First impressions with VPC1

Gamma1734 · 2022-06-07T11:07:46+00:00

Hello everyone, finally my Kawai VPC1 arrived and I want to share my first impressions here. The idea is, to also tell you about my thoughts after using it a couple of weeks. It was quite hard to even find this instrument at all. I could find it for around 1400$ but I imported it from Germany to Austria. I even went to Vienna in the hopes of being able to try VPC1 but nope, I literally couldn't find a single place that has one. Even in the whole of Austria there were almost none, let alone used ones. So I bought it blind online … The packaging is ok, the overall quality is minimalistic and feels good. The pedals depress only a little but for the moment I don't care too much. The way it plays reminds me of the ES8 I used for quite a while, but I think VPC1 is a bit more sophisticated (and really heavier). Octave playing, or louder chord playing feels surprisingly "fluffy", but in a good way. The fluffiness from a nice concert grand, but more undefined. I played the E200ATX3 hybrid for 1.5years and want to compare now some things I noticed. First, the overall possible dynamics feel very good, in fact even better than with the hybrid, which is remarkable. (Depending on the V Curve) it's a bit hard to play consistently p or even pp, but it really feels like it's my "fault" and not the instrument. It feels like you have a great time bringing out melodies with your pinky for example. A problem I had with many instruments is that sometimes it feels like you can't play a chord perfectly simultaneously. It's like some midi values within the chord are a bit to the left, a bit to the right, but with this one I could play perfect cohesive chords, which was nice. Also staccato playing is MUCH better than with the hybrid. Ah, it feels so good to be able to play cheeky staccatos in a Mozart Sonata. The overall feel is really different to the hybrid, I don't want to say worse. I have to get used to the Grand style of keyboard. I've played on uprights my whole life, so it's a preference I guess. Yeah, so far really happy for that amount of money (really have to keep that in mind too the whole time.) Update possibly soon🙂

HZPiano

I do feel for you jdg78 , and don't understand it either.

Cheers and a happy upgrade (anyway?!),

HZPiano

vagfilm my practice level does not need it for a couple of years

Hey,

What is your current practise instrument (that apparently you don't need to replace yet)?

Cheers and happy playing,

vagfilm

HZPiano
Geez... You want to embarrass me 😀 I have a toy-like Yamaha with lighted keys (EZ-something), which I bought second hand many years ago. Two years ago when my kid turned 3, I brought it back from storage. She is not really into serious practice at the moment, and I don't want to force her to piano classes, but she LOVES following the lights and playing the learning songs. Myself, I am using it as a TOOL for hand coordination and scale and chord practice (it's amazing how nimble and coordinated my left fingers are on a guitar fretboard with the palm turned upwards, and how clumsy they become once the hand palm is turned down on a keyboard...). I am in no hurry (playing Carnegie is not on my radar...) and I simply enjoy learning about harmonics and chords (everything is very logic in a linear keyboard versus the 2D craziness of the fretboard!!!). Two hand scales are my nemesis, and I am methodic: scales have precedence over Chopin. I am ok-ish for the moment: although I would prefer to have a weighted keyboard ASAP, the EZ works better for my kid, and the lighted keys (that can be turned on and off) are a great learning TOOL for scales and chords. If she wants to begin lessons, then I will get a slab (right now the option would be FP90x, because of the simplicity of the audio interface - VSTs for me, internal sounds for her). If she completely rejects formal classes, then I would probably get a VPC1 (or a DIY hybrid). But at this moment (and for at least one more year) I am enjoying going through the fundamentals rather than developing the correct touch, and the weighted keyboard is not yet my priority (finding 45 uninterrupted daily minutes for practice is the priority).

HZPiano

vagfilm Geez... You want to embarrass me 😀

Not at all! And thanks for sharing. My journey started with a Yamaha PSS-A50 😋. Granted, that was short-lived 😲.

🙂

David B

vagfilm (everything is very logic in a linear keyboard versus the 2D craziness of the fretboard!!!).

My brain works that way too. Having played both instruments, musical theory didn't start to make sense until I started learning the piano.

God Bless,
David

HZPiano

David B musical theory didn't start to make sense until I started learning the piano.

In fact that is how I started exploring piano in the first place.

Wanting to dive into Double Bass and Jazz, I watched YouTube-recorded masterclasses by Rufus Reid. He always had a piano and pianist present, highly recommending the piano to his students for better understanding of music, melody, harmony and thus the role of the bassist in all of this.

As it turned out, I find piano just as interesting and now want to explore and enjoy both.

Cheers and happy understanding,

HZPiano

Gamma1734 CA49

HZPiano How would you compare the action in the VPC1 versus the action in the CA49?

So, to answer my own question, this afternoon I took the train to the city of Leiden, The Netherlands, to play a CA49 and thus Grand Feel Compact in particular. Out of curiosity and more so because it is often mentioned to be the successor to RM3 Grand II which by now is only still found in the VPC1. Also, somewhere on PW in 2018 Kawai James calls GFC 'far superior'. So I just had to check.

Well, I wasn't pleased. It is somewhat nice if you are not sensitive (as I am) to any of my major two complaints:

The action is bouncy on key return! I really wasn't prepared to find this… Much RHIII/RHC like.
The black keys have a strange plasticky-rubbery finish even though GFC is a fully wooden keyboard.

GFC does have a longer pivot length than RM3 Grand II. That is indeed noticeable, but not to an extent that I would call a significant advantage against the other shortcomings.

So, for me personally, I'm left with the VPC1 as the only upgrade option to my Roland PHA-4 Standard action. And I'm going to double check that one as well, because if it also bounces and has that weird black key coating (without me noticing it before), it falls through as well… I'll see if I can go and re-check VPC1 next week.

Should VPC1 fall through (I hope not!)… then nothing below 3,000€ would float my boat 😲. And 3,000(+) I don't have, and probably would never want to invest in 'digital'. So my only hope is on one last keybed…

Cheers and happy actions,

PS Nudged towards it by the knowledgeable store owner I played a Shigeru Kawai SK-2 hand built shortish grand. Brand new, some protective plastic still on its panels. Now I've never been much of a fan of the acoustic Kawai sound nor of shorter grands. But… this one played like a nice dream… high level of comfort and control… and a very pleasing sound and a truly 'singing' instrument. Now that was a super positive and educational surprise. Just 43,000€ so… Oops…

vagfilm

HZPiano Have you tried Roland's PHA-50?

HZPiano

vagfilm Please see above:

HZPiano I recently 'felt' […] PHA-50 in an FP-90.

😉

HZPiano

Hello,

To continue the story:

Today I went out and double-checked the VPC1. It bounces a little as well but much more within what I consider normal and acceptable. It also has a bit of that black key texture that, for me, would take some getting used to but isn't a deal-breaker.

I also paid some more attention to Grand Feel III in a CA79. Now that action (again apart from the black key texture) I find really well done and, budget allowing, would be my clear preference as a digital action. I felt well at ease/comfortable playing it and had a good connection with it. Of course the furniture, sound engine, amps and speakers are overkill in a way, the price (therefore) too rich for my budget, so here I am still undetermined.

A VPC2 obviously should not get GFC as is often rumored, but the GFIII instead. Then we'd be cooking on GAS for sure.

Cheers and happy actions,

vagfilm

HZPiano A VPC2 obviously should not get GFC as is often rumored, but the GFIII instead.

The vpc1 looks exactly like a mp10 without sounds, lauched when the mp10 was being replaced by the mp11. So, if tradition holds, we will see mp12 one of these days (2022?2023? 2024?) and the vpc2 3 years after that...

HZPiano

vagfilm lauched when the mp10 was being replaced by the mp11.

Is the MP11 (non-SE) 9 years old (as the VPC1 is)?

Cheers and happy model history,

Frédéric L

vagfilm It is difficult to extrapolate the releases of VPCx, since there is only one. If we had a VPC0 and a VPC1, we could do a linear regression and bet on the release date of a VPC2.

Linear regression works very well with Yamaha CLP since 2002 (CLP1xx)

vagfilm

Kawai does not follow time (or model names...) very well... Nonetheless, mp10 was launched in 2010, vpc1 in early 2013, and mp11 in early 2014.

HZPiano

vagfilm mp10 was launched in 2010, vpc1 in early 2013, and mp11 in early 2014.

I see. And the MP11SE is available since November 2017 (or so says the Thomann product info). If we take the liberty of calling that 'early 2018', then we have nice four-year intervals. And thus an MP12 should be here now. But things aren't normal at the moment (well, in fact, are they ever?) and so now such extrapolations need at least two years' worth of extension, I presume.

Cheers and happy forecasts,

vagfilm

The dates above are of the press releases of product announcement. Shop availability is delayed by a few months. MP11se was announced on october 2017 (almost 5 years ago, and more than 8 for the MP11).

porco_rosso

Hey @Gamma1734, after listening to your latest wonderful recordings on youtube I wonder if you are still pleased with your VPC1? Anything else you noticed in the behavior/properties of the action you like/dislike, especially in combination with all the different VSTs you have?

After letting the subject rest for half a year I also purchased a VPC1 with the K&M 18810 stand again as an upgrade to my Roland FP-30 - the VPC1 has something addictive to it. If my last unit hadn't these two quality issues I described back then maybe I would't have returned it. It will arrive next week and I just hope the QC is fine this time. The price here in Germany is still very low compared to the US, it was 1400 $ for VPC1 and the stand.

Edit: Wow, I thought the price for the VPC1 in the US was 1900$, but its 2400, more than 1000$ more! That's crazy.

HZPiano

porco_rosso letting the subject rest for half a year

Thumbs up for actually doing that!

Hope you'll be happy with your new(est) VPC1 instrument now.

Cheers and the happiest playing,

porco_rosso

HZPiano Thumbs up for actually doing that!

It was very helpful. Thank you for suggesting it. I also didn't visit the online piano communities. Either the VPC1 will do it now for me, or I will have to wait for the VPC2 with GF3(/4?) and optical triple pedals. No need for a big heavy furniture piano with samples and low quality speakers I will not use for a few thousand additional Euros and so on.

Drew-r

porco_rosso Edit: Wow, I thought the price for the VPC1 in the US was 1900$, but its 2400, more than 1000$ more! That's crazy.

I just want to say 1) welcome back and 2) off-topic as this may be ( this is part of testing my new OT-early-warning-system) , no matter where in the world you may be, you are probably required to pay way too much for certain things you may want or need.

Two weeks ago i tried a DGX670 priced at 799 dollars. Later that day i looked at some homegrown strawberries for 5.5 dollars per quart which then reminded me gasoline here was currently selling near 5 dollars a gallon. I wanted the 670. I really wanted some HG strawberries. I really needed about 7 gallons of gasoline……. maybe you can’t always get what you want, but if you try some time, you might find, i got all of them 😲.

« Previous Page Next Page »