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I just watched a video of GL10 ATX4, it is already in the market:



Anyone of you did get the chance to play it?

I suspect, with ATX4 being as new as it is, combined with the current global supply chain problems, very few dealers will have an ATX4 model in the showroom, and therefore very few people will have had a chance to play it. Kawai doesn't even list ATX4 models on their website yet.

Is the only difference from atx3/aures the lack of control panel and moving controls to the app?

No, ATX4 (and Aures 2) is based on the hardware from the CA99/CA79 line (presumably, since there has not been an official announcement from Kawai yet). ATX3/Aures is based on the older hardware from the CA98/CA78 line.

The lack of control panel and moving controls to the app is only a difference between upright and grand models AFAIK.

ATX4 is slowly coming . . .

- The action stopping mechanism has been updated. This means the action regulation can be done like normal, no special adjustment to allow for silencing the action. This is a BIG improvement. It plays and feels the same as a normal piano, whether the acoustic sound is stopped or not.
- Sound engines updated
- Optical Sensor system slightly improved
- Soundboard drivers (transducers) have been beefed up for a bigger, fuller sound.

Sorry, don't know exactly when these will start to appear in stores in any quantities.

@KawaiDon thanks for the info. Can you confirm if the action stopping mechanism improvement also applies to Aures 2 uprights?

Thank you KawaiDon for the information. Do you know if the ATX4 will be available in GX-1?

I have not been told the full plan, no. I know of GL30 which is the same size piano, but not for the GX1. If this were requested through your dealer in Sweden to Kawai Europe, sometimes special orders are possible, especially since the GL-30 system would work in the GX-1.

Thabo you and that’s a great idea to check. First i will try and compare a GX-1 to a GL30 and see if the upgrade is worth it. Comparing a Yamaha C1X or C2X to a GX-1 is probably the closest thing between the brands but the GX-1 is a lot less money.

I hate that they moved the panel to the app. I hate using a smartphone when playing the piano.
Apparently a typical cost saving. I hope the rest of the updates are really worth it and not only marketing bla bla.

But at least it gets the latest sound engine.

For me the opposite is true. Sooner or later the touchscreen and indeed the whole electrics will break and no longer be supported. Having the screen separate means it’s easier to replace and when the day comes it’s no longer functioning the piano looks more like a regular non-silent instrument.

This. The integrated screen in my ATX3 system was almost a reason not to buy it, but then other factors were in favor of it, and now I just hope it won't break.

I’m very happy that they didn’t put a touch screen on the grand pianos. I’m very happy to have it on the smart device instead. Usually you don’t even touch it much after the initial setting are done.

I guess it till still be touchscreen for the uprights but I’m in the market for a grand with silent system so this is just perfect ☺️

I could be very interested in a Shigeru (SK-2 or SK-3) equipped with ATX4, but it is not clear whether they are manufactured. There is no evidence in the Internet that they exist, but ATX4 is pretty recent. I heard contrasting opinions from Kawai dealers. I tried asking Shigeru directly using their web form, but they are not answering. Did anyone sight a SK/ATX4 in the wild? Thanks

I asked my Kawai dealer about this earlier in the year and they confirmed that in SK can be ordered with ATX4 or Aures, special order. They said an ATX4 would add about $7-8k to the price.

I don't understand why you say we aren't answering - if you wrote from the web form on www.shigerukawai.com then those messages come to me, and I always reply. However, that email address often is blocked by spam filters - you need to check on that.

The Shigerukawai pianos are not offered with the ATX systems. I know that a few have been built on special request, but it will not become a standard model - this is not the market that the (very limited production) Shigeru Kawai pianos are made for normally.

KawaiDon, I apologize for writing that. Your reply did not land either in my regular mailbox or in the spam folder, then you should have received a straight mail rejection from my ISP's mailserver. If that is the case, I would be very glad to see a copy of it, so that I can whack my ISP for rejecting a legitimate mail.

Thanks for your answer. Pity, I have to strike SK off my list. I tried a SK-2 a few days ago, and I was nearly crying by how good it was, and particularly for the amazing expressivity allowed in the pianissimos. I guess I am in a niche market. Not the first time it happens to me, it must be my destiny :-)

Furio, would you consider a special order? I was looking at almost exactly the same thing you were (and I agree, we're kind of niche in the market for "uncompromising silent system on a premium grand") but as KawaiDon said, it's definitely possible to do, just not off-the-shelf. An SK with ATX4 would be a pretty special beast, and IMO really enticing.

In the limited universe of what I've seen, there are essentially two choices for factory silent systems that don't depend on the individual skill of an aftermarket/dealer install: Yamaha and Kawai.

On the Kawai side, seems like you can get an ATX4 on GL, GX, and by special order, SK models.

On the Yamaha side, there are more options, with SH2 systems available on a number of grands, as well as on Bosendorfers. And if you are looking even more upmarket to the SX/CF lineup, the Disklavier Enspire models have the same silent capabilities all the way up to the CFX and 280VC

Particularly in these days of supply problems (Stu Harrison just posted a video on this topic) I do not feel like choosing a difficult path and get the piano in mid 2023. Yes I am now inclined towards S3X SH2, that is another piano that I like a lot.

My budget stops there ... I can not afford Bosendorfers or Steinway Spirios or CFs, and given my level those choices would also be kind of unethical!

I’m thinking about a GX-1 with ATX4 as a special order. It’s only offered in the GX-2 but it’s a little bit to big for me so the GX-1 would be perfect. Let’s see what happens ☺️