Casio WK-3800 vs WK-500 vs CTK-5000

[chris4160]

Hello, I'm about to buy a keyboard (first one) but I'm stuck between these three. I can get them all for around the $500-550 mark (I'm in Australia and everything is ridiculously overpriced here), so there's no real advantages for either one money wise. Right now the WK-500 is standing out because of the 48-note polyphony (the CTK-500 also has this, but it's only 61 keys). This is my first keyboard, so I'm going to be using it for the basics to begin with, then look into the midi stuff.

 

Just wondering if anybody has any of these and could help me decide which one is better for my needs?

 

Thanks.

[Brad Kaenel]

I have a WK-3500, which was the 3800's predecessor.

 

If all are equivalent in price, then by all means get the most features for your money.

 

But if something makes you hesitate going for the 3800, then that something else is more important to you than the software, and you should examine that. As you move down from the 3800, you start giving up things like organ, external storage, audio connectors, etc. The core software, weight, and the keybeds remain pretty much the same.

 

One thing I haven't been able to determine definitively from Casio's website is whether the 500 and the 5000 have the same Zpi sound chip as the 3800. That's where the goodness is. Perhaps someone in the know can chime in here about that detail...

 

 

[Baldwin Funster]

Get The 3800 . The other 2 dont have the zpi chip.

[galaxy4t]

The 3800 is the best of the bunch. It is Casio's full feature workstation. It has the ZPI sound chip which has very high sound quality. The build quality is also probably higher. The other two use the HL sound source. They have a little more polyhpony, but that is about it. I don't live in Australia, but what about the used market? I would think you could possibly pick up one of these used?

[bluzeyone]

And a great board to start with. Has a sequencer and a bit of a synth to teach you some elements about sound. One button turns it into a piano, another turns it into an organ. Pitch and mod wheel a plus as well. Had the workstations on and off for years and never had an electrical problem. Constant playing will result in keys breaking after a couple years but its an easy super glue fix. Damn Jerry Lee Lewis tunes will do it to it! You get hours of enjoyment out of it. Oh..And the dsp is rather impressive for the price.

[Dana.]

None of the above. Please consider getting a digital piano, such as the Casio PX-130. This is what you need to "learn the basics."

[bluzeyone]

Agreed if this cat wants to be a piano player. However not the case for the fundamentals for keyboards and how they work. The workstations show you the midi channels and how they work as well auto chords for composition purposes. For him to learn on a basic arranger is going to be much more benificial for him when he decides to start triggering midi on external devices. I'm sure Casio sends you a huge thank you for upselling their px though.

[Dana.]

[bluzeyone]

Besides, The OP stated that cabbage is a factor. I know the px is a sweet price but its new. In Australia they will jack up the asking price a bit for that reason alone. It also was not in his original choice selection.