Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Kawai announces Concert Artist CA99 and CA79 digital pianos

Does the NV5 also have the diffuser panels like these new CA's?

I seek a short summary of the criticisms.

From what I have read here it is mostly a 'spongyness' and durability issues.

Criticisms of older GF keyboards

Gaps between keys not consistent
The PFE tape on the far end of the key 'creeps' sideways
The felt underneath the front of a key when it bottoms is 'spongie'
Splinters of wood supposedly causing a small noise or click against a neighbor key
...(I personally do not accept that is the case all the time. It would take a fairly large splinter.)

These are what I remember ...

Ill add my criticism so maybe Kawai can fix that in GFIIII

- There is no real let-off, so the hammer weight stays on the key at all times, while in an acoustic, it does not.


It's 2020, and I say dp actions other than the hybrids should start incorporating some kind of real let-off mechanism by now. Let's stop faking it.

It took two days for the news to reach me, but it looks like Kawai just announced my next piano. Great! Can't wait for it to show up here so that I can test play! Makes my day!

Sponginess sounds vague to me, it suggests a wet sponge, sluggish and heavy more heavy. Not light and fast. I think of the Roland FP30 and FP 10 when I think spongy action.

To me it was soft bottom but the keys were not sluggish. With my arthritis I liked the action, as I liked the action of the Roland with PHA-50 action . This is where I agree with MacMacMac that you need to try out the pianos for yourself.

I have been so set on the NV5 but the CA99 does look very nice. Will have to wait and see how good the new action is and also if there might be a possibility for a FW update for the new and improved UI for the NV5.

Probably won’t buy anything for a year so no rush

The large dp shops in Germany state availability from February and March for the PE version. So it looks like we should have first witness reports from next month (except from NAMM, of course, I guess Pianoman Chuck will get to it and Bonners already did).

Why would one want a hard bottom in the keybed? Cushioned with felt seems ideal.

Some thought the GFII action was too cushioned. Several years ago folks were complaining about Roland PHA-III action I believe being to hard/abrupt. These actions are very subjective and I think hard to pin down the right word/vocabulary to use. You really have to try out the actions for yourself. I wanted to like the Yamaha CLP645 but the action is not for me. Might be for you.

This is all well and good, but what I really want to know is when the GFIII will show up in a VPC2 and MP12...

@Tom Fort I think that would be great to have the MP12 get GFIII keyboard. Lets start a pool. Now the VPC2 I don't think it would get the new keybed as the VPC1 didn't have Grand Feel keybed.

Well, both need some level of redesign to fit the GF3, so in that sense both are candidates. But I suspect if it comes to it, James will come in to throw some cold water on the sentiment (especially for the VPC1).

The GFII wouldn't fit in the MP11, which is why it still has the GF. IIRC, the VPC was built using the MP10 case, so that limited it from even getting the GF.

I'm afraid what is going to happen is that the VPC2 will stay smaller in size and get the GF-C action, while the MP11SE will have its case redesigned to fit the GFIII. Why Kawai chooses to make their very best, most piano-like controller and not use their best action in it is beyond me.

GF and GF II are quite similar (taken from CA48 post)

VPC2? Was there an announcement at NAMM?

Yes, quite similar, nearly the same. I think I remember Kawai James saying something about the new hammer shape on the GFII would hit the top of the MP11 case, so they had to keep the GF. Maybe KJ will remind us.

And 3Mac- KJ has hinted in the past that the VPC1’s successor was being developed. No news on when it might actually be released.

I decided to try and add GFIII to that image since i felt it was missing it