Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards KAWAI MP7 THREAD

Put my vote in for an external 'brick' that converts AC power over to 12 Volts DC or whatever DC voltage. Several advantages to that: 1) The main slab unit weighs less, 2) no internal hum, 3) a broken adapter can easily be replaced with a multitude of 'universal power adapters' that you can find at electronics stores, and 4) portable DC power supplies can take the place of the 'brick' and an AC outlet!

I have a Casio Privia PX-350 (88-key w/ built-in amp/speakers) that uses one of those 'brick' transformers / AC/DC converter. I was able to replace that alltogether with a portable DC power supply (not much bigger than a couple of packs of cigarettes), making my PX-350 a completely portable unit that I can play anywhere in the world (forest, beach, mountain, etc) without having to worry about having an AC outlet.

If the MP7 / MP11 had one of those 'bricks' instead of its built-in transformer, that portable DC power adapter along with a Roland KC-110 (battery operated pro keyboard amp) would give you a battery-operated portable rig that can be played anywhere in the world (no AC needed)!

And also... the VPC1 has the option of running on the power supplied by a USB cable hooked in to a computer. Why not offer the same option with the MP7 ?? I realize there's more going on with the MP7 than the VPC1 (ie: Screen that needs to operate, etc)... but I have other products (screen and all) that DO operate off the power from a USB cable hooked in to a computer.

Its too late for the MP7 / MP11, but just a suggestion for its successor model(s).

Chuck - That's great idea, although I imagine you're quite right that, for now, the die is cast for the existing MP models.

BTW, I've enjoyed your online reviews quite a bit, and I agree that the Casio PX-5S is a killer keyboard/controller (hiding in a sweetly innocent looking white plastic shell).

But since this is an MP7 thread, I'll confess that my PX-5S is now sitting comfortably in its box (through NO fault of its own!) and I'm beginning to think perhaps I need to sell it so it doesn't get jealous of all the attention my Kawai MP7 is enjoying.

-OneWatt

My reasoning is for a self-contained unit.
A simple power cable is easily replaced, to find an external power adapter with the matching specifications requires more effort. No extra tings are lying on the floor.

Back to origin of the humming transformer discussion:
There is absolutely no justification use a cheap transformer prone to humming with a musical instrument, neither inside nor external. A quality transformer would not cost significantly more.

One of the reasons I bought the MP7 is that it has an internal transformer and a standard three-pin socket and cord. Most external adapters have flimsy cables and connectors, and are more prone to damage; frequently, they also have proprietary or unusual DC plugs. The internal system allows for a more robust connection and easy replacement should there be an issue with the power cord.

As for the hum, yes it's there but it's very low level. It's a non-issue in a stage context, but I agree that a higher specced transformer that also allows for multiple voltages should have been installed. Kawai comes across as somewhat "old-school" in their approach to things, which can sometimes be frustrating, but is also a blessing when tried and tested components and procedures are retained - especially if there is no reason to ditch them.

OTOH, that's also one of the reasons you're looking to sell it before moving to Europe! Always pros and cons...

So many devices I have seen that have a litte switch to accomodate for different voltage systems.
We are discussing a 2000 USD device here, after all.

Another kind of "region lock" in hardware, like Samsung forced it on their mobile phones by a firmware update.

Well, it's a $1799 device, that many people feel competes well against $2k+ devices from Yamaha and Roland. If they have to cut some costs to be able to do that, this is a perfectly reasonable place to save a coupla' bucks. It doesn't affect sound or feel, and the percentage of U.S. purchasers who will ever have to run their MP7 on another voltage is probably infinitesimal.

Kawai should be employing switch mode power supplies that take any AC mains voltage you throw at them. But I suppose these are DPs we're talking about, so you have to set your watch back at least 10 years when opening one up.

Huge buzzing iron core transformers are less flexible, less efficient, less environmental, more expensive, and much heavier than modern solutions.

True - in fact it's really the only reason (hence my request for multi-voltage power supplies). Despite my rather peculiar circumstances, I'd still rather buy a main board with a built-in transformer.

My MP7 finally arrived after a 3 month wait, and I picked it up from the store today (Fri 13/2/2015). Very pleased.

Congratulations ... hopefully you'll agree it was worth the wait. Enjoy!

Thanks One Watt.

Without wanting to sound over-dramatic, whilst I was certainly very glad to finally be able to buy my own MP7 after a 3 month wait, when I took it out of its box on Sunday 15/2/2015, I firstly checked every key with the sound off. D# no:3 and the F# no:5 both made an audible clicking noise when returning to their up position. All the other keys were fine.

I will ask Kawai Australia what is the best thing to do under the circumstances. Other than that niggle, it plays and sounds very nice.

Regards,

Alan

Alan -

Not over-dramatic ... Sorry to hear you've got this frustration with your MP7.

You left me wondering, so I just went through all 88 keys on my unit with the power off and, lo' and behold, just a few keys do make a bit more keybed noise than others. Of course it's a matter of degree, and I've never even noticed before - so it's clearly not loud or distracting enough to get in the way of functional playability or enjoyment.

It's hard to compare sPl db of key noise - since the sound level experience depends how quiet the room is, music volume, headphones vs speakers, etc. - but is this noise you're hearing extreme? Perhaps more telling: is the travel range of these specifically affected keys noticeably different (which might suggest some noise-dampening padding was misapplied)?

FWIW, opening the MP7 can be a real "bear" from what I've seen of the service manual, and so adding your own home-brew felt padding to those specific keys might be possible but I wouldn't be overly eager to try that unless I was strongly motivated.

- OneWatt

My MP7 started also to emit some distracting clicking noise on many keys now, clearly audible while playing p, after not even 6 months of practice.
It seems to worsen slowly, therefore IMO it would be good to sort this out while the short warranty lasts.

Concerning this I have an inquiry open with European Support since 3(!) weeks, and no answer yet.
European Support in Germany seems to be very, very busy. Seems I need to produce another video to get their attention again.

BTW, at my recent visit at the contracting service technician's basement workshop, the technician appeared to have strict orders not to do anything else than the granted repair of the modulation wheel.

OT and something to smile - from the country, where there are NO kangaroos:
Anton back at home after 4 months out in the winterly forests on his own

Hello Alan,

As noted in the software update thread, and on facebook, congratulations on receiving your MP7. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the instrument and that it's been worth the wait!

Regarding the keyboard action, it's not uncommon to hear some variations in mechanism sound from one key to the next, especially in a quiet room, with the instrument turned off, and your ears tuned for anything that may sound untoward. If you were to remove the strings from an acoustic grand piano, I expect there would be variations in the sound of the keyboard action also.

You'll likely find that the sound will even-out in the coming days as the keyboard action settles, so assuming it's inaudible when playing with speakers or wearing headphones, I would politely suggest less worrying and more playing.

If, in a few weeks, you still find the movement sound of those two keys to be objectionable, by all means give your Kawai dealer a call to seek their advice. Until that time, please continue to enjoy the MP7 and all that is has to offer.

Cheers,
James
x

lophiomys, with regards to your post, I'm afraid I do not know why you have not received a reply to your enquiry from Kawai Europe. I gather my colleagues there typically respond to customer enquiries within 24-48 hours.

My suggestion would be to give them a call to double-check the situation.

Kind regards,
James
x

Thanks James. Kawai Australia has noted the situation and asked me to play the MP7 as much as possible this week and report back. Apparently the noise can sometimes be caused by a dirt particle being on the rubber contacts, so they want me to see if frequent playing clears it up. I am happy to try that, and have agreed to contact them by the end of the week to give an update. In the meantime, I can wholeheartedly say that IMHO the MP7 is a superb digital piano and I will get a lot of pleasure playing it over the years ahead. Alan

Hello One Watt. I guess it is to be expected that most keyboards will get a bit noisier over time, as they certainly have a lot of mechanical parts in their keybed mechanisms. Often it is the rubber contacts that cause weird noises as they pop back up as a note is released. There were only 2 notes on my new MP7 that had the click noise when the key was released...D#3 and F#5. F#5 is the louder of the two. The actual keys seem to respond ok to touch etc and rise to their proper position. Kawai Australia have asked me to play the piano a lot this week and see if the noises go away, and then we'll reassess the situation. It may not be a big issue. The suggestion is that sometimes a bit of dirt gets on the rubber contacts and contributes to the clicking noise. When playing with headphones or through speakers, the sound is not really noticeable. Overall, I think the MP7 is an awesome piece of gear, and Kawai seems committed to customer support.

All, key click and clank is due to cheap nasty felt materials being used at bottom and top key contact positions. This problem is very common on far eastern made keybeds, ( good example in Casio forum where one guy to ok apart the keybed )
I suspect that one supplier is selling this stuff to all manufacturers and to me it has not been approved well enough , there should be robots in the development works which are pounding keys to replicate a life cycle.
The key clank is horrible when playing soft pieces.
My qualifications, 30 years in supplier approval for many OEM's.

Eastern = produced in Asia?

If so, I believe this accounts for the vast majority of digital piano keyboard actions. To my knowledge, Fatar are the only non-Asian manufacturer of digital piano keyboard actions. The company is based in Italy, although I don't know if the products they produce are necessarily manufactured there.

Kind regards,
James
x