The Roland Kiyola Home Piano

      No Comments on The Roland Kiyola Home Piano

Roland recently announced that their Kiyola KF-10 mid-century styled home piano is available in the United States exclusively from the Museum of Modern Art’s (MoMA) Design Store. This has prompted a closer look at this exceptional instrument.

Roland Kiyola KF-10

The Roland Kiyola KF-10 with ergonomically designed bench

The Kiyola (KF-10) was originally launched in Japan in September 2015, but wasn’t widely available in the US. It is a rare entity, and unlike any other piano on the market.

The word Kiyola translates as “elegance and beauty”, a description rarely applied to a digital piano. The instrument is a collaboration between Japanese furniture designer Karimoku, and the Roland Corporation. Roland describe Karimoku as, “…a noted exponent of environmentally friendly, low-formaldehyde timber, maintaining a socially responsible piano footprint with chic design.“ They are Japan’s largest wood-furniture maker since 1940.

KF-10's minimalistic control piano

Handcrafted in Japan from oak, each piano has its own unique grain pattern

The Japanese furniture industry is centred around Hamamatsu. Early piano manufacturers also established themselves in this same area. Both industries required timber and skilled carpenters. Other musical instrument manufacturers followed. Roland and Karimoku are both located in this area.

The Kiyola KF-10’s cabinet is designed and hand-built by Karimoku, then shipped to Roland’s nearby facility where the keyboard, electrics, and amplification are installed.

The KF-10 utilises Roland’s SuperNATURAL piano modelling technology and employs their excellent PHA-50 keyboard. This gives the player a full piano sound with a feel and response akin to that of an acoustic instrument.

Mid-Century Modern

But it the Kiyola KF-10’s appearance that makes it unique. The piano has a “mid-century modern” style. This is a simplistic design with clean lines and a strong Scandinavian influence. The style has become very popular in recent years. The Teague Sketch 1111 grand piano from Steinway is another example of this mid-century modern aesthetic.

The KF-10 comes complete with a matching piano bench. Karimoku’s extensive experience in furniture design ensures the bench encourages a good posture, essential when seated for long periods of time. Its arched shape delivers a wider sitting area and this, in conjunction with a high-density foam cushion, distributes weight more evenly.

Back in 2015 Roland and Karimoku won the prestigious Good Design Award (G Mark) from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion. This was undoubtedly influential in the MoMA Design Store’s decision to feature the Kiyola KF-10 in their 2018 catalogue collection. The piano also won the Japan Wood Design Award in the same year.

Digital pianos are generally not the most attractive of instruments. They are usually either oblong boxes perched a metal leg assembly, or housed in a rather bland faux-wood console. This elegant, hand crafted instrument is a beautiful piece of furniture that would enhance, rather than detracts from, the look of most modern rooms.

The Roland Kiyola KF-10 is exclusively available in the U.S. from the MoMA Design Store until the end of June 2018. The price is $4,299.99. It is also available in other territories across the world. More information can be found on the Roland website.



Roland Kiyola KF-10 Specifications

SOUND GENERATOR
Piano SoundPiano Sound: SuperNATURAL Piano Modeling
Max. PolyphonyPiano: Limitless (solo playing using ‘Grand Piano’ tones)
Other: 384
TonesFor performance: 6 Tones (Grand Piano: 3 Tones, Upright Piano: 1 Tones, E.Piano: 1 Tones)
For data playback: 265 Tones (including 8 drum sets, 1 SFX set), Conforms to GM2
KEYBOARD
PHA-50 Keyboard
Wood and Plastic Hybrid Structure, with Escapement and Ebony/Ivory Feel (88 keys)
PEDALS
Progressive Damper Action Pedal(Damper pedal: capable of continuous detection, Soft pedal: capable of continuous detection/function assignable, Sostenuto pedal: function assignable)
SPEAKER SYSTEM
Speakers12 cm (4-3/4 inches) x 2
5 cm (2 inches) x 2
Rated Power Output30 W x 2
Volume Level (SPL)109 dB (This value was measured according to the method that is based on Roland's technical standard.)
TUNING, VOICING
Touch SensitivityKey Touch: 5 types, fixed touch
Master Tuning415.3–466.2 Hz (adjustable in increments of 0.1 Hz)
Temperament10 types (Equal, Just Major, Just Minor, Pythagorean, Kirnberger I, Kirnberger II, Kirnberger III, Meantone, Werckmeister, Arabic), selectable temperament key (*1)
EffectsAmbience, Brilliance
Piano DesignerLid
Key Off Noise
Hammer Noise
Duplex Scale
Full Scale String Resonance
Damper Resonance
Key Off Resonance
Cabinet Resonance
Soundboard Type
Damper Noise
Single Note Tuning
Single Note Volume
Single Note Character
DATA PLAYBACK
Playable SoftwareStandard MIDI Files (Format 0, 1)
Audio File (WAV 44.1 kHz, 16-bit linear format, require USB Flash Memory)
BLUETOOTH
AudioBluetooth Ver 3.0 (Supports SCMS-T content protection)
MIDI, Turning music sheetBluetooth Ver 4.0
*The Bluetooth feature may not be available, if purchased in certain territories
CONVENIENT FUNCTIONS
Convenient FunctionsMetronome (adjustable Tempo/Beat/Down beat)
Transpose (in semitones)
Speaker volume and Headphones volume automatically select function
Auto Off
OTHER
ConnectorsDC In jackDC In jack
USB Computer port: USB B type
USB Memory port: USB A type
Phones jack x 2: Stereo miniature phone type
Stereo 1/4-inch phone type
Power SupplyAC Adaptor
Power Consumption11 W
AccessoriesOwner's Manual
Operation Guide
Leaflet Stand Assembly
Leaflet “USING THE UNIT SAFELY”
AC Adaptor
Power Cord
Headphone Hook
Dedicated Pedal
Dedicated Fixed-height Bench
SIZE (Piano with lid open)
Width292 mm, 11-1/2 inches
Depth337 mm, 13-5/16 inches
Height
910 mm, 35-7/8 inches
Weight33.2 kg, 73lb 4oz

 


If you’d like to receive news of more posts, please subscribe…

Loading

you can also follow World Piano News on Instagram…





Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *