Thank you for purchasing a KAWAI CN42 digital piano! The CN42 digital piano is a revolutionary new instrument that combines the latest digital technology with traditional piano craftsmanship inherited from KAWAI’s many years of experience in building fi ne acoustic pianos. The authentic tone has been created through the stereo sampling of concert grand pianos, and is reproduced using KAWAI’s unique Harmonic...
Page Important Safety Instructions SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS INSTRUCTIONS PERTAINING TO A RISK OF FIRE, ELECTRIC SHOCK, OR INJURY TO PERSONS WARNING TO REDUCE THE RISK OF CAUTION FIRE ELECTRIC RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK SHOCK, DO NOT EXPOSE DO NOT OPEN THIS PRODUCT TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.
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Page WARNING - When using electric products, basic precautions should always be followed, including the following. WARNING Indicates a potential hazard that could result in death or serious injury if the product is handled incorrectly. ● If you are going to use an AC power cord, The product should be connected to 120V 230V...
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Page Indicates a potential hazard that could result in injury CAUTION or damage to the product or other property if the product is handled incorrectly. Do not use the product in the following areas. Using the product in such areas may result in ●...
(2) this device must accept any interferen ce received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Model Name : CN42 Responsible Party Name : Kawai America Corporation Address : 2055 East University Drive Rancho Dominguez, CA 90220 Telephone : 310-631-1771 This applies only to products distributed by Kawai America Corporation.
LINE output level of the piano’s sound. selected. (Page 12) PEDALS The CN42 piano has three pedals—just like a grand piano. They are Sustain, Sostenuto and Soft. Sustain pedal Sustains the sound after hands are lifted from the keyboard. The sustain pedal is capable of responding to half pedaling.
USB PORT This USB (to Device) port allows USB memory or USB fl oppy disk drive devices to be connected to the CN42 piano. This provides a convenient way to playback Standard MIDI File (SMF) songs, or access the USB Recorder allowing up to 16 independent tracks to...
This section provides the basic procedures for turning the power on and playing the CN42 piano. SETTING UP THE PIANO The CN42 piano is equipped with stereo speakers and an amplifi er—no additional equipment is required to begin playing the instrument, provided AC power is available.
Page DEMO SONGS The CN42 includes 32 built-in sound demo songs. Each of the demo songs presents a musical piece to introduce the different preset sounds. PIANO 1 HARPSI & MALLETS Concert Grand : KAWAI Harpsichord : French Suite No.6 / Bach...
Use the MASTER VOLUME slider to adjust the volume if necessary. The CN42 piano is capable of playing up to 192 notes simultaneously (192-note polyphony). However, when playing in dual mode, or when playing a stereo piano sound, the polyphony will be reduced by half because the piano has to...
Page 2) DUAL The DUAL function allows two preset sounds to be layered together, creating a more complex sound. For example, a piano can be layered with strings, or a church organ with a choir sound. Step 1 Press and hold down a SOUND SELECT button to select the fi rst desired sound. Then press another SOUND SELECT button to select the second desired sound.
Page 3) SPLIT The SPLIT function divides the keyboard into two sections—upper and lower—allowing each part to be played with a different sound. Step 1 Press the SPLIT button. The LED indicator for the SPLIT button will turn on. The LED indicator for the upper SOUND SELECT button will also be turned on, while the LED indicator for the lower SOUND SELECT button will start to fl...
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Page Step 5 To change the lower sound while SPLIT mode is enabled, press and hold the SPLIT button, then press the desired SOUND SELECT button. Hold down the button. The LED indicator for the selected SOUND SELECT button will start to fl ash. Press the same button repeatedly to select another sound variation assigned to that button.
4) FOUR HANDS MODE In FOUR HANDS mode the CN42 piano keyboard is split into upper and lower sections, allowing two players to play the piano together. The sounds in the upper section are transposed two octaves down from the original pitch, while sounds from the lower section are transposed two octaves up from the original pitch, with both players playing in the same key range.
This is because certain preset sounds are prepared with an effect enabled as their default setting. Adding an effect to the sound enhances tonal quality and improves acoustic realism. This CN42 piano features two separate groups of effects. The fi rst is reverb and the second contains chorus, fl anger, delay, tremolo and rotary speaker effects.
Page ADDING OTHER EFFECTS CHORUS Chorus is an effect that simulates the rich character of a vocal choir or string ensemble, enriching the original voice by over-layering a slightly detuned version of the sound. FLANGER Flanger creates a shifting comb-fi lter, which adds motion and a ‘hollow’ tone to the sound. DELAY Delay is an effect that adds echoes to the sound.
Page 6) SELECTING THE TOUCH SENSITIVITY The TOUCH function allows different touch sensitivities for the keyboard to be selected, other than the standard touch of an acoustic piano. The sensitivity can be changed to one of fi ve different settings: Light, Light +, Heavy, Heavy + or Off.
When the value is set to ‘0’, the LED indicator will not turn on. The CN42 piano’s transpose setting defaults to ‘0’ each time the power is turned on. Please refer to page 36 for information regarding the SONG TRANSPOSE function.
With CONCERT MAGIC, absolutely anyone can sit at the CN42 piano and make real music - even complete beginners who have never taken a piano lesson in their life. To enjoy performing with Concert Magic, simply select a favorite piece from the 88 pre-programmed songs and tap any key with a steady rhythm and tempo.
For older people who may believe it is too late to learn the piano, Concert Magic offers an enjoyable fi rst step. With Concert Magic, the CN42 piano can be enjoyed by everyone in the family, even those who have never touched a...
Page CONCERT MAGIC PART VOLUME BALANCE When used with Concert Magic, the BALANCE slider adjusts the volume balance of the melody part and the accompaniment. Step 1 Move the balance slider to the right or left to adjust the volume balance. Accompaniment Melody As the slider is moved to the right, the sound of the melody becomes louder and the accompaniment becomes...
Page SKILLFUL These songs range in diffi culty from moderately diffi cult to diffi cult. To perform them, tap out the rhythm of both the melody and the accompaniment notes on any key on the keyboard, such as ‘Waltz of the Flowers’ shown below. The Note Navigator will be very helpful with the Skillful songs.
Press and hold the CONCERT MAGIC and LESSON buttons and press the piano key to which the desired song is assigned. The CN42 piano will play back the selected song and then continue to play the rest of the songs in the same category.
It is possible to select a different signature where appropriate. There are ten different times signatures available on the CN42 piano: 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 3/8, 6/8, 7/8, 9/8 and 12/8. Alternatively, one of the 100 built-in rhythm styles can be used instead of a simple metronome click.
Page Step 2 Press the VALUE buttons to select the desired time signature / rhythm. The currently selected time signature or rhythm will be shown in the LCD display. Step 3 Press the BEAT button again to stop the metronome. Both the TEMPO button and the BEAT button can be used to turn the metronome on and off, depending on whether the tempo or time signature is being adjusted.
Step 1 Press the CONCERT MAGIC and TRANSPOSE buttons simultaneously. The CN42 control panel will stop responding to button pushes. Panel Lock ‘Panel Lock On’ will be shown in the LCD display.
Page 3. LESSON FUNCTION The CN42’s Lesson function helps performers to practice the piano with a collection of etudes from Czerny, Burgmüller and Beyer, or songs from Alfred’s Basic Piano Library and Alfred’s Premier Piano Course lesson books (USA, Canada, Australia and UK only). It is possible to listen to each etude or song at various tempos, practicing the left and right hand parts separately, before eventually recording a practice session for self-evaluation.
Page 2) LISTENING TO AND PLAYING A SONG Step 1 Press the PLAY/STOP button to play the selected song. There will be a one bar count-in before the song starts to play. Press the PLAY/STOP button to stop the song. Press the REW button to rewind the song and the FF button to fast forward the song.
Press the PLAY/STOP and REC buttons simultaneously to erase the recording. Recordings made while using the Lesson Function cannot be saved and are intended for temporary reference only. When changing to another song, exiting the Lesson Function or turning off the CN42 power, Lesson recordings will be erased.
1) RECORDING (REC BUTTON) The CN42 allows up to three different songs to be recorded, stored in memory, and played back at the touch of a button. Each song has two separate tracks called ‘Parts’ that can be recorded independently. This allows the left-hand part to be recorded fi...
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To record the piece again, simply repeat the above procedure. The new recording will completely erase the previous one. The total recording capacity of the CN42 piano’s memory is approximately 15,000 notes, with button and pedal presses also counted as one note.
The currently selected song and parts will be shown in the LCD display, Song1 Part=1&2* Bar= 1- 1 Œ=120 and the CN42 piano is ready to playback the song. Step 2 Press the MENU buttons to select a song. Song3 Part=2* Bar= 1- 1 Œ=120...
Page 3) TRANSPOSING A SONG This function allows the currently selected song and songs loaded from a USB device to be transposed. Step 1 Press and hold the TRANSPOSE button, then press the MENU buttons to select the Song Transpose function.
Page 4) ERASING A SONG This function allows any songs that are no longer listened to, to be cleared. Step 1 Press the PLAY / STOP and REC buttons simultaneously. Button fl ashes Button fl ashes Press them at the same time. The LED indicators for the PLAY / STOP and REC buttons will start to fl...
5. USB (TO DEVICE) OPERATIONS The CN42 includes two USB (to device) ports, allowing USB memory or USB fl oppy disk drive devices to be connected to the piano. The fi rst connected device will appear as ‘USB_A’, the second connected device will appear as ‘USB_B’.
Page MUTING A PART Each of the 16 parts can be muted separately. Step 1 Press one of the VALUE buttons. The 16 parts will be shown in the LCD display. 123456789 ‚‚‚X---‚X‚------ Step 2 Press the MENU buttons to move the cursor, then press the VALUE buttons to set whether the part will be muted or played.
Page Step 4 Begin playing the keyboard or press the PLAY / STOP button to start recording. Press the PLAY/STOP button again to stop recording. Step 5 Press the REC button again and select another recording part to continue recording other parts. When a part has been recorded, an asterisk (*) will appear beside the part number in the LCD display.
1. INTERNAL SONG SAVE This menu can be used to save songs recorded in the CN42 piano’s internal recorder to a USB device. Step 1 Press the VALUE buttons to select the song to be saved, then press the REC button.
Page 3. DELETE This menu can be used to delete songs and empty directories stored on a USB device. Step 1 Press the MENU and VALUE buttons to scroll through the list of fi les and directories, then press the REC button to select the song or directory to be deleted.
‘Executing...’ and then ‘Complete!’ will be shown in the LCD display. 6. FORMAT This menu can be used to format a USB device for use in the CN42 piano. Step 1 Press the VALUE buttons to select the USB device to be formatted.
Page 6. MENU FUNCTIONS The Menu Functions allow various parameters for controlling the CN42 piano’s tuning, system and MIDI functions to be adjusted. 1) Brilliance 12) Key of Temperament 2) Lower Octave Shift 13) MIDI Channel 3) Lower Pedal On/Off...
Page 2) LOWER OCTAVE SHIFT This function allows the lower part to be raised by one, two, or three octaves when using SPLIT mode. Step 1 Press the MENU buttons to select the Lower Octave Shift function. 2 LowerOctShift The Lower Octave Shift value will be shown on the second line of the LCD display. Step 2 Press the VALUE buttons to set the desired Lower Octave Shift value.
Page When set to ON, the sustain pedal is active for the lower sound when the pedal is depressed. When set to OFF, the sustain pedal will not be active for the lower sound when the pedal is depressed, however the sustain pedal will still be active for the upper sound.
Page 5) LAYER DYNAMICS When using DUAL mode, sometimes simply adjusting the volume balance between the two layered sounds is not enough to create the desired sound character, especially if both sounds are very dynamic. Two equally dynamic sounds can be diffi cult to control and play comfortably. The Layer Dynamics Function allows the overall dynamic sensitivity of the layered sound to be limited, in order to create a perfect blend between both sounds in the layer.
Page 6) DAMPER HOLD ON / OFF This function determines whether sounds such as organ or strings should be held (ON) or gradually decay (OFF) when the damper pedal is depressed. Step 1 Press the MENU buttons to select the Damper Hold ON/OFF function. 6 Damper Hold ON or OFF will be shown on the second line of the LCD display.
Page 7) DAMPER EFFECT When the sustain pedal is depressed on an acoustic piano, all the dampers are lifted up allowing the strings to vibrate freely. When you play note or chord on the piano with the sustain pedal depressed not only will the strings for the notes you played vibrate but other strings will vibrate in sympathetic resonance.
When you play a key while holding down an adjacent key, an acoustic piano produces a sound as a result of string resonance. The CN42 simulates this phenomenon. The String Resonance function will return to the default setting of ‘5’ each time the power is turned off.
Page 9) FOUR HANDS ON/OFF This function allows FOUR HANDS mode to be activated or deactivated using an alternative method to that described on page 16. Step 1 Press the MENU buttons to select the FOUR HANDS ON/OFF function. 9 FOUR Hands ON or OFF will be shown on the second line of the LCD display.
Page 10) TUNING This function allows the piano’s pitch to be fi nely adjusted, and may prove useful when playing with other instruments. Step 1 Press the MENU buttons to select the Tuning function. 10 Tuning = 440.0 The Tuning value will be shown on the second line of the LCD display. Step 2 Press the VALUE buttons to set the desired Tuning value.
Page 11) TEMPERAMENT The CN42 piano offers immediate access to a variety of musical temperaments popular during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. It may prove interesting and educational to experiment with different temperaments, other than the modern ‘equal temperament’ standard this is dominant in music today.
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Page Step 1 Press the MENU buttons to select the Temperament function. 11 Temperament = Equal(P.only) The Temperament type will be shown on the second line of the LCD display. Step 2 Press the VALUE buttons to set the desired Temperament type. Equal temperament 11 Temperament = Equal(P.only)
Page 12) KEY OF TEMPERAMENT Limitless modulation of the key became available only after the invention of equal temperament. When using a temperament other than equal temperament, care must be taken to choose the key signature to play in. For example, if the song to be played is written in D major, ‘D’...
(MIDI recorders) and other electronic instruments so that they can exchange performance data. The CN42 is equipped with two MIDI jacks for exchanging data: MIDI IN and MIDI OUT. Each uses a special cable with a DIN connector.
The CN42 piano’s MIDI channel setting defaults to receiving MIDI channel information from all channels, 1 to 16. each time the power is turned on. This is called ‘omni mode on’. The CN42 piano will switch to ‘omni mode off’ when a specifi c channel is selected using the MIDI channel function, and data will only be received on that specifi...
Page 14) TRANSMIT PROGRAM CHANGE ON / OFF This function determines whether the CN42 piano will transmit program change information when pressing the SOUND SELECT buttons. When set to ON and with Multi-Timbral mode set to OFF or ON1, pressing the SOUND SELECT buttons will send the program change numbers listed in the left half of the chart on page 69 to 75 via MIDI.
This function determines whether the CN42 piano’s sound will be played from the piano’s keyboard (ON) or only from an external MIDI device (OFF). Even with local control set to OFF the CN42 piano’s keyboard will still transmit on the selected MIDI channel to an external MIDI device or personal computer.
Page 16) MULTI-TIMBRAL MODE This function allows the CN42 piano to receive data on more than one MIDI channel simultaneously. In this mode, the CN42 piano can play different musical parts with different sounds for each part. This turns on the fl exible 16 part Multi-Timbral capability. Individual MIDI channels can be turned ON and OFF, and assigned to any preset sound.
Page 17) CHANNEL MUTE This function determines which MIDI channels are activated to receive MIDI information when Multi-Timbral Mode is set to ON. Each of the 16 channels can be activated or deactivated individually. Step 1 Press the MENU buttons to select the Channel Mute function. 17 Channel Mute The channel number and its Play/Mute status will be shown on the Channel 1= Play...
Page 18) SENDING PROGRAM CHANGE NUMBERS This function allows the CN42 piano to send program change numbers within the range of 1 to 128. Press them simultaneously Step 1 Press the MENU buttons to select the Send Program Change Number function.
The MIDI Clock is the data code that MIDI instruments use as the reference for the tempo setting. When set to Internal, the CN42 piano uses its own built-in clock to control tempo settings. When set to External, the CN42 piano reads the clock data it receives via MIDI and uses this data to control the tempo.
21) FACTORY RESET This function will reset the CN42 piano to the default factory settings and is displayed only when the User Memory function has been used. All parameters saved in the User Memory will be reset to the factory preset values.
These jacks provide stereo output of the CN42 piano’s sound to amplifi ers, tape recorders or similar equipment. The audio signal coming through the LINE IN jacks is also routed to these jacks. The CN42 piano’s sound is mixed with the LINE IN signals.
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MIDI device. Windows Vista / 2000 / 98SE users: You need to install the specifi ed, special USB-MIDI driver. Download the special USB driver from the KAWAI site as shown below, and install it on the computer.
It may be necessary to tilt the unit by 90 degrees while assembling the CN42 piano. During this time, ensure that hands are not caught in the piano, keyboard lid, or score stand, and that the piano is not dropped on an individual’s feet.
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Page 6. Place the stand so that the backside of the stand assembly 6 7 8 rests against a wall, and then slowly and carefully insert the piano. Ensure that more than two people work on the assembly. If attempting to insert the piano without resting the stand against a wall, support the back of the stand using your foot or leg to prevent the stand from sliding backwards.
Page PROGRAM CHANGE NUMBER MAPPING Multi-Timbral mode Off, On 1 On 2 Category Sound Bank Bank Bank Prog # Prog # Concert Grand Studio Grand PIANO1 Mellow Grand Modern Piano Concert Grand 2 Studio Grand 2 PIANO2 Mellow Grand 2 Rock Piano Classic E.P.
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Page Multi-Timbral mode Off, On 1 On 2 Category Sound Bank Bank Bank Prog # Prog # Dolce E.P. Crystal E.P. Tremolo E.P. Classic E.P. 2 OTHERS : E.PIANO Classic E.P. 3 New Age E.P. Modern E.P. 3 Legend E.P. Phase E.P.
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Page Multi-Timbral mode Off, On 1 On 2 Category Sound Bank Bank Bank Prog # Prog # FrenchAccordion Fr. Accordion 2 Accordion OTHERS : ACCORDION Accordion 2 Blues Harmonica Harmonica Tango Accordion FingerNylon Gtr Nylon Acoustic Nylon Acoustic2 Nylon Acoustic3 Ukulele Steel Guitar Steel Guitar 2...
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Page Multi-Timbral mode Off, On 1 On 2 Category Sound Bank Bank Bank Prog # Prog # Violin Slow Violin Viola Cello Contrabass Tremolo Strings Strings & Brass 60’s Strings OTHERS : STRINGS&ORCHINST StringEnsemble2 Synth Strings Synth Strings 3 Synth Strings 2 Pizzicato Harp Celtic Harp...
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Page Multi-Timbral mode Off, On 1 On 2 Category Sound Bank Bank Bank Prog # Prog # Oboe & Strings Soprano Sax Alto Sax Soft Tenor Sax Tenor Sax OTHERS : REED Baritone Sax Oboe English Horn Bassoon Clarinet Flute & Strings Piccolo Jazz Flute Big Band Winds...
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Page Multi-Timbral mode Off, On 1 On 2 Category Sound Bank Bank Bank Prog # Prog # Bowed Metallic OTHERS : SYNTH PAD Halo Sweep Rain Pad Soundtrack Crystal Synth Mallet Brightness OTHERS : SYNTH SFX Goblin Echoes Echo Bell Echo Pan Sci-Fi Sitar...
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Page Multi-Timbral mode Off, On 1 On 2 Category Sound Bank Bank Bank Prog # Prog # Bird Tweet Dog Barking Horse Gallop Bird Tweet 2 Telephone Telephone 2 Door Creak Door Slam Scratch Wind Chime Helicopter Car Engine Car Stopping Car Passing Car Crash OTHERS : SFX...
Page DRUM SOUND MAPPING Standard Set Room Set Power Set Electronic Set Analog Set High Q High Q High Q High Q High Q Slap Slap Slap Slap Slap Scratch Push Scratch Push Scratch Push Scratch Push Scratch Push Scratch Pull Scratch Pull Scratch Pull Scratch Pull...
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Page Jazz Set Brush Set Orchestra Set SFX Set High Q High Q Closed Hi-hat 2 Slap Slap Pedal Hi-hat Scratch Push Scratch Push Open Hi-hat 2 Scratch Pull Scratch Pull Ride Cymbal 1 Sticks Sticks Sticks Square Click Square Click Square Click Metronome Click Metronome Click...
7th byte 9th byte 9th byte 10th byte F0 ......Start code 40......KAWAI’s ID number 00 - 0F ....MIDI channel 10, 30.....Function code (30 when setting MULTI TIMBRE ON/OFF) 04......Indicates that the instrument is Electronic Piano 08......Indicates that the piano is “CN4X”...
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