Kawai DG 30 Digital Grand Piano

Grand impression, compact footprint

A modern digital piano that leaves a grand impression – this is the bold concept behind the new DG30.   This striking instrument combines Kawai’s authentic digital piano keyboard and sound technologies and marries them with a contemporary grand piano-like cabinet, finished in luxurious ebony polish.  Like a piece of fine furniture, the DG30 will surely complement the interior of almost any room, while its compact size and shape allows this impressive instrument to occupy less space than even the smallest baby grands.

The Touch of a Grand Piano: Responsive Hammer III keyboard action

The DG30’s Responsive Hammer III keyboard action recreates the supreme touch of an acoustic grand piano, with its realistic movement and rigid, springless design providing a smooth and natural piano playing experience.  The instrument’s triple-sensor key detection system enhances responsiveness and accuracy, while structural reinforcements throughout the action assembly help to minimise noise and key wobble during staccato and fortissimo passages.The weight of the keyboard is appropriately graded to mirror the heavier bass hammers and lighter treble hammers of an acoustic piano, while let-off simulation recreates the subtle ‘notch’ sensation felt when softly playing the keys of a grand piano.  These important characteristics allow discerning pianists to practise their expanding repertoire with confidence, and ensure that there are no unpleasant surprises when called upon to perform using the finest acoustic grand pianos.

The Sound of a Grand Piano: Three world-class instruments

Earning a reputation as the ‘premier pianos of Japan’, Shigeru Kawai instruments grace the stages of concert halls and musical institutions throughout the world, and are prized for their outstanding tonal clarity and exceptional dynamic range.

The new DG30 captures the magnificent tone of two premier Shigeru Kawai instruments: the flagship SK-EX Concert and mid-sized SK-5 Studio grand pianos, allowing musicians to enjoy the contrasting properties of each. In addition, the DG30 also features the distinctive sound of Kawai’s highly acclaimed EX concert grand piano, which has frequently been selected by professional pianists in such prestigious events as the Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Rubinstein international piano competitions, among others.

All three instruments are faithfully reproduced with full 88-key sampling using proprietary Harmonic Imaging™ sound technology, to establish a new standard in digital piano tonal quality.

Full 88-key stereo piano sampling

The rich, expressive sound of the SK-EX and EX concert grand pianos is at the heart of the DG30, with all eighty-eight keys of these world-class instruments painstakingly recorded, meticulously analysed, and accurately reproduced as high-fidelity digital waveforms.

Recording each key individually in this way – as opposed to stretching the same tone over several different notes – preserves the grand pianos’ unique harmonic character, and guarantees that the sound heard when playing any one of the DG30’s weighted keys is a faithful representation of the original acoustic source.

Harmonic Imaging technology

When playing a fine piano, the amount of pressure applied to the keyboard affects not only the volume of the sound produced, but also the unique tonal character of each note.  Therefore, in order to construct a realistic acoustic portrait of each grand piano, not only is each key recorded individually, but also at a wide variety of different volumes, ranging from gentle pianissimo to thunderous fortissimo.

The DG30 offers a highly detailed acoustic portrait, employing Kawai’s proprietary Progressive Harmonic Imaging sampling technology to ensure smooth tonal transitions across the keyboard and throughout the entire dynamic range.

Premium audio technologies

Developed in collaboration with Onkyo, one of Japan’s leading premium audio equipment manufacturers, the DG30 features advanced motherboard, amplifier, and audio delivery systems.  These premium components combine to deliver superb audio quality, producing an extremely rich, clear sound with minimal distortion.

The DG30’s 4-speaker output system is designed to reproduce the harmonic spectrum of an acoustic piano. Lower-range frequencies are delivered through the underside of the instrument, while mid and high frequencies are projected outward via the soundboard-mounted speakers, then reflect against the polished topboard.  The result is an expansive tone that closely mirrors the sound projection of a grand piano.

Grand Feel Pedal System

Reinforcing Kawai’s reputation as a leader in digital piano realism is the Grand Feel Pedal System.  This unique feature accurately replicates the position and individual weighting of the damper, soft, and sostenuto pedals of a Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano to further enhance the DG30’s acoustic piano-like authenticity.

Grand performance within a modern, premium cabinet

The DG30’s attractive, grand piano-like cabinet is finished from top to toe in luxurious Ebony Polish, with silver-chrome fittings completing a modern, elegant look.  Its flat fascia and tall upper board give the instrument a traditional yet minimalist quality, that elevates the artistry of the pianist as their hands reflect in the mirror-like surface.

Opening the instrument’s sturdy topboard reveals a beautifully polished wooden soundboard, complete with a decorative braid trim lining the piano’s polished inner rim.

Despite its grand appearance, the DG30 is a surprisingly compact instrument, occupying a depth of just 87 cm (34 1/4 inches).  This relatively small footprint allows the piano to be enjoyed in smaller spaces that may struggle to accommodate an acoustic grand piano, while still presenting a sophisticated, professional character.

Two-position topboard

The DG30 features two lid props, allowing the topboard angle to be adjusted depending on one’s preferred visual aesthetic, or tonal character.

Using the longer prop sets the topboard to the regular, fully-open position, allowing the instrument’s sound to project fully for a bright and clear tonal character.  However, the shorter prop sets the topboard in a partially closed position, resulting in a darker, more mellow quality.

Broad, adjustable music rest

The DG30’s broad music rest is engineered to accommodate the most ambitious musical works, with a high-quality surface and attractive round design.

As with a grand piano, the viewing angle of the instrument’s music rest can be adjusted to suit the performer’s playing position, or laid flat for convenience when notating scores or sketching musical ideas.