Casio CT S200 Keyboard Review

We rated the Casio CT S200 a 9/10. You get a ton of bang for your buck with this particular model. And, unlike some of the other entry-level keyboards we have been reviewing recently, this one can be connected to external devices, via a USB cable. While the instrument doesn’t come with a sustain pedal, it is sustain-pedal compatible, meaning you can buy you own later. The S200 is clearly designed for kids- And it serves very them well!

Overview

This entry-level, brightly colored, light-weight keyboard comes with a built-in carrying handle, a well designed music stand that’s easy to attach and a whopping 400 instrument sounds, including some that are really quite impressive given the price point.  It has a lot of visual appeal for children.  

You get a lot for your money with the Casio CT S200. It’s definitely an entry-level keyboard and would make a great gift. Any child who expresses a desire to learn piano at a very early age would be glad to have this keyboard. Although essentially a sophisticated toy, it could certainly be used to learn piano notes and get started learning to read music. 

The CT S200 keyboard has a few features the Casio CTK 1500AD – a keyboard in the same price range – does not. This is a welcome surprise and makes this keyboard a better buy. For instance it can be connected to a computer via USB and you can connect a device in order to use a piano app (such as Casio’s own “Chordana”) or record onto a phone or tablet. 

Keyboard 

The CT S200 comes with a 61 key non-weighted, non-touch-sensitive keyboard in black, white or red. The red is particularly appealing to children. The built-in carry handle allows a child to carry this 7.3lb keyboard around the house very easily, and is light and small enough to take to grandma’s for a weekend, or even take on vacation. 

The front panel is nicely laid out and intuitive to use. Values are selected with the turn of a knob and the LCD screen displays your selected sounds and values right in front of you. 

Sound 

The CT S200 comes with 400 sounds and there are some really good quality sounds considering the price. There’s a huge selection of categories with various pianos, guitars, strings, synths and drum kits to choose from. 

Although this keyboard doesn’t come with a pedal, one can be purchased separately. Check with your retailer which one will work with this particular keyboard as not every brand will work. If possible, go for a pedal-shape one with some weight to it rather than the square type that tends to move about under your foot.  

Features 

400 instrument sounds

The 400 instrument sounds on the Casio CT S200 are very varied and quite impressive for this level of instrument. They include twelve different pianos (including things like honkey-tonk and a piano/bass combo) and two harpsichords, fourteen electric piano sounds, fourteen chromatic percussion instruments such as dulcimer, tubular bells and music box and twenty selections of strings including chamber strings and strings with choir. There are twenty-two different organs and a selection of brass and reed instruments. There is also a really good list of ethnic instruments including a very impressive sitar.  

Preset songs 

The 60 songs that come with the Casio CT S200 range from “Fur Elise” by Beethoven, a Nocturne by Chopin and Prelude Number One by Bach to Christmas songs and some nursery songs for children to enjoy.  

Dance Music Mode 

Switching into the Dance Music Mode allows the player to create dance music like a DJ. The keys on the piano take on different values when in Dance Music Mode, with keys operating the beats, bass and synths. There is an “Auto Tension Builder” switch which builds the music up into faster beats, as dance music tracks do. Effects can be added and different patterns applied in real time, as the music plays. A tune can be added as well as different voice effects.  

There are 50 dance rhythms of various styles including Electro Dance, Pop Trance, Power Pop and Electro Bounce.  

Rhythm Accompaniment 

Each rhythm accompaniment has three parts – the drums which provide the rhythm/percussion part, bass and melody which can be any number of other instruments. You can choose to have all parts play, or just the drums.  

Rhythms include disco, pop, rock, big band, bossa nova, samba, polka and various rhythms from around the world. With 77 to choose from, you will have a lot of fun. 

Fingered chords 

The CT S200 makes it very easy to play a song using chords. Enter the Rhythm Mode and press the ACMP button. Press start, then play a series of chords in the left hand the keyboard will auto-fill the harmonies and bass giving you a full band sound. 

If you don’t know chords yet, you can just play one note in the bass and the keyboard will interpret the chord for you. However, the owners manual comes with diagrams of every chord you’ll need so you can learn them. It’s really worth the time to learn chords as it makes it possible to play virtually any song you like easily with chords in the left hand and melody in the right hand.  

Metronome 

There is a good built-in metronome to help you play in time if you’re not using the built in rhythms. It’s fairly unlikely an absolute beginner would make use of the metronome when they have a huge array of backing rhythms to play along to, but it’s good to have one. 

Transpose

This keyboard can transpose from -12 to +12 which can be useful if you want to play with another instrument that plays in a different key (for instance the Bb trumpet or clarinet) or with a singer who needs a song in a different key.  

Fine-tune 

There is a fine tune function in the CT S200. This means you can detune the piano by micro amounts. It’s fairly unlikely a child would need this function, but they might have some fun playing around with it. 

Specifications

• 61 non-weighted, non-touch-sensitive keys 
• 48 polyphony
• 10 types of reverb 
• 77 types of auto-accompaniment 
• 60 preset songs + 50 dance rhythms
• USB port, Pedal jack, headphone jack, Audio in jack 
• Comes with power adaptor but also work with 6 X AA batteries 
• 7.3lbs

Who Is It Suitable For?

Beginner 

This would be an excellent starter keyboard for a young child. If you’re a parent with a child who is showing an interest but you don’t want to splash out on a more expensive keyboard from the start, this is a contender. The piano sound isn’t very realistic compared to an acoustic piano, but it’s one of the better electronic sounding pianos at such a low price point. The further 399 instrument sounds serve to inspire and give hours of fun. Add to that the Dance Music Mode and you are really getting a lot for your money.  

Experienced and serious pianists 

This is definitely not a keyboard that would interest a piano player with any experience. Casio has made this very attractive to children and although it can be connected to a computer and could probably be used as a MIDI controller, there are far better keyboards to use for this. 

Pros and Cons

Pros 

• A lot of functions and fair quality sounds for the price
• Very light-weight and portable 
• Can run of 6 X AA batteries 
• Fun Dance Music Mode 

Cons 

• Non-weighted keys + no touch-sensitivity, but as it’s aimed at beginners it’s not really a con 
• No record capability 

Quick View 

Conclusion

The Casio CT S200 is really good value for money. You get a lot of different sounds, a lot of rhythms and beginner lessons onboard. It would be a great start for a child who wants to learn the notes and begin playing, or if they want to start to learn how to create dance music in an easy way. The fact that you can connect it to a computer and plug in a sustain pedal is quite something considering the price point of this keyboard. 

Although the keys are unweighted and non-touch-sensitive, it wouldn’t matter for a while. A child of five or six might get the most use out of this keyboard. Once a child starts piano lessons, their teacher would advise about getting a keyboard with weighted keys. While this type of keyboard is great to generate interest and creativity, it’s not so good for cultivating real piano hand position or technique. Unweighted keys are easier for a small child to play, but once they start to learn real piano technique (hand position and scales, for instance), they need some resistance from the keys or they’ll develop bad habits that will be hard to undo. 

This child-friendly light-weight keyboard with built-in carrying handle and bright color makes it a great choice for children – especially as a holiday or birthday gift. Many hours of fun and some fundamental learning could be had with this keyboard. 

9Expert Score

We rated the Casio CT S200 a 9/10. You get a ton of bang for your buck with this particular model. And, unlike some of the other entry-level keyboards we have been reviewing recently, this one can be connected to external devices, via a USB cable. While the instrument doesn’t come with a sustain pedal, it is sustain-pedal compatible, meaning you can buy you own later. The S200 is clearly designed for kids- And it serves very them well!

PROS

• A lot of functions and fair quality sounds for the price
• Very light-weight and portable
• Can run of 6 X AA batteries
• Fun Dance Music Mode

CONS

• Non-weighted keys + no touch-sensitivity, but as it’s aimed at beginners it’s not really a con
• No record capability