Thank you so much for this comparison video! Living on a college campus, space is a premium, so I've been looking for a 61-key keyboard to use since I can't reasonably bring in my full-size 88-key. Both of these keyboards seem great, but I ended up choosing the GO:KEYS because of it's features, the organ/synth sounds, and better sound quality overall in my opinion.
You presented them both so positively, I ended up getting the CT-S400 first, then within a couple of months, I got the GoKeys as well. Each one is unique but the GoKeys sounds so much better using external speakers; it really puts the Casio CT-S400 to shame with its 64 note polyphony, but it has inferior speaker sound quality.
Thanks for the comparison. From what you played, the Casio basic piano sounded better to me. Also, the Go: Keys costs 50% more than the CT-S400. That's a big factor at this end of the spectrum.
For what's worth, I brought the Casio back after the weekend (it's heavy too) the Go Keys i think I'm actually addicted to....best Keys I've ever played, it's even muscled out my Korg M1
I like my Roland Go-Keys keyboard. It is inexpensive, has great sounds and I like the rhythm & effects plus you can record your own songs or performances. Great practice piano/keyboard & lives up to my standards. Roland makes great stuff! Thanks!
I am amazed at the sound quality of the cts 400 considering it has 48 notes of polyphony and the roland gokeys has 128, however they both sound amazing. 😃
I do wish my Go Keys had a conventional pitch bender. Running it through an amp is like night and day. My keyboards are house pets. I run my Yamaha Reface boards (DX & CS) along with the Roland through a Vox keyboard amp. It really brings the sounds alive.
Nice comparison. The Roland Go:Piano rather than it’s Keys sibling sacrifices the extra tones and all rhythms to improve on the piano sound aspect. It has damper string resonance for example. It is more like the Casio CT-S1. It would make you smile less! Portable practise second instrument to compliment a main one.
@@gearfacts A year ago when I tried they seemed virtually the same. I think light action keyboards can be fine for synth/organ/arrangers but if you want to approach the thrill of precise, immediate control of the huge dynamic range that is the piano's forte (sorry, couldn't resist!) I think there simply has to be the inertia of heavier yet finely balanced keys.
They both sound thin. If you want thin sounds, the Yamaha PSR-225 is the best choice for 50 of your local currency secondhand. If you want to play in a band, you'll need a real synth and not a thin sounding home-keyboard.
Great video! They have similarities, but are totally different animals. I know the peculiarities of the Go:Keys well, despite not even going into the manual for the 8 months since I got it. Like someone commented, the Go:Piano has a similar approach to the CT-S1 as opposed to the Go:Keys and CT-S400 respectively, with less voice tones on the prior than the latter, but with better sonic quality, though I never had a Go:Piano to compare hands on, only on videos. I picked the Go:Keys for the versatility over the Go:Piano, and was going to do the same with the CT-S400, when I realized how awesome the CT-S1 sounds. The CT-S400 has a pitch bend wheel, and the Go:Keys has the weird funky pitch bend/modulation controller. I know it has some unique options, but I would rather have had a conventional Roland pitch/modulation lever, or at least the pitch bend be a continuous ribbon like the early Moogs, with variable pitch instead of set increments. The other big irk is not including the music holder from the Go:Piano, as it is virtually unavailable, no one will ship it to my location, or they will charge an arm and leg, and I won't be able to play two hands and operate the sustain pedal, among other things. Like you mentioned, it has goods and bads. Not the ideal keyboard for live performance with a single keyboard, but great for solo playing or music creation, which is what Roland categorizes it as. It has the sound set from the much more expensive Juno DS series and GM2. The loop jam function is incredible, especially after you master it, you can do jams on the fly, playing over the beats if you can keep track of the controls switching back and forth to change loop patterns. But it's hard to change voice oatches quickly, and ditto for transpose and octave without diving into display menu. The CT-S400 is a more conventional arranger, but other than the compact form factor and other shared features with the CT-S1, the Yamaha PSR-E373 is a better arranger keyboard for the price with more control buttons to easily access the features. And the Go:Keys has 128 note polyphony compared to the 48 on the CT-S400. The CT-S1 has 64, which is no problem without rhythms, unless you do classical type playing with the sustain pedal held. The Go:Keys costs much more than the CT-S400 in the US, and it is no slouch. Yohan Kim probably shows what it can do better than anyone, as he uses it in many of his videos, along with the JD-Xi, which I also have. That has practicalky every Roland drum kit, and is a 4 track digital/analog power house with a vocoder and hands on effects for real time control, plus pitch and modulation wheels. So, this video helped me realize I don't need the CT-S400. But I plan to get the CT-S1 soon, in red to match the Red/Black theme of my two Roland Axes. And get the Yamaha PSR-E373 later to have an arranger keyboard my sister can also play with easy access to the great default piano sound. And very affordable for $200 each. Plus $80 for the BT dongle.
That’s interesting about the price difference, and I’m hearing it a lot. Here in Australia they are much closer. I guess manufacturers adjust their prices according to market response. Mast parents looking for home keyboards here probably haven’t even heard of “Roland” as a brand name. So Casio gets more interest simply because of their better-known brand.
@@gearfacts Mostly helpful for others not so privy about the instruments, but everyone has their own perspectives, insights, knowledge and experience, and familiarity with various pieces of gear and other things. I have my favorite music, tech and automotive channels, and you're one of them. Lots of gear I have, had, or remember are in your videos, like I recognized the music from the Roland PMA-5 you were using on another piece of gear, if I remember right. I had a lots of gear in the past or know of them, because I have been around a long time.
Since you have both the GO Keys and the JDXi, is it worth just saving up and getting the JDXi for its loop feature, or does the GO Keys's loop feature in a similar enough fashion? I eventually want to get the JDXi, my question is more to find out if I should get the GO keys
@@SwiftDreamer There's lots of videos online, especially for the JD-Xi. They are totally different animals. The Go:Keys loop feature are sampled pre program patterns for each part, one octave each, and each note is a different programed pattern. And therecare many styles, snd it can be also used as a standard keyboard with lots of voices, but I believe I discribed the shortcomings above, like you can't layer or split, and recalling voice patches or tones on the fly is not possible, unless it's nearby adjacent tones you can quickly move the cursor. The JD-Xi is a beast, but, it's a 37 mini key format, and has 4 tracks that you can program what you want with an extensive effect path. Two Supernatural sound set tracks, 1 full analog, and obe drum, rhythm track, and a vocorder. It's much more expensive, and to in depth to explain here. Go eatch the awesome music videos by Yohan Kim and look for the ones he uses the Go:Keys and the JD-Xi, the latter often in tandem with another keyboard, usually the Roland RD2000 flagship stage piano.
I can’t suggest anything specific, but look for the ones that have a game-like appeal to them. At 8 years old, that’s the time when kids often lose interest because it becomes too much “like work”. Keep it fun, fun, fun. Only joy will motivate!
Thanks gearfacts. Sadly I think these companies are missing an opportunity. How hard could it be to put in midi? And it’s a gateway drug to other gear!
Both of these keyboard should have an integrated smartphone. The reason why they don't is because this music company is owned by bankers and the only time any engineering that is done is by contractors.
@@kanan4907 yes, if you set your audio software to begin recording, the playback your song on the keyboard, it will show on your computer screen as a wav file.
@@annacatanzaritimusic Hi Anna, no I actually find it to be the most comfortable of any of my keyboards, but it definitely took a minute to get used to. Check your stand height....I know if I don't get those ergonomics right, I get pain in my elbows!
I really want to get the roland, but i kept listening to alot of videos that casiotones have really nice sound that I like.☹️ Im so confused between Cts1 Go keys Cts400
