistant as i.e. ivory. Hopefully they can improve this point on next revs.

Thanks for all your quick responses guys! I think what I will end up doing is hooking it up to my room's surround sound system (not top of the line, but not dirt cheap either). My guess is that this should at least give me a relatively decent sound. I will also definitely be using a nice pair of headphones (I have quite a few of these, so this shouldn't be a problem). I just like to play "vanilla" whenever possible (as in I don't generally feel as comfortable playing when I am wearing headphones ).

Amen!

Definitely try out what you have already for a sound system. Most of the time people who say you should spend $1000 are ones that did. Not saying it doesn't help the sound at all, but not everyone is as finicky to notice the difference. I have a pair of JBL LSR 305's that really do the trick for me. You can get them for around $300/pair, and they're small enough to not be obtrusive in your home decor.

So try out what you have, and if you don't like it you can always upgrade. At that point you may have a better idea of what you need for your space.

Regarding intense playing, I'm confident the MP11 will hold up. I've not noticed any degradation of the action since I purchased mine 3+ years ago.

For a stand, if you're handy you can build your own - I hope to someday. I do with there was one that Kawai made, but I understand why they wouldn't make one since it's intended as a stage instrument.

I have my JBL308 to sell as new. I tried it and did not compare with the Bose L1 compact I finally got. So let me know if you are interested on buying it. Before that I had some Makies and they were walkie talkie type of quality. So I did my homework, but everyone has their own taste.

Plenty of monitors that fit within your desired price range. Just make sure to get the right ones for your room and find an ideal position between the speakers and yourself. I had a pair of Behringer B2031A's and recently got a pair of Mackie HR824 MKI's that are simply amazing.

+1 for buying good headphones, like Sennheiser HD600. Cheap monitors won't match good headphones.

Among monitors I really liked Mackie MR8 mk3 (Mackie HR824 would be even better, but they are extremely expensive).

Hi,

"For a stand, if you're handy you can build your own"

For those not handy what are the options buying stand for MP11? Are there wooden stands for other pianos that would work? Currently deciding between stage and cabinet style piano - I have my own speakers/hi fi to plug into but would also want a stable base.

Thanks

You could find somebody handy. There are carpenters and handymen out there who could do this. I'm not a carpenter and I could make a wooden stand no problem. A real carpenter would whip it up very easily. Just ask until you find somebody interested in doing it. I doubt it will cost you the earth, but you'll have to design it and convey exactly what you want it to do.