The Best Accessible Keyboard? | Casiotone CT-S500 

The CT-S500 is light, compact, afforfable, fun to play and sounds pretty good, especially considering the price. It's a very interesting option for rehearsals, sketching up musical ideas or just for having fun :) But it also has several and important limitations that prevent it to be considered a serious option both as an arranger keyboard or as a music production tool in the studio. As an arranger, it lacks the most basic editing options; not only you cannot create/edit accompaniments, but you cannot change the instrument sounds of the accompaniment or even make the most basic adjustments such as muting tracks or setting the relative volume levels of each track of the accompaniment. As a "synthesizer" for music creation, not only you cannot edit the sounds (set the oscillator/waveform, filter, envelopes, LFOs...), but even despite you can set the DSP effects and control them in realtime using the knobs, you can only assing them to the keyboard parts (upper 1/2 and lower), because for some strange reason, the keyboard parts do NOT respond to MIDI, and you can use only the system effects (reverb, chorus and delay) for the 16-channel midi sound generator. And even that, the system effects, other than the send level for each channel, are not editable at all (for instance, in the reverb you cannot set the pre-delay time, density, HF damp, etc., or in the delay you cannot even set the delay time and the feeback level). So, if you just want to have a compact, light, sleek, affordable keyboard with built-in speakers that sounds good, it's OK, but id you plan to have a keyboard to make music in your DAW, better look elsewhere.

That's really an awesome instrument. I gut mine last weekend and I am very happy with it. So far I didn't have much time playing it, but what I saw/heard so far is excellent. This keyboard offers nice sounds, good styles, effects etc. It is at an incredible price-performance ratio.

Great video guys (as usual). I have a CT-S1 and the sounds are totally usable for gigging, such a shame no line outs on that one - I should have waited for this!

I have the kls250 and this keyboard is better in every way. Time for an upgrade. A cool video guys.

excellent board ❤🎹

Great keyboard!!!! 😃

I almost bought this keyboard for the portability, but then I realized I rarely go outside and would not play in public. I bought the CT-X5000 for the expanded sequencing functions, but sure do miss the portability of carrying it around inside the house and setting up in bed or on the sofa. Portability still matters even inside the house.

Nice video but this isn’t the CT-S1, this keyboard has many more functionalities. In a forthcoming video, could you please do a showcase of the advanced tones, the real-time control of the DSPs with the three assignable knobs, the auto-accompaniment features and the sampler? Thanks 🙏🏻

It is a fine keyboard, especially it's price! I like the Fender Rhodes sound, wondering If it has the Wurtitzer sound as well. Thanks!!

I already own a Casio CDP-S350 which I love, and I'm considering a smaller keyboard to take at work or on road trips. Between the CT-S300, the CT-S500 and the LK-S250, which would you choose? I don't have the opportunity to test one. Are the keys weighted? How do they feel?

Thanks guys, that was some really nice playing! At this price point, well I guess you could go Yamaha as an alternative, but you're not getting the portability, the bluetooth adapter and in some cases the power supply! Or am I wrong?..IS there anything better at this price point, with speakers? The ctx 3000 and 5000 reviews seem to suggest it's not those.

This is the best sounding keyboard in this price range! I have the Casio CT-S 400, the little sister of the 500, without rotary potentiometers and fewer sounds. And in terms of sound it beats the Yamaha MX49 (with Motif Sounds!) Korg Triton Tactile (with Triton Sounds!) and Roland Go Keys! The natural sounds (Strings, Guitar, Saxophone, Flute, etc.) sound much more realistic than the ones mentioned above, all of which I compared directly with the CT-S 400! It also has many more and better electric Piano and Organ sounds than, for example, the Yamaha Mx49, which in reality only has a very few samples that only have 1,000 sounds through different effects! The keyboard is excellent, like a Concert Grande Piano (Ivory Feel) etc! Unfortunately, that doesn't really come across in this video 🤪

Can you send the auto bassline out through MIDI? I know it has the fingered on Bass capability ….. being able to send the bass( sometimes on channel 11 ) to some analog mono synths would be super inspiring.

I have viewed some other videos on this little beauty that say CT-S500 + Pad. ??? What is the Pad they are talking about? Is it an add on? Thank you.

Does it have drum kit sounds where you can play a kick or a cymbal or a snare to play individually?

Good for a beginner or overkill and just get the CT-S1?

Hi am having issues playing MP3 files off a USB on Casio CT S500 can you help out please ?? is there a specific USB I need ??

Sounds like there were recording issues... never heard S500 sounding so bad.

Need a comparison Video Between Yamaha PSR E373 & Casio CTX 870 IN, Please make a video, or if you/somebody has it provide a link!

Hello, I bought the casiotone cts 400 and the cts 500, but I realized that it is only compatible with Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, does anyone know if there is a driver for them to work with Windows 11? 

Can you make loops with this model?

Price??

If I close my eyes I hear the other presenter talking, Zach is his name? Maybe the dude on the right is related to him, lol

Less knobs and faders than the xw series, cannot store more than one chromatic sample, no sequencer. Really?? Why does not Casio take those features which it already has and make a superior board?

I have the ct-s1 and I ended up getting the ct-s1000v, since it is the same as the ct-s500 but includes the vocalization synthesis. It is 70 bucks more but includes the Bluetooth adapter which the 500 does not, so you are basically getting the vocalization for free. The only fly in the ointment is the PSU is not the same as the ct-s1 where it looks like the ct-s500 does use the same one, if you want them interchangeable. I do have to say, the ct-s1000v is more fun than a barrel of monkeys!

Sir please gift me casiotone ct s500/s400 any one product I don't have much money for buying

Seriously? All that talk for an acc piano patch that sounds like only the attack was sampled? On headphones sounds like a secs of a note on a looped gimmicky. Anyway Amazing sale pitch though 👏👏👏

Still sounds like a toy using the built in speakers.

The piano sound like litte bit toy.😫

Toy keyboard for toy studio. More expensive and fewer options than a ctx-3000.

Casio toy factory has launched a new product. For children. Not for professionals. But, this toy sounds like crap! I wouldn't give five bucks for this garbage. The worst keyboard ever !!

Try carrying it around all day every day and you will realize it is not "ultra portable" at all, it is over 10 lbs (and batteries add more weight!) ! The size bezels are too wide, the panel is too deep, the total length is too long, the keybed and body is too tall, it has too many keys to be actually portable and playable anywhere, need to trim down to about 44 keys to be able to be carried around and played in various daily situations, it needs to weigh under 5-6 lbs! I carry around Casio SA76 all the time and it is also not suitable for truly playing/practicing yet there is no other good alternative. If CT-S500 were cut in size and keys to under 30"-32" long overall with 3.5 octaves of range and under 5 lbs (with batteries) then it could be usable and labelled as "ultra portable".