Chummy

How would you say the CK61 compares to the Go:Keys 5 in terms of speakers , key action and sound engine quality for those of you who tested both?

I'm waiting for AnotherScott's comparison between Casio CT-S500 and Roland Go:Keys 5 ! Who's with me?

@AnotherScott I see I do like the Casio CT-S500 but I wonder, If I could add more cash (even x5/x6 times the price theoretically) and get a better , more professional lightweight portable board that has improvement in any number of the following categories: * better sound engine * a drawbar organ engine with drawbars * more keys than 61, up to 76 * better/louder speakers Things I'd compromise about given these^: * a marginal weight increase * NO built in speakers, but has the ability to be powered either by batteries or a battery pack I can't find anything... I know there is the CK61, but from reviews I read, the action is... worse? and according to a YouTube review, most of the non piano/EP sounds e.g synths, pads, choirs are absolutely horrendous. So... having NOT played the Yamaha, would you say the Casio better than the Yamaha in every way except for the interface / drawbars/ split layer / audio interface etc. etc. the other stuff I didn't mentioned above that is^ I was looking at the Dexibell Vivo S1, but being metal and having a weighty software I'm not sure if it is even portable to take in public transport + long walks (+ an amp, stand etc.) The Casio CT-S500 is seemingly perfect, I just WISH it had more keys and maybe better sounds and controls, for more money ofc. P.S My problem is the Liano is: not enough sounds, the non-piano sounds are bad. But mainly, no split for bass+ upper sound. I really do need to be able to do this in ensemble situations when we have no bass player... Other wise, I'd love korg to make a more "Stage friendly" oriented liano, same form/action, with 73/76 keys, 250 QUALITY sounds and split/layer.

would you say the Numa Compact SE and the Roland go:keys 3/5 belong to this list? I played a tiny bit with the go:keys 3 but couldn't find the Numa at the store sadly. I wonder if anyone tried this model since no videos on YouTube of people demoing it.

I tried the Go:Keys 3 for a few minutes at a music store. Keep in mind - a few minutes means no conclusive impressions. Speakers' volume is around the same as the Casio CTS1, give or take. The sounds are better than Casio for sure. The action is passable but a bit weird. I would probably prefer the Casio? Not sure. Doing gliss on them is a horrific experience, maybe even more so than the Casio, the "plasticky" feeling is just... yikes. The board in the showroom was the Red Go Keys 3. It looks slick, I like the subdued color scheme and the overall form factor. Mod wheel feels nice and not low quality. Plethora of buttons, most of them are for "meh" functions. Not much in terms of sound control etc.

Form factor looks great, better than CT-S1. The only question is: 1) Speaker quality 2) Keyboard touch I've seen online 2x2.5 watts on the keys 3 which is just like CT-S1. Of course wattage doesn't dictate volume or clarity About the speaker difference, any one knows if the keys 5 are louder/better? I don't know what the term radiator speakers translates to. And how it would compare to Casio. Probably will see once it reaches the stores. Never played the GO, I wonder how it fairs vs CT-S1/500 as well in terms of keyboard feel /keybed. About sound, definitely kills the Casio in my opinion, from what I could hear online so far... Another thing to consider is battery life, due to the updated sound engine and functions. Not sure if this model can sustain much...

Thanks for the answers Scott and Kpl I never had a chance to play the CK61 yet although I plan on trying it out soon. Would you say the action is similar to a DX7II? I used to own a DX7 and I remember it also had that initial resistance feel, the keybed felt premium even though it wasn't "pianistic".

Interesting topic and suggestions guys. I am also keeping tabs on this for the future. How would you compare the CT-S500 and the CK61 in terms of 1) keyboard action quality 2) speakers - clarity and overall volume Both can run on batteries and will need external amplification to be really good. From what I understand the CK sounds better, but the Casio has on board rhythms / drum machine. Not sure how good are the drum patterns...

Mother mercy, I was going to type Novation Summit too. I see other people here also agree with me !! Truly warm and dark oscillator, great interface and the effects are the amazing

@Paul Woodward that's very disheartening to hear , sorry you experienced that mate must be very frustrating. I would assume you'd go back to the CK61 now? I realize it's a cheaper keybed but perhaps more realible? I wouldn't know. I don't know what alternatives are there to the YC61 in terms of sound quality, variety and tactile control (except Nord Electro / Stage)

How do you define expensive? Obviously the Oberheim is extremely expensive but I gig with a Kawai ES920 and it's not cheap either. I've seen professional gigs with something like a Yamaha P-125 as well or one of those silm Casios which I forgot how the model is called. I just look for the right tool for the right gig. Usually if it's not a full band gig, i.e a "Jazz Trio", Piano+Singer duo or just solo piano I wouldn't comprimise on anything other than Kawai's RHIII keybed with their pretty good piano sounds. If I were gigging with electric guitars and a drum set which I'm not, I'd probably get a semi waterfall action. I wouldn't be able to take something like a Prophet 5 or an Oberheim to the gig. Just way too expensive or too much wood, it's like buying a luxury car and it gets scratched the first moment it hits the road, just IDK the raw Analog sounds is not important for live IMHO I could do with emulations and a cheaper / lighter rig for convenience. That's not my opinion, just my preference.

Hi folks, I've been creating some interactive music trivia quizzes on my YouTube channel for fun, already done an 80's one and now a 60's: Anyway, this one tests your knowledge in 60's pop music - It's a fun game show in which you score points for guessing songs correctly. You get satisfying feedback, and at the end we draw conclusions and talk about your results. Join me now on YouTube and say hello in the comments if you're from here. Enjoy and happy keyboard / piano playing everyone -Peace and love (as it was a custom in the 60's).

Hey everyone ! It's been a while since I checked the site I made an 80s fun trivia game / ear test for you all, a labor of love for 80s music fans: It also serves as a demo for the ES920 Piano sound (SK Grand and the Marimba) and how it would sound playing different songs. Overall I highly recommend the ES920 and I have another review on the channel specifically about the ES920. I know it's a little bit off topic but since many of the kind folks here are older I'd think they'd appreciate the old music just like I do. Soon I'll be uploading a similar quiz about 60s music. Hope you guys like it and enjoy !

It seems to me that both Korg and Roland haven't updated their 73 note "combo organ" keyboards for so many years now (both came out in 2017-2018) and use an outdated soundset. I am wondering, do they just not sell enough of these to justify R&D money put this category? If that's indeed the case, what I would do is sell the same shell (hardware) with updated sounds, many of which could be taken from flagship instruments. I personally am not fan of the Vox because of the touch-drawbars. As far as I remember no more than 2 sounds could be layered across (this is especially important for bass split + layered sound on the right hand). I do hope they update it soon, I wonder if they'd keep the touch bars or revert to what Yamaha and Nord have been doing with physical+LED. I do agree with every request you stated.

I love the KX5 too, I have a black one, I bought it because I like Chick Corea and 80s pop