Casiotone CT-S300 – Portable Keyboard | Touch-Sensitive | 400 Tones, 77 Rhythms & Pitch Bend | Ideal for Music Creation Anytime, Anywhere

I have an 'ancient' Casio CT-640 that I've used for *years* and its been just plain fun to use! I just started getting back into Music Production with DAWS and needed a playable keyboard with lots of presets and yet be a trouble free MIDI compatible controller for my DAWS (Traction Waveform 12). This guy fits the bill perfectly!! Firstly, the keys are very *playable* meaning they have pressure (weighted) AND are velocity sensitive...a super big deal for keyboard players that got their chops on a real piano where key expression is vital! Let's be clear: The keys are not 'graded weighted' and do not feel like a piano would, but still offer resistance and are not 'empty/squishy' like my old Casiotone ct-640...or like many key controllers with 'hollow' keys. The velocity sensitivity is awesome and will immediately be appreciated by 'old-school' keyboardists. As to Sounds...the CT-S300 has TONS of sampled tones as well as like 70 rhythms you can jam along with! Plus this guys has this real kool Dance Music function that plays full on sampled loops that you can change in real time....great for EDM and House music creators. And the sounds are very good...maybe not like your 3000.00 full on Piano Synth but still, out-of-the box, overall pretty damn good. NOTE: I have a 240w Sound Bar with Sub-Woofer that I cable out to and so I can rok the house like its a crime! As to MIDI...As I mentioned before, I use Traction's Waveform DAW. I wanted to have keyboard I can play for regular enjoyment without the DAW and still have a functional MIDI controller when in the Waveform. The CT-S300 was immediately accessible to the DAW and I was able to lay some serious tracks down with the Casio running my TuneFish VSTi and other VST plugins! Conclusion: Without hesitation, I would RECOMMEND the Casio CT-S300 to anyone whether they be a beginner keyboardist learning music or someone that is a 'player' and needs a very capable keyboard/MIDI controller for general playing and/or music production using a DAW program. One last note: IF you are a newbie keyboardist and want to be a 'real musician', I submit that you will still need to get your 'chops' on a real piano in order to train and strengthen your hands/fingers. The HOURS/DAYS/MONTHS/YEARS you will spend at the keyboard doing your scales and practice pieces will pay off with you having gained great strength and facility in your hands and fingers...THEN you can really enjoy the cool toys available today. Sure you can skip all the 'hard work' and just let some program do all the work and still make very cool sounds but the best Musicians know how to play music just using the instrument and their talent. One last, last note: I've been playing music for close to 40 years and I am still learning all the new stuff...BUT, I still have to hit that practice room piano for a good 'workout now and then.

FIRST: IT DOES COME WITH ITS OWN AC ADAPTER. So, I'm just one step above a beginner. I've had some music training but am not a performer. I just needed a good portable keyboard that wasn't a little kid's toy. This is NOT a toy. Mind you, it's not a professional unit worth thousands of dollars. But if you're like me, you do not need that kind of a pricey keyboard. If you just need one that you can keep handy to get in as much practice in as possible (and with MIDI capability), this might just be as perfect for you as it is for me. The construction is wonderful. Even the keys have a very nice tactile feel: not shiny, but a smooth texture. Other small details are the copy stand which is a great design, slipping nicely into the handle opening; it is not a flimsy, thin plastic type like most. This copy stand has some substance to it, it is not bendable. And even the surface where the bottom of the pages sit has some grooves in it to keep them from slipping around; those are the kind of details this keyboard has. Performance-wise, the speakers are excellent; great volume and quality. The feel of the keys are not weighted, but they're not described as such. They feel like an electronic keyboard, with some bounce, but easy to get used to. Again, if you're just using for practice, they are fine. They're comfortable. And they are full size piano keys. The number of tones?! Holy cow. There really are 400! Haven’t heard all of them yet! lol But the ones I have heard sound great. And it is easily attached to a USB port for MIDI use. What I loved about it is that you can leave the audio on and connect to your DAW for MIDI at the same time, using audio from either or both, computer or keyboard speakers. THE MICRO-B/USB CABLE IS NOT INCLUDED. However, they are very inexpensive. I just bought a package of 3 different sizes for less than $10. And this keyboard has a handle!!! LOL I especially wanted one that I could carry around the house, when the whim hit me, to noodle around on the ivories, and just get better at it. I've gone through several keyboards, trying and sending each back. I was beginning to think I would never find the perfect one. But this one is the perfect one for me! Great quality. Easy to carry around. And reasonable price. Oh, one thing more: It is hard to find a keyboard like this that isn't clogged up with controls along the top, making it extra deep, front to back. This one has a nicely trimmed console along the top of the keys, so that, proportionally, the length of the keys make up about 3/5 of the depth of the keyboard. I love that. This thing is mostly just 61 full-size piano keys. PS: I only received it today, so haven’t even begun to learn all of its features. It has so many.

If you want a beginner piano that is light, easy to move around, easy to setup and has a good headphone sound, then this is for you. The built in speakers are OK for the size but don't expect to go night clubbing. If you add your own speakers then that's a different story. Personally I just wanted a practice piano, and this what I got. This piano is excellent if you do not have a music room.

The CT-S300 is everything a beginner needs, and even for people who are open minded about using cheaper equipment, there's not much to complain about here. The velocity sensitivity is as good as any other keyboard. The keys are very silent during use, something that clues to the quality of the mechanics of the action. I have a Yamaha MX49 at 5 times the price that still has worse keyboard action (because it focuses on sounds). The sounds in this casio are all samples, and that's OK. The first setting it is on is a stereo sampled grand piano, and it sounds GREAT on better speakers. The built in speakers are a bit weak on bass, but fine for practicing and volume in general is not an issue, it's just the bass that lacks. The main reason I don't give 5 stars is the lack of normal audio out, and lack of normal USB port. Instead, the only audio out is a 1/8 headphone jack, and the only way to get MIDI out is to use an "android" microUSB cable. Still, these are not blockers, just small obstacles which probably save money on Casio's end. Has class compliant midi over usb, and has an option to choose the midi channel of the output , so this could be used as a controller for making serious tracks in a DAW. Considering the key bed mechanics, this actually outdoes most of today's dedicated controllers on the market. I'm not exaggerating, the keys feel suspiciously good (suspicious because, how did they do that for that price?!). IT's seriously (I'm not exaggerating here) as good a feel as the famous Arturia keylab keys (not the weighted 88, but the synth feel ones), but that's just my opinion. Also being able to pitch bend all of the 400 sounds from grand pianos to the drum sets on board opens lots of paths of creativity. 400 sounds all at the turn of that big wheel. The usb-over-midi is bi-directional, but all midi channels go to the same destination so you cannot build a whole band of multitimberal music and have the keyboard perform it all, like a more "professional" keyboard can. Again, no surprise for this price. The keys have a slight texture which is nice because it doesnt disturb a seasoned pianist, but will camouflage scratches from people's nails hitting the keys over time. The black keys are also matte finish, which hides scratches, but the matte will probably become shiny after long usage. I can rant about this thing for much longer, but my point is, it's worth every penny and has ZILCH headache factor. The quality, simplicity, and price is unparalleled. Casio must've felt a need to uphold a high standard for that "Casiotone" name, and it's evident here!

The piano is very lightweight. It has alot of various tones (400). The dance party feature is pretty cool. Has about 50 different beats that you can "mix" each 4 count part. The keyboard has audio in/out, a port to connect to a computer/phone/tablet, a port for a pedal and of course the power ac port. It has a song feature that has maybe about 50 different songs that the keyboard will play in its own. You can also designate which part of the song to be muted so you can play that part whether it be left hand/right hand or none. The sound is great. The piano volume is great. You can set the volume at a certain level when you turn it on. The keyboard has a sleep function as well. The keyboard can be used as a midi controller as well. The stand that it comes with is nice and sturdy. I will say the headphones aren't top of the line but I did not expect a pair of $100+ earphones either so they serve their purpose in this package. Besides being for a beginner, you can really use this keyboard to make & record music by hooking it up to a computer which is awesome. I bought this for my daughter but I love it just as much as she does.

I’ve had it only a little while — it arrived a day late — but it seems well made does what is supposed to do. For the money, it’s a nice keyboard and useful. It is packed with features.

This keyboard is inexpensive and flexible. I use this as my practice keyboard whether I'm learning a new song or piece of music or just toying around. It is very light so it is easy to keep the keyboard close by, handy. I pick it up any time I want to and put it on my lap and play. I have a Casio Privia PX-560 but it's a full 88 key professional stage keyboard and not quite as easy for me to just play any time I want to to the Casio ST-300 is fantastic for my needs.

My granddaughter loves it