Kawai

Explore Kawai vintage synthesizer equipment in the Vintage Technology Archive.

Digital Piano

• MP-9000 — Kawai MP9000 (1999) — 88 real wooden keys, AWA Grand Hammer Action, Harmonic Imaging, XLR outs. The overlooked wooden-key stage piano.

Digital Synthesizers

• K1m (1987-1990) — Kawai K1m (1987-1990): desktop module version of the K1 synth. 256 waveforms, 4-wave layering, 16-voice, no filters, no effects. Cheap and characterful.

Synthesizers

• K-5000W — Kawai K-5000W: the late-1990s additive workstation from Kawai's K5000 line. 64-harmonic wave sets, 128-band formant filter.
• K5000 (1996-1999) — Kawai K5000 (1996–1999): 64-harmonic Advanced Additive synth with 128-band formant filter and 123 PCM samples. Dense to program, unlike anything else.

Unknown

• PH-50 — Kawai PH-50: 49-key preset keyboard with K-1 sound source, 200 tones, MIDI in/out, $449 retail. A cheap, battery-capable utility board.

Other Models

• K1 II — Kawai K1 II — the K1 with digital reverb and an independent drum section, $995 list. A practical multitimbral sampled-waveform synth for working musicians.
• K4R — Kawai K4R rack synth — the K4 engine in a rack, documented by a complete service manual. Board set, chips, and PS-121 power variants.