Before settling on this stage piano, I tried out as many as I could find--all manner of Korgs, Nords, Rolands, and Yamahas. The Kawai MP11SE makes them all seem like cheap plasticky toys. It's really well built, has the most satisfying and expressive action, sounds amazing, and has basically no audible noise. If hooked up to a decent amp/monitors, it can give you the illusion of playing a real piano like no other keyboard of this sort that I've tried, and the default piano is super rich and warm. The MP11SE also has excellent Rhodes, Wurlitzer, harpsichord, and bass sounds. All the sounds are thoroughly customizable--you can EQ them, add effects, pass them through amp simulators, and so on. You can then save the changes, either replacing the original sounds, or in a separate bank of setups. The MP11SE is also designed to play nice with other gear. It has 4 MIDI zones, and an audio input, which can be mixed with the built-in sounds. Finally, the triple-pedal unit it comes with is as meticulously designed and built as the rest of the keyboard.

One should be aware that the MP11SE has a somewhat different philosophy from most of the competition. The idea is to focus on piano (acoustic and electric), and do it really well, but that's it. So there are no organ sounds, no synthesizer modules, no drum pads, etc. Given the very piano-like keyboard, I think that design decision makes sense, but certainly limits versatility. (Though that is somewhat mitigated by all the tools it gives you for hooking up external gear. I can bring in organ sounds, for example, via MIDI out and audio in, if needed.) Also the long wooden keys, thick metal case, and large wooden end-cheeks make this Kawai a pain to move, at 75 pounds. It's definitely not something that I'd want to haul to daily gigs, without reliable help.

If I had to pick nits, there are two minor annoyances. First, the buttons on top (for selecting sounds) feel cheaper than the rest of the keyboard. Each one of them makes a slightly different sound when you press it. This poses no functional problems, but just feels odd on something that is so exquisitely built otherwise. Finally, the menu system is not the most intuitive. It's very easy to select basic sounds, split and layer them, and maybe tweak the effects. But if you want to use the built-in recorder, save sounds, or change start-up settings, good luck figuring that out without the manual, or remembering how to do it again afterwards.

In conclusion, while, like anything else, the MP11SE has some limitations and quirks, I instantly forget all that when playing it, because the action and the sound are just glorious. It is the first keyboard I've ever had where pretty much every design decision makes sense to me, and the attention to detail is so apparent.

I split time between my acoustic piano and my keyboard at the homestead. Have had the Kawai MP11SE for about a month now. It replaces my Kawai SE8 as my main go to board atm. Have only played it through headphones(middle line, very nice Audio Technica). Certainly believe the action on this piano is helping me advance on the acoustic which was my reason for spending 3k in search for that feature, but it is still way different. I just don't feel the lift on the hammers as on the acoustic. It's definitely smoother and more precise from key to key, which i like, and simulates the hammer, string strike, which is way cool. Again, it's night and day different feel than my acoustic M&H AA. Have had some great sessions on the MP. I have played 90% on the acoustic piano selections. Have had some cool sessions when I have messed with the electric pianos it offers. I really liked the SK5 selection on my SE 8, and notice the upgrade on the SK5 on the MP. Hope to play an acoustic Shigeru, one day! I'm still experimenting with the features offered to tweak the sound of the pianos. I have to visit the owner's manual Cool three pedal set up but the sustain pedal bugs me as it's to close from top to bottom, at least for me. There might be an adjustment that I haven't deployed, yet. Seems I am searching for more sustain on this instrument in the mids. The bass sustain is forever! Looking forward to connecting my speakers to the MP to see the sound back on that set up. Seems a key or two is kind of dim at times in the lower mids and the bass is really loud, too loud on my initial key strikes. The treble has really nice pop to it! The keys are wood! The action quite stiff, pretty sure that can be adjusted. Overall I'd go 4.5 but really hoping I can find tune this instrument more. It's close to 80lbs and really wish Kawai would of made an enclosure stand for the MP. I'm looking at some third party enclosures, and they ain't cheap, 1k and up. Is the Kawai Novus series at 10k dearer that much more drastic to an acoustic simulation? Anyway I'm looking forward to more fun sessions on this board and have noticed the action benefits of feel/ touch, already when I'm on the acoustic. I'd say in my case,,3k well spent.

I looked long and hard for just the right Digital Piano sound, and this is it for me. I watched dozens of youtube videos, and sometimes the same person will rave about every instrument. But one reviewer who has tons of reviews, said he kept coming back to the warm sound of the Kawai, and he's right.

It has two other 'main' sounds like electric piano, and a SUB section of strings, Harps/Mallet and Bass, and a variety of +80 random sounds somewhat hidden (under Setup).

I had a Nord Stage 3 for a short time (long story) and even their premier Piano sound that you have to download, while not bad, just didn't do it for me. Everything sounded like it had too much midrange, but I just could not EQ it to my liking. You see them on stage everywhere, so it could be because of my old ears, but still...

My Kawai doesn't need any adjustments. I turn it on and start playing. The lower end of the keyboard is full of rich bass tones The high end notes are sweet and clear. All right out of the box. There are all kinds of minute adjustments you can make, even fine pitch tuning the keys. There's also Brilliance, Touch, Damper Resonance, etc if you really want to fiddle with them.

There's no wifi or bluetooth nor a big color touch screen; just a small info screen. You have labeled buttons for changing instruments without menu diving. It seems designed for a live performance.

As for gigging, well, it's a beast to move at around some 75 pounds, and it's built like a tank. There's no easy way to haul it around; if you use a case with wheels then you're looking at maybe 90-100 pounds total. For around the house I have a "Z" stand on trolley wheels, to move it around the room when I need to. You should have seen the poor delivery guy getting from the truck to my house without a dolly. He had to take a moment after getting it to my door.

I have had the MP11SE for ten months now and after using it daily I can say this is a fantastic keyboard. The feel is second to no other keyboard that I have used and I have been fortunate to own several other keyboards (Nord, Roland, Yamaha). The Kawai Grand Feel wooden keyset is stunning. The piano sounds are quite good, so good that when I went back and played my Nord Piano 2 there was a noticeable difference - for my taste the MP11se sounded much better, more like a real piano. I don't use the other non-piano sounds.

Like all keyboards, the MP11se makes compromises while excelling at other areas. The MP11SE great feel, wooden keys, solid piano sound and triple pedal action make for a very heavy keyboard. I don't think you could reasonably gig with this keyboard if you needed to transport it often. It quite heavy and when coupled with an appropriate travel case the board would weigh 150 pounds, give or take. For my thinking, it sits in my study and I use it for practicing, but if I am going to a gig or friend's house to play I take another, lighter, keyboard.

My summary, I love my MP11se. I expect to use it for years. If you want a keyboard that sounds and feels like a real piano but with the benefits of a keyboard (no tunings, probably less expensive, able to play with headphones, weight far less than a real piano) then buy the MP11SE.

Let me start by saying that I am primarily using the MP11SE as a controller. I realize that this might be overkill, but the key action really is that good. The weight, the pivot point, the hammer sensor action, the feel of the keys, all of it is just so so good. If you're looking for something piano-like, you're probably not going to find much better than this, except maybe something like the Kawai CA99 with the Grand Feel III action. The MP11SE has the Grand Feel (first gen) action.

The pianos in the MP11SE are actually not bad at all, and. If you use the virtual technician settings, you can probably really dial in the sound they way you like it to be. This is where I have to say that I haven't spent much time with the samples on the Kawai, as I'm controlling a Nord Stage 3 Compact with it and it just sounds incredible in that configuration.

One note regarding using it as a controller, specifically with the Nord series. Apparently, the Nords use a different method for processing the triple sensor midi values. The Nord won't retrigger the note without the note off command, and the Kawai only sends the note on command unless you fully release the key. This means that, for now, the Nord can't make use of the triple sensor in the Kawai. I did see that someone wrote some custom code that would run on a small PC (even a Raspberry Pi) in between and add the note off values, but I haven't tried it yet. It's not a dealbreaker, but just know that you won't get triple sensor functionality controlling a Nord, at least for low.

I briefly debated sending the Kawai back to get some other 88 key, but I took a couple days to just play it with the Nord first. It's just too good to send back. Like I said, it might be overkill to use it as a controller, but it is a really good controller. if you are looking for a fantastic piano feel and action with great dynamics, this is your keyboard.

I have had my kawai mp11se for 2 weeks and I am super happy with my purchase. It feel and sounds like the kawai concert grand I learned on at school. I looks great too. The lights are dimmed so that they do not disrupt the room. If you want the compactness of a digital piano with the sound and feel of a real piano this is it. The only downside is this thing weighs ALOT 70 pounds maybe? So hard to move around. Worth it to have real weighted wood keys! Note it does not come with a built in speaker so plan ahead for a stand k&m omega, headphones audio technica ath m50x, bench and a piano monitor Behringer ultratone k900x. And if you want help picking something out ask for Sunni, she was great to work with on my purchases.

Getting this keyboard has totally changed my life! I have been playing classical piano music for more than 20 years and I was looking for a studio/stage keyboard that would be as similar as possible to the feel of a grand piano. This has it all! I'm able to do all the articulation and colors, phrasing comes natural, the pedal response is great and the sound has so much warmth and substance in it!! I have visited the Sweetwater store and tried all the digital pianos over there. This one beats them all if you are a classical pianist who wants to record music and post it online! I have bought this for my YouTube channel "Pardon my Piano" and so far after 5 months of using it I had no issues. Everyone who comments on my videos is praising the audio quality. To put it simply, it is worth every single penny.

Was debating between this and the Nord Grand for quite some time and I'm glad I went with the MP11SE. I haven't played the Nord Grand, and while I'm sure it's amazing like all their products, I have played other Nord boards and just felt something was missing, besides just the action. It isn't perfect but it's probably about as close as you can get to the real thing (for now) and the samples (while somewhat limited) are excellent. Paired with a Roland KC-990 and some Rattlesnake (the best) cables, this thing sounds amazing and the expressive touch/feel/expression, is top-tier with that real wooden action. Well done, Kawai.

As far as Sweetwater goes, pretty impressed. Delivery was a little off due to the overwhelming demand of the carriers these days but I eventually got it in one piece without issue, and a little earlier than first expected. I really appreciate the personal attention from the Sweetwater team throughout the whole process - keep up the great work.

Overall, couldn't be happier. An amazing value for what you get. Just be sure to get a heavy duty stand, this thing is a beast.

M

I bought this around late March 2020 when the college announced to switch everything online. As a piano major student, I had very high expectation for this instrument since it will be my main practice and performing option for about a year from that time on. After about half a year of ownership, I am more than willing to tell anyone who is looking for an acoustic substitution that this will be one of your best shot! Comparing to a Steinway grand, I am able to execute about 80% to 90% what I could normally do on this instrument. If you are worried about how the key feels, how much colour would you be able ot deliver with this instruments, etc, you have a bunch of options in fine tuning the keyboard's behaviour. Just read through the user manual and modify things like key sensitivity, size of sound stage, loudness, etc, and even pedal noise. I am more than happy with my purchase and all of my professors are genuenlly impressed by this piece of technology. With the help of an audio interface, you could easily deliver the best listening experience through youtube or zoom to your audiences, that is by comparing to my peers who are mostly using laptop built in mic or a cheap Blue Snowball.

The Kawai MP11SE Stage Piano has excellent touch and sound. The touch dynamics closely mimic the feel of a grand piano. I recommend high quality monitors and a sub-woofer for the most realistic piano sound. I found that without the subwoofer the low end bass notes sounded thin. Adjustment of the onboard equalizer is also key to getting quality sound. This piano has many on-board sounds that can be layered or it can be used as a keyboard controller with a computer. It is easy to record and export MIDI files. I am very pleased with this purchase.

I had the first MP9000 way back in the day. Eventually I moved towards the Nord Stage for the transport ease and sort-of-a-workstation capabilities. At home, I would still use the MP9000 as a controller for the Stage because the key action was better. I have tried quite a few stage pianos and felt that the above choices were considerably better than anything else out there (I'm looking at you, Roland and Yamaha). In my definition, "better" means "is a musical instrument" as opposed to a feature list.

The MP11se a huge step forward compared to previous Kawai boards or the Nord instruments. It's jaw-dropping good. If the distinction between "keyboardist" and "pianist" means anything to you then you should consider this instrument. I did a detailed comparison with the cp88 and there is no comparison.

The standout sounds are the acoustics and the 1st Rhodes. Wurlitzers are solid but less satisfying for some reason. The overall sense of playing an instrument is uncanny. Some times I'll riff on one single note because the velocity response is so satisfying. I find myself returning to a style of playing from my undergrad in piano as opposed to whatever I was doing on the Nord.

Amp models and FX are surprisingly good. UI is a decent compromise of capable and accessible. I miss the direct knobs of the Nord Stage, but you couldn't tweak anything on the Stage and you can on the Kawai. Keep in mind you can set up the first 8 controls (2 pages) for the knobs and this really helps. Also push and hold on the AMP or EFX or REVERB will take you to that page. Setting up zones is a breeze. You can save the power-on stage, and also change a few of the EFX preset behaviors. Those helped me move through the instrument quickly.

It's amazing. Be warned that it will ruin all of the other stage pianos for you.

I have owned more than 20 keyboards and synths through the years, but the Kawai MP11SE is the best one yet! It begs to be played! It was great out of the box and gets better the more I play and learn it. It fits every one of my needs and does even more.

I am originally an acoustic piano player, that has moved into keyboards and sound modules. I have played mostly Korg, Roland, and Yamaha through the years, using instruments in leading worship and studio work. I always wanted a keyboard that was close to an acoustic piano, and the MP11SE fits that need. The key bed is terrific! Fantastic action. The sounds themselves are the best I have used, on stage and in the studio. The samples are long and robust. Many keyboards have thin sounds that make you stay in the middle of the keyboard (because the sounds thin out as you move up or down the register). The Kawai's sounds let you play higher and lower because of the quality of the samples and sounds. The 40 sounds are mostly solid. That said, they also interact very well with each other for layers and split sounds. I only wish I could separate out the basses into a separate bank from the strings and pads for greater versatility. The external sound zone with midi and professional inputs adds a fourth dimension to this keyboard for layers, shifts, etc. Even though this keyboard is simple, it is also deep if you want to go there. It reeks quality, from the keys to the optical triple pedal (excellent!), to the construction quality. It's a heavy keyboard, but it's worth the weight.

I'm writing this review after having the Kawaii MP11SE for less than 2 weeks. It's just that easy and that good. I will have this keyboard for years and enjoy it; I can tell that already. I'm more than satisfied with my purchase and very happy with the service that the Sweetwater team has provided! I recommend this keyboard to anyone with an acoustic piano background, anyone in church ministry, those in the studio that want a solid piano, midi controller, and players that want something that is high quality and easy! Oh, and it's a beautiful instrument, too! Five stars!

I've played piano for about 60 years; from 1967 until 1997 I was at universities as a student or an academic, and always managed to have access to grand pianos to play. When that ended, I began owning electronic piano keyboards. Over the last twenty years I gradually lost my touch for grands, and became hesitant to play them. I fell away from my classical repertoire, and the more pianistic parts of my jazz and pop repertoires -- they didn't work on the electronic pianos. When I was asked to play real pianos, I would demur. I performed only on the electronic instruments, nothing too technically challenging.
Then in January of 2019 I visited Sweetwater and came home with a Kawai MP11SE. Within a few hours I felt myself playing "pianistically" again, began gaining confidence and tried things I had not played in years. Soon after, I visited my friends grand piano rebuilding shop, and was able to play the old pieces as if I had never stopped.
I can only explain it one way -- this is a very very good instrument, and has brought me back to piano. Sounds reall good, too! The control interface is very well thought out and clear, as well.

I can't think of much of anything I would change about this keyboard. The action is excellent, it sounds great, and also works well as a MIDI controller. It's very heavy, but it's got a lot going on inside!

Update. I'm speechless at the level of quality and reality of this keyboard Patrick, PLUS its applicability in a studio. This thing WAS designed for the studio man. Now, I had a baby grand in my studio, but there was always the issue of artists that want to record their vocals while also playing keys. You can't get good separations and good tones with an open mics on keyboards. It takes a level of maturity and experienced studio cats to pull that off correctly as separate takes, but still have a "feel" to the performance. Well...enter in this keyboard brother. Now lots of keyboards have the ability to go directly into the console and allow separation. But this keyboard does that, and a whole lot more because the song sounds are totally real and the Grand Feel gives the player a more natural response that translates into a real expressive take from the player. After spending ONLY an hour on it, I figured this thing out pretty much 90%. The studio part of this whole thing is that there's built in Amp AND microphone modeling built into this keyboard, which puts the cream on the Fender Rhodes or Hammond/reed/tonewheel sounds. It even has built in effects (distortions, verbs, trems, etc modules in it too. The whole parameter settings are REAL knobs...not some cheezy screen widget. What's totally over the top for the studio is... there's a thumb drive on this that allows you to record the performance off the keyboard right to a thumbdrive, saving the performance as a WAV file or an mp3. I can literally take the thumb drive to the console and upload the piano track into the DAW and use 1 input at the console to record the vocals and use the thumbdrive to bring in the keyboards. I have 64ch of simultaneous input to my DAW, but for smaller studio's or even laptop mobile recording...this is a game-changer. This is probably one of THE best investments I've made. The quality of the grand piano and the feel of the keyboard are unbelievable. I've recorded REAL grand piano's that did not end up sounding this good or realistic on the playback. I'm still learning about it..but I'm flipping out over what this keyboard has brought already. Also, I've got new clients chomping at the bit to come play here now that they heard I have one....the attention it brought is like paid advertisement to keyboard players that have this on their radars. HIGHLY recommended since this is probably the first real working keyboard that was top to bottom designed for studio work and piano feel in one.