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Today's Bonus:
- 61 keys with 100-tune song bank
- MIDI makes for great sound
- Headphone jack for private listening and microphone jack to sing along with the song
- 100 preset tones and 100 rhythms
- Auto Accompaniment to give a deeper sound to your songs
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When I first purchased this product I was ready to open it up and start playing, however, it doesn't come with an AC Adapter(it takes a 9 volt ac adapter) and it doesn't include batteries (as with most electronics nowadays). Although I fortunately had an adapter that fit the keyboard I didn't realise that until after I had already gone out and bought the required six AA batteries required to power the keyboard.Apart from my power-supply fiasco, once I did get the product working I was surprised at how unrealistic the piano and a lot of the other sounds .. sounded. Another draw back about this keyboard is that it doesn't include the midi in/out cables used to connect to a computer or another midi device, however if you're just wanting to play and don't have any interest in using the keyboard in conjunction with a computer, then this product is great.
Pros:
affordable price
61 full sized keys
long battery life
lots of built in songs to learn
comes with a music stand and ~100 songs to play
Cons:
doesn't come with midi in/out cables
doesn't come with power adapter
certain tones sound horribly unlike the instrument stated (~30 in all of 100 total)
So if you're looking for something affordable, lightweight and easy to use, this is the perfect keyboard for you.
Buy Casio CTK-496 Electronic Keyboard with 61 Full-Size Keys and Singalong Capability Now
I wouldn't recommend this keyboard for anyone, not even the novice. A keyboard with 61 keys is too small for someone who already plays the piano. This keyboard has a "tinny", cheap sound, as do the accompanying musical tones. The banjo doesn't sound like a banjo; the accordion doesn't sound like an accordion, etc. The rhythm selections all sound the same. The upper keys play at a lower volume than the lower keys.A sustain pedal is as important as the keys, yet this product did not come with one. It also didn't come with an adapter, which is equally important unless you have an unlimited supply of free batteries. I had to order the sustain pedal over the Internet, plus pay for the shipping. Nobody within 50 miles of me carried one. I also had to pay extra for an adapter and a set of headphones.
If your looking for a decent keyboard, please consider buying the best and the largest you can afford. This one will leave you feeling cheated and disgusted, while it collects dust in the closet.At its price point, this is an amazing little keyboard. Keeping in mind an 88 key digital piano with weighted keys and basically no additional sounds costs around $500, its important to consider what you should expect for $65-$100. I submit this is a good value at its price point.
I purchased my CTK-496 new, and it included a stand and a power supply. It did not include midi to USB cables, which cost me a whopping $4.50 to purchase here on Amazon. It did not include a sustain pedal, but has a jack to connect one. I neither wanted, nor needed a sustain pedal for my purposes. If you are a piano player you probably want one. They cost about $15-$20. If you played organ or synthesizers or other keyboards, you probably don't care and don't want one.
I've had my CTK-496 several years, and it has performed well for the purposes it was designed for. No issues with quality or reliability to report.
Pros
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Inexpensive
Many tones
Very portable due to battery power, light weight, and small size.
Midi connections worked well with a $5 Midi to USB cable to compose directly into music software, running on a Vista 64 bit PC.
Great for noodling on a keyboard
Includes 1/4" output jack enabling output to an amp if desired.
Included Single-X-stand similar to what sells for $20 on various musical supply sites.
Cons
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If you are used to playing an 88 key piano, this isn't an 88 key piano.
The 61 keys define the range of notes you can enter in notation via midi
Non-weighted keys are ok for organ players, probably not for piano players. But, you will not find a decent weighted key instrument under $400-$500. So again, at the price point, its great.
In the end, this is a toy for playing around, not a stage instrument. On the other hand, if you are ready for the stage, you know you don't get quality instruments for $100. If you have realistic expectations about what this instrument is for, it performs those tasks very well.
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This keyboard is fun and sounds pretty decent, however Christmas morning was a little disappointing because we had to run out and get more batteries, since we were one battery short. Also, the adapter power suppy was not included and is just about necessary since the keyboard zaps battery power in about 4 hours. Now I can't find the adapter any where. Big bummer.
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