Kawai Novus NV10S
A hybrid instrument that delivers the true grand piano experience
Combining Kawai’s finest Millennium III Hybrid grand piano keyboard action and real damper mechanism, with the latest SK-EX Rendering piano sound engine and premium amplification technologies powered by audio specialists Onkyo, the Novus NV10S delivers the most realistic grand piano playing experience ever accomplished by a digital instrument.
HIGHLIGHTS
■ Peerless Millennium III Hybrid grand piano keyboard action
■ Unique real grand piano damper mechanism
■ SK-EX Rendering piano sound engine with multi-channel sampling
■ Premium audio processing and amplification technologies
■ High-fidelity 7-speaker delivery system for enhanced depth
■ Integrated Bluetooth® MIDI and Audio wireless technology
■ Modern 5" LCD touchscreen display embedded within cheekblock
■ Flexible Virtual Technician function with 19 adjustable parameters
■ MP3/WAV playback, record, and overdub to USB
■ Stunning ebony polish cabinet with Soft Fall fallboard system
The Novus NV10S is the perfect blend of tradition and innovation. A stunning hybrid instrument that combines a full grand piano keyboard action and damper mechanism, with the latest digital sound and amplification technologies.
Designed for and tested by professional pianists, the NV10 provides the unmistakable feeling of playing a premium quality acoustic instrument, with all the practicality and convenience of a modern digital.
Introducing the Novus NV10S – a hybrid instrument that delivers the true grand piano experience.
“ The Novus touch is indistinguishable from a grand piano – If I was to close my eyes, I really wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. ”
‒ Takeshi Oi, Concert Pianist
A quest for perfection
Koichi Kawai designed and built the first complete acoustic piano action in Japan in the early 1900s. In the decades that have followed, Kawai engineers continue to pursue the company founder’s quest for perfection, pioneering the use of state-of-the-art materials and designs that advance the piano art form.
The Millennium III grand piano action found in today’s Kawai GX series instruments exemplifies Koichi’s philosophy. This highly-coveted action incorporates components produced using ABS Carbon, an extremely sturdy and rigid composite material that allows these action parts to be stronger, lighter, and faster than their conventional wooden counterparts. In addition, Kawai GX series grand pianos also utilise extended-length key sticks, providing greater control and a more even response from the front to the back of the playing surface.
The future of the piano
The Millennium III Hybrid action represents the latest milestone in Kawai’s rich legacy of piano innovation, and serves as the centre-piece of the Novus NV10S.
Based on the GX series’ proven action design, Millennium III Hybrid retains the composite parts and extended key sticks of its acoustic cousin, while replacing the traditional felt hammers with individually-weighted ABS equivalents. As a hybrid piano, there are no metal strings inside the Novus for these hammers to physically strike when the keys are played, therefore their precise movements are instead captured using high-resolution optical sensors mounted above the action.
Millennium III Hybrid delivers all of the benefits of a premium Kawai grand piano action within a digital instrument. This feat of modern engineering allows pianists of every level to enjoy the unmatched feeling of playing an acoustic grand piano, regardless of the time of day, or the size of their home.
“ The first-ever grand piano damper mechanism on the Novus has raised the bar by which all makers’ ‘flagship’ hybrid pianos are measured. ”
– Dr. Owen Lovell, Assistant Professor of Music, Georgia College
The soul of the piano
The dampers of an acoustic grand piano consist of soft felt pads that rest directly over the instrument’s metal strings, effectively muting their vibrations. As each piano key is pressed and the string is struck, the corresponding damper lifts off the string, allowing it to vibrate freely, and for the note to sing.
While the keyboard action activates dampers individually, the damper pedal is used to lift all of the piano’s dampers simultaneously. This allows all of the instrument’s strings to vibrate and resonate in sympathy, creating a wonderfully rich sound and sustaining notes even after their respective keys are released.
The damper mechanism therefore plays a pivotal role in influencing the overall sound of a piano. However, the process of raising and lowering dampers also has a subtle but noticeable effect on key touch, with the weight of the action gently easing when the damper pedal is depressed. This natural interaction between keyboard and pedals is a fundamental characteristic of every grand piano, and one that requires patience and skill to master.
Unprecedented realism
The Novus’ beautiful chrome plated pedals and exposed pedal rods are sourced from the same GX series instruments as the premium Millennium III keyboard action. Moreover, in addition to featuring a full grand piano action, the Novus NV10S is the first hybrid instrument to also incorporate a real grand piano damper mechanism.
Again, there are no metal strings inside the Novus to require physical damping, as the instrument’s sound is produced digitally. However, in order to reproduce every aspect of playing a grand piano, the NV10S retains the damper mechanism behind the keyboard action, with graded weights attached to each damper lever replicating the load of traditional wood and felt parts, as the keys and pedal are pressed.
This innovation allows pianists to not only hear how the damper pedal affects the Novus’ generated sound, but also feel the various mechanical interactions through their hands and feet. Such attention to detail is unprecedented in a digital instrument, and further reinforces the NV10S’s objective of delivering a true grand piano playing experience that is indistinguishable from the real thing.
The premier piano of Japan
The spirit of the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano is at the heart of the Novus NV10S. Each world-class instrument is hand-crafted by Master Piano Artisans (MPAs), utilising the finest available materials to ensure optimum touch, tone, and artistic expression. Widely regarded as ‘the premier piano of Japan,’ the SK-EX graces the stages of concert halls and musical institutions around the globe, receiving universal acclaim for its magnificent tonal clarity and exceptional dynamic range.
In order to reproduce the stunning tonal qualities of the Shigeru Kawai concert grand piano digitally, the NV10S incorporates Kawai’s latest SK-EX Rendering technology. This advanced piano sound engine combines the well-established process of sampling with the modern approach of physical modelling, to produce a piano sound that is both rich in natural acoustic character, and dynamically responsive to the player’s musical desires.
A personalised piano experience
As the most authentic recreation of an acoustic grand piano, the Novus NV10S also provides a variety of options to personalise the instrument through the powerful Virtual Technician feature. As the name suggests, this convenient function simulates the numerous voicing and regulation adjustments performed by a skilled piano technician virtually, allowing discerning musicians to shape characteristics of the Novus to suit their unique personal preferences, or match a certain style of music.
High performance delivery
Developed in collaboration with Onkyo, one of Japan’s leading premium audio equipment manufacturers, the NV10S features specialist filtering and amplification components designed for high-resolution sound reproduction. This technology helps to preserve the unique harmonic characteristics of the Shigeru Kawai piano, delivering the true concert grand experience through the Novus’ speaker system with power, depth, and clarity.
Acoustic piano personality
In addition to housing the keyboard action, damper mechanism, and pedal system of a grand piano, the Novus’ stunning ebony polish cabinet exhibits numerous other acoustic piano characteristics that enhance the instrument’s form and function.
The NV10S’s grand piano-like music rest is broad enough to accommodate the most ambitious of musical works, with tapered edges and simulated leather lining the base. The viewing angle can be easily adjusted to suit the performer’s height and posture, while a special ‘composer desk’ position provides optimum comfort and productivity when annotating or transcribing scores.
With its classic curved side arms, the Novus’ acoustic piano inspired cabinet design also boasts an actual grand piano fallboard. This generously-sized keyboard cover incorporates Kawai’s Soft Fall system with dual-damping mechanism, to ensure a smooth, ultra-slow shutting motion that protects both the player’s hands and the instrument’s finish from a jarring close.
Digital piano convenience
While the Novus’ core features are unquestionably derived from an acoustic piano, the instrument neatly incorporates various additional technologies that provide the modern conveniences of a premium digital piano.
These features are primarily controlled through the NV10’s touchscreen LCD, which is discretely embedded within the instrument’s left cheekblock. This high resolution touchscreen allows sounds and settings to be adjusted from an attractive user interface simply by tapping or swiping the display with a finger. For piano purists, the screen can be set to fade out automatically while playing, thus preserving the Novus’ classic appearance, and minimising any visual distraction to the performer.
Unlike an acoustic piano, the Novus provides a variety of options for connecting to other devices, with audio jacks that allow the instrument to be amplified in halls and other large settings, and USB and MIDI ports for transferring music data to and from a computer. The NV10S even supports Bluetooth®, providing an effortless way to connect and enjoy smart devices wirelessly.
SPECIFICATIONS
Keyboard ・ Millennium III Hybrid grand piano action
– 88 wooden keys
– 88-key graded ABS hammers
– IHSS contact-less optical sensors
– Grand piano damper mechanism
Pedal – Damper (with half-pedal support)
– Soft
– Sostenuto
Piano Sound ・ SK-EX Rendering
– 88-key multi-channel sampling
– SK-EX recording
・ Harmonic Imaging XL (HI-XL)
– 88-key stereo sampling
– SK-EX, SK-5, EX recording
256 note maximum polyphony
Piano Resonance ・ SK-EX Rendering: Resonance Modelling
– Damper Resonance
– String Resonance
– Undamped String Resonance
– Aliquot Resonance
・ Harmonic Imaging XL: Acoustic Rendering
– Damper Resonance
– String Resonance
– Undamped String Resonance
– Cabinet Resonance
Piano Adjustment ・Virtual Technician (21 parameters)
– Touch Curve
– Voicing
– Damper Resonance
– Damper Noise
– String Resonance
– Undamped String Resonance
– Cabinet Resonance
– Key-off Effect
– Fall-back Noise
– Hammer Noise
– Hammer Delay
– Topboard Simulation
– Decay Time
– Release Time
– Minimum Touch
– Stretch Tuning
– Temperament
– Temperament Key
– Key Volume
– Half-Pedal Adjust
– Soft Pedal Depth
* Available parameters may vary depending on selected sound.
・Virtual Technician Smart Mode (10 presets)
No. of Sounds SK-EX Rendering: 10 rendering characters
Harmonic Imaging XL: 90 voices
Reverb SK-EX Rendering: Ambience (10 types)
Harmonic Imaging XL: Reverb (6 types)
Brilliance ✔
Other Effects 24 types
Speakers 10 cm x 4 (top speakers)
1.4 cm x 2 (dome tweeters)
20 cm x 1 (woofer)
Output Power 130 W
Headphone Enhancements Discrete SpectraModule™ headphone amplifier
Spatial Headphone Sound
Headphone Type
Headphone Amplifier
Display 5" LCD touchscreen (480 x 800 pixels)
Key Cover Grand piano fallboard with Soft Fall system
Music Rest Collapsible type (6 angle adjustability)
Dimensions Width 148 cm (58 1/4")
Depth 65 cm (25 1/2")
Height 99.5 cm (39 1/2") [music rest flat]
121 cm (40 1/2") [music rest raised]
Weight 132 kg (291 lbs.)
Available Finishes Ebony Polish
Basic Functions Dual
Split
Four Hands
Transpose
Tuning
Low Volume Balance
Favorite
Internal Songs Sound Demo 39 songs
Piano Music 29/42 songs *
Concert Magic 176 songs
Lesson Songs Burgmüller 25 (25 Etudes Faciles, Opus 100)
Czerny 30 (Etudes de Mécanisme, Opus 849)
Czerny 100 (Hundert Übungsstücke, Opus 139)
Beyer 106 (Vorschule im Klavierspiel, Opus 101)
J.S. Bach: Inventionen
Sonatinen Album 1
Chopin Walzer (Chopin waltzes series)
Chopin Etudes (Opus 10)
Alfred’s Premier Piano Course Lesson 1A
Alfred’s Premier Piano Course Lesson 1B
Alfred’s Basic Piano Library Lesson Book Level 1A
Alfred’s Basic Piano Library Lesson Book Level 1B
Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course Lesson Book Level 1
Internal Recorder Total Memory approximately 90,000 notes
No. of Songs 10 songs
Parts 2 parts
Metronome Time Signatures 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 3/8, 6/8, 7/8, 9/8, 12/8
Drum Rhythms 100 patterns
Bluetooth * Bluetooth (Ver. 4.1; GATT compatible)
Bluetooth Low Energy MIDI Specification compliant
Bluetooth Audio with aptX support
USB Audio Recorder Record/Playback MP3
WAV
SMF
Other Functions Overdubbing
Line In recording
App Functions PianoRemote (iOS/Android)
PiaBookPlayer (iOS/Android)
Connector Jacks Headphone 1 x 1/4", 1 x 1/8" Stereo jacks
MIDI MIDI IN, MIDI OUT
Line Out 1/4" L/MONO, R [unbalanced]
Line In 1/8" Stereo (with volume adjust knob) [unbalanced]
USB to Host ✔
USB to Device ✔
Others –
Power Consumption 60 W
Power Power cable
Bench Fixed-height or height-adjustable bench *
Headphones Headphone hook
Sheet Music Classical Piano Collection *
Classical Lesson Scores *
Finger Exercises
Others Warranty Card *
Owner's Manual
Internal Song Lists
* Depending on market location.Specifications are subject to change without notice.
