Arranger keyboards often ship with hundreds of different instrument presets, representing practically every instrument that exists and probably quite a few that don’t. Bear in mind that quantity isn’t always a measure of quality, though – it’s far better to have fewer usable voices than hundreds you’ll never bother with, especially if you’re more in the market for a digital piano than a portable keyboard. For more information on the differences between the two types of instrument, see our digital piano vs keyboard article here.

The original Casiotone keyboards came in three distinct families, separated by the method of synthesis. [ citation needed] Buy any of the best Casio keyboards or digital pianos and you’ll be granted free access to the Casio Music Academy. Designed by music teachers, this online portal combines video tutorials with an app that connects to your keyboard via a USB cable or the optional WU-BT10 Bluetooth dongle. While you play, it’ll analyse your performance and show you how to improve, step by step. How we choose the best Casio keyboards It’s a bit bigger and heavier, and the handle is gone – so this keyboard has lost some of the mobility of the earlier Casiotones. Dance Music Mode has also been taken off. However – as the line has continued over the last few years, Casio have begun to push the envelope more and more. Without losing sight of their roots, Casiotone keyboards have become increasingly feature-rich. Their most recent models wouldn’t be out of place in a professional studio!

The Heart of a Champion

All of the products on this list can be powered via a standard power supply or USB, and some enable you to use batteries – a handy option for those who need some portability. Keyboards such as the CT-202 ( c. 1981) use vowel-Consonant synthesis. The later model of this family, the MT-65, is one of the more well known and sought after models, as it also contains auto-accompaniment drum beats and bass lines.

As suggested by the sudden jump from 500 to 1000, this keyboard takes a significant step forward from its predecessor. Other supplied accessories include a power supply (the CT-S1000V can also run on six AA batteries) and a music stand. Performance & Verdict Despite its toy-like looks, it’s more than just a plaything. One hundred tones with shortcuts to piano, trumpet and drums, 50 built-in rhythms and 32 note polyphony make it an intriguing learning tool for young minds, plus they’ll get access to free lessons at Casio’s Music Academy. Complete the short form that accompanies your product. Please ensure that you complete all of the sections, as this will guarantee the timely processing of your return/exchange. If Casio’s SA-7x range of children’s keyboards is still somewhat grown-up for your little darlings, then consider the even more elementary SA-51. Weighing in at less than a kilo, measuring just 44.6cm across and equipped with 32 mini keys, it’s the perfect size for little hands.It utilised “vowel-consonant” synthesis – a form of subtractive synthesis using filter patterns based on human speech tones. To select one of the 29 pre-set voices, you simply pressed the tone select button and then any of the white keys on the keyboard. This uncomplicated layout made the Casiotone extremely simple to navigate.

The most exciting feature for a keyboard in this price range is the USB connection, allowing you to connect up to a computer or mobile device and control them using MIDI. This opens up practically limitless applications for the CT-S100. The CT-S100 is the spiritual successor to the original Casiotone 201. It’s simple – basic, even – but it does what it does very well.It adds 200 more tones (800 in total), 43 more rhythms (243 in total), and allows 50 user rhythms. There are 24 reverbs, 12 choruses, 15 delays, 10 EQ pre-sets and 100 DSP pre-sets! On top of this, the polyphony is upped to 64 notes.