Sound Comparison Nord Grand vs Kawai MP-11SE | Digitalpiano.com

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In this video we are comparing the sound of the Nord Grand and the Kawai MP-11SE. Both of the stage pianos strives to have a more grand piano-like action while still retaining all the functions and gadgets of a modern stage piano. Which makes the pianos seem quite similar in terms of functions and features but do actually differ in both key action, sounds samples and also on some on-board adjustments available when playing. The sound in this video is recorded via a sound card to hear the different sound engines.
Song list:
Joe Hisaishi - The Bygone Days
Anastasia - Once upon a December
Improvisation
Keypoints:
00:00 Intro
00:07 MP11SE / Tine EP2 Improvisation
00:37 Grand / DX7 FullTines Improvisation
01:11 MP11SE / Tine EP2 Improvisation
01:34 Grand / White Grand Joe Hisaishi
02:07 MP11SE / SK-EX Joe Hisaishi
02:50 Grand Joe / White Grand Hisaishi
03:16 MP11SE / Reed EP3 Anastasia
04:01 Grand / Wurlitzer 2 Anastasia
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#playpiano #digitalpiano #nord #kawai #nordgrand #mp11se#stagepiano #comparison

[@tombascone4111]

I have the MP11SE and love it !!! Never played the Nord but the Kawai action is great!!!

[@user-me7ww1sw9x]

Is an owner of Kawai MP-11se: it is a dream to play. This keyboard definitely top.

[@1970piano]

Well done for grand pianos and Wurlitzer, but in terms of tine pianos (Fender Rhodes) you compare apples and oranges: On the MP11 you play a Rhodes sample and on the Nord Grand a DX7 emulation. Why not one of the Nord Rhodes samples?

[@asiandude918]

What songs are you playing in your demonstration? I love the tune that you played at the beginning!

[@the_newvoice]

I had a feeling... They both recorded in line? MP11SE have a bump at 350 hz and some like 120-150 (grand piano)

[@arcticfoxstudios2018]

I've played both and they are excellent instruments. The Kawai has a slightly better piano feel, but the sounds from the Nord win hands down for me. There is just more variety there and you can upload your own sounds as well. Plus the Nord has more dynamic range while playing compared with the MP11.

[@alainthiry3965]

add sound module

[@jamesschmidt1120]

The Kawaii is more than slightly better as far as action, having played both. It blows the nord grand away in that regard

[@miguelesteves9740]

Different purposes, as the MP-11SE has a better keybed. If you use software like Pianoteq 7, if will shine.

[@jeffreyreid6981]

I have both but not the MP 11 I have the MP 7SE both piano. Sound amazing I guess it comes down to preference but I do like the rhodes Kawaii MP 7SE But I love the pianos on the nord grand

[@James-cn9no]

Kawai MP11SE all day.

[@pardonmypiano]

Totally agree!!!! Especially if you’ve been classically trained. The keyboard feels like a grand piano!!!

[@stenaldomehilli8809]

@@pardonmypiano Kawai makes great piano actions that's true. Nord knows that as well hence they designed the action for the nord grand so you'll still get a top action on this model of nord. I've checked your channel and you post great videos there and no doubt you're classically trained. I'm classically trained too and I find the Nord samples the greatest in a digital piano. Many others do. I don't own any nord products, they're expensive and so forth, however the only thing that might sound better than Nord's piano library are top VST's like Keyscape or Vienna synchron. Kawai is considerable soundwise, but still. All the best!

[@Ryan-pj5cx]

Nord all night then ?

[@luthandoheshu984]

​@@stenaldomehilli8809then you must have not played a lot of digital pianos, sound is a matter of personal taste. I can't agree with you on that, but great piano sounds from Nord I do agree. It's not the highest ranking on all digital pianos.

[@LeRitzFR]

Very useful comparison, as I'm pondering between the 2. Won't get into electric pianos (I have a Fender Rhodes...) so my interest was on piano samples alone and surprisingly, I felt the Kawai took it away. It just had more body, more resonance and felt like an actual piano. The bottom is more present - though the Nord doesn't demerit, particulary in the top notes. Great playing by the way. Would be interesting to have you own opinion on piano sounds, and on the action. (I'm hearing the Kawai is a tad better in that regard as well.) Thanks !

[@actie-reactie]

My girlfriend owns an upright piano.... I myself own the kawai mp11se.... she says the feeling and sound is just as good....

[@James-cn9no]

You cannot find a better keyboard action than the MP11SE. I love mine. Only downside really is 1) it's 70-lbs 2) you cannot install different sounds. However, there is an extensive set of sounds in the memory banks most people aren't aware of. You can't really go wrong with either. I actually have a Nord Piano 5 on order. But if you want an authentic piano playing experience in the keyboard, the MP11SE is the top of the food chain.

[@JoergPelzer]

MP11SE if you dont need speakers if yes, ES8 and you will enjoy next years... the only problem is if you like to upgrade... I cant find better ... always happy but also frustrated walking out of piano stores... :-)

[@christianharold4638]

Hermoso

[@sophiatsai5137]

I don’t know much about keyboards, so I’m just really comparing their piano sounds. For me, the Nord has a slightly weird “crispness” that almost sounds like a music box. Not sure if that make sense. The Kawaii has a nice roundness to its sound, but the each note fade into a hollow electrical fuzz? Is there anything that beats these two in terms of realistic piano sounds?

[@Digitalpianocom]

Oh they are all different. Just like a Steinway and a Yamaha or Bösendorfer. That’s the uniqueness of each instrument. They all try their very best to match the sound with the speakers, or in this case what you hear in the headphones. One thing is the intention. Another is how its perceived.

[@LeRitzFR]

After much consideration, and mostly being able to find an MP11SE in a store to try out, I ended up ordering the Nord Grand. My decision was based on several things : 1/ that MP11SE is an absolute beast, it's huge and what killed it for me was the height. It's a full 19cm high in the back and that meant it would never fit in my desk drawer. 2/ Sound wize : the Nord has more choices and the piano samples are a real pleasure. The Kawai is great too of course, but on that alone, the differences are narrow. I would actually give it to the Nord because it has more choices and all are really great quality. Finally, the action : yes, the action is top notch on the Kawai and better than the Nord, BUT, it's not night and day. In the end, I chose the Nord based on these criterias (and I wanted to take the Kawai which was way cheaper...)

[@alexeykulikov2739]

Action not night a day?! Are you joking?

[@jasonlibs]

Nice playing ! The Nord Grand white grand is more authentic and more acoustic than the digital sounding Kawaii. The kawaii appears to sound better with the DX and reed patches. For me, as far as acoustic sounding digital pianos, the Nord grand dominates in resonance and response. It’s sublime to play.

[@actie-reactie]

Really.....nord grand more acoustic than the mp11se.... interesting

[@nicdenora]

@@actie-reactiei agree with jason, you can hear on the second segment, the nord sounds much better acoustically, while the mp sounds more digital. both are great though.

[@appercumstock3017]

The MP11SE sounds so much more like a real grand.

[@Digitalpianocom]

Its impressive!

[@eyesintheskies]

Anyone know a decent hammer action keyboard for small space, just a midi controller but one that feels like the real deal

[@Digitalpianocom]

Kawai VPC1?

[@MDZac2024]

Too bad Nord and Kawai couldn’t have put the MP11SE action in the Nord Grand instead of the RH3 action from the MP7SE. It’s a great action (I own the MP7SE) but I’ve played the MP11SE and it’s a significantly better action. Sound wise, the MP series acoustics pianos sound great, but they do not have that “aliveness” if Nord’s samples. I owned the Nord Piano and Nord Piano 2 and those samples are just just packed full of detail.

[@Darwin42ME]

This would cause the piano to be as heavy as the mp11 and un-gigable. I am soo happy Nord finally has a keyboard that the weighted key community can finally use. Everything is a sacrifice is someway I suppose.

[@shuekingyang8077]

Is this your own arrangement of bygone days? It sounds great!

[@jjsc3334]

Great video, Kawai sounds more natural.

[@dare2win215]

Oh, no, he played a Rhodes on the Kawai & an cheesy DX7 patch on the Nord. I have an NP5, which I have a love/hate relationship with. Nord's sounds okay, definitely more authentic in stereo than most, but that's not always optimal, especially if you're not using a premium sound system. I'd take a Yamaha MOTIF XF over my Nord any day. I'd just like to try this famed Kawai action!

[@Leles_]

Timbre of acoustic piano none beats the MP11se in the other timbres the Nord wins.

[@timothypiper6215]

Nobody seems to get this, its so frustrating. Do not use the headphone output on the front of the keyboard or for that matter on any hifi amp. This dedicated headphone output is made from budget electronics regardless the price of your equipment, you need to use outputs on the rear and use separate dac and amp. Its not an issue about volume its an issue about sound quality, probably the reason some feel monitors sound better. This is the whole reason why there is a market for headphone dac and amps

[@aioxio]

Once you play them next to each other on monitors (not headphones) you will always chose the Nord. At least that was my experience. It sounds just beautiful, shiny and dynamic. Most Yamaha and Kawai digital pianos seem to sound somehow "flat" in comparison.

[@alainthiry3965]

i don't use headphone as i see this video but not sure i choose nord

[@aioxio]

@@alainthiry3965 Just listening to the sound is not the same experience, as playing and listening. :-) But of course, it's always a matter of personal preference. And both have their pros and cons.

[@alainthiry3965]

@@aioxio but headphone or not don't change that

[@aioxio]

@@alainthiry3965 For me it made a difference.

[@alainthiry3965]

@@aioxio for all the listeners also, i just don't understand why you say you choose the nord on monitors but not on headphone...

[@ispianist]

This kawai sounds way better than the CP88

[@nathanielbrice8725]

I have a Nord Stage Compact and am looking at purchasing a ‘realistic’ feeling stage piano. Having played both the MP11SE and the Nord Grand, I’d take the Kawai for the key feel and the Nord for the piano sounds. I’m thinking of triggering my Nord Stage Compact with the Kawai to get the best of both worlds!

[@alainthiry3965]

choose the keyboard, the sound can going from soft and hardwares modules, the mechanical of keys is the essential for choose a keyboard

[@roadwarrior1981]

Hands down the Nord Grand. The Kawai sounds like, well, a digital Kawai like they have always sounded. The Nord has all kinds of dynamic range and a resonance that makes the Kawai sound flat.

[@tell-dtruth5470]

Try close your eyes and listen as the player go through the Nord to the Kawai, it is more like tasting Pepsi or Coca Cola, they almost taste the same as far as grand piano sound

[@James-cn9no]

@@tell-dtruth5470 Until people actually play the action of the MP11SE they will not understand

[@philrob4468]

@@James-cn9no doesn't nord use kawai action...

[@JasonWelchMusic]

@@philrob4468 Yes, Nord uses a mid level Kawaii keybed action... Whereas the MP11SE uses Korg's flagship keybed action. I've never played the MP11SE, so I cant comment on that, but I have played the Nord Grand, and was unimpressed with the feeling. (Im comparing it to my Yamaha 6' grand.) I will say the Nord Grand is significantly better feeling than the new Casio keys, but less impressive than most Rolands

[@JoergPelzer]

No. I played both and own a 190cm grand piano at home. The feel and the sound of Kawai is more realistic. But sometimes people dont like real, just a nice hifi sounding piano. If I switch to the SK5 sample its nearly a copy of my grand beside, sure it has limits you know if you play a grand it IS a grand. The Kawai is just nice if I want not to disturb neighbors... but I like to disturb them :-)

[@joaonuno439]

2gb for Nord Piano Library and you can upload sounds from Nord online because there is not enough memory in it (!) . 1 VSL Fazioli with several mics perspectives is 400gb space and costs 445Euros on sale period. 1000gb SSD M.2 NVME 3rd Gen, costs around 100 Euros. 1 Nord Grand costs almost 4000 Euros with 2.5 Gb library (!) and a small monochromatic low resolution display, with a very nice KAWAI keybed and compressed sounds. Am I missing something here on the Nord cult? Prices are going up like crazy on the Nords and with that kind of money, one can get a lot more with other options IMHO. Some VSL pianos are in a far superior league than the Nord ones, for a fraction of the price. You just need a reasonable compact laptop computer that you can use for other things too by the way! I think the best way is going modular. Example: VPC1 for piano + Arturia Keylab MKII 61 on top of it for synth/Orchestral/Others + Motorized Faders controller type Behringer X-Touch + etc...Just a thought...

[@undercoverneunzehn]

Would have considered the Nord if dem mofos wouldn't be so stingy on their rom size. So I ordered the Mp11SE.

[@hansvisser461]

Nord is overoveroverpriced