Kawai Novus NV6 Hybrid Upright Digital Piano

A hybrid instrument that delivers the true acoustic piano experience

Featuring Kawai’s high performance Millennium III Hybrid upright piano action with real damper mechanism, the latest SK-EX Rendering piano sounds, and an authentic wooden soundboard, the Novus NV6 delivers true acoustic piano authenticity within a stunning, ultra-slim digital instrument.

 

HIGHLIGHT

• Superb Millennium III Hybrid upright piano keyboard action
• Unique real upright piano damper mechanism
• SK-EX Rendering piano engine, Competition Grand sounds
• Premium audio processing and amplification technologies
• High-performance speaker system with wooden soundboard
• Modern Bluetooth® MIDI and Audio v5 wireless connectivity
• Large 5″ LCD touchscreen display embedded within cheekblock
• Integrated USB audio interface, USB-C port with power delivery
• Spatial Headphone Sound for enhanced depth and realism
• Ultra-slim ebony polish cabinet with Soft Fall fallboard system

 

The Novus NV6 allows pianists to experience the touch and nuance of a true upright piano, free from the constraints of time and environment. This exceptional hybrid instrument offers authentic acoustic piano performance within a contemporary, space-conscious design.

Its stunning ebony-polished cabinet houses a full acoustic keyboard action and genuine damper mechanism, seamlessly integrated with the latest digital innovations. For discerning musicians, the NV6 is the definitive upright alternative – where timeless tradition and modern technology meet in perfect harmony.

 

FEATURES

The Millennium III Hybrid action represents the latest milestone in Kawai’s rich legacy of piano innovation, and serves as the centrepiece of the Novus NV6.  It comprises over 6,000 individual parts, each playing a crucial role in allowing the performer’s fingertips to express feeling and emotion through music.

 

The future of the piano

Based on the ‘K’ 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 over the action.

Millennium III Hybrid delivers all of the benefits of a premium Kawai upright piano action within a digital instrument. This feat of engineering allows pianists to enjoy the unmatched feeling of playing an acoustic piano, regardless of the time of day or the size of their home.

 

ABS hybrid hammers

The Novus NV6’s precision-engineered ABS hammers have been designed for structural stability and optimum keyboard touch-response.

 

Each individual hammer is grade-weighted to mirror the heavier bass and lighter treble hammers of an acoustic piano, ensuring that the NV6’s key touch-weight feels the same as a well-regulated acoustic instrument.

 

Optical hammer sensors

The precise movements of each hammer are measured using high-resolution optical sensors, providing greater accuracy than conventional key-based sensor systems.

 

This more advanced approach closely reproduces the mechanical flow of an acoustic piano, and allows rapid pianissimo passages with mordents or trills to be performed with greater fluency.

 

The Novus NV6’s beautiful chrome-plated pedals are sourced from the same ‘K’ series instruments as the premium Millennium III keyboard action. Moreover, in addition to featuring a full acoustic piano action, the NV6 also incorporates a real acoustic piano damper mechanism.

 

Unprecedented realism

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 an acoustic piano, the NV6 retains the damper mechanism behind the keyboard action, replicating the extra 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 NV6’s objective of delivering a true acoustic piano playing experience that is indistinguishable from the real thing.

 

The spirit of the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano is at the heart of the Novus NV6. Each world-class instrument is hand-crafted by experienced piano artisans, utilising the finest available materials to ensure optimum touch, tone, and artistic expression.

 

The premier piano of Japan

Widely regarded as ‘the premier piano of Japan,’ the Shigeru Kawai 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.

 

Shigeru Kawai is also frequently provided for official selection at some of the world’s most prestigious music competitions, including the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan.

 

At the 10th edition held in November 2018, three of the six grand finalists selected the SK-EX throughout the competition, including 1st prize winner Can Cakmur.

 

Naturally expressive sound

In order to reproduce the stunning tonal qualities of the Shigeru Kawai concert grand piano digitally, the Novus NV6 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.

 

High-performance delivery

Developed by Kawai R&D’s highly experienced audio engineering team, the Novus NV6 utilises specialist components designed for high-end audio reproduction.

 

A high-performance dual DAC system combines with the Novus’ high-specification power amplifiers to reproduce the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX sounds with stunning richness and clarity.

 

Advanced speaker system

This high-fidelity sound is delivered through the NV6’s powerful speaker system, which combines six premium-quality speaker drivers with Kawai’s exclusive wooden soundboard technology. The result is a remarkably authentic playing experience that immerses the performer and faithfully reproduces the tonal ambience of an acoustic piano.

 

The Novus NV6’s stunning ebony polish cabinet is crafted in the same piano production facility as Kawai’s ‘K’ series upright instruments, ensuring exceptional build quality and an immaculate mirror-like finish.

 

Its exterior appearance is undoubtedly inspired by classic piano design, thanks in part to the handsome fallboard and wide music rest, providing a sense of stability and reassurance when sitting at the instrument.

 

However, this traditional character is refined and refreshed by the NV6’s gently curved edge lines, elegantly tapered legs – free of the customary, weighty toe-blocks – and various other details that lift and modernise the instrument’s presence.

 

Indeed, despite housing an acoustic piano keyboard action and damper mechanism, the NV6 is a remarkably compact instrument, occupying a depth of just 46 cm – far smaller than a conventional upright.

 

This slim profile allows pianists to enjoy an authentic, acoustic piano playing experience, in confined spaces previously limited to a standard digital piano.

 

Premium design detail

The Novus NV6’s upward facing topboard speakers project mid-range frequencies outward, closely reproducing the sound field of an acoustic piano. These speakers are protected from dust and other foreign objects by fabric created by esteemed Danish textile house, Kvadrat.

 

Established in 1968, with deep roots in Scandinavia’s design tradition, Kvadrat is Europe’s leading supplier of high-quality contemporary textiles, crafting beautiful and inspiring fabrics for some of the world’s foremost architects, designers, and premium consumer brands.

 

The NV6’s topboard speaker cover features an original Kvadrat material, customised to meet Kawai’s specifications, with a woven mesh composition optimised for musical clarity and tonal projection.

 

Its soft, dark-grey yarn with pearl-like highlights, contrasts with the lustrous sheen of the NV6’s ebony polish cabinet, elevating this musical instrument to the level of a piece of fine furniture, destined to become the centrepiece of any room it occupies.

 

 

While the Novus NV6’s 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 NV6’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 and turn off automatically while playing, thus preserving the Novus’ classic appearance, and minimising any visual distraction to the performer.

 

 

Unlike an acoustic piano, the Novus NV6 provides a variety of options for connecting to other devices. Headphone and audio jacks allow the instrument to be played in silence, or for the sound to be amplified for halls and other large settings.

 

USB ports allow audio and MIDI data to be saved to a USB stick, or transferred to and from a computer directly using the Novus’ built-in audio interface. The NV6 also supports the latest Bluetooth® functionality, providing an effortless way to connect and enjoy smart devices wirelessly.

 

The NV6 allows the user-friendly touchscreen interface to also be accessed via the dedicated PianoRemote app for iOS and supported Android devices. The app connects to the piano wirelessly via the Novus’ integrated Bluetooth, providing an effortless way to change sounds, or enjoy the vast array of built-in music content from the comfort of an armchair.

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS

Keyboard		・ Millennium III Hybrid upright piano action – 88 wooden keys – 88-key graded ABS hammers – IHSS contact-less optical sensors – Upright piano damper mechanism
Pedal		– Damper (upright piano damper mechanism with half-pedal support) – Soft – Sostenuto
Piano Sound		・ SK-EX Rendering – 88-key multi-channel sampling – SK-EX Competition Grand Piano recording – SK-EX Concert Grand Piano recording・ Harmonic Imaging XL (HI-XL) – 88-key stereo sampling – SK-EX-L, SK-EX, SK-5, EX, K-60 recording256 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 Piano Artisan (20 parameters) – Touch Curve (incl. User Touch Curve) – Voicing (incl. 88-key User Voicing) – String Resonances – Damper Noise – 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 (incl. 88-key User Tuning) – Temperament (incl. User Temperament) – Temperament Key – Key Volume (incl. 88-key User Key Volume) – Half-Pedal Adjust – Soft Pedal Depth・Virtual Piano Artisan presets (10 presets)
No. of Sounds		SK-EX Rendering: 5+5 rendering characters Harmonic Imaging XL: 96 voices
Reverb		SK-EX Rendering: Ambience (10 types) Harmonic Imaging XL: Reverb (6 types)
Brilliance		✔
Other Effects		24 types
Speakers		Soundboard Speaker System 8 cm x 4 (top speakers) 2 cm x 2 (dome tweeters)
Output Power		135 W (50 W + 50 W + 35 W)
Headphone Enhancements		Premium headphone amplifier Spatial Headphone Sound Headphone Type
Display		5″ LCD touchscreen (480 x 800 pixels) Anti-glare display
Key Cover		Upright piano fallboard with Soft Fall system
Music Rest		Upright piano type (fixed position)
Product Size & Weight	Width	149.5 cm (59″)
	Depth	46.5 cm (18 1/3″)
	Height	110 cm (43 1/3″)
	Net Weight	112 kg (247 lbs.)
Packing Size & Weight	Dimensions	166 (W) x 63 (D) x 122 (H) * Packed in a pre-assembled state
	Gross Weight	137 kg (without bench) 144 kg (with bench)
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. 5.0; GATT compatible) Bluetooth Low Energy MIDI Specification compliant Bluetooth Audio (Ver. 5.1; A2DP compatible)
USB Audio Recorder	Record/Playback	MP3 WAV SMF (Playback only)
	Other Functions	Overdubbing Line In recording Bluetooth Audio recording
App Functions		PianoRemote (iOS/Android) PiaBookPlayer (iOS/Android)
Connector Jacks	Headphone	1 x 1/4″, 1 x 1/8″ Stereo jacks
	MIDI	–
	Line Out	1/8″ Stereo (with volume adjust knob) [unbalanced]
	Line In	1 x 1/8″ Stereo [unbalanced]
	USB to Host	✔ (USB-C) USB audio interface (44.1 kHz, 24 bit) Power Delivery (15 W)
	USB to Device	✔ (USB-A)
	Others	USB for Update (USB-A)
Power Consumption †		80 W (Power off state: 0.08W)
Power		Power cable
Bench		Fixed-height bench *
Headphones		Headphone hook
Sheet Music		Classical Piano Collection * Classical Lesson Scores * Finger Exercises
Others		Warranty Card * Owner’s Manual Internal Song Lists