There are several reasons why portable keyboards are preferred by many. For gigging musicians, portable keyboards are convenient and reliable. For beginners, portable keyboards allow them to practice at home. Casio is one of the best brands of keyboards and digital pianos in the market. Below, we will see the six best Casio portable keyboard models that you can consider.
What you can learn below:
– The six best models of Casio portable keyboards
– The pros and cons of each model
– The feature set of each model
– The sound quality of the keyboards
– The suitable skill ranges and players of each keyboard
1. Casio Inc. PX5S
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - Classy and stylish look | - The advanced features may be too overwhelming for a beginner |
| - Many great features and controls | - Quite expensive |
| - Amazing keyboard feel with 88 keys | |
| - Impressive sound quality | |
| - Can play two tones with Hex Layers simultaneously |
Casio Inc. PX5S definitely deserves the top spot on this list of best Casio portable keyboard models. It is indeed more expensive compared to the other models in this list, but it is worth the money in the hands of a skilled player. To begin with, it comes with the 88-note Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II keyboard and the AiR Sound Source, so it is ready to give you some amazing performance.
This portable keyboard already looks classy right from the first look. It sports a unique yet stylish color scheme. Most of the top panel has a white color, with just the last one-fourth part on the right side having a black color. The casing under the keys is also black. Meanwhile, the keys feel solid and precise. The Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II technology can give you an amazing feel as the keys react dynamically according to how you press.
Casio Inc. PX5S is equipped with many advanced features. It gives you enhanced control over the playability, as it features a 4-zone controller with six sliders and four knobs. All of the sliders and knobs are fully configurable for controlling internal sounds and effects parameters.
The sound quality is truly impressive. For sure, the AiR Sound Source is awesome. The keyboard delivers rich and pristine vintage piano sounds. The sound is highly accurate and realistic. In addition, Casio Inc. PX5S has utilized the powerful sound engine to come with advanced Hex Layers.
With this feature, a singlecomplex tone can have six sample layers that can be stacked, split, or velocity-switched. Each layer has its own filters, filter envelopes, amp envelopes, and pitch envelopes. You can also add chorus, delay, or reverb effects to the layers – you can even set some layers to be triggered on key release. So, the sound is highly customizable. To make things even more awesome: Casio Inc. PX5S can use two tones with Hex Layers simultaneously!
Of course, this keyboard comes with a USB port for connecting to a Windows or Mac device. It is plug-and-play, so you don’t need to install any additional driver. The keyboard supports MIDI, so it is very handy for music making.
The other features include tone editing, insert effects, and recording. It records in WAV to a USB flash drive, and it supports the playback of WAV files as well. There is a second footswitch port which can be used to start and stop the playback as you play along your own pre-recorded backing track.
Find the best price for Casio Inc. PX5S here!
2. Casio CTK7200
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - 61 touch-sensitive keys | - No scaled hammer action |
| - Great sound quality | - No advanced sound-shaping capabilities |
| - Has some professional features | - The advanced features may be redundant for beginners |
| - Pitch bend and modulation controls, plus 9 sliders | |
| - Built-in drawbar organ tones |
When one is looking for the best Casio portable keyboard, the CTK series comes first with several potential models to consider. The CTK series is a line of portable keyboards that are quite affordable and budget-friendly. Of them all, Casio CTK7200 is the top model.
Don’t worry,Casio CTK7200 is not as expensive as Casio Inc. PX5S. In fact, this keyboard is significantly less expensive. So, it is an excellent alternative if you find that the previously discussed model is far beyond your budget.
Nevertheless, as the top model of the CTK series, Casio CTK7200 comes with a handful of advanced features. It comes with 61 touch-responsive keys. They don’t really feel like the keys of a real acoustic piano, but the touch-responsive technology already allows you to achieve good realism. There are pitch bend and modulation sliders, plus nine strategically placed sliders, that enable you to mold your sound and deliver an expressive performance.
Casio CTK7200 is ready for the stage. It has all the vital functions that are often needed for on-stage performances, including splits, layering, and both simultaneously. You can store a combination of the three tones in a register slot for instant recall – there are 96 register slots available. In addition, you can also use these slots to recall rhythms and accompaniments.
Need a keyboard for music making? Casio CTK7200 is also suitable for that. There is a powerful 17-track sequencer that allows you to edit and tweak your performances. You can save your recordings into an SDHC memory card. In addition, there is a plug-and-play USB-MIDI port that allows you to connect the keyboard to any Windows, Mac, Android, or iOS device without installing any driver.
The sound quality is great. It is rich and accurate. It comes with 5 built-in drawbar organ tones, plus a rotary speaker simulation to deliver the distinctive acoustic effect of drawbar organ speakers. In addition, there are 5 selectable frequency characteristics. The Bright mode delivers a lively sound with emphasized treble; this is a nice choice when you want a soaring sound. Meanwhile, the Powerful mode is nice when you want to have more volume.
Find the best price for Casio CTK7200 here!
3. Casio Inc. CTK4400
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - A decent step-up from the entry-level models | - No scaled hammer action |
| - 61 touch-sensitive keys | - Only 48-note polyphony |
| - USB-MIDI connectivity | - Not suitable for gigging or on-stage performances |
| - 600 AHL keyboard voices | |
| - 6-track recorder |
Casio Inc. CTK4400 is a mid-tier model in the CTK series. While most entry-level keyboards in this line are good, Casio Inc. CTK4400 make a good option if you are looking for a better keyboard with better speakers, better sound samples, more vices and styles, a built-in recorder, and so on.
This model is slightly more expensive than the entry-level keyboards of the CTK series. However, it comes with several useful features that make it really worth the money. The biggest advantage of Casio Inc. CTK4400 over the more affordable Casio CTK-2400 (and the successor, Casio CTK-2550) is the 61 touch-sensitive keys. With touch-sensitive keys, you can play with more expression.
There are also some other tools and features that make Casio Inc. CTK4400 suitable for amateurs and intermediate players. It has 600 AHL keyboard voices along with 180 rhythms and some effects, including a “Hall” effect button which applies a concert hall reverb to the sound. There is a built-in recorder which can store up to 6 tracks, plus a USB-MIDI port. However, Casio Inc. CTK4400 is not really suitable for gigging or on-stage performances.
Find the best price for Casio Inc. CTK4400 here!
4. Casio Inc. WK245
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - Significantly smaller and lighter than 88-key models | - Only 48-note polyphony |
| - Touch-responsive | - No scaled hammer action |
| - Decent sound | - Not 88-key |
| - USB-MIDI connectivity | |
| - Suitable for both beginners and advanced players |
The next best Casio portable keyboard model is Casio Inc. WK245. This is a simple yet decent-looking keyboard that can give you a wondrous and joyous experience with its great sound and nice features. It is suitable for both beginners and advanced players.
Casio Inc. WK245 comes with 76 piano-style touch-responsive keys. Well, the number of keys is somewhat odd. Most beginners start with smaller 61-key keyboards, and many immediately jump to 88-key keyboards. However, this keyboard is still a highly viable choice if you find the 88-key models too expensive. You can already play some of the advanced piano pieces with the additional keys. And don’t forget that they are highly touch-responsive; you can already achieve some good realism with them.
Note that this is also a great alternative if you find the 88-key models too large. Casio Inc. WK245 is quite more compact and significantly more lightweight than a typical 88-key keyboard. All of those benefits come by just giving up 12 keys.
Casio Inc. WK245 supports 48-note polyphony, which is pretty good. This is a suitable step-up from your entry-level keyboard before committing to a much more expensive model. However, it is probably not powerful enough for playing advanced classical pieces. When playing a lot of notes with a hold pedal, you need at least 64-note polyphony to sound great.
It comes with 600 tones (including some drawbar organs) and 180 rhythms. There is a built-in lesson system with 100 songs that can help beginners practice, as the lesson shows not only the notes but also the proper fingering.
Casio Inc. WK245 comes with USB-MIDI connectivity. It can function as a MIDI controller when connected to your computer. Many people are happy that, by recording to a DAW and then adding some additional effects, the sound of Casio Inc. WK245 really comes up to life.
Find the best price for Casio Inc. WK245 here!
5. Casio LK280
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - 61 light-up touch-sensitive keys | - No scaled hammer action |
| - Compact and lightweight | - Doesn’t have sliders or wheels for precise controls in music making |
| - Recorder and SD card slot | |
| - USB-MIDI connectivity | |
| - Very suitable for beginners |
Need a lighted keyboard? Casio LK280 is the best Casio portable keyboard with backlit keys, available for less than two hundred bucks. It offers such a very interesting value for the money. It is very attractive for beginners because the 61 light-up keys make learning so much easier. However, some experienced players also like it because the light-up keys create nice visuals – a great keyboard if you want to show off your playing skills on social media.
Don’t worry, you can turn off the lighting if you don’t want to look like a total beginner. But, honestly, the light-up keys look cool. Casio LK280 definitely looks better than some other lighted keyboards from other manufacturers.
Casio LK280 also comes with a host of functions and features. The overall value is quite impressive. It has 600 tones, 152 built-in songs, and 50 practice songs. There is an aux input for connecting an MP3 player or mobile device. Of course, it has a USB port that supports MIDI. You can connect a USB flash drive and play along an MP3 audio track. You can also connect the keyboard to a Windows or Mac device for use with music software.
In addition, Casio LK280 has a recorder which is able to store up to 5 songs. Each song can have up to 6 tracks. Note that the keyboard also has an SD card slot that supports up to 32 GB; you can just store your recordings in the memory card.
Unfortunately, some producers say that the feature set of Casio LK280 is too limited for advanced music making. It doesn’t have sliders or wheels for precise controls. So, this keyboard is more suitable for beginners and casual players.
Find the best price for Casio LK280 here!
6. Casio CTK-2550
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| - Very beginner-friendly | - Only 48-note polyphony |
| - USB-MIDI connectivity | - Too basic for advanced players |
| - Works with the Chordana Play app for learning | |
| - Has the Dance Music Mode for making EDM | |
| - Very affordable |
Casio CTK-2550 is a relatively new model in the CTK series, released to replace the predecessor Casio CTK-2400. This is an entry-level portable keyboard. It is very affordable and budget-friendly, available for about a hundred bucks. Despite the low price tag, it already has good sound quality and features.
Casio CTK-2550 comes with 61 full-sized keys. Unfortunately, the keys are not touch sensitive. This becomes less of a problem if you are a total beginner with a very limited budget. The keyboard also makes a viable choice if you want to explore the features of modern keyboards without spending much money.
Nevertheless, the sound quality is good. It already has 48-note polyphony, which is better than many other entry-level keyboards. Again, keep in mind that this is an entry-level model, so 48-note polyphony is fine. Later, as your skill advances, you may want to upgrade to a higher model with 64-note polyphony to play complex classical pieces properly.
There is a 3-step learning system on the keyboard to help beginners learn. In addition, you can connect the keyboard to an Android or iOS device for a more advanced learning system on the free Chordana Play app. This mobile app uses both the keyboard’s display and your mobile device to show how to play the MIDI files of your favorite songs.
Casio CTK-2550 also comes with the all-new Dance Music Mode, which is nice for creating and remixing electronic dance music (EDM). On this mode, you can select from 50 styles of EDM. Use the lower keys to choose different variations of synth parts, bass lines, and drum beats. In addition, you can add flanger, filter, roll, gate, low-fi, and some other effects.
Find the best price for Casio CTK-2550 here!