Customer Reviews

Casio CTK-5000 61 Key Digital Keyboard

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this keyboard as my first.

I had used digital midi controls before, and that's one of the main purpose I had for this. I want to make rhythmic sounds.

This is great for that. I have played with the hundreds of tones, which range from realistic to cool to just plain goofy. The vast majority of instrumental tones sound very realistic, and the synth tones are just out of this world. Throw in the pitch wheel, and we've got a winner. You can also sample your own sounds and save compilations on the SD slot.

The one thing I didn't expect was how well I would start learning to play on this. The actual learning programs leave much to be desired. But the feature of showing a staff with what notes you are hitting in real time really help the novice in reading sheet music, and correlating those notes to the keys.

Casio gets an A+ for this one. I just wish they would make a synthesizer in this price range.

It took me a while to make a decision on a keyboard, because I knew I needed one that was going to perform. After carefully reading reviews I had made my decision to go with this keyboard, the CTK-5000 from Casio. I have to say first hand that I am absolutely impressed with this keyboard and all of the features it has to offer. A pitch-bending wheel, 600+ sounds, songs, rhythms as well as music intros, fill-ins, variations, endings, etc. It contains a dynamic interface which shows you which keys to press on the keyboard when playing a song, a very intuitive tool for beginners and a great resource in general. The ability to connect to external devices (such as a synthesizer, sustain pedal, and even your computer!) really sold me as well. If you own Midi software, you can really take your music composition to another level. You can save music to an SD card slot which is a very nice way to back up what you have composed. Multi-track recording, sample creation, layered keys, etc are also just part of this wonderful device. I really have not found any reason not to like the purchase I have made. There are new things to experiment with every time I play.

After reviewing many different keyboards, I decided on this one. After unpacking the box, I was extremely irritated that the keyboard did not come with ac adapter. It never occurred to me that I'd have to buy a separate ac power supply. (The product review does note that a separate ac power supply must be purchased. It was my own fault for only reading the headline - "Battery or AC power". However, this doesn't lesson my irritation.) Before going out and buying one, I tried several adapters I had but none worked.

In the manual, it lists the type of adapter to use; unfortunately, all the stores I stopped by (including Radio Shack) did not know what an AD12 ac power supply was. This is what irritated me most of all - I went to several stores with the power supply information and no one understood what the manual was talking about. In the end, I had to take the keyboard into Radio Shack and in less than a minute they had me hooked up.

Fortunately, I'm completely satisfied with the keyboard itself. I think it's very easy to use, the interface is intuitive, and the sound quality is quite good.

I took away 1 star because they don't pack the power adapter in the box, and sell the $5 power adapter for $30 separately.
Feature wise, CASIO is known for packing zillions of features, simply put, it packs more bells and whistles then one would normally need.
But, here are some big features that's missing :
1 - no modulation switch (it's like a vibrato in singing)
2 - no MIDI out
3 - no EQ
The original package by CASIO has the keyboard, music stand (fits into a slot on the keyboard), manual, and song book, and NO POWER ADAPTER ! And it's power hungry --- it takes 6 D-cell batteries.
I chose the CTK-5000 over the 2100/3000/4000 because it has L/R line out and 6W speakers. The other models in the series do not have the line out, meaning you will need to use the headphone jack to connect with external speakers, and this method may add unwanted noise in the signal. The 6W speakers are better then the 2W in other models.
Key touch is what you would expect from a toy keyboard - spring action. If you need some real piano playing feel, this one is not for you --- look under the digital piano category. Weighted-keys / hammer action would likely double it's weight and triple it's price.
The number pad is tiny, you will find it annoying when trying to switch sounds in darkness.
I wish it has 3 to 5 programmable buttoms for me to 1-click-access my favoriate sounds.
This CTK-5000 goes on top of my digital piano in gigs. I like the fact that the word CASIO isn't wrtten in high contrast white like others, so people can't tell it's a CASIO unless they come really close.

Loaded with features. Acoustic sounds are pretty real, leads and pads are great, better yet is layering them and make up your own sounds.
Internal speakers are loud and clear with no noise, and so does when fully amplified into a PA.
Using it is simple and having a SD card gives a practically limitless storage for setups and songs.
Action has been enhanced from previews generation Casios (ie WK 3300 and such). It is deep and almost as hard as a "semi weighted" or "light weighted", I am used to an acoustic upright piano and I love it. It still makes a little noise when pressed but not as much as the previews generation.
It`s very light for transportation.
As usb-midi controller it works very well. Connecting it to a PC was what plug and play was meant to be. WinXP and all the software I tried recognized it immediately and worked perfectly.
As drawback the back connectors aren't fixed to the chassis but to the internal circuit, so they don't feel too strong. And the AC adapter must be bought separately.

I bought this about 2 years back and its held up pretty well.

Pros:
1. Very good sounds. This keyboard has the best piano sound I've heard from anything even 3 times its price hands down. It also has a very good drum sound. Lush strings and pads.
2. Ability to layer sounds easiliy with one button
3. Ability to split the keyboard e.g. play bass on the left and organ/piano on the right OR strings on the left and Horns/piano on the right.
4. LOTS of rhythms and patterns in various different styles including exotic Indian and Chinese
5. Great lessons for building technique
6. Good reverb and chorus
7. Can be used as a MIDI trigger via a USB cable - same kind used with printers
8. Has a data card functionality
9. Allows for sampling via audio in!

Wishlist:
1. Could have had more modern beats and grooves (can be imported by MIDI though)
2. Wish the keys were weighted :P

I upgraded from a Casio CTK646 (yes, I know it was a long time coming) and I could not be more pleased. The sound is so beautiful (again, I've been using an old, old Casio) to put the "improved" sound quality in perspective. I wanted a Yamaha but "settled" for the Casio CTK5000--after reading all the positive reviews. I am so glad I did, but it wasn't settling in the least. This board offers so much for the beginner and the intermediate user. If you're looking to learn, this is a great product as its (1) affordable and (2) has piano instruction features.

I bought this from Musician Friend through Amazon and I was shocked (and so was my son, especially) at how fast this item arrived!!! Smooth transaction!

Wonderful keyboard in it's price range. Keys have a wide dynamic range. Keyboard itself offers appealing functionality. Excellent choice for beginners and intermediate players. Signal quality and depth is outstanding. Song bank is average though. But who really needs it?! I would definitely recommend this instrument.

this is a really good thing. lot of features and low price, good quality.

i love it!!!

I bought this for my wife. She is learning to play and loves her keyboard