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Digital Piano Casio CTK 6200 Full Review. Is it a good choice?

The Casio CTK 6200 is a 61-key electronic keyboard with a great variety of sounds and an interface that although it has many controls it becomes very intuitive. It has basic equalization functions.

Note: Casio CTK 6250 has been released, so direct links to shops will drive to the new model

The Casio CTK 6200 is perfect to compose, play live with a great richness of sounds since it has line output and it is is perfect because it is very portable.

review-casio-ctk-6200

You have to keep in mind that although it has a sensitive keyboard, the keys do not have the texture and Hammer Action of an acoustic piano. This limits you to study piano, anyway, you can see if you like the first year, but you need Hammer Action to evolve correctly in the piano study.

Hammer Action is the weight of the key which is different from the sensitivity.If you already play piano it will be good for the live and to take it to other places instead of a heavier piano. But if you are thinking of one more piano for conservatory (without so many extra sounds, just piano sounds) spend a little more and go to the Casio CDP 130, one of the cheapest of Casio keyboards with a considerable Hammer Action. If your budget is limited, it is at least as sensitive as the keyboard we are analyzing.The Casio CTK 6200 has three elements that we consider essential:

  • Sustain pedal input (not included).
  • USB MIDI to connect to your computer.
  • Sensitive keyboard to make dynamics (but not Hammer Action).

And it is a keyboard with many sounds and accompaniment possibilities. Designed to play and have live DJ functions. You can record tracks, touch them and manage them with the sequencer, and so on:

  • 700 sounds 210 rhythms + 10 user rhythms (means you can create them, you can also create up to 10 sounds and store them)
  • Layer and division function
  • 10 Types of reverb, chorus and typical effects.
  • 100 preset DSPs and up to 100 user DSPs
  • 5 demonstration pieces
  • Piece sequencer 17 tracks, 5 songs (real-time recording, stage recording, song editing, track editing, event editing, punch-in/out)
  • Pitch Bend wheel to make the effect of bendings on the tones we are playing.
  • SD or SDHC memory card: 2 GB to 32 G
  • Line output (for plugging into a powerful amplification system)

As you can see it comes very strong in recording so you can record your creations and add layers to the music you create. A little in line with Yamaha PSR keyboards from Yamaha. Now we are ahead of you where you can buy it in a couple of buttons, but follow the article below:

Where to Buy Casio CTK 6250?

Amazon

  • Free Shipping and possibility of shipping in one day with Amazon Premium.
  • Full Guarantee but they are no experts in music equipment
  • Leader in fast shipments.
  • Price that change a lot daily.
  • The best option in USA and worldwide

To see the potential of the whole recording part and the great amount of sounds and accompaniments that it brings, take a look at the following video:

Sound

The Casio CTK6200 has a polyphony of 48 voices, which are the notes that can sound at the same time. You have to keep in mind that if you play over a loop or an accompaniment that limit, is consumed with those notes. It is a considerable polyphony number for its price.

Sounds with AHL technology are of acceptable quality and have a tremendous variety. A total of 700 different sounds and 100 DSP effects give you a tremendous variety. The truth is that this is its forte, because it brings everything you can imagine for less than 250 €.You can record up to 5 songs and it has sequencer and mixer functions to give you total creative freedom.

DSP effects can be added to keyboard tones to create new tonalities. You can also save these settings for later use. It can store up to 10 tones created by you.

Portability and connectivity

In this particular is very good, because it has a weight of 5.7 Kg. which makes it very portable. You can even carry it without a car, using backpack with handles.A very important aspect is that apart from the headphone output it has a line output (already commented before but that we emphasize again) to connect to a PA or mixer.

This makes it valid as a live keyboard at a very affordable price. A tip because you may also find useful is, if you use the exit headphones, you would need an injection box to sound better.Perfect for taking to rehearsals and small restaurants without extra amplification, because it has 6W speakers that are not bad.As we said before it has input for sustain pedal, but it is not included.

That is an essential pedal to play the piano as it allows us to keep the note even if we stop stepping on the note.And as we have highlighted before, it comes with a USB MIDI connection so you can connect it to your computer to do things as wonderful as writing a score while you play. Or record a track and then with a single click export it to a score.It brings power supply, music sheet holder and allows battery power.It also has an LCD screen that shows the information in a very intuitive way and metronome, as well as many controls and wheels that make the editing of effects and sounds very fast. As well as an arpergiator function that allows you to make an entire phrase just by touching a key.

Casio CTK 6200 vs Casio CTK 6250

There are no differences, just a redesign.

As you can see, this is a fun keyboard with a lot of editing and mixing possibilities for just over 200 euros. It is a very good option if you like to have all these possibilities, because it is light and also admits batteries and has output line to take it to any direct. The sounds are acceptable but of course keep in mind that they are not comparable to the sounds of, for example, a Yamaha PSR of the series S. Still, for its price, it has an 8 in performance.

Where to buy Casio CTK 6200

There are several possibilities to buy the Casio CTK 6200, but as it costs a little more than 200 euros the best option is Thomann as the shipping costs are free. Well, it is the one that gives the best transport and guarantee. Though it is currently sold out, there are settlement units in Amazon that can be a great opportunity to find it also second hand:

For a similar price you have the following pianos and keyboards:

 

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Digital Piano Casio Cdp 230 Full Review. Is it a good piano?

Today we are going to talk about a Casio digital piano that has entered the market and deserves a good analysis.

Note: Casio CDP 240 is released. The Casio CDP 230 is a first cousin of the Casio CDP 130. It has a Casio AHL sound engine and 88 touch sensitive and weighted keys. But the difference is that Casio CDP 230 is designed to expand its piano capacity and have up to 700 different instrument sounds compared to the 10 typical Casio sounds. It is the perfect mix between Hammer Action piano and the typical keyboard with many different instrument sounds. Casio CDP 130

Where to Buy Casio CDP 240? (we link the new release)

Amazon

  • Free Shipping and possibility of shipping in one day with Amazon Premium.
  • Full Guarantee but they are no experts in music equipment
  • Leader in fast shipments.
  • Price that change a lot daily.
  • The best option in USA and worldwide

Thomann

  • Free Shipping
  • Full warranty. If you have any problems, they take care of everything.
  • 100% reliable payment.
  • Leader in trouble-free shipping.
  • Best price
  • Best Reputation: They are the leading online store in Europe and have the best catalogue and information.

Features

It has buttons with different functionalities such as rhythms, tempo regulator of rhythms, metronome and the possibility of recording what you are playing that can then be put into a flash memory. We detail below its list of features and then we will shell:

  • 88 sensitive keys with scaled hammer mechanics
  • 48-voice polyphony
  • 700 sounds of piano and other instruments
  • 200 rhythms to play over
  • 10 user rhythms
  • 305 musical presets or accompaniments that sound while playing
  • Storage of 32 records
  • Sampling function (to record, for example, a percussion bar that is then repeated in a loop and accompanies you)
  • 152 practice pieces
  • Split/Layer function
  • Metronome
  • Transposition function
  • Hall and Chorus Effect
  • Pitch Bend Wheel (very common on keyboards to make the bending effect and modify the modulation of your sound)
  • LCD screen to manage all its functionalities.
  • Energy Saving Mode
  • Slot SD memory cards to expand recording capabilities.
  • USB to Host
  • Headphone jack
  • Line-In Connection
  • 1 pedal input, it doesn’t support triple bottomboard but the basic one that is the sustain SP-3 (included) and that serves to sustain the note in time and that doesn’t stop playing. The triple bottomboard is more for a very high conservatory level to play some pieces.
  • 2×8 W speaker system
  • Dimensions: W x D x H: 1322 x 286 x 129 mm
  • Weight: 12 Kg
  • Includes SP-3 pedal and power supply.

I’m sure you’ll be interested in…

Sometimes it is normal to see it with the R but Casio CDP 230 and Casio CDP 230R are the same. Here you have a video where you stick a quick review to hear how it sounds:

https://youtu.be/cHn-TAfkT_0

Sound and velocity sensitivity at keys

What really characterizes the Casio CDP 230 is the enormous amount of sounds it brings with 700 different tones. From electric pianos to other musical instruments. It also has 200 rhythms, 10 types of reberbs and 5 chorus and the Hall Mode to recreate the sound of grand piano.

Watch this video in which you can see how the user plays with a variety of options on the keyboard and varies them while playing. It’s a very usable keyboard.

It has a polyphony of 48 notes, the truth is that this point is a limitation. It’s a lot of fun but with so many sounds you can see a little limited to make layering (several layers of sound). Polyphony notes are the number of notes that can sound at once on a piano including accompaniments (they also consume notes). I was very surprised that she didn’t have more polyphony but there is still a lot that can be done with it.

If you want something more advanced in piano feel you can go to the Casio Privia PX 160. The Hammer Action of this portable digital piano is the Tri Sensor Scaled Hammer. The Multi-dimensional Morphing Air Sound with 128 notes polyphony is very powerful and the price difference is not much.

Portability

It weighs a good 12 kg, making it perfect for driving or carrying in a backpack keyboard 88 keys with handles.

It has 8W speakers that you can use for a small restaurant. To plug it into a very powerful amplification system the sound technician may have to use an injection box because it has no line output (to give more power to the signal).

MIDI connectivity

It has USB MIDI to connect it to the computer and be able for example to write music sheets while playing with programs like Sibelius.

Bring a basic sustain pedal. That keeps the note sustained over time even if you stop pressing the key.

Casio CDP 230 vs Casio CDP 130

The Casio CDP 130 is the cheapest weighted-keys piano you can find. It has a sustain pedal, midi, 88 weighted keys and keyboard sensitivity. All for less than 300 euros. The thing is that it has 10 piano sounds oriented just to that, to look like a normal piano.

Based on the above, we can define the Casio CDP 230 as a better CDP 130 by a difference that is usually around 100 euros.

It brings many more sounds and functionalities to play and do more things. The important thing is to see if you really want those things and your budget. The truth is that children can then have a lot of fun with the extras for a difference that is little money as the Casio CDP 230 is often even cheaper than the Yamaha P45 that we will compare below.

Things Casio CLP230 have and not the Casio CDP 130

  • 700 piano sounds and other instruments vs. 10 of CLP130
  • 200 rhythms to play over. The CDP 130 does not have but you can layering with the sounds it has.
  • 10 user rhythms
  • 305 musical presets or accompaniments that sound while you play
  • Storage of 32 records (CDP 130 has no recording functionality)
  • Sampling function (to record for example a percussion compass that is then repeated in loop and accompanies you)
  • Pitch Bend Wheel (very common on keyboards to make the bending effect and modify the modulation of your sound)
  • LCD screen to manage all its functionalities.
  • Slot SD memory cards to expand recording capabilities.

Everything else is equal and the difference is usually 100 euros.

Casio CDP 230 vs Yamaha P115 (Yamaha P125 now) and Yamaha P45

The Casio CDP 230 or Casio CDP 230R has a tremendous amount of sounds but a 48-voice polyphony that consumes fast with any accompaniment.

The essential difference is that these Yamaha pianos are more oriented to simulate a piano than to bring many sounds. It is the same as when comparing the Casio CDP 130 only that these pianos have more polyphony and are a little better than with CDP 130 but more expensive.

The piano keyboard Yamaha P45 has a polyphony of 64 voices and although they say their Hammer Action GHS is a little louder we don’t like it enough. And the price is much lower. It brings few sounds with a very acceptable quality although it has no line output for live. The Yamaha P45 is the most purchased to start with its balance between price and performance.

On the other hand the Yamaha P115 although it is a little more expensive. For that price difference you have many advantages. To begin with, it supports triple pedal and has an output to play on big stages without injection box. It also brings applications for the iPad that help a lot and a polyphony of 192 voices. It must be said that the Yamaha P125 has now come out with 10 more piano sounds than the Yamaha P125 and now comes with 24 which is now a wonder although the price is now a bit expensive. If you see it below 600 euros it’s a good price. Here’s the review of the Yamaha 125.

Where to Buy Casio CDP 230 and the new release Casio CDP 240

As we commented above, this digital piano is generally available at the best price is Amazon, mainly at USA, whole America:

If you live at Europe always check Thomann:

If you want a Hammer Action piano with a lot of sounds the Casio CDP 230 is the best option for its price but you have other very interesting options like the Roland FP 30 that you can find in my ranking with the best digital pianos of the moment.

For a similar price you have the following pianos and keyboards:

We hope you have found this article useful and thank you very much for reading it.

 

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Digital Piano Casio Cdp 130 Full Review. Is it worth it?

In-depth analysis and review of Casio CDP 130

The Casio CDP 130 is an 88-key piano keyboard. This is important to keep in mind because the intention of this keyboard is to resemble as much as possible a real piano. The Casio CDP 130 could be said to be the cheapest of the keyboards that could be considered a piano keyboard.

It’s a digital piano that has the basic elements. Maybe, your keyboard is Hammer Action one, which means that it is a keystroke sensitive keyboard. Specifically, this model has three different sensitivities. So the louder you press the key, the louder the musical note will sound.

Check out below to see the best place to buy the Casio CDP 130. But keep reading after that, as there is much more review and comparisons between its rivals.

Sound

On a piano keyboard the sound is pre-recorded from a true acoustic piano. There are two important variables in this process that will define the sound of the piano keyboard. One is the polyphonic memory and the other is the type of sampling used to record that sound. Casio on this keyboard uses Intelligent Resonator Sound Engine (AIR).

The polyphony is 48 notes, 24 for certain tones. The polyphony is the number of notes that can sound at a time. It’s a bit basic and for intermediate level it will be a bit short (when you do layering you consume a lot of notes, keep reading to know more about it). This digital piano can give you vouchers for the first 5 years of piano in conservatory if you don’t have another budget.

I’m sure you’ll be interested in…

It has 10 types of sounds including piano sounds, electric piano… Enough to play the piano at ease. We repeat that it is the digital piano with the best price by far.

Then, it also has the following sound modifiers that usually have 90% of digital pianos:

  • 10 reverb levels.
  • Hall mode which is at the same time a type of reverberation that gives the air of a cathedral.Chorus. To give more presence to the piano sound.
  • On the other hand it has dual mode or layering. This mode allows you to play two piano sounds at once. A very typical combination is Piano + Strings. So it looks like you are playing with an orchestra. This is where polyphony is important, but 48 notes is good for most of what you will play.

Dual mode divides the keyboard in two. So in one half there is a piano sound of your choice and in the other half there is an electric bass, for example. This service is also very common.

Is it good for any level?

In this case the question could be better… what’s your budget? Of course, if you or your child are going to be left without playing the piano because you do not have a higher budget, this is the perfect and cheapest option within what we consider it’s worth.

The reality is that many people study with mid-range piano keyboards and sometimes with 61-key musical keyboards with simple keyboard sensitivity without Hammer Action. Hammer Action is not just velocity sensitivity, but it also means feeling the weight of the key as if it were an acoustic piano.If you already have a good piano training, this model is perfect for practice and maintenance.

It is also good for beginners who are starting, although when you are in middle conservatory you may already be a little short and will limit your learning.It is perfect for composition. It has a more than enough sound and has a tremendously affordable price.

For children or beginners a cheap digital piano like this is a good option, because it allows you to study with headphones and for the level you can have at the beginning, this keyboard can cover that. Both in Hammer Action in feel and sound will get shorter for our improvement, as we advance and our level gets more of intermediate type.For professionals it may be valid for concerts in small restaurants.

So, your idea is to have a better piano keyboard but this model comes with two powerful 8W speakers quite powerful.

Pedal

This is important because the pedal is vital for a keyboard to be considered a piano keyboard. This keyboard comes with the sustain pedal. Which keeps the note in time even if you stop pressing the note key, but keep the pedal pressed. A very important interpretative resource.It does not admit complete triple pedal. But it is one more factor to consider at intermediate levels.

Important extras and connectivity

From its 2 piano tones, it has a few more. But we like the Jazz Organ tone that imitates a Hammond. Below we link several videos for you to see what can be done with this piano keyboard.It brings transposition function up to an octave and metronome.

Comes with power supply but does not support batteries.It also has USB to HOST MIDI connectivity. We can use it as a MIDI controller and connect it to our computer. So with programs like Sibelius we can write scores while playing in real time.

We can also record MIDI tracks with programs like CUBASE, Ableton, etc. So the recorded track (with real piano sound) can be exported to score.It has an entrance for headphones so you can study in silence. Important to start and that your flatmates or neighbors do not kill you and end up with an incipient and promising musical career.

The output of large jack create hulls, but this does not mean that it is line output. If you connect to large amplification equipment (an outdoor direct) you may need an injection box to give your sound signal more power. For a small amplifier, though, there is no problem.

Its weight is normal on this type of piano keyboards, about 11.4 Kg. With this weight, we can say that it is portable with the right backpack. We always recommend that, If possible, you have backpack handles, so that you do not harm your back when carrying it. Below we will link you to one.Here is a video for you to hear what it sounds like, but then keep reading that there’s more important information to keep in mind.

And in this video you will see how to try the different tones available from minute 5. We will leave you the video, starting right from that moment. The man teaches you first the grand piano sound and then the electric piano sound.

Casio CDP 130 vs Yamaha P45

It is important that you know other options at similar prices and then you decide which one suits you best.The direct competitor of the Casio CDP 130 is the Yamaha P45. Yamaha’s tends to gain in sales although Casio also has its market share, but Yamaha surpasses it.There is usually a little difference in price. A few tens of euros, but this can vary quite a bit.

If you see little difference, better choose the Yamaha P45. Although the good thing about Casio CDP 130 is that in price it is unbeatable.

  • The Yamaha P45 has a polyphony of 64 voices compared to the 48 of the Casio CDP 130. This allows you to play more works and do more things with layering…
  • Yamaha’s Hammer Action GHS system has 4 sensitivities in the touch of the key versus the 3 sensitivities of Casio.
  • The Casio CDP 130 gains in loudspeaker power with its 8 W compared to the 6W of the Yamaha P45.
  • Cassius has a slightly more plastic feel.

Where to buy Casio CDP 130?

As you have seen in the pictures of before, you can buy it online at a much more advantageous price. But it is important that the online store has a good reputation with shipping and warranty, in case there is a problem.In America, check Amazon and in Europe, always check Thomann. Here are the direct links to the product:

If not in stock I recommend the Casio px 160 or Casio CDP S100

For a similar price you have the following pianos and keyboards:

 

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