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THE MOST AUTHENTIC KEYBOARD

The keyboard is one of the most important components of any piano. It’s where the player literally connects with an instrument to express their feelings, and where the magic really happens. Ask any stage performer, be they a concert pianist, a touring artist, or a weekend warrior – if the keys don’t feel right, it’s impossible to enjoy the music and put on a great show.

This is why Kawai has selected the flagship keyboard action for the MP11SE. Not a vague, cut-down ‘almost but not quite’ version, but exactly the same Grand Feel action used by our award winning Concert Artist instruments. This means long, 100% real wooden keys that respond like an acoustic, and deliver the most authentic playing experience available in a stage piano.

REAL SEESAW
MOVEMENT

The reason why the MP11SE’s Grand Feel action is considered the most authentic is because it adopts many of the character-istics of a grand piano keyboard.

One of these characteristics is the familiar ‘seesaw’ movement of the key, whereby pressing down on the front of a key raises the back, which in turn moves a hammer to play the note.

THE LONGEST KEYS
THE LONGEST PIVOT

Another acoustic-like characteristic of the Grand Feel action is the material chosen for the keys. As with an acoustic piano, all eighty-eight of the MP11SE’s black and white keys are crafted entirely from long pieces of wood. This ensures the weight of each key is distributed evenly throughout the length of the keystick, and guarantees an efficient transfer of movement energy when the note is struck.

In addition to having the longest keys of any stage piano, the MP11SE’s Grand Feel keyboard action also boasts the longest key pivot length – matching that of a Kawai grand piano. This pro­vides a more evenly balanced key touch weight from front to rear, which is beneficial when playing complicated chords with fingers positioned towards the back of the keyboard.

THE LONGEST KEYS THE LONGEST PIVOT

TRIPLE-SENSOR
KEY DETECTION

The MP11SE’s Grand Feel keyboard action also features Kawai’s accurate triple-sensor key detection system for enhanced playing realism.

The added third sensor improves responsiveness when playing the same key repeatedly, and unlike conventional two sensor keyboard actions found in most stage pianos, allows the sound of a single note to be gradually ‘layered’ without the previous tone being lost.

In addition, Kawai’s action technology also monitors the speed at which each key is lifted. These unique subtleties influence the release character of piano sounds, providing a greater range of expressive detail between staccato and legato playing.

KAWAI 3-SENSOR SYSTEM

KAWAI 3-SENSOR SYSTEM

The MP11SE's additional third sensor improves responsiveness when repeatedly striking the same key, resulting in a fluid sound that allows trills and legato passages to be played more naturally.

Moreover, lifting a key slowly will result in a different ‘release’ character for the note than that of a key lifted at a normal speed.

CONVENTIONAL 2-SENSOR SYSTEM

CONVENTIONAL 2-SENSOR SYSTEM

By contrast, conventional stage pianos with 2-sensor keyboard actions often suffer from limited key responsiveness, making trills and legato passages difficult to play naturally, or with feeling.

And due to hardware limitations, lifting a key slowly does not influence the release character of the note.

100% REAL WOODEN KEYS

While other stage pianos may apply strips of wood to plastic keys for decoration, the MP11SE utilises wood throughout the entire key. The structural differences are obvious, but why is wood considered to be desirable in a digital instrument?

Wood has been the preferred material for acoustic piano keys for centuries, and was first introduced in Kawai digital pianos over 30 years ago. Yet despite the many improvements to acoustic and digital piano action technologies in recent years, engineers still recognise that wood remains the best material for the keyboard.

Unlike plastics and most other man-made substances, wood possesses unique characteristics that allow it to absorb a degree of movement energy and flex slightly when compressed. This means that when pressing one of the MP11SE's wooden keys it reaches the cushioned felt keybed with a natural, reassuring stop, rather than a jarring, noisy halt.

Finally, wooden keys are inherently special. The look, feel, and even the smell of wooden keys furnish the MP11SE with an organic quality that helps the player to feel an even closer connection with their favourite stage piano.

100% REAL WOODEN KEYS

IVORY TOUCH KEY SURFACES

PREMIUM FINISH, SUPERIOR CONTROL

The MP11SE’s Grand Feel action features the same Ivory Touch key surfaces as Kawai’s highly respected digital pianos, with a natural matte finish that is smooth but not slippery, and feels great beneath the fingertips.

This finely textured material also absorbs surface moisture and oils to assist playing control, ensuring the performer’s fingers remain firmly on the keys throughout even the fastest, most blistering passages.

IVORY TOUCH KEY SURFACESIVORY TOUCH KEY SURFACES

FEATURE
CLOSE-UP

In addition to the features highlighted above, there are a number of other subtle characteristics integrated within the MP11SE’s Grand Feel keyboard action. These individual points draw upon over 90 years of acoustic piano craftsmanship, and combine to deliver the most authentic playing experience.

FEATURE CLOSE-UP

FEATURE CLOSE-UP
Hover over or touch the highlighted points below to learn more about each feature.
TRIPLE-SENSOR DETECTION
TRIPLE-SENSOR DETECTION
Unlike most other stage pianos, the MP11SE's keyboard action features triple-sensor key detection. This allows for greater repetition speed and smoother expression when playing legato passages.
CAPSTAN SCREW
CAPSTAN SCREW
The capstan screw transfers the rising and falling movements of the rear of the key to the action parts situated above. As with a grand piano action, this screw allows the height and position of each hammer jack to be precisely regulated.
LET-OFF SIMULATION
LET-OFF SIMULATION
Let-off simulation recreates the subtle 'notch' sensation felt when playing the keys of a grand piano very gently. Experienced pianists use this slight resistance to aid their control during pianissimo passages.
GRADE-WEIGHTED HAMMERS
GRADE-WEIGHTED HAMMERS
Weights attached to the action’s hammers are graded in size and weight from bass to treble. This feature replicates the characteristics of an acoustic piano action, whereby larger (heavier) hammers are used for bass notes and smaller (lighter) hammers are used for treble notes.
STAGGERED BALANCE PINS
STAGGERED BALANCE PINS
The balance pins act as pivot points for each key, allowing the familiar ‘seesaw’ movement associated with an acoustic piano keyboard action. As with an acoustic piano, the black key balance pins are offset slightly to ensure their weighting is consistent with that of the white keys.
REAL WOODEN KEYS
100% REAL WOODEN KEYS
All eighty-eight of the MP11SE’s black and white keys are crafted entirely from long pieces of wood – the same material that acoustic piano keys have used for centuries.
CUSHIONED KEYBED
CUSHIONED KEYBED
The cushioned keybed helps to dampen action noise, and ensures that the MP11SE’s wooden keys come to a reassuring stop, rather than a jarring halt. This distinctively coloured green cushioning is the same material as that found in Kawai’s grand pianos.
COUNTERWEIGHTS
COUNTERWEIGHTS
Complementing the grade-weighted hammers, additional counterweights are placed at the front of the keys to lighten their heavier touch during pianissimo passages. This is another characteristic borrowed from the venerable acoustic piano keyboard action.
IVORY TOUCH KEY SURFACES
IVORY TOUCH KEY SURFACES
The MP11SE’s luxurious key surfaces possess a natural, matte finish that is smooth but not slippery. This is thanks to Ivory Touch - a finely textured material that intelligently absorbs fingertip perspiration and oils to assist playing control.
GUIDE PIN
GUIDE PIN
As the name suggests, this brass pin ‘guides’ the front of the key when pressed, allowing a smooth up and down movement. The guide hole at the front of each key is lined with red felt, helping to restrict side-to-side wobble while also reducing vibration noise.

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