In 1963 I started taking piano lessons. I have had and played a lot of keyboards, over a long long, time. I have arranger boards. I do have the CT-S1 in red. Took it on a camping trip, it amazed them around the camp. The function button turns every black and white note on the keyboard to a different sound setting. You can also transpose up and down using the function button, two keys raise or lowers the transpose key. 61 keys yes,…but there is a function to either extend the upper and lower octaves beyond the sound of 61 keys. For 199.99 this is like giving the instrument away at that price. Runs on house current or 6 AA batteries. The on board speakers are great and has a surround sound setting. From the earphone plug I connected into my 75watt amplifier. If Casio keeps this trend up then Yamaha, Korg etc…have to re think from price to boring black color tradition. This review video is the best I have seen so far on RU-vid on the CT-S1…..Casio has stepped into the big time with this.
In 1982 I was working for IBM Field Engineering, in downtown Manhattan. There was a music store called J & R Music. They had pretty darn near a city block with various stores, one for records, one for video, and one for stereo equipment, appliances, etc. I was killing time on my lunch hour looking at Stereo Equipment, and came across a Casio CT-401 on display. I play guitar, and I maybe knew a basic moveable C chord on a piano. I went nuts fooling around with it. I spent a lot of lunch hours up there. Soon they came out with the CT 7000, and that showed up at J & R as well, both on display. I wanted one!!! Talked my wife and my parents into chipping in and getting me one for Christmas. I had a ball with it. I eventually got a hardshell case for it, would lug it up to Massachusetts on business trips, kept me out of trouble. I used it when I started taking piano lessons. I later sold the Casio, and bought a Ensoniq ESQ-1, great Synth! I have the new CT-S400 on order, looks like a blast, light, portable, and sounds great! Good Review guys, the CT-S1 is a killer board for the money!
My brother gifted me a Casiotone MT-45 for my 16th birthday back in 82'. Loved that keyboard, learned the basics on it. Not sure where it ended up to, I think my nephews. Wish I kept it, I checked ebay, good working used is about $115 as 80's vintage, probably the same amount my brother paid for. I now have this CT-S1 (Black, I think it looks more elegant than White or Red) as my fourth keyboard, both as standalone and MIDI with my laptop DAW using Sony SRS-XB33 portable bluetooth speaker. I have a proper 88 weighted Yamaha piano, but this CT-S1 is so fun, the feel and sound (built in speaker) is awesome, I can take it anywhere, its now my goto keyboard. Casio has come a long way.
I just got a black CT-S1 and I'm looking forward to learning on it as a total beginner. I like the way you guys conducted this overview: easygoing and informative.
Got one of these, lots of fun, really enjoyable sounds. I'm amazed when I think about what a piece of junk you would get in the 90s in this price range.
I just got this and one of my favorite things about it is that you can easily change the tuning and termperament. I have mine set to 432 A and Pythagorean temperament with a base note of D. And all of that can be easily stored in memory to call up anytime. Usually keyboards have super confusing menus and buttons but this one is very straight forward and simple to operate. And yeah the samples are incredible, actually insane for what this cost. We'll probably never see a product like this again. This is one of those peak capitalism moments where a company is throwing a hail mary to try to get people interested in their products again. Sadly I don't think it will work but at least we can benefit from it.
I prefer the Yamaha PSR-373 for the same money. I can make my own drum beats for my music creations. Plus, I don't need to spend an extra $79 on the Bluetooth dongle. Just need a cheap printer cable to connect to my PC for music creation and storage.
Hey, great video and amazing sound! I am thinking about buying a keyboard to start learning the piano and my budget is around 250€, do you believe it is Worthy for me to start? My goal is more classical piano that the modes of the keyboards.
Sure, the Casiotone 401 sounds bad if you use just the onboard speaker. But plug it into a DAW and run through a few filters the thing is a hoot to play.
great v v good.wish there was a 49key version.I gig 4 times a week.Carrying is the big prob.At moment using a 37key irig pro and a module and take it on the bus.
You really should be ashamed of yourself for badmouthing the casiotone 401. I got it's bigger brother; the 701 and I still love it. I also have the Casiotone 1000P and a few Casio MT's. But.....now I've seen your review, I really want a red CT-S1.... I love the sounds but I also love the design.....
I have a question that I am hoping someone can answer for me please.I own a Bluetooth Tronsmart 40w speaker which is capable of recieving any exernal audio bluetooth signal, which has, I suspect, better sound than the onboard speakers of this keyboard. My question is, using the bluetooth adapter (and incidentally can it be any bluetooth usb adapter, or does it have to be the one specifide?) can I send the audio signal from the keyboard to my external bluetooth speaker? and if the answer is yes, is the sound of the keyboard then disabled, or can I have the sound going through the keyboard and external speaker at the same time? If you can answer this, it would be great in helping me decide if this is the keyboard for me. Many thanks
This keyboard is way more than a beginner keyboard It should have sold for at least 600 of you play it snd hear how responsive the key-on guitar sounds and effects are you will freak out as well as the electric piano these guys are not playing it right if you press hard it gives Way more twang they are very bad at demo
I'm noticed the guitar community loves beginner instruments and is happy to get new life in to their hobby no matter the price point. But the piano community has a massive amount of stuck up snobs that looks down on budget gear.
