Kawai CE220 Digital Piano Review
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Kawai CE220 Digital Piano
Our Rating:
Whenever we talk about digital pianos, Yamaha, Casio and Kawai are the popular names that comes to the mind. Kawai has gained much popularity and credibility because of its years of experience and a long and successful history of serving the industry with topnotch instruments.
Established in 1927, the Kawai brand is considered as the top supplier of digital pianos in the entire market. It is reputed well for providing wonderful quality and beautiful designs of digital pianos. The very first digital piano was presented by Kawai that had wooden keys, real wooden soundboard, beautiful action design and amazing built-in CD recorders.
Its entire line of these instruments is quite impressive and matchless in terms of performance efficiency and structural design. Kawai is known for experimenting with different technologies and materials to improve the performance level of its instruments.
These digital pianos are made of some composite materials and high-grade plastic and are usually a more desirable choice for modern musicians. The material used affects the tonal quality, sound and over al performance. So these things vary in different models.
Among its unparallel variety of digital pianos, the one that we are going to discuss in detail today is the most recommended one. Here, we are going to review the Kawai CE220 digital piano in detail to highlight its specifications, its prominent features, and efficiency of performance.
The reason for picking up this Kawai marvel is that it has gained much popularity in a very short time. This is considered a best seller and most of the top musicians prefer it over the other models. The reasons are obvious. The level of performance delivered by this fantastic model is superb and all the leading experts are admiring it.
If you are looking for great quality, beautiful design, strong construction and incredible performance, here is your pick. Below is the detailed account of its qualities, advantages and some drawbacks. Give it a read and decide yourself, whether this is what you want or not.
Kawai CE220 Digital Piano Review
It is a true representation of Kawai legacy and is a perfect combination of all Kawai’s features. From structure to design, appearance, and functionality, everything is truly incredible. It truly reflects the skills and experience of years of Kawai.
Additionally, this is the most appropriate choice for enjoying the feel of a classy acoustic grand piano with greater ease and improved clarity. The craftsmanship is incomparable and it is the one that delivers a feel closest to original ad traditional acoustic pianos.
Physical Traits
The appealing finish of satin black and beautiful look of the piano is the first two things that you will notice. It is simply the best with very catchy outlook. You will like it the moment you look at it for the first time.
The size dimensions include 54 inches length, 20 inches depth and 35 inches height. This is an amazing fit for the home décor as well. The total weight is 126 pounds and this bulky and heavy piano is not easy to move. Thus, it is more suitable if you don’t require much travelling. The performance is undoubtedly amazing but handling it can be difficult for you.
This is a typical 88-key piano and gives an exact feel like that of the grand acoustic piano. You will like the clean, clutter-free and simple interface of the piano and will find it easy to control.
In the middle, there is a small sized 3 character display LED with numerous buttons for adjusting the voice, tones, rhythms and other important features. Everything is beautifully arranged here and you will have a great experience with it.
It is structured with great attention to detail and each feature is added to enhance user experience. Interestingly, this digital piano includes 3-pedal system. These include ‘sustain, sostenuto and soft’. The availability of half-damper action makes it more impressive. This 3 pedal feature is what you will like a lot. There are several digital pianos available on the market that don’t even possess a single pedal, so this is one of the plus points of Kawai CE220 digital piano and its pedals are gold plated.
What makes this piano more attention-grabbing is the presence of gold-plated letters ’Kawai’ on the console’s center. This has a very elegant appearance and is very nice to touch.
Technology and Feel
Progressive harmonic imaging
As mentioned above, this masterpiece is engineered carefully to mimic best the sound and feel of acoustic Piano. In order to achieve the wondrous results, it has incorporated the unique technology of progressive harmonic imaging. Thus, it utilizes a larger database of tones to enhance the tonal details across the entire dynamic range.
Due to the efficient use of this technology, the user can enjoy very responsive and delicate touch. The numerous effects included increases the sensitivity and make the touch adjustments easier and provide enhanced control. The players that are looking for an instrument that gives more volume control will find it very suitable one with a pleasing response.
88Key-AWA PROII Wooden Graded Hammer Action
Kawai has added their characteristic Graded hammer action in this 88 key digital piano as well. This action is specifically referred as 88Key-AWA PROII wooden Graded Hammer action. Along with the mechanical design featuring central pivot, it also includes graded hammers plus key counterweights. The keys on the bottom are heavy while those on the upper end are lighter.
This gives a more realistic and natural experience and adds more fun to it. Additionally, it features polyphony of 192 notes that is more than enough and makes this piano more appealing.
88 Key Sampling
Every key of the piano has specific tonal characteristics. Some of the keys feature two strings, some may have three while some have one string. Some differences lie in the density and hammer shape as well. These differences lead to the creation of a difference in tones of various notes. The Individual sampling of each key helps to preserve the characteristic feature of each note. Such a vast tonal range allows the users to enjoy more diversity.
Remarkable Touch
If you are searching for an exquisite and classy touch, this is the great choice. You hardly get such amazing quality with wood keys and outclass sound. Most of the pianos don’t feature this beautiful combination, so it is the most appropriate option in terms of touch and sound.
The quality it delivers is similar to that of some of the higher end models. So for those, who want uncompromised quality at an economical price, this is it. It gives a very close experience but the keys are a little stiff and the newbies may find them a little hard to play.
Features
This digital piano of Kawai offers a very modest and interesting selection of sounds. It features total 22 internal voices (presets) that include a grand piano, strings, church Organs, and many more.
Moreover, a range of mesmerizing effects is also added that includes delay, chorus, and reverb. Using these effects, one can successfully create the accurate sound for every preset. To make it even better, each sound is accompanied by three brightness levels.
To make the string sound more realistic, tremolo sound is added. For the organ sounds, two rotary effects are added that provide a very authentic response.The wise selection of effects has made this instrument more appreciable.
A unique feature of Kawai CE220 is the string resonance that allows specific notes to resonate when you play the others. This is exactly similar to what happens in traditional acoustic pianos. This feature makes the output more complex and realistic and one may not differentiate its origin.
The octave and layer shifts are also added. Using the octave shift, players can easily expand the keyboard range and the layer shift adds more expression to your performance, particularly in the live setting. Using this feature, you can play an octave higher or lower than the other.
The capability of the dynamic set on every layer is also amazing and players can easily balance two voices together. Thus, this digital instrument provides more control, great functionality and easy performance.
The keyboard is equipped with dual and split function. The dual mode helps to layer two tones and they can be played together while in split mode, the keyboard is split or divided into two halves, each with 44 keys.
An onboard Metronome is also included and it also features pedal functions. For more accurate and detailed expressions, half pedal feel is added.In order to enhance the level of performance, to increase the accuracy of play and to provide more comfort for playing difficult rhythms, the metronome provides various stunning rhythmic feels and time signatures.
Kawai CE220 digital piano features a 2 track recorder which helps the players to improve their performance. They can learn from their errors efficiently by listening to the playback. This recorder can greatly be used to learn the complex passages and to improve the performance.
It has several connectivity options. There are numerous input and output ports including headphone jacks and midi. The headphone jacks make the private practice very easy. You can connect the headphones and enjoy practising as long as you want without bothering anyone else.
The USB port is also included. You can connect any memory device and store your performance in it. Moreover, the stereo outputs are added through which you can connect the sound system of your choice for amplifying the output sound.
You might be familiar with a capo if you have ever had experience of playing the guitars. For the same function, this Kawai piano includes Transpose feature that aids in very easy and quick transportation that is particularly beneficial for the new players who are not much familiar with some keys.
Another interesting feature of this digital piano is that you can set up your own touch, as per your choice (very soft to very loud).
Furthermore, you can enjoy playing with numerous touch functions through which you can adjust and control the tuning, sensitivity, temperament and some other features. Thus, you can adjust it to use as per your requirements.
The virtual technician technology makes it more preferable for the learners. Through this feature, they can learn about and make adjustments of various different functions in a more comfortable and efficient manner.
Video About Kawai CE220 Digital Piano
Pros of the Kawai CE220 Digital Piano
- The most significant advantage that you get by using this Kawai piano is the ability to alter and adjust numerous functions. The control level that it offers is matchless. You can easily tailor the individual layers’ dynamics for every instrument. It helps you to generate the expressions as per your choice and this is what makes it better than the others.
- The 3-pedal feature allows you to enjoy more expressive, natural and authentic experience.
- The sounds provided are incredible and you can custom them further by using the added effects. This capability to tailor and adjust the touch allows you to generate a response as per your requirement an taste.
- The price is also very advantageous for you. It justifies well the countless features and the feel of the performance. In fact, the acoustic one with such features may cost four or five times more than the price of this Kawai digital piano.
- Elegant design, strong structure, and durability are also some of the plus points of this beautiful instrument.
Cons of the Kawai CE220 Digital Piano
Now let’s have a look at the other side of the picture. Although this is among the best sellers and offers several advanced features, there are some drawbacks as well. You should be well aware of those so that you can make a well-informed decision.
- As mentioned earlier, the starters will find the keys a bit difficulty to play. The particular feel of Kawai CE220 digital piano is superb but not everyone has the same taste.
- The split function involving two-pianos with 44 keys doesn’t practically work so well.
- Although the outlook of this piano is impressive, its shape does not support much travelling. This piano is not easy to move and if you are a travelling performer, it can be a serious consideration for you. What you can do is to disassemble it and pack in small size compartments that can easily be transported.
- The ability to control the touch and other functions is a great plus for the professionals who know how to manage these but the starts will not like it. If you are a beginner, you cannot control your dynamic range and expressions well and hence these added features won’t be a good support for you.
Is Kawai CE220 Digital Piano Good?
The Kawai CE220 is a super stylish, elegantly designed piano that is appealing and has an eye-catching appearance. It is loaded with advanced features and integrates the latest technology. This is available at a very exciting price and you won’t find such top-notch quality at this price. It gives you a very realistic experience and the output beautifully mimics the original grand.
The satin finish and stool of matching color makes this piano more attractive and a perfect décor piece as well for your house. The versatility and functionality of this piano make it the leading one in the market for digital pianos.
The incorporation of state of the art technology and availability of countless features and useful effects makes it perfect for the professional musicians. The experts would love to play this as it generates very expressive and responsive performance. Additionally, the increased ability to tailor the touch response is highly appreciated by the experts. So this piano is a perfect pick for the top-musicians.
The intermediate level musicians will also find it a fantastic instrument because of the beneficial learning features. The virtual technician and other features help the learners to explore their potential and try and enjoy different notes.
The newbies should go for something simpler and less complicated. The abundance of features is not appropriate for those who are trying piano for the very first time. So if you have never ever tried any piano before, taking a start with this won’t be a wise option. Learn some basics first and then go for it. Once you know how to make the best use of the features, only then you can perform well with it.
Kawai CE220 Digital Piano