Recently by an amazing stroke of luck I found an opportunity to tinker around with the Yamaha PSR I425 (nearest international mode: PSR-E413) and it’s nearest equivalent, the Casio CTK 5000. While feature-wise they are quite similar, a quick comparison revealed that there are quite a few differences in the products, some glaring while others subtle.
Similarities:
Both the keyboards have a lot of focus on the Indian market and hence feature Indian tones and styles. While the Yamaha has a greater selection of Indian tones (more percussion instruments), the Casio features a good selection of tones from Indian, Chinese and Arabic music.
IMHO, the the quality of Indian tones on the Casio is slightly higher (the Harmonium-2 on the Casio sounds way better than the Harmonium-3 on the Yamaha) but most string instruments (Sitar, Tanpura) sound terrible and not at all like what I have heard from the real instruments.
I must also make an important announcement here: Once upon a time, the Sitar tone on keyboards imitated the rubber-band guitars we used to make ourselves. These days the Sitar tone is very very life-like and since our expectations have risen automatically too, we always compare it with ‘What it could be’ instead of ‘What it was’. By this benchmark, the tones on both the keyboards indeed sound quite good and are only a few steps away from fooling the listener.
Both keyboards feature Touch sensitivity, Arpeggio, Harmonize, Pitch-bend, Transpose, Tuning, Dual-sound, Split, Registration memory and Song recording. Both keyboards feature Headphone-out, Sustain Pedal-in and USB connectivity. Both keyboards are 5 octaves and support the entire General MIDI (GM) sound set and many more (nearly 500 tones). Most tones are quite similar in name as well as sound. The selection of styles (rhythms) on both keyboards is quite good and very live-band like. There is a healthy selection of Demo/Learning songs and a ‘Music Guide’ which automatically selects the style, tone, effects and tempo of a popular song (from a list).
Both keyboards feature One-Touch Setting (OTS). Based on the style you select, the keyboard automatically selects the Primary tone, The layered tone, Reverb/Chorus settings. To activate OTS, on the Yamaha you must select a style and then select ’000′ as the tone. On the Casio, you must select the style and press the ‘Style’ button for 2 seconds.
Both keyboards also seem to use similar power adapters and have similar back-lit buttons. The plastic keys have similar feel and respond dully to nimble fingers. Even the pitch-bend wheel on both keyboards looks weakly constructed and the modulation wheel is missing from both. Both keyboards feature Blue back-lit LCD displays and have Rubber buttons. Is this a case of OEM manufacturing and Brand customization?
Differences:
IMHO, the tones on the Casio are better in a few departments while in others, the Yamaha wins hands-down. The best Piano sound on the Casio closely resembles the heavy grand-piano sound that I like, while the sound on the Yamaha is lighter – lacking in depth and sounding cheap/flighty. This is evident if you play the intro-bars of Yanni’s One Man’s Dream. If played with a gentle touch, the Casio sounds mellow while the Yamaha sounds bright. The selection of Strings on the Casio is quite good too, and have good depth (not in the same class as a Korg though) while the Yamaha strings sound a little synthetic but it’s collection of Pads is mind-blowing.
The Yamaha features 2 knobs to alter the sounds and this is completely absent from the Casio. This gives the sound on the Yamaha a unique face-lift. User’s can set parameters such as Filter/Cutoff, Reverb/Chorus, Attack/Release to modify the sound in unique ways. Pianos can be muted, Strings can have slow onsets and plucked sounds like Guitars can stretch infinitely. Amazing!
The Casio features greater polyphony than the Yamaha and this could be a tie-breaker to those who like to layer sounds (dual sound) which themselves are internally layered. This will be very noticeable by those who use a computer to create their score and playback using the sound engine of the keyboard. The actual number of tones on the Casio is also higher than the Yamaha. In fact, the Yamaha fill’s it’s tone bank with sound effects such as Birds, Telephones and Helicopters. Come on, helicopter sound across 61 keys? 1 is enough!
While the Casio has an incredible selection of Harmonize & Arpeggios (90 in all), the selection of arps on the Yamaha beats the Casio hands down. The arps on the Yamaha are thoughtful, rhythmic and make for great accompaniment. The arpeggios on the Casio still sound like their MT-70 keyboard (produced in 1985).
The Casio features Full Range Chord feature, where the user needs to play the keyboard using chord fingering (common for Indian harmonium players) and the keyboard will automatically select the appropriate chord. If the Yamaha features it, then I couldn’t find it.
The Yamaha features a very easy to use jog-dial to select sounds, while the Casio requires punching of buttons. The Yamaha features ‘Performance Assistance Technology’ (P.A.T.) which is missing from the Casio.
Casio features up-to 32 Registration Memory (store keyboard settings like Tone, Style, Tempo, Layers and recall at the touch of a button). The Yamaha on the other hand only features 16 Registration Memory. The Casio requires batteries to retain the Registration Memory settings upon power-off while the Yamaha seems to store them in some kind of Non-Volatile RAM (NVRAM). The Yamaha settings are retained between complete power cycles; Nice! Resetting the Casio settings is easier – just remove the batteries!
The Yamaha features a power-on button which seems to do a physical cut-off while the Casio only has a soft-button for a logical power-off. I prefer the Yamaha approach but then chances are that the button will break over a long period of time. Maybe never.
Casio CTK 5000
The million dollar question is “Which one should you buy?“.
Unfortunately I cannot bill you a million dollars because I do not have a straight-forward answer.
Casio’s of the world get bashed very badly for being toy-like. Casio’s previous penchant for making toys does not help. The new keyboards by Casio are quite good but the previous ones were horrible. Yamaha enjoys a brand-favoritism like Apple does with it’s iPod. Clearly there are better MP3 players out there but most users head straight for the Apple offering and recommend others to do the same.
The Casio CTK 5000 is priced at Rs. 12,000/- while the Yamaha PSR I425 is priced at Rs. 17,500/-. Quite a big difference in amount for what seem like subtle differences in features. The core of the instrument is similar across both the brands and unique refinements exist in both brands. So I suggest you do what I recommended a friend to do: hear it, play it, tinker with it. Only buy from a shop which allows a trial.
In the end, it’s you who has to wear the shoe – so it must fit on your feet.
I cannot recommend between Yamaha & Casio because that would be like buying a shoe for my feet and expecting you to wear them.
What I have done in the article is to bring out the salient features of both the keyboards. I suggest that you check both out and buy the one that works for you.
Sorry for the late reply. If the teen tal is available on your keyboard as a style (on the Casio it’s Dadra rhythm), you can set the tone as Harmonium and play them both simultaneously.
Do Yamaha PSR E413 comes with Indian instruments? Whats the differnce between PSR E413 and PSR I425?
Also tell me that do PSR I425 comes with sampling function like Casio CTK 5000?
Which one comes with better auto harmonize function CTK 5000 or PSR I425?
Please reply fast I am really very confused after reading this comparison. I also read somewhere that you can’t change instrument without changing style in bot the keyboards…Is it true??
The Yamaha PSR E413 too comes with a small set of Indian instruments. The PSR I425 is an improved model featuring many Indian tones & styles and most importantly two knobs to tweak the sound.
The I425 does not seem to contain a sampling function but supports some USB drive functionality about which I don’t have much info.
Auto-Harmonize wise, I think the Casio has a greater number of choices.
You can definitely change the tones and styles quite independently. This has been a feature of practically all keyboards since 1980s!
In new keyboards, you can infact configure the parts of each style (bass, drum, backing) to different instruments than the default ones. Imagine tweaking the basic Waltz style to play using Techno instruments like Synth Bass and Synth-Leads!!
hi,
i have to gift a keyboard to a guitarist who is into composing and singing.the person is not into playing keyboard but wish to do recordings by connecting it wid computer.i saw casio ctk-810 in the market.can u please vry urgently suggest me if its gud or not.wat will be the quality of recordings in it.also the basic yamaha models do not have usb and memory card features which casio 810 has.so plz suggest me
If you are considering the CTK-810, for a few thousand rupees more, the CTK-5000 is a better choice.
What the keyboards will do:
- Connect to computer over USB and output MIDI data so that a software like Cakewalk/Cubase can capture MIDI data.
- Receive MIDI data from the computer and play it back on the keyboard.
- Output keyboard sounds over headphone/line-out so that this can be captured on the Computer using the ‘Line-in’ socket on the computer.
What the keyboards will NOT do:
- Connect Guitar to keyboard and either provide power, amplification or effects to guitar sound
- Record Guitar sounds into keyboard.
Most Yamaha models feature USB input/output just like the Casio, only they cost a lot more.
so do u think that i dont need to spend 15k on a yamaha keyboard and i can go for ctk-5000 instead.
i am really too worried about this whole choice.
tina
Other than Yamaha & Casio is there any good keyboard in the budget of 20K? I mean to say Roland or Korg?
Can you suggest a reliable shops in Mumbai or Navi Mumbai Where I can get both of the above keyboards.
Please let me know address & phone numbers also if you have it.
Thanks
Regards,
Manish
Unfortunately, there are no other keyboard manufacturers who have products in the Sub 20K range. Roland makes an entry level keyboard that is slightly higher than 20K.
You will have to look around in musical instrument shops to locate it. Search on Amazon to get an idea of pricing first.
I have no idea about reputed musical instrument shops in Mumbai. A call to AskMe/Sulekha should get you a list. Asking some musicians will get you more details.
The CTK-5000 is an excellent keyboard. The closest Yamaha product is PSR-i425. Both are very good products, but it is up-to you to make the decision and take the plunge.
hey rajib….i wanted to know whether the ctk 5000 will allow me use recorded sound files as tones….
for eg…there is a particular tone called JIMMY DEE, which is available only in the Roland JV-2080 sound module…and i dont have a budget to buy that…but i have some songs which have the tone…if i cut out the JIMMY DEE part in the song and convert it into midi…and transfer it to the CASIO CTK-5000, will i be able to use it as a tone?????
pls reply…i m highly interested to buy this keyboard….only if i make sure it has d above mentioned feautre…i will be more confident….
Hey thanks for reply,
Which keyboard of Roland is Just above 20K I can extend my budget little bit if the keyboard worth it.
Thank you for your help.
Regards,
Manish
Both the CTK-4000 and CTK-5000 allow you to sample external sounds and use them as Tones or Rhythms.
While the CTK-4000 can store about 13 seconds of audio (shared between 5 tones and 5 styles), I think the CTK-5000 can do a little better.
Hey Thank you for reply.
I have observed the only issue with E-09 is No USB.
I can not connect it with computer. Otherwise it is fantastic.
What is your opinion?
The Roland E-09 features MIDI Input/Output using DIN connectors. This is the original connector used by the MIDI standard including a feature called Pass-Through which allowed multiple keyboards to be chained in a sequence.
You can find the MIDI DIN interface on many hi-grade Amps & Mixers such as M-Audio. Roland/Yamaha also sell MIDI DIN to USB convertors.
Hey Rajib,
I thank you from my heart for answering my questions patiently. Thank you for helping me in making decision for buying keyboard.
For this time I think I will finalise my decision with Yamaha PSR E-413 or PSR I-425. Which one will you suggest?
May be after a year or two, I will go for Roland E-09 or something like that.
I would like to meet you personally, may be in coming next 6 or 8 months. Are you in Mumbai or nearby? Kindly give me an email on kymanish@gmail.com from your gmail address.
Between the Yamaha PSR E-413 and I-425, the I-425 is the clear winner. It’s an improved model featuring Indian tones and some unique sound modification functionality.
There is nothing like the sound of the Roland E-09. I have played all these pianos and after you’ve heard the Roland sound, you wouldn’t feel like hearing any others.
No confusion really. The Korg X5D is a very dated synth (released in 1996, 8MB Sound bank) and supports true-synthesis capabilities with up-to 100 user designed sounds.
The Yamaha PSRi425 on the other hand is a home/studio keyboard featuring latest sound bank (Wave ROM).
The sounds on the korg are very electronic in nature and keyboard itself is designed to be a studio/stage keyboard. The sounds on the Yamaha on the other hand are very realistic. Indian tones on the Yamaha are based on actual samples and not synthesized.
If you are looking for Indian tones, realistic sound, USB connectivity – the yamaha is your choice.
If you are looking for a budget synth and not bothered about realistic sounds or Indian tones, go for the Korg (if you can find a secondhand one in good condition). Korg stopped making the X5D a while back. Also the Korg features MIDI-DIN connectors (great for studio equipment) and not USB (great for computer connectivity).
Hey Rajib, thanks for answering my question…I have one more doubt…which amplifier wud be good for a Casio Ctk-5000? i know the best judge is our ears, but in terms of safety, which one wud u recommend? Is the Stranger or Marshall enuff?
The Stranger and Marshall are equally good stage amps made in India and are great for impromptu jams and concerts.
You will need a special Stereo to Mono cable or Stereo to Monox2 cable to run into the Amp.
Basically, the Casio outputs stereo signal over 6.3mm Stereo jack. The inputs in the Stranger Amp or any other mixer is generally Mono.
If you directly connect the Casio using Stereo pins at both end, only the left channel is actually input into the amp you will notice the lack of richness in the sound.
Your choices are:
- Use a 6.3mm Stereo EP to RCA x 2 cable. You can plug this (the RCA jacks) into the Mixer’s/Amp’s Line-In port to achieve very high sound fidelity.
For ex: http://astore.amazon.com/rajsblo01-20/detail/B00004Z5CP
Example shows a 3.5mm to RCA cable. You will need a 6.3mm to 3.5mm Adaptor like: http://astore.amazon.com/rajsblo01-20/detail/B00009UVPN
For greater lenghts, you will have to make one yourself using high-quality cable.
- Use a 6.3mm Stereo EP to 6.3mm Mono x 2 cable. You can plug the Mono jacks into Two ports on the Mixer/Amp and achieve individual Pan/Volume/Eq on the Keyboard Left & Right outputs.
I have a feeling that you will not find this cable in a store and will have to make one of the required length yourself.
- In a cinch, you can convert the Casio’s Stereo signal into a mono by combining the Left & Right audio outputs. You can use a converter like http://astore.amazon.com/rajsblo01-20/detail/B000O7F0PO
This is not a good approach because blindly joining left & right channels can actually result in the audio waveforms canceling each other and the resulting sound is hollow.
i am confused between yamaha i425 and casio ctk 5000 bcoz yamaha has got midi in and out ports but casio doesnt and i am very keen on buying a casio bcoz of its huge price difference….
is there any way by which the USB port on casio ctk 5000 can be used as midi in and out ports using a converter or so ???
To the best of my knowledge, the Yamaha PSR I-425 only features a USB Data port and not the old DIN Style (5 pin) MIDI In/Out/Thru ports. The Casio CTK-5000 too sports a USB Data port only.
Connecting both the keyboards to the computer is very easy. On Windows XP and above, both the keyboards are detected as MIDI in/out devices and installed without any further driver CD requirements. Once connected and installed, they keyboards show up in MIDI In/Out configuration of your favorite MIDI compatible audio editing software and can be used with ease.
Since the keyboards only feature a USB MIDI port, they cannot be used to connect and control an old style tone-generator that uses only DIN style MIDI ports. However, despair not. There now exists USB-to-MIDI convertors which allow Keyboard to Tone-Generator connections. Typical retail price is between $25-$50.
Kindly do me your favour. recently I bought yamaha psri425. although features and sound quality is nice, but I failed to find out the banking system in which I can save the different voices or styles ( i.e, 1. strings 2.flute 3. sitar, etc) and play them randomly or in a sequence in just pressing their respective buttons. You know what I want to say.even the mannual book doesn’t explain anything about it.
So, kindly help me if u any idea about it. otherwise that instrument will becomes useless for me.
I think you are looking for the 6 track recorder.
The Yamaha can records lots of compositions, each composition can contain 6 tracks. Once recorded, you can play your compositions at the touch of a button and control the playback of individual tracks of a composition. It may not be so easy to switch between compositions though; just switch on/off the playback of tracks in each composition.
The Yamaha also stores your keyboard’s configuration in ‘Registration Memory’. You can use this feature to quickly configure the settings of the keyboard with the touch of a button.
The buttons used for these are common and present just below the selector dial.
Look in the manual about details on how to use the ‘Track Recorder’ and ‘Registration Memory’. For the brief period when I was tinkering with the Yamaha keyboard, I could figure out the Yamaha’s functions all by myself by just pressing (sometimes pressing longer than 3 seconds) the various buttons.
I feel that your child is too young to own a higher end PSR. For him, a Yamaha PSR loaded with features just might become a play-toy.
Please dis-regard the previous statement completely if your child happens to be inclined towards music and is gifted.
If this will be your child’s first keyboard and you are unsure if your child will take up learning music in a structured way, I will recommend the entry level Casio CTK-700. This keyboard features full size keys and a 4 octave keyboard. It contains basic tones & rhythms and due to it’s economic pricing, forms a good starter keyboard.
For children without any background/inclination in music but interested in learning formally by attending basic music course, I would suggest the Casio CTK-2100/CTK-3000 or the Yamaha PSR E-213/E313. These keyboards are priced between 6.5K – 12K. They feature full-sized keys on a 5 Octave keyboard and have enough tones & rhythms to keep a child busy.
For children who display a natural inclination towards music or who have been practicing playing Piano/Keyboard for a while and attending formal music course, I would recommend the Casio CTK-4000/CTK-5000 or Yamaha PSR E-413/I-425. These keyboards cost between 10K – 16.5K. The keyboards contain functions oriented towards recordings/stage performance and are ideal for the budding keyboard player.
Once your child reaches levels where he can read notes and play music and wants to start formal Piano lessons, you may consider getting a Digital Piano (Casio Privia series) or Semi-Weighted/Weighted Keyboards from Yamaha/Roland. These instruments start at 21K and go all the way up-to 55K.
Dear Rajib Ghosh,
With an intention to buy a Keyboard I have enquired and came to decision to buy PSR I425 which costs aroung 17,000. Eventually happened to visit this site. After going through all your comparisons and statements I am feeling that If I add 7to 10 thousend what type of featured instrument shall I get.
The Yamaha PSR I-425 is an excellent choice that is feature packed and suited for playing Indian music.
Yamaha offers keyboards in the PSR series that are priced up-to 55K (there are more expensive keyboards too). Such keyboards build greatly on the styles, arpeggio, buttons & sliders for real-time control of music etc. The Yamaha PSR 550 and the Tyros series offer sounds & control that is suitable for production of music for Indian cinema!
I would suggest that you go in for the keyboard based on your existing and proposed skill level and not purely price-point or features.
Thanks a ton! Your inputs are really helpful and will help me buy the right musical keyboard for my son. Also, if you could help me with the addresses and contact details of the dealers for both Yamaha and Casio in Delhi/NCR but preferably in Noida.
I think Raj Musicals has a shop in Delhi and they stock both Yamaha & Casio keyboards.
I am not a resident of Delhi and hence don’t have much idea about the musical shops.
My strategy would be:
- Ask a musical teacher. In your colony, your kid’s school, music school nearby
- Search the Yellow pages.
Finally I have gifted a CTK 5000 to my son. He is on cloud 9 these days. I have also finalised a music teacher for him who shall begin the classes in a week’s time.
Hi Rajib, Till now I have a great confusion about CTK5000 and Yamahi425.
Can CTK5000s rethyms compete with Yamaha i425, is there any big difference in the rethym sounds.
Personally I like the Yamaha i425 rhythms better. They feel modern, accented and more human performer like.
But the Casio CTK-5000 has more number of rhythms, allows customisation and recording of audio clips for use a rhythm.
I suggest that you get a feel of both the keyboards before you buy. Youtube videos for comparison help, but nothing like a real hands-on experience.
I am not much of an expert on Yamaha keyboards. Don’t own one, neither have access to a latest generation one. But I can afford to give you a generic answer. For that too, I need the following inputs:
- What is your budget? Try to be as accurate as you can.
- Can you describe the feature that you are looking for?
From the information that is commonly available on the net, it does not look like the E-09 features an arpeggiator. Which is also funny because even basic Roland keyboards such as the XP-1 featured an arpeggiator. Perhaps I need to succeed in downloading the E-09 user Manual and pore through it to determine if there is an arpeggitor onboard.
Hi Rajib, after reading your review I still can’t made up my mind, many people told me that Yamaha PIANO sounds beat Casio, but you say otherwise…or perhaps I don’t understand cuz I’m really new and willing to learn.
The piano sound used in the Youtube link you sent, closely resembles the LA Piano sound on the Casio.
IMHO:
- Don’t go by what people say, not even me
- Hear out the sounds on the Yamaha, Casio and Roland (if available in your budget) to make up your mind.
- If you super keen on the fidelity of the Piano sound, then consider a Digital Piano. Both Casio and Yamaha have a wonderful range of digital pianos. On these, the full 76/88 key octave is present. Keys are weighted and Pedal control is available.
Hello, thanks for asking…yeah I know I shouldn’t listen what people say unless I try right? But I’m on internship and can’t go out, there aren’t too many stores here that let me try the keyboards either :S, I’m afraid neither korg or digital pianos are on my budget. So what do you say about this piano sound: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4aczvH5RCg
I’m trusting in your ear tho
I will be happy if you can answer few things for me.
Can I plugin CASIO to PC and use with Fruity loops to have better output of self designed sounds?
Secondly, As you said after rebooting or restarting CASIO looses its recordings as it has no NVRAM… but is there any other way of storing them? Like if I use a memory card to store them and reuse?
If i get these two things cleared up…. I may make a choice better..
The Casio keyboards feature a USB Midi port. By connecting the keyboard to the computer over USB (no drivers required for WinXP above), you can use the keyboard as a MIDI controller in Frooty Loops. You can input notes into frooty loops, including the status of the Pitch Bend wheel. Frooty Loops will use the Virtual Instrument assigned to the track and play the sound through your computer’s audio output.
You can also set up the device as MIDI-Out so that supported applications (such as Cakewalk, F.Loops) etc. can send the MIDI data to the casio playback using the Casio’s sound generator.
The Casio CTK 5000 model (also Casio CTK 810IN) feature a SD Card slot, where you can store your compositions. On the lower models, you need to keep the keyboard loaded with batteries.
Another option would be to use the keyboard as a MIDI controller. This way, notes you play on the keyboard will be recorded in the computer as MIDI data. MIDI data from the computer can be outputted to the keyboard at any time in future.
The second YouTube link features the Grand Piano sound of a physical grand piano. The Casio Piano will not be able to match that. However, the ‘Stereo Grand’ tone on the Casio CTK 4000/5000 comes close.
Perhaps I will be able to record a sample of the sounds and upload it so that you can check them out yourself.
Thanks again for the anwers Rajib, I was just looking out some prices, I found that Casio WK 200, Casio CTK 5000 and Yamaha psr e 413 are within my price range. I just loved the WK 200, do you think the wk 200 comes with the stereo grand tone?
Hello Rajib, I am from brasil, and I came from google searching for a good review about casio’s ctk…
Here in brazil, it’s the same thing, all people goes for yamaha because of the late casio karma… People don’t simple try to search and discover for themselvs… I searched all over youtube for some keyboards and prices, and I bought a 5000, it’s still to come, but I read your 2 reviews, this one and the one about the 4000. And I have to thank you for your efforts for making a very easy-going site to read. Yeah, I looked over many other things on it. Keep up man!
The bad thing is that I prefer to download all the material for me to see, and the esnips is veeery user-friendly for it. XD
@Bruno: Thanks for visiting the site and leaving your feedback.
@Carlos: The Casio WK-200 is identical in specs to the Casio CTK-4000. The WK-200 features 76 keys, while the CTK-4000 features 61 keys. The WK-500 is identical in specs to the CTK-5000. All these 4 products carry a rich assortment of Piano sounds.
The Yamaha I-425 in fact has slightly better controller features than the Casio keyboards. Like the Casio keyboards, the Yamaha I-425 features a USB In/Out and USB Pen Drive compatibility.
The PSR 740 is a very dated keyboard. First released in 1999, it was Yamaha’s flagship model in the prosumer range. A friend of mine owns one and it produces some very wonderful sounds. It does not feature USB in/out though; it features MIDI DIN in/out instead.
Though I think the PSR 740 is a great keyboard, Rs. 15K is a overkill for it. For 1K more you can get a new I-425 with Yamaha adaptor and Keyboard stand.
I bought a Psr I425 keyboard at Doha, Qatar for QR1400. Grand piano sound is not good. I have CASIO LK110 too. I feel CASIO’S Grand Piano sound is better compare to psr i425.
So do you mean that, both the keyboards ( i425 & 5000) are well recognized by fruity loops like app. and I can derive my own tune with various controls?
It is really amazing that, if we can change tones by controlling through fruity loops and play them on keyboard while fruity loops produces that modified sound.
Then there is unlimited sound variety right? is it possible to do this way?
You got a bit of it incorrect. Practically all keyboards (except the baby ones) feature some sort of MIDI connectivity. Either using 5-pin DIN cables or USB. When connected and recognized by the computer, the keyboard appears to the recording software as a MIDI Input/Output device.
MIDI in/out actually consists of Controller commands rather than the actual sound/tone. What this means is that if you instruct the computer to send the MIDI command to Play C5 to the Yamaha & Casio, both will play the C5 note, but the sound will be produced by the respective sound generators present on both keyboards. Hence, though the note will be the same, the sound will be different.
Similarly, the recording software on the computer can receive MIDI commands from the keyboards and save them as a MIDI file. But what is saved is a pure sequence of instructions. Upon playback, the sound itself will be generated by the Sound Generator selected in the MIDI recording program.
For ex: on my setup, the Casio primarily servers as MIDI input. Notes I play are received into the computer and saved. While playing (recording on computer), the Casio makes the sound. But if I click Play on the software, my notes are produced by the Creative Sound Blaster MIDI Output. On the SoundBlaster card, I can load different Sound banks (each having a different mix of sound quality) and thus, though the notes are the same, the played song sounds very different from the Casio. Note that, in my MIDI software (Cakewalk Sonar), I can assign the Casio MIDI Out device as the default playback device. In this scenario, when I click Play in software, the MIDI notes are sent to the Casio instead of the SoundBlaster card and thus I hear the Casio engine generate the sounds.
In Fruity Loops, you can set your keyboard as the MIDI Control Surface and Sound Card Wave-Out as Playback device. Thus, you can play notes on the keyboard. Your notes will be processed by the Virtual Instruments in Fruity Loops and the sound will be produced by the sound card. Fruity Loops ofcourse features an immense variety of sounds and due to possible tweaking, you can access almost an infinite range of sounds.
Ironically, pure MIDI controllers (just keyboard and knobs, no sound generator) are more expensive than the Casio & Yamaha (which feature keys, knobs and sound generator). Though some will say that a dedicated MIDI controller sending MIDI commands to a dedicated Sound Generator (just sound generator, no keys) is a combination that is the pinnacle of music.
Kindly suggest me which brand’s keyboard have the sweetest & dynamic sounds, useful for live stage performance. my budget is arround 60,000/- to 65000k.
The range you are looking at is way beyond my domain. However, based on the Youtube videos I have been checking out, I think you can consider the Yamaha PSR S900, Yamha Motif XS, Korg M3 and Roland G series workstations.
On 07 Jun 2010, I was watching TV Channel of STAR UTSAV. CASIO CTK 2100 price Rs 6,999/- is gud for learning. This has 50 over indian songs and have 61 key. I would like to purchase this for learning purpose. May I ask you to tell me that this is gud for me or not?
For a learner’s keyboard the CTK-2100 is a very good choice. Another keyboard which is slightly cheaper but suitable for young learners too is the CTK 496.
Plz refer to my previous e-mail. I appreciated ur suggestion. I am a defence veteran living in Delhi. Kindly intimate me the authorised dealer who is
the seller of leaner casio ctk 2100 (61 key)
Raj Musicals in Delhi stocks Casio & Yamaha products.
Reliance Digital and Tata Chroma stores stock Casio products comprehensively and at these stores not only you can buy the keyboards at a good price but try them out to your heart’s content too.
How can i use an pendrive with my Yamaha i425 keyboard. Can i connect with an pen drive to play the midi tones extracted from popolur softwares liek cubase/protools.
Your question is too specific for me to answer since I do not own a Yamaha i425 keyboard. All I know is that the keyboard supports 2GB pendrives formatted using the FAT file-system.
The keyboard also supports MIDI and SMF format files for playback from the USB stick (someone please confirm this).
i have gone through my comments on this blog & came across to that many people have great confusion on purchasing keyboard casio ckt 5000 or yamaha psr i425 now, i want to add my views to it that if you want a keyboard with in budget+power packed then casio is for you and if you want brand image+good packed then yamaha is for you as recently i have purchased roland e09 which is very good earlier i am also in confusion but i came across it and buy it
The Casio Privia PX 330 is an excellent choice for it’s budget. Very few keyboards at this price-point either feature 88 keys or semi weighted action or budled peddle action.
For students of piano, there is no option today but to buy a Digital Piano.
For that price, you can easily afford a Casio CTK-5000 or the Yamaha PSR-I425.
These two keyboards currently appear to be at the top of the chain in affordable keyboards in your budget.
While Raj Musicals at Delhi claims to stock Casio products, I have found that Reliance Digital Stores and Tata Chroma stores at Hyderabad are very well stocked with Casio products. Perhaps the same is true in Delhi.
IMHO, the Casio CTK-5000 is strong when it comes to classical instruments like Piano, Strings & Horns. But the Yamaha PSR I-425 is better when it comes to synth sounds, lively rhythms and sound tweaking.
Another factor to consider is that many feel that the Yamaha keyboard is more responsive and the Casio keys are soft and slow. While I did not find it so, only your playback style will determine the suitability of the keyboard.
If you want a keyboard that features weighted keys (for real piano feel), you can also consider the Casio Privia series of keyboards.
My question is to Aakash who posted on 14 June about roland e09.
From where do you purchased roland e-09? How much it costs?
What are the box contents. was adapter included in it?
If you are located in mumbai please email me on kymanish@gmail.com
Thanks
Regards,
Manish
i am a 26 years old music learner (absolute begineer),
who is learning vocals
and need an support instrument.
i prefer sufi and ghazal singing in indian,
and european classical instruments based music in english
like can you feel the love tonight, sacrifice
and my heart will go on ( as these are more popular examples which feature classical instruments like piano , violin, flute more prominently )
my budget is also stretched out around 10k,
i consider between
yamaha psr e323 and casio ctk 4000,
however i can somehow strecth my budget to
ctk 5000 as well,
please suggest me out of these three
what upgrades exactly i will get in ctk 5000 over ctk 4000?,
and is psr e 323 a nice choice….?
which keyboard will suit more to my singing style?
as i need mostly
harmonium, flute, sarangi, grand piano, violin, bass , harp sounds,
psr e 323 features dual and split mode
which i found very useful
do these ctk 4000 and ctk 5000
have dual instrument and split keyboard mode?
and can casio ctk 4000/5000 play 4 instruments together
with both dual and split mode on?
For your budget (10K), you will find that the Casio CTK-4000 fits the bill perfectly and it is way superior to the Yamaha e323 in terms of included tones, styles and features.
The CTK-5000 adds a Pitch Bender wheel, SD Card Reader, Line-Out sockets and a few more tones and styles to the CTK-4000.
The Piano sound on the Casio CTK-4000/5000 is quite rich and many have expressed a preference for the Casio sound over the Yamaha.
Just like the Yamaha e323, the Casio keyboards too feature Split point (any where in the keyboard) and layering of the sound. Please note that due to higher polyphony, after split & layering of sounds on the Casio, you will generally have access to more available polyphonic notes. More an in-depth review of the split/layer on the Casio CTK-4000/5000, I suggest you read my review on the CTK-4000 present on this blog.
Hello Sir.
I am a student . My age is 13 yrs and I am a professional player of keyboard, guitar and octopad. I want to take a new keyboard and my budget is till Rs. 10000. I am confused between Casio Ctk-810IN , Casio CTK-5000 and Yamaha PSR-i425 Please suggest me a good one.
Hello , rajib i have a ctk-3000 with a usb i was wondering what software can i use for this keyboard cubase, reason , or garageband to make beats and will these programs allow my keyboard if not what program is availble to work with this keyboard
A pitch bender shifts notes up and down the octave in a smooth flowing manner. It is considered an absolute must if you want to achieve realistic guitar / flute / violin slides.
On youtube, you can find plenty of videos that use the pitch bender extensively and achieve marvelous effects. However, the pitch bender (aka slide wheel) is a tough thing to master.
w.r.t. accessories, you can purchase the accessories in a phased manner. A sustain pedal is useful for Piano playback and amplifier is required for playback to small audiences in a noisy setup. For stage performance, you can anyway hook up the keyboard to the main mixer directly instead of using a microphone to pick up sound from your amplified speakers.
Since you are a beginner, I suggest that you only pick up the CTK-5000 for now and invest in other gear like a heavy X stand, Quality headphones, Reverb/Echo unit etc. later.
Frankly all the 3 keyboards are priced slightly higher than 10K. But I am assuming a little bit extra spending is not going to be an issue.
Between the CTK-810IN and CTK-5000, the CTK-5000 is the clear winner. For 2.5K more, the CTK-5000 delivers a far expanded sound-set and feature set. The PSR-I425 is a keyboard comparable to the CTK-5000 but costs 16.5K+.
When connected to the PC, the CTK-3000 should show up as a MIDI Controller / Audio device.
If you start Cubase/Cakewalk Sonar etc. after connecting the keyboard, they will detect the presence of the keyboard as a MIDI device. In the application’s configuration settings, you should be able to assign the Casio keyboard as MIDI Input device (notes played on the keyboard are sent as instructions to the computer) or MIDI Output Devices (notes created on computer are sent to keyboard for playback using assigned sound).
This setup works perfectly for me with my CTK-4000 and Cakewalk Sonar software.
I have been searching for a keyboard for my son (8 yr) for the past month – & i was confused between CTK 2100, CTK 3000, CTK 4000, CTK 810 in or CTK 5000.
I can spend upto 11,000.
He plays well on SA 45 & has a good sense & appreciation of music, specially indian.
The CTK-5000 maybe slightly out of your budget at approx 12.5K. If you can stretch it, the CTK-5000 is certainly a good buy, but IMHO an overkill for a child of 8.
You can also opt for the CTK-2100/3000 which are equally suitable for young children to learn music. These will cost you substantially less now and your child can move to higher end keyboards as he ages and picks up skills that require a high-end keyboard.
Glad I could help. If you are considering buying the CTK-5000, be sure to teach your child to not abuse the Pitch Bend wheel. Like on all budget keyboards that feature the wheel, it is a delicate piece of hardware and will not take concentrated abuse.
The CTK-3000/4000/5000 feature touch response that can either be turned off or set to 2 levels of sensitivity. The feature can be configured using the ‘Function’ button on the keyboard (below the number pad). Use the Arrow keys (Number 4,6) to navigate within the function menu. Press + or – to select within the function.
hi, manish you have asked about rolande 09 i purchased it from delhi for rupees 24600 including adapter stand and bag extra worth rs 900 so over all for rs 25000 from rajmusical,patel nager,oppositepillarno.224,new delhi. it is great choice go for it
Hi Rajib.
I am a new Casio CTK 5000 User.
Could you please help me in finding out the correct method of connecting the same to the computer. I could connect to my laptop. driver seems to be installed correctly. Could you please let me know the software that should be used to bring the plays between the devices
Congratulations on your purchase.
w.r.t. sustain pedal for your keyboard they should be available in the price range you mentioned but I have nothing to recommend since I have not bought one.
As far as Microphones go, I suggest that for sub-1000 expenditure, you plan on acquiring a Creative Headphone/Microphone headset. Though these are aimed at voice chatting on computers, the Creative headsets feature a microphone that is very sensitive and features good sound pickup. Another company whose headset has a good mic is iBall. The Intex headsets are not that great. Build quality wise, the Creative beats other brands. You can also look at brands such as Altec Lansing who make good headsets.
Why am I asking you to buy a computer headset? 1) The basic microphones available in the market for audio at Sub-1000 range are terrible. Even the Philips microphone is so insensitive, that you need to either yell in the microphone or keep it almost touching to your lips to get any sound capture. You will definitely need to attach a good Preamp circuit (like found in a mixer) to such mics. The mics that do decent audio capture are the Ahuja uni-directional mics that come with XLR connector for Phantom power (the Mixing console supplies power to the mic’s inbuilt preamp over the audio cable) and these cost 2.5K+
so, IMHO your choices are either buy a good quality Ahuja mic or stick with a Creative headset.
Another issue you will face with the Creative headset is connectivity. For obvious reasons, the cable is quite short and the connector is the 3.5mm stereo pin type. You can rectify the pin problem by simply purchasing MX brand 3.5mm to 6.3mm Stereo pin adaptor. If you intend to connect the mic to an Amp, you can either purchase an extender cable. You also try connecting the mic to the Line-in port of your keyboard. The Casio CTK-4000/5000 feature a line-in port to allow for sampling of audio or connecting an iPod etc. so that you can hear the music through your keyboard’s speakers and play-along.
You can check out the free version of ‘Reaper’ here.
Reaper supports recording data from MIDI devices. It also supports recording audio from Line/Headphone out ports of audio devices, mixing many such recordings into track and outputting the final mix into a CD Writer compatible audio file.
Hi,
Can I get comparison between Korg PA50SD and Roland Prelude V2
I am really confused. I have to finalise decision for stage performance (one man band type).
Please reply.
Thanks for your your valuable suggestions. Recently i bought CTK 5000 and its much more better compare to 1425. I have got both now and CTK 5000 has more depth in tones and i am just loving it.
Initially i had misconceptiopn about Casio that it is best suitable for childrens.Now i realised that it is amazing!!!
Dear rajib
On paper casio CTK5000 scores over Psr i425 both in features and price but in terms professional quality of sound output(voice as well as rhythm) which one is better? which one is suitable for hindi song playing?
if i can strech my budget which is next best best model? what is your opinion on wk3300 model?
Tons of thanks for all the help in buying a keyboard, many answers posted did guide me to visit music stores in Delhi.
After trying out different keyboards, we fell for Yamaha psr i 425.
It killed me with its much better Tabla beats & sitar notes.
I have another querry:
My son has learnt a few tunes, bhajan, aarti & national anthem from a music school within a month.
Now I came across a tutor who believes in teaching notes, rythms and finger practise first, before going on to songs, she says he should understand WHY and HOW of keyboard before he moves on to playing songs. She plans to teach gradewise & is ready to come home to teach him to play on Yamaha psr i 425 BUT She wants him to stop going to the music school.
If on paper, the Casio scores clearly over the Yamaha, then the only way to prove superiority is by subjective tests. This is essentially what you feel after trying out both keyboards.
W.r.t. the music teacher, I think that the home-teacher is suspecting that your child is going to music classes that only teach him how to play popular tunes by aping the teacher. Such classes are great for the ego but do not help in the long term study of music.
I suggest that you ask for a few references for this home-teacher and if the feedback is good, then start with the home-teacher who is willing to give formal lessons.
Hi I have a Yamaha PSR-740 with which I am quite happy. Since my PSR740 is 5 years old and I want to sell it & buy a new one before its value further diminishes.
Since they dont make it anymore I want to get a keyboard which has the same features (not more – not less).
1. What is the cheapest model which can compare with Yamaha PSR740 for replacement.
2. What is price can I expect to sell the old PSR 740 (it is in good working condition – however 2-3 of black keys may need replacement).
So far he has learnt all his songs noted as “sa re ga ma pa dha ni sa” in different combinations & styles of play, instead of English notations as C,D,E,F,G etc with finger numbers.
And yes, I have got some very good reviews about the new tutor – she is creative & creates keyboard magicians I have been told.
Eshaan loves going to his music class & abhors the idea of having to leave his class.
It will be tough to pull him away, logic has never been easy to implement.
The Casio CTK-5000 and Yamaha PSR-I425 are no similar to the PSR-740. Though the new keyboards feature better sound engines, the PSR-740 has some unique features (vocal harmonizing, onboard DSP) that are completely absent in the keyboards that are covered in my article. I am afraid you will have to look for Yamaha S-550 or better keyboards to meet/exceed the features of the PSR 740.
w.r.t. resale price, it will depend on the condition of the keyboard and will not exceed 4-5K. I suggest that you keep the keyboard as a secondary keyboard.
I have a clear preference for the Casio CTK series (as is evident in my articles) because I believe they may not be outstanding keyboards but deliver the most ‘bang for the buck’.
Unless you can pay for both types of music classes (and sacrifice a little study time), I suggest that you let your child carry on with the classes he prefers. Once he outgrows his class, he will be in a much better frame of mind to accept something different – something formal.
I request you to check it out and let me know if the S550B will be able to do all the stuff the PSR-740 can do. Actually I dont play the keyboard (I know how to play the guitar). This is a purchase for our school (The old PSR is quite worn out now – but it is a really great keyboard – our kids have won several music competitions with it). SO I want them to have something which is as good as their existing keyboard.
In the info about the S550B a couple of things are not given (which are present in the 740 – and in the specs of the 550B it does not specifically mention about these feature) – I would like to know if they are of any significance (I am not sure if they exist on the 550B)
1. Digital Sound processor ?
2. Harmony / Echo
3. Modulation Wheel
I am a 10 year old boy having ctk-5000 because I was playing toy keyboard MA-150 from 2 years. I have windows 7 but I am unable to connect with windows 7. What can I do.
Rajibda
What is scaring me is that so far i could not get a single video featuring a good hindi song on casio ctk5000 or wk500. where as in yamahaPSR there are many.. this only says that people are strongly in favour of yamaha brand.. do you know any site where hindi songs are featured on casio please let me know ..
thanks again
The PSR 550B is in many ways superior to the PSR-740. Only, the 550 does not support microphone input for real-time reverb/echo effect (DSP) processing through the keyboard.
The 550 offers a superior sound engine, enormous control over the sound quality and features USB connectivity.
The PSR 550B also does not feature a Modulation wheel, but features a Pitch Bend Wheel.
Glad to hear that such a young person like you has so much knack for digital music.
Normally, you can connect the Casio keyboard to WinXP+ operating systems without installing any driver. Once connected, the keyboard shows up in Control Panel->Sound/Audio as ‘USB Audio Device’.
To connect the keyboard, ensure that your keyboard is OFF. Connect the keyboard using a USB-B cable (the type used to connect USB printer to computer). Turn on the keyboard and wait a few seconds for the computer to recognize the keyboard. Check in Control Panel->System->Device Manager->Sound/Video to check if the keyboard is listed as ‘USB Audio Device’.
Once connected, you need a MIDI compatible software (for ex: Cubase, Cakewalk, Reaper) to send/receive MIDI data to the keyboard. You can also send waveform audio data over the USB bus to the keyboard.
Casio also makes available on it’s website ‘Data Manager’ and ‘USB Drivers’ for those who have difficulty connecting the keyboard to the computer.
The sounds in a musical octave do not always have increasing pitch in regular simple arithmetic pattern. Some cultures such as Arabic, use sound pitches that are not used on the english octave.
In such cases, the concept of scales kicks in where the exact pitch of sound emitted by the keyboard for different keys is changed very slightly.
The scale editor helps tune the keyboard’s pitch to instruments such as Harmonium whose pitch does not match that of the keyboard.
Perhaps this is a golden opportunity for you to belt out some classy hindi numbers on your new Casio!
You can ofcourse choose to join the thousands who have put up really badly performed hindi songs on their Yamaha keyboards
I trust your playback skills exceed theirs, irrespective of the keyboard brand you use.
Connecting the CTK-5000 to Windows 7 is identical to the process in Windows XP. Just connect the device and switch it on.
To play files from your SD Card on the keyboard, you need to download the SMF convertor from Casio’s website.
Hello and Welcome to my blog!
This blog records what I face, What I think & What I do.
I hope information presented here maybe of some use to you & helps you save money or time.
146 Responses to Comparison between Yamaha PSR I425 and Casio CTK 5000
ganesh
February 3rd, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Wonderful review.. i got all the answers i was looking for.. Thank you!
Sanjay Bhansali
February 9th, 2010 at 5:19 pm
Comparison between Yamaha PSR I425 and Casio CTK 5000”
Any recomondation for the buy.
regards
Sanjay
09979881262
Rajib Ghosh
February 10th, 2010 at 12:25 am
Dear Sanjay,
I cannot recommend between Yamaha & Casio because that would be like buying a shoe for my feet and expecting you to wear them.
What I have done in the article is to bring out the salient features of both the keyboards. I suggest that you check both out and buy the one that works for you.
HTH
Rohit Jain
February 14th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Hi Rajib:
Is there a way in PSi425 to have a tabla (TeenTal) play in background and the keboard is used to play a harmonium.
Please advise
Rohit
Rajib Ghosh
February 26th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
Hi Rohit,
Sorry for the late reply. If the teen tal is available on your keyboard as a style (on the Casio it’s Dadra rhythm), you can set the tone as Harmonium and play them both simultaneously.
Does this answer your question?
Jayesh
February 26th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Do Yamaha PSR E413 comes with Indian instruments? Whats the differnce between PSR E413 and PSR I425?
Also tell me that do PSR I425 comes with sampling function like Casio CTK 5000?
Which one comes with better auto harmonize function CTK 5000 or PSR I425?
Jayesh
February 26th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
Please reply fast I am really very confused after reading this comparison. I also read somewhere that you can’t change instrument without changing style in bot the keyboards…Is it true??
Rajib Ghosh
February 27th, 2010 at 12:20 am
The Yamaha PSR E413 too comes with a small set of Indian instruments. The PSR I425 is an improved model featuring many Indian tones & styles and most importantly two knobs to tweak the sound.
The I425 does not seem to contain a sampling function but supports some USB drive functionality about which I don’t have much info.
Auto-Harmonize wise, I think the Casio has a greater number of choices.
Rajib Ghosh
February 27th, 2010 at 12:22 am
You can definitely change the tones and styles quite independently. This has been a feature of practically all keyboards since 1980s!
In new keyboards, you can infact configure the parts of each style (bass, drum, backing) to different instruments than the default ones. Imagine tweaking the basic Waltz style to play using Techno instruments like Synth Bass and Synth-Leads!!
tina
March 19th, 2010 at 2:18 am
hi,
i have to gift a keyboard to a guitarist who is into composing and singing.the person is not into playing keyboard but wish to do recordings by connecting it wid computer.i saw casio ctk-810 in the market.can u please vry urgently suggest me if its gud or not.wat will be the quality of recordings in it.also the basic yamaha models do not have usb and memory card features which casio 810 has.so plz suggest me
tina
Rajib Ghosh
March 19th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Hi Tina,
If you are considering the CTK-810, for a few thousand rupees more, the CTK-5000 is a better choice.
What the keyboards will do:
- Connect to computer over USB and output MIDI data so that a software like Cakewalk/Cubase can capture MIDI data.
- Receive MIDI data from the computer and play it back on the keyboard.
- Output keyboard sounds over headphone/line-out so that this can be captured on the Computer using the ‘Line-in’ socket on the computer.
What the keyboards will NOT do:
- Connect Guitar to keyboard and either provide power, amplification or effects to guitar sound
- Record Guitar sounds into keyboard.
Most Yamaha models feature USB input/output just like the Casio, only they cost a lot more.
HTH
tina
March 19th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
hi there,
so do u think that i dont need to spend 15k on a yamaha keyboard and i can go for ctk-5000 instead.
i am really too worried about this whole choice.
tina
Manish
March 19th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Other than Yamaha & Casio is there any good keyboard in the budget of 20K? I mean to say Roland or Korg?
Can you suggest a reliable shops in Mumbai or Navi Mumbai Where I can get both of the above keyboards.
Please let me know address & phone numbers also if you have it.
Thanks
Regards,
Manish
Rajib Ghosh
March 20th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Hi Manish,
Unfortunately, there are no other keyboard manufacturers who have products in the Sub 20K range. Roland makes an entry level keyboard that is slightly higher than 20K.
You will have to look around in musical instrument shops to locate it. Search on Amazon to get an idea of pricing first.
I have no idea about reputed musical instrument shops in Mumbai. A call to AskMe/Sulekha should get you a list. Asking some musicians will get you more details.
HTH
Rajib Ghosh
March 20th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Hi Tina,
The CTK-5000 is an excellent keyboard. The closest Yamaha product is PSR-i425. Both are very good products, but it is up-to you to make the decision and take the plunge.
Regards
Ram
March 21st, 2010 at 11:26 am
hey rajib….i wanted to know whether the ctk 5000 will allow me use recorded sound files as tones….
for eg…there is a particular tone called JIMMY DEE, which is available only in the Roland JV-2080 sound module…and i dont have a budget to buy that…but i have some songs which have the tone…if i cut out the JIMMY DEE part in the song and convert it into midi…and transfer it to the CASIO CTK-5000, will i be able to use it as a tone?????
pls reply…i m highly interested to buy this keyboard….only if i make sure it has d above mentioned feautre…i will be more confident….
Manish
March 21st, 2010 at 3:57 pm
Hey thanks for reply,
Which keyboard of Roland is Just above 20K I can extend my budget little bit if the keyboard worth it.
Thank you for your help.
Regards,
Manish
Rajib Ghosh
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Hi Ram,
Both the CTK-4000 and CTK-5000 allow you to sample external sounds and use them as Tones or Rhythms.
While the CTK-4000 can store about 13 seconds of audio (shared between 5 tones and 5 styles), I think the CTK-5000 can do a little better.
HTH
Rajib Ghosh
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Hi Manish,
The Roland E-09 is priced around 25K in India.
See: http://rajmusicals.in/product_info.php?products_id=137
HTH
Manish
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Hey Thank you for reply.
I have observed the only issue with E-09 is No USB.
I can not connect it with computer. Otherwise it is fantastic.
What is your opinion?
Rajib Ghosh
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Hi Manish,
The Roland E-09 features MIDI Input/Output using DIN connectors. This is the original connector used by the MIDI standard including a feature called Pass-Through which allowed multiple keyboards to be chained in a sequence.
You can find the MIDI DIN interface on many hi-grade Amps & Mixers such as M-Audio. Roland/Yamaha also sell MIDI DIN to USB convertors.
HTH
Manish
March 24th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Hey Rajib,
I thank you from my heart for answering my questions patiently. Thank you for helping me in making decision for buying keyboard.
For this time I think I will finalise my decision with Yamaha PSR E-413 or PSR I-425. Which one will you suggest?
May be after a year or two, I will go for Roland E-09 or something like that.
I would like to meet you personally, may be in coming next 6 or 8 months. Are you in Mumbai or nearby? Kindly give me an email on kymanish@gmail.com from your gmail address.
Thanking you sincerely. God bless you.
Regards,
Manish.
Rajib Ghosh
March 24th, 2010 at 10:27 pm
Hi Manish,
Between the Yamaha PSR E-413 and I-425, the I-425 is the clear winner. It’s an improved model featuring Indian tones and some unique sound modification functionality.
HTH
Gainingam
April 2nd, 2010 at 1:08 am
There is nothing like the sound of the Roland E-09. I have played all these pianos and after you’ve heard the Roland sound, you wouldn’t feel like hearing any others.
karan
April 8th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Hi Rajib Da,
I have a great confussion bitween korg x5d and yamaha psri425. Plz tell me which one is best in indian tones effect? Which one should I choose.
Rgds
Karan
Rajib Ghosh
April 8th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Hi Karan,
No confusion really. The Korg X5D is a very dated synth (released in 1996, 8MB Sound bank) and supports true-synthesis capabilities with up-to 100 user designed sounds.
The Yamaha PSRi425 on the other hand is a home/studio keyboard featuring latest sound bank (Wave ROM).
The sounds on the korg are very electronic in nature and keyboard itself is designed to be a studio/stage keyboard. The sounds on the Yamaha on the other hand are very realistic. Indian tones on the Yamaha are based on actual samples and not synthesized.
If you are looking for Indian tones, realistic sound, USB connectivity – the yamaha is your choice.
If you are looking for a budget synth and not bothered about realistic sounds or Indian tones, go for the Korg (if you can find a secondhand one in good condition). Korg stopped making the X5D a while back. Also the Korg features MIDI-DIN connectors (great for studio equipment) and not USB (great for computer connectivity).
HTH
- Rajib
karan
April 9th, 2010 at 8:58 am
Hey thanks Rajib Da,
You defined such a great things of those, It’s realy makes me
feel nice & better now.
many many thanks once again.
Rgds
Karan
Ram
April 13th, 2010 at 10:22 am
Hey Rajib, thanks for answering my question…I have one more doubt…which amplifier wud be good for a Casio Ctk-5000? i know the best judge is our ears, but in terms of safety, which one wud u recommend? Is the Stranger or Marshall enuff?
Rajib Ghosh
April 13th, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Hi Ram,
The Stranger and Marshall are equally good stage amps made in India and are great for impromptu jams and concerts.
You will need a special Stereo to Mono cable or Stereo to Monox2 cable to run into the Amp.
Basically, the Casio outputs stereo signal over 6.3mm Stereo jack. The inputs in the Stranger Amp or any other mixer is generally Mono.
If you directly connect the Casio using Stereo pins at both end, only the left channel is actually input into the amp you will notice the lack of richness in the sound.
Your choices are:
- Use a 6.3mm Stereo EP to RCA x 2 cable. You can plug this (the RCA jacks) into the Mixer’s/Amp’s Line-In port to achieve very high sound fidelity.
For ex: http://astore.amazon.com/rajsblo01-20/detail/B00004Z5CP
Example shows a 3.5mm to RCA cable. You will need a 6.3mm to 3.5mm Adaptor like: http://astore.amazon.com/rajsblo01-20/detail/B00009UVPN
For greater lenghts, you will have to make one yourself using high-quality cable.
- Use a 6.3mm Stereo EP to 6.3mm Mono x 2 cable. You can plug the Mono jacks into Two ports on the Mixer/Amp and achieve individual Pan/Volume/Eq on the Keyboard Left & Right outputs.
I have a feeling that you will not find this cable in a store and will have to make one of the required length yourself.
- In a cinch, you can convert the Casio’s Stereo signal into a mono by combining the Left & Right audio outputs. You can use a converter like http://astore.amazon.com/rajsblo01-20/detail/B000O7F0PO
This is not a good approach because blindly joining left & right channels can actually result in the audio waveforms canceling each other and the resulting sound is hollow.
HTH
Ram
April 15th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
OH MY GOD!! THANKS SOOO MUCH RAJIB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hemesh
April 17th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
hi rajib,
i am confused between yamaha i425 and casio ctk 5000 bcoz yamaha has got midi in and out ports but casio doesnt and i am very keen on buying a casio bcoz of its huge price difference….
is there any way by which the USB port on casio ctk 5000 can be used as midi in and out ports using a converter or so ???
Rajib Ghosh
April 18th, 2010 at 12:50 am
Hi Hemesh,
To the best of my knowledge, the Yamaha PSR I-425 only features a USB Data port and not the old DIN Style (5 pin) MIDI In/Out/Thru ports. The Casio CTK-5000 too sports a USB Data port only.
Connecting both the keyboards to the computer is very easy. On Windows XP and above, both the keyboards are detected as MIDI in/out devices and installed without any further driver CD requirements. Once connected and installed, they keyboards show up in MIDI In/Out configuration of your favorite MIDI compatible audio editing software and can be used with ease.
Since the keyboards only feature a USB MIDI port, they cannot be used to connect and control an old style tone-generator that uses only DIN style MIDI ports. However, despair not. There now exists USB-to-MIDI convertors which allow Keyboard to Tone-Generator connections. Typical retail price is between $25-$50.
HTH
Hemesh
April 18th, 2010 at 10:56 am
hi Rajib,
Thanks a lot for ur prompt and accurate reply…
Now, I think I have made my decision and thats Casio CTK-5000.
and 1 more thing, u have put up a great post for those lyk me, who are confused between these two keyboards….
karan
April 20th, 2010 at 3:35 pm
D/Rajib Da,
Kindly do me your favour. recently I bought yamaha psri425. although features and sound quality is nice, but I failed to find out the banking system in which I can save the different voices or styles ( i.e, 1. strings 2.flute 3. sitar, etc) and play them randomly or in a sequence in just pressing their respective buttons. You know what I want to say.even the mannual book doesn’t explain anything about it.
So, kindly help me if u any idea about it. otherwise that instrument will becomes useless for me.
Rgds
karan
So, kindly help me if you have any Idea about
Rajib Ghosh
April 20th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Hi Karan,
I think you are looking for the 6 track recorder.
The Yamaha can records lots of compositions, each composition can contain 6 tracks. Once recorded, you can play your compositions at the touch of a button and control the playback of individual tracks of a composition. It may not be so easy to switch between compositions though; just switch on/off the playback of tracks in each composition.
The Yamaha also stores your keyboard’s configuration in ‘Registration Memory’. You can use this feature to quickly configure the settings of the keyboard with the touch of a button.
The buttons used for these are common and present just below the selector dial.
Look in the manual about details on how to use the ‘Track Recorder’ and ‘Registration Memory’. For the brief period when I was tinkering with the Yamaha keyboard, I could figure out the Yamaha’s functions all by myself by just pressing (sometimes pressing longer than 3 seconds) the various buttons.
HTH
Pooja
April 22nd, 2010 at 9:56 am
Hi,
I want to buy a yamaha PSR for my son. He is 9 yr old. I’m really confused. Which model should I pick up…..Pls help…..
Rajib Ghosh
April 22nd, 2010 at 10:10 am
Hi Pooja,
I feel that your child is too young to own a higher end PSR. For him, a Yamaha PSR loaded with features just might become a play-toy.
Please dis-regard the previous statement completely if your child happens to be inclined towards music and is gifted.
If this will be your child’s first keyboard and you are unsure if your child will take up learning music in a structured way, I will recommend the entry level Casio CTK-700. This keyboard features full size keys and a 4 octave keyboard. It contains basic tones & rhythms and due to it’s economic pricing, forms a good starter keyboard.
For children without any background/inclination in music but interested in learning formally by attending basic music course, I would suggest the Casio CTK-2100/CTK-3000 or the Yamaha PSR E-213/E313. These keyboards are priced between 6.5K – 12K. They feature full-sized keys on a 5 Octave keyboard and have enough tones & rhythms to keep a child busy.
For children who display a natural inclination towards music or who have been practicing playing Piano/Keyboard for a while and attending formal music course, I would recommend the Casio CTK-4000/CTK-5000 or Yamaha PSR E-413/I-425. These keyboards cost between 10K – 16.5K. The keyboards contain functions oriented towards recordings/stage performance and are ideal for the budding keyboard player.
Once your child reaches levels where he can read notes and play music and wants to start formal Piano lessons, you may consider getting a Digital Piano (Casio Privia series) or Semi-Weighted/Weighted Keyboards from Yamaha/Roland. These instruments start at 21K and go all the way up-to 55K.
HTH
- Rajib
DV Subba Rao
April 22nd, 2010 at 7:19 pm
Dear Rajib Ghosh,
With an intention to buy a Keyboard I have enquired and came to decision to buy PSR I425 which costs aroung 17,000. Eventually happened to visit this site. After going through all your comparisons and statements I am feeling that If I add 7to 10 thousend what type of featured instrument shall I get.
I will be waiting for your reply.
Thank you.
Rajib Ghosh
April 22nd, 2010 at 9:29 pm
Dear Mr. Subba Rao,
The Yamaha PSR I-425 is an excellent choice that is feature packed and suited for playing Indian music.
Yamaha offers keyboards in the PSR series that are priced up-to 55K (there are more expensive keyboards too). Such keyboards build greatly on the styles, arpeggio, buttons & sliders for real-time control of music etc. The Yamaha PSR 550 and the Tyros series offer sounds & control that is suitable for production of music for Indian cinema!
I would suggest that you go in for the keyboard based on your existing and proposed skill level and not purely price-point or features.
HTH
Pooja
April 24th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Hi Rajiv,
Thanks a ton! Your inputs are really helpful and will help me buy the right musical keyboard for my son. Also, if you could help me with the addresses and contact details of the dealers for both Yamaha and Casio in Delhi/NCR but preferably in Noida.
Rajib Ghosh
April 24th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Hi Pooja,
I think Raj Musicals has a shop in Delhi and they stock both Yamaha & Casio keyboards.
I am not a resident of Delhi and hence don’t have much idea about the musical shops.
My strategy would be:
- Ask a musical teacher. In your colony, your kid’s school, music school nearby
- Search the Yellow pages.
HTH
Pooja
April 26th, 2010 at 9:15 am
Hi Rajiv,
Thank You once again for all your valuable inputs. I plan to close it this week. Will keep you posted.
Pooja
May 3rd, 2010 at 8:49 am
Hi Rajib,
Finally I have gifted a CTK 5000 to my son. He is on cloud 9 these days. I have also finalised a music teacher for him who shall begin the classes in a week’s time.
Jeba
May 12th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
Hi Rajib, Till now I have a great confusion about CTK5000 and Yamahi425.
Can CTK5000s rethyms compete with Yamaha i425, is there any big difference in the rethym sounds.
Rajib Ghosh
May 12th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
Hi Jeba,
Personally I like the Yamaha i425 rhythms better. They feel modern, accented and more human performer like.
But the Casio CTK-5000 has more number of rhythms, allows customisation and recording of audio clips for use a rhythm.
I suggest that you get a feel of both the keyboards before you buy. Youtube videos for comparison help, but nothing like a real hands-on experience.
HTH
Jeba
May 14th, 2010 at 12:26 am
Great thanks for quick reply, really appreciate ur care for others, keep it up, God bless you
sahitya
May 17th, 2010 at 4:30 pm
D/Rajib da,
I am looking for yamaha’s entry level keyboard which have at least 4 or 5 sond banking mode. kindly suggest me the right one.
many many rgds
Sahitya
Rajib Ghosh
May 17th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Hi Sahitya,
I am not much of an expert on Yamaha keyboards. Don’t own one, neither have access to a latest generation one. But I can afford to give you a generic answer. For that too, I need the following inputs:
- What is your budget? Try to be as accurate as you can.
- Can you describe the feature that you are looking for?
Regards
sahitya
May 18th, 2010 at 9:15 am
D/Rajib da,
My budget is arround 18000-20000k. and I m looking for the keyboard which have altleast 5 or 6 track sequencer ( voice banking )
Rgds
sahitya
Rajib Ghosh
May 18th, 2010 at 10:01 am
Hi Sahitya,
Your budget is more than sufficient for the Yamaha PSR I425 which features a 6 track song recorder.
HTH
Manish
May 20th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
Do you have any idea Roland E-09 have arpeggio function like CASIO 5000 and Yamaha 425?
Rajib Ghosh
May 20th, 2010 at 10:21 pm
From the information that is commonly available on the net, it does not look like the E-09 features an arpeggiator. Which is also funny because even basic Roland keyboards such as the XP-1 featured an arpeggiator. Perhaps I need to succeed in downloading the E-09 user Manual and pore through it to determine if there is an arpeggitor onboard.
HTH
Carlos
May 22nd, 2010 at 11:54 pm
Hi Rajib, after reading your review I still can’t made up my mind, many people told me that Yamaha PIANO sounds beat Casio, but you say otherwise…or perhaps I don’t understand cuz I’m really new and willing to learn.
If you could tell me which one could ressemble to this sound:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuH3S18tlfw
you would be a lot of help.
Thanks
Rajib Ghosh
May 23rd, 2010 at 9:56 am
Hi,
The piano sound used in the Youtube link you sent, closely resembles the LA Piano sound on the Casio.
IMHO:
- Don’t go by what people say, not even me
- Hear out the sounds on the Yamaha, Casio and Roland (if available in your budget) to make up your mind.
- If you super keen on the fidelity of the Piano sound, then consider a Digital Piano. Both Casio and Yamaha have a wonderful range of digital pianos. On these, the full 76/88 key octave is present. Keys are weighted and Pedal control is available.
HTH
Carlos
May 23rd, 2010 at 10:10 am
Hello, thanks for asking…yeah I know I shouldn’t listen what people say unless I try right? But I’m on internship and can’t go out, there aren’t too many stores here that let me try the keyboards either :S, I’m afraid neither korg or digital pianos are on my budget. So what do you say about this piano sound:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4aczvH5RCg
I’m trusting in your ear tho
Thx for the help
Maxer
May 23rd, 2010 at 11:41 am
Hey!
Rajiv,
I will be happy if you can answer few things for me.
Can I plugin CASIO to PC and use with Fruity loops to have better output of self designed sounds?
Secondly, As you said after rebooting or restarting CASIO looses its recordings as it has no NVRAM… but is there any other way of storing them? Like if I use a memory card to store them and reuse?
If i get these two things cleared up…. I may make a choice better..
Thanks in advance Rajib
Your review is lot helpful buddy…. cheers man!!!
Rajib Ghosh
May 24th, 2010 at 12:00 am
Hi Maxer,
The Casio keyboards feature a USB Midi port. By connecting the keyboard to the computer over USB (no drivers required for WinXP above), you can use the keyboard as a MIDI controller in Frooty Loops. You can input notes into frooty loops, including the status of the Pitch Bend wheel. Frooty Loops will use the Virtual Instrument assigned to the track and play the sound through your computer’s audio output.
You can also set up the device as MIDI-Out so that supported applications (such as Cakewalk, F.Loops) etc. can send the MIDI data to the casio playback using the Casio’s sound generator.
The Casio CTK 5000 model (also Casio CTK 810IN) feature a SD Card slot, where you can store your compositions. On the lower models, you need to keep the keyboard loaded with batteries.
Another option would be to use the keyboard as a MIDI controller. This way, notes you play on the keyboard will be recorded in the computer as MIDI data. MIDI data from the computer can be outputted to the keyboard at any time in future.
HTH
Rajib Ghosh
May 24th, 2010 at 12:03 am
Hi Carlos,
The second YouTube link features the Grand Piano sound of a physical grand piano. The Casio Piano will not be able to match that. However, the ‘Stereo Grand’ tone on the Casio CTK 4000/5000 comes close.
Perhaps I will be able to record a sample of the sounds and upload it so that you can check them out yourself.
HTH
Carlos
May 24th, 2010 at 12:55 am
Thanks again for the anwers Rajib, I was just looking out some prices, I found that Casio WK 200, Casio CTK 5000 and Yamaha psr e 413 are within my price range. I just loved the WK 200, do you think the wk 200 comes with the stereo grand tone?
Regards.
Bruno SXS
May 24th, 2010 at 2:40 am
Hello Rajib, I am from brasil, and I came from google searching for a good review about casio’s ctk…
Here in brazil, it’s the same thing, all people goes for yamaha because of the late casio karma… People don’t simple try to search and discover for themselvs… I searched all over youtube for some keyboards and prices, and I bought a 5000, it’s still to come, but I read your 2 reviews, this one and the one about the 4000. And I have to thank you for your efforts for making a very easy-going site to read. Yeah, I looked over many other things on it. Keep up man!
The bad thing is that I prefer to download all the material for me to see, and the esnips is veeery user-friendly for it. XD
Rajib Ghosh
May 24th, 2010 at 8:02 am
@Bruno: Thanks for visiting the site and leaving your feedback.
@Carlos: The Casio WK-200 is identical in specs to the Casio CTK-4000. The WK-200 features 76 keys, while the CTK-4000 features 61 keys. The WK-500 is identical in specs to the CTK-5000. All these 4 products carry a rich assortment of Piano sounds.
HTH
Maxer
May 24th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Hey Rajib great!! helpful information !! just a little trouble to you…if u dont mind!
Can this all be possible on YAMAHA PSR i425?
& I am getting PSR740 in 15,000 offer shall I go for it…!. ( is this also
compatible with fruity loops easily as CTK5000?)
your help would be great! to give me drive to make a decision.
Thx man!
Rajib Ghosh
May 24th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Hi Maxer,
The Yamaha I-425 in fact has slightly better controller features than the Casio keyboards. Like the Casio keyboards, the Yamaha I-425 features a USB In/Out and USB Pen Drive compatibility.
The PSR 740 is a very dated keyboard. First released in 1999, it was Yamaha’s flagship model in the prosumer range. A friend of mine owns one and it produces some very wonderful sounds. It does not feature USB in/out though; it features MIDI DIN in/out instead.
Though I think the PSR 740 is a great keyboard, Rs. 15K is a overkill for it. For 1K more you can get a new I-425 with Yamaha adaptor and Keyboard stand.
HTH
suthars
May 26th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
I bought a Psr I425 keyboard at Doha, Qatar for QR1400. Grand piano sound is not good. I have CASIO LK110 too. I feel CASIO’S Grand Piano sound is better compare to psr i425.
Rajib Ghosh
May 26th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Hi Suthars,
Thanks for your feedback. Finally some one who dares to agree that Casio Piano sound quality maybe better than Yamaha PSR I425.
Regards
Maxer
May 27th, 2010 at 12:02 am
Hey rajib
So do you mean that, both the keyboards ( i425 & 5000) are well recognized by fruity loops like app. and I can derive my own tune with various controls?
It is really amazing that, if we can change tones by controlling through fruity loops and play them on keyboard while fruity loops produces that modified sound.
Then there is unlimited sound variety right? is it possible to do this way?
thx man!
Rajib Ghosh
May 27th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Hi Maxer,
You got a bit of it incorrect. Practically all keyboards (except the baby ones) feature some sort of MIDI connectivity. Either using 5-pin DIN cables or USB. When connected and recognized by the computer, the keyboard appears to the recording software as a MIDI Input/Output device.
MIDI in/out actually consists of Controller commands rather than the actual sound/tone. What this means is that if you instruct the computer to send the MIDI command to Play C5 to the Yamaha & Casio, both will play the C5 note, but the sound will be produced by the respective sound generators present on both keyboards. Hence, though the note will be the same, the sound will be different.
Similarly, the recording software on the computer can receive MIDI commands from the keyboards and save them as a MIDI file. But what is saved is a pure sequence of instructions. Upon playback, the sound itself will be generated by the Sound Generator selected in the MIDI recording program.
For ex: on my setup, the Casio primarily servers as MIDI input. Notes I play are received into the computer and saved. While playing (recording on computer), the Casio makes the sound. But if I click Play on the software, my notes are produced by the Creative Sound Blaster MIDI Output. On the SoundBlaster card, I can load different Sound banks (each having a different mix of sound quality) and thus, though the notes are the same, the played song sounds very different from the Casio. Note that, in my MIDI software (Cakewalk Sonar), I can assign the Casio MIDI Out device as the default playback device. In this scenario, when I click Play in software, the MIDI notes are sent to the Casio instead of the SoundBlaster card and thus I hear the Casio engine generate the sounds.
In Fruity Loops, you can set your keyboard as the MIDI Control Surface and Sound Card Wave-Out as Playback device. Thus, you can play notes on the keyboard. Your notes will be processed by the Virtual Instruments in Fruity Loops and the sound will be produced by the sound card. Fruity Loops ofcourse features an immense variety of sounds and due to possible tweaking, you can access almost an infinite range of sounds.
Ironically, pure MIDI controllers (just keyboard and knobs, no sound generator) are more expensive than the Casio & Yamaha (which feature keys, knobs and sound generator). Though some will say that a dedicated MIDI controller sending MIDI commands to a dedicated Sound Generator (just sound generator, no keys) is a combination that is the pinnacle of music.
HTH
Hemesh
May 27th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Hi Rajib,
As you say, that the keyboard can be used to send MIDI commands to the computer… I have a question to ask you …
Is it possible to install any software synthesizer in the computer and be used to play midi data (overriding the sound card’s synthesizer)??
If Yes… what are the options available for software synthesizers ?? (like Yamaha, Korg etc.) ??
Rajib Ghosh
May 27th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
Hi Hemesh,
Refer to this article: Wikipedia
HTH
ambika
June 2nd, 2010 at 10:50 am
D/Sir,
Kindly suggest me which brand’s keyboard have the sweetest & dynamic sounds, useful for live stage performance. my budget is arround 60,000/- to 65000k.
Rgds
Ambika nayak
Rajib Ghosh
June 2nd, 2010 at 10:19 pm
Hi Ambika,
The range you are looking at is way beyond my domain. However, based on the Youtube videos I have been checking out, I think you can consider the Yamaha PSR S900, Yamha Motif XS, Korg M3 and Roland G series workstations.
HTH
Baldev Singh
June 8th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
On 07 Jun 2010, I was watching TV Channel of STAR UTSAV. CASIO CTK 2100 price Rs 6,999/- is gud for learning. This has 50 over indian songs and have 61 key. I would like to purchase this for learning purpose. May I ask you to tell me that this is gud for me or not?
Rajib Ghosh
June 8th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
Hi Baldev,
For a learner’s keyboard the CTK-2100 is a very good choice. Another keyboard which is slightly cheaper but suitable for young learners too is the CTK 496.
HTH
Baldev Singh
June 9th, 2010 at 1:27 pm
Plz refer to my previous e-mail. I appreciated ur suggestion. I am a defence veteran living in Delhi. Kindly intimate me the authorised dealer who is
the seller of leaner casio ctk 2100 (61 key)
Rajib Ghosh
June 9th, 2010 at 9:10 pm
Dear Mr. Baldev,
Raj Musicals in Delhi stocks Casio & Yamaha products.
Reliance Digital and Tata Chroma stores stock Casio products comprehensively and at these stores not only you can buy the keyboards at a good price but try them out to your heart’s content too.
HTH
Vikas S Navale
June 11th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Dear Sir,
How can i use an pendrive with my Yamaha i425 keyboard. Can i connect with an pen drive to play the midi tones extracted from popolur softwares liek cubase/protools.
Awaiting for quick response.
Thanks & Regards,
Vikas S Navale
Samuel Baroi
June 11th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
vey helpful seems to me a very knowledgeable person.
Samuel Baroi
June 11th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
Excellant , I feel I can get assistance . Is this o.k. ?
Rajib Ghosh
June 11th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Dear Samuel,
You are most welcome to post your query here. The owner and readers of this blog will assist you in any way they can.
Regards
Rajib Ghosh
June 11th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
Dear Vikas,
Your question is too specific for me to answer since I do not own a Yamaha i425 keyboard. All I know is that the keyboard supports 2GB pendrives formatted using the FAT file-system.
The keyboard also supports MIDI and SMF format files for playback from the USB stick (someone please confirm this).
HTH
Akash
June 14th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Dear Friends,
i have gone through my comments on this blog & came across to that many people have great confusion on purchasing keyboard casio ckt 5000 or yamaha psr i425 now, i want to add my views to it that if you want a keyboard with in budget+power packed then casio is for you and if you want brand image+good packed then yamaha is for you as recently i have purchased roland e09 which is very good earlier i am also in confusion but i came across it and buy it
dr shailesh sharma
June 14th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
hi rajib
i have read ur whole site and was forced to ask ur genuine advice..
i m a vocalist of my band infants…
i was planning on a digital piano…
i also saw casio privia whole series…
i personally think that casio privia px 330 bk is a gud choice and even better then yamaha at such a competitive price…
but i m still thinking that whether i m making a right desicion or not..
i m quite clear i want a full 88 key piano with pedals…coz i m opting for formal piano lessons…
but i want ur advice wat shud be my best buy…
thankx
dr shailesh sharma
Rajib Ghosh
June 14th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Dear Dr. Shailesh Sharma,
The Casio Privia PX 330 is an excellent choice for it’s budget. Very few keyboards at this price-point either feature 88 keys or semi weighted action or budled peddle action.
For students of piano, there is no option today but to buy a Digital Piano.
HTH
sushan
June 15th, 2010 at 11:41 am
hello sir … i m planning to buy a keyboard and my budget is around 20k … i play more of english songs … vich one do u suggest me to buy??
Rajib Ghosh
June 15th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Hi Sushan,
For that price, you can easily afford a Casio CTK-5000 or the Yamaha PSR-I425.
These two keyboards currently appear to be at the top of the chain in affordable keyboards in your budget.
HTH
dr shailesh sharma
June 15th, 2010 at 9:46 pm
hi rajib
thanx a lot
now i will be buying this digital piano i wanted to asku do u have any agent idea in delhi selling casio ….
coz i was unable to locate a store rather than the factory outlet…
thanx in advance
dr shailesh sharma
Rajib Ghosh
June 16th, 2010 at 12:23 am
Dear Dr. Shailesh,
While Raj Musicals at Delhi claims to stock Casio products, I have found that Reliance Digital Stores and Tata Chroma stores at Hyderabad are very well stocked with Casio products. Perhaps the same is true in Delhi.
HTH
sushan
June 16th, 2010 at 5:16 pm
bt which one do u suggest me to buy .. coz i play more of english music ..
Rajib Ghosh
June 17th, 2010 at 9:05 am
Dear Sushan,
IMHO, the Casio CTK-5000 is strong when it comes to classical instruments like Piano, Strings & Horns. But the Yamaha PSR I-425 is better when it comes to synth sounds, lively rhythms and sound tweaking.
Another factor to consider is that many feel that the Yamaha keyboard is more responsive and the Casio keys are soft and slow. While I did not find it so, only your playback style will determine the suitability of the keyboard.
If you want a keyboard that features weighted keys (for real piano feel), you can also consider the Casio Privia series of keyboards.
HTH
Manish
June 17th, 2010 at 10:25 am
My question is to Aakash who posted on 14 June about roland e09.
From where do you purchased roland e-09? How much it costs?
What are the box contents. was adapter included in it?
If you are located in mumbai please email me on kymanish@gmail.com
Thanks
Regards,
Manish
dr.shailesh
June 17th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
thanx rajib…
will let u know the progress…
ur blog has been very valuable….
dr shailesh
sushan
June 17th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
thanx a lot for ur help …
Gaurav Bansal
June 20th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
hello sir,
i am a 26 years old music learner (absolute begineer),
who is learning vocals
and need an support instrument.
i prefer sufi and ghazal singing in indian,
and european classical instruments based music in english
like can you feel the love tonight, sacrifice
and my heart will go on ( as these are more popular examples which feature classical instruments like piano , violin, flute more prominently )
my budget is also stretched out around 10k,
i consider between
yamaha psr e323 and casio ctk 4000,
however i can somehow strecth my budget to
ctk 5000 as well,
please suggest me out of these three
what upgrades exactly i will get in ctk 5000 over ctk 4000?,
and is psr e 323 a nice choice….?
which keyboard will suit more to my singing style?
as i need mostly
harmonium, flute, sarangi, grand piano, violin, bass , harp sounds,
Gaurav Bansal
June 20th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
and in above comment
i forgot to mention
i also would like to learn some piano as well
so piano sound is very important……
and my brother is learning guitar
so he too need some drum beats
in background from it sometimes,
so please consider this in mind as well?
Gaurav Bansal
June 20th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
sorry i forgot to ask one more thing,
psr e 323 features dual and split mode
which i found very useful
do these ctk 4000 and ctk 5000
have dual instrument and split keyboard mode?
and can casio ctk 4000/5000 play 4 instruments together
with both dual and split mode on?
Rajib Ghosh
June 20th, 2010 at 10:05 pm
Dear Gaurav,
For your budget (10K), you will find that the Casio CTK-4000 fits the bill perfectly and it is way superior to the Yamaha e323 in terms of included tones, styles and features.
The CTK-5000 adds a Pitch Bender wheel, SD Card Reader, Line-Out sockets and a few more tones and styles to the CTK-4000.
The Piano sound on the Casio CTK-4000/5000 is quite rich and many have expressed a preference for the Casio sound over the Yamaha.
Just like the Yamaha e323, the Casio keyboards too feature Split point (any where in the keyboard) and layering of the sound. Please note that due to higher polyphony, after split & layering of sounds on the Casio, you will generally have access to more available polyphonic notes. More an in-depth review of the split/layer on the Casio CTK-4000/5000, I suggest you read my review on the CTK-4000 present on this blog.
HTH
Gaurav Bansal
June 20th, 2010 at 10:41 pm
thanks a lot for quick reply
so i eliminate psr e 323 out of my choices
now choice is really between,
both ctk models
price here in delhi including taxes for pack of keyboard, stand, original adapter and bag
is 11,500 for ctk5000
and 9,500 for ctk4000
now please tell me are features in 5000 are worth
paying those 2k extra……………….
and
please tell me about accessories too
what i need along with my keyboard?
i know of a sustain pedal and amplifier
is there is anything else?
and how necessary are these two as well?
(as i donot have to perfrom anywhere for atleast a year to come)
Rajib Ghosh
June 21st, 2010 at 9:11 am
The 2K additional for CTK-5000 adds a pitch bender, SD Card Reader …. (please read my earlier reply).
Definitely worth the additional spend.
Gaurav Bansal
June 21st, 2010 at 1:52 pm
thanks ,
i actually read that
but i donot know yet
what is use of pitch blender
so, thats why i did asked,
whether it is worth or not,
thanks for reply again,
and if possible please reply to second part of question as well
about accesories,
thanks a lot for help
Shivam
June 23rd, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Hello Sir.
I am a student . My age is 13 yrs and I am a professional player of keyboard, guitar and octopad. I want to take a new keyboard and my budget is till Rs. 10000. I am confused between Casio Ctk-810IN , Casio CTK-5000 and Yamaha PSR-i425 Please suggest me a good one.
Thank You
Waiting for reply
Ph.+919068423140
Gali
June 24th, 2010 at 12:36 am
Hello , rajib i have a ctk-3000 with a usb i was wondering what software can i use for this keyboard cubase, reason , or garageband to make beats and will these programs allow my keyboard if not what program is availble to work with this keyboard
Rajib Ghosh
June 24th, 2010 at 10:35 am
Dear Gaurav,
A pitch bender shifts notes up and down the octave in a smooth flowing manner. It is considered an absolute must if you want to achieve realistic guitar / flute / violin slides.
On youtube, you can find plenty of videos that use the pitch bender extensively and achieve marvelous effects. However, the pitch bender (aka slide wheel) is a tough thing to master.
w.r.t. accessories, you can purchase the accessories in a phased manner. A sustain pedal is useful for Piano playback and amplifier is required for playback to small audiences in a noisy setup. For stage performance, you can anyway hook up the keyboard to the main mixer directly instead of using a microphone to pick up sound from your amplified speakers.
Since you are a beginner, I suggest that you only pick up the CTK-5000 for now and invest in other gear like a heavy X stand, Quality headphones, Reverb/Echo unit etc. later.
HTH
Rajib Ghosh
June 24th, 2010 at 10:38 am
Dear Shivam,
Frankly all the 3 keyboards are priced slightly higher than 10K. But I am assuming a little bit extra spending is not going to be an issue.
Between the CTK-810IN and CTK-5000, the CTK-5000 is the clear winner. For 2.5K more, the CTK-5000 delivers a far expanded sound-set and feature set. The PSR-I425 is a keyboard comparable to the CTK-5000 but costs 16.5K+.
HTH
Rajib Ghosh
June 24th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Dear Gali,
When connected to the PC, the CTK-3000 should show up as a MIDI Controller / Audio device.
If you start Cubase/Cakewalk Sonar etc. after connecting the keyboard, they will detect the presence of the keyboard as a MIDI device. In the application’s configuration settings, you should be able to assign the Casio keyboard as MIDI Input device (notes played on the keyboard are sent as instructions to the computer) or MIDI Output Devices (notes created on computer are sent to keyboard for playback using assigned sound).
This setup works perfectly for me with my CTK-4000 and Cakewalk Sonar software.
HTH
Gaurav Bansal
June 25th, 2010 at 2:14 am
Thanks a lot Mr. rajib
that explains all
and thanks again for being so helpful……………………..
i now will buy casio ctk 5000
Gaurav Bansal
June 25th, 2010 at 2:23 am
Its for shivam,
donot go for casio 810 in,
in case you cannot spend
more than 10,000,
better go for casio
ctk 4000 in that budget
it sounds much better
i compared those two in a store
Arvind Khanijo
June 28th, 2010 at 11:27 pm
Hello Mr. Rajib,
I have been searching for a keyboard for my son (8 yr) for the past month – & i was confused between CTK 2100, CTK 3000, CTK 4000, CTK 810 in or CTK 5000.
I can spend upto 11,000.
He plays well on SA 45 & has a good sense & appreciation of music, specially indian.
Would u suggest CTK 5000?
Arvind
Rajib Ghosh
June 29th, 2010 at 11:19 am
Dear Arvind,
The CTK-5000 maybe slightly out of your budget at approx 12.5K. If you can stretch it, the CTK-5000 is certainly a good buy, but IMHO an overkill for a child of 8.
You can also opt for the CTK-2100/3000 which are equally suitable for young children to learn music. These will cost you substantially less now and your child can move to higher end keyboards as he ages and picks up skills that require a high-end keyboard.
HTH
Manish
June 30th, 2010 at 3:44 am
Hi Rajib,
I want to know if required can I switch off touch responce in CTK5000 like Yamaha?
I couldn’t find that button on CTK5000.
Arvind
June 30th, 2010 at 8:06 pm
Thanks a ton, Rajib, your inputs give a clean analysis of the
keyboard scene.
What is IMHO ?
I may stretch a bit and my son would be thanking you soon.
Thanks again,
Arvind
Rajib Ghosh
July 1st, 2010 at 9:34 am
Dear Arvind,
Glad I could help. If you are considering buying the CTK-5000, be sure to teach your child to not abuse the Pitch Bend wheel. Like on all budget keyboards that feature the wheel, it is a delicate piece of hardware and will not take concentrated abuse.
IMHO = In My Humble Opinion.
HTH (Hope this helps)
- Rajib
Rajib Ghosh
July 1st, 2010 at 9:41 am
Dear Manish,
The CTK-3000/4000/5000 feature touch response that can either be turned off or set to 2 levels of sensitivity. The feature can be configured using the ‘Function’ button on the keyboard (below the number pad). Use the Arrow keys (Number 4,6) to navigate within the function menu. Press + or – to select within the function.
HTH
AKASH
July 2nd, 2010 at 2:35 pm
hi, manish you have asked about rolande 09 i purchased it from delhi for rupees 24600 including adapter stand and bag extra worth rs 900 so over all for rs 25000 from rajmusical,patel nager,oppositepillarno.224,new delhi. it is great choice go for it
Murali
July 10th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Hi Rajib.
I am a new Casio CTK 5000 User.
Could you please help me in finding out the correct method of connecting the same to the computer. I could connect to my laptop. driver seems to be installed correctly. Could you please let me know the software that should be used to bring the plays between the devices
Gaurav Bansal
July 11th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
I just purchased casio CTK 5000 yesterday
thanks Mr. Rajib , your bog entry
helped me a lot in making up my mind,
I bought it for 12,000/- rs in delhi
for keyboard,
+ high end keyboard stand ,
+ data cable
+ audio cables
and a sturdy bag
Also bought a Monitoring headphone
philips SHp8500
http://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHP8500-27-Stereo-Headphones/dp/B000W49NQQ
for rs 1699 /-
i now also want to buy a sustain pedal and microphone
can you please guide me for a sustain pedal
under 1000 – 1500 rs
and a decent ametruer microphone under 1000 rs
Rajib Ghosh
July 12th, 2010 at 11:09 am
Hi Gaurav,
Congratulations on your purchase.
w.r.t. sustain pedal for your keyboard they should be available in the price range you mentioned but I have nothing to recommend since I have not bought one.
As far as Microphones go, I suggest that for sub-1000 expenditure, you plan on acquiring a Creative Headphone/Microphone headset. Though these are aimed at voice chatting on computers, the Creative headsets feature a microphone that is very sensitive and features good sound pickup. Another company whose headset has a good mic is iBall. The Intex headsets are not that great. Build quality wise, the Creative beats other brands. You can also look at brands such as Altec Lansing who make good headsets.
Why am I asking you to buy a computer headset? 1) The basic microphones available in the market for audio at Sub-1000 range are terrible. Even the Philips microphone is so insensitive, that you need to either yell in the microphone or keep it almost touching to your lips to get any sound capture. You will definitely need to attach a good Preamp circuit (like found in a mixer) to such mics. The mics that do decent audio capture are the Ahuja uni-directional mics that come with XLR connector for Phantom power (the Mixing console supplies power to the mic’s inbuilt preamp over the audio cable) and these cost 2.5K+
so, IMHO your choices are either buy a good quality Ahuja mic or stick with a Creative headset.
Another issue you will face with the Creative headset is connectivity. For obvious reasons, the cable is quite short and the connector is the 3.5mm stereo pin type. You can rectify the pin problem by simply purchasing MX brand 3.5mm to 6.3mm Stereo pin adaptor. If you intend to connect the mic to an Amp, you can either purchase an extender cable. You also try connecting the mic to the Line-in port of your keyboard. The Casio CTK-4000/5000 feature a line-in port to allow for sampling of audio or connecting an iPod etc. so that you can hear the music through your keyboard’s speakers and play-along.
HTH
Rajib Ghosh
July 12th, 2010 at 11:12 am
Hi Murali,
You can check out the free version of ‘Reaper’ here.
Reaper supports recording data from MIDI devices. It also supports recording audio from Line/Headphone out ports of audio devices, mixing many such recordings into track and outputting the final mix into a CD Writer compatible audio file.
HTH
Manish
July 17th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Hi,
Can I get comparison between Korg PA50SD and Roland Prelude V2
I am really confused. I have to finalise decision for stage performance (one man band type).
Please reply.
Rajib Ghosh
July 17th, 2010 at 4:11 pm
Dear Manish,
I have no idea about the products you are asking about and commenting on them is beyond the scope of this blog-article.
I hope other readers of this blog will be able to help you out.
Regards
Vikas S Navale
July 18th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
Dear Mr. Rajib,
Thanks for your your valuable suggestions. Recently i bought CTK 5000 and its much more better compare to 1425. I have got both now and CTK 5000 has more depth in tones and i am just loving it.
Initially i had misconceptiopn about Casio that it is best suitable for childrens.Now i realised that it is amazing!!!
Regards,
Vikas
Rajaram
July 20th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
Dear rajib
On paper casio CTK5000 scores over Psr i425 both in features and price but in terms professional quality of sound output(voice as well as rhythm) which one is better? which one is suitable for hindi song playing?
if i can strech my budget which is next best best model? what is your opinion on wk3300 model?
Arvind
July 21st, 2010 at 2:13 am
Dear Mr. Rajib,
Tons of thanks for all the help in buying a keyboard, many answers posted did guide me to visit music stores in Delhi.
After trying out different keyboards, we fell for Yamaha psr i 425.
It killed me with its much better Tabla beats & sitar notes.
I have another querry:
My son has learnt a few tunes, bhajan, aarti & national anthem from a music school within a month.
Now I came across a tutor who believes in teaching notes, rythms and finger practise first, before going on to songs, she says he should understand WHY and HOW of keyboard before he moves on to playing songs. She plans to teach gradewise & is ready to come home to teach him to play on Yamaha psr i 425 BUT She wants him to stop going to the music school.
Which would be a better option ?
Pl help me on this one.
Arvind
Rajib Ghosh
July 21st, 2010 at 9:18 am
Dear Rajaram,
If on paper, the Casio scores clearly over the Yamaha, then the only way to prove superiority is by subjective tests. This is essentially what you feel after trying out both keyboards.
HTH
Rajib Ghosh
July 21st, 2010 at 9:24 am
Dear Arvind,
Congratulations on your purchase.
W.r.t. the music teacher, I think that the home-teacher is suspecting that your child is going to music classes that only teach him how to play popular tunes by aping the teacher. Such classes are great for the ego but do not help in the long term study of music.
I suggest that you ask for a few references for this home-teacher and if the feedback is good, then start with the home-teacher who is willing to give formal lessons.
HTH
Sumit
July 21st, 2010 at 4:09 pm
I have found your forum most informative!
Hi I have a Yamaha PSR-740 with which I am quite happy. Since my PSR740 is 5 years old and I want to sell it & buy a new one before its value further diminishes.
Since they dont make it anymore I want to get a keyboard which has the same features (not more – not less).
1. What is the cheapest model which can compare with Yamaha PSR740 for replacement.
2. What is price can I expect to sell the old PSR 740 (it is in good working condition – however 2-3 of black keys may need replacement).
Rajaram
July 21st, 2010 at 5:55 pm
thanks rajib
ctk 5000 may still score over because it has rhythm editor.. you can customize the accompaniment as per your liking. what is your say?
Arvind
July 21st, 2010 at 9:53 pm
Thanks again Rajib,
So far he has learnt all his songs noted as “sa re ga ma pa dha ni sa” in different combinations & styles of play, instead of English notations as C,D,E,F,G etc with finger numbers.
And yes, I have got some very good reviews about the new tutor – she is creative & creates keyboard magicians I have been told.
Eshaan loves going to his music class & abhors the idea of having to leave his class.
It will be tough to pull him away, logic has never been easy to implement.
Arvind
Rajib Ghosh
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:37 am
Dear Sumit,
The Casio CTK-5000 and Yamaha PSR-I425 are no similar to the PSR-740. Though the new keyboards feature better sound engines, the PSR-740 has some unique features (vocal harmonizing, onboard DSP) that are completely absent in the keyboards that are covered in my article. I am afraid you will have to look for Yamaha S-550 or better keyboards to meet/exceed the features of the PSR 740.
w.r.t. resale price, it will depend on the condition of the keyboard and will not exceed 4-5K. I suggest that you keep the keyboard as a secondary keyboard.
HTH
Rajib Ghosh
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:38 am
Hi Rajaram,
I have a clear preference for the Casio CTK series (as is evident in my articles) because I believe they may not be outstanding keyboards but deliver the most ‘bang for the buck’.
HTH
Rajib Ghosh
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:40 am
Dear Arvind,
Unless you can pay for both types of music classes (and sacrifice a little study time), I suggest that you let your child carry on with the classes he prefers. Once he outgrows his class, he will be in a much better frame of mind to accept something different – something formal.
HTH
Sumit
July 22nd, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Hi Rajib,
I have made a comparitive chart between the old PSR-740 and the New S-550B. I have uploaded it for you on the link given below:
http://ipem.org/compare.htm
I request you to check it out and let me know if the S550B will be able to do all the stuff the PSR-740 can do. Actually I dont play the keyboard (I know how to play the guitar). This is a purchase for our school (The old PSR is quite worn out now – but it is a really great keyboard – our kids have won several music competitions with it). SO I want them to have something which is as good as their existing keyboard.
In the info about the S550B a couple of things are not given (which are present in the 740 – and in the specs of the 550B it does not specifically mention about these feature) – I would like to know if they are of any significance (I am not sure if they exist on the 550B)
1. Digital Sound processor ?
2. Harmony / Echo
3. Modulation Wheel
KANAV
July 24th, 2010 at 8:44 am
Hi, Rajib sir
I am a 10 year old boy having ctk-5000 because I was playing toy keyboard MA-150 from 2 years. I have windows 7 but I am unable to connect with windows 7. What can I do.
kanav
July 25th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
what is scale editor ?
Rajaram
July 26th, 2010 at 9:21 pm
Rajibda
What is scaring me is that so far i could not get a single video featuring a good hindi song on casio ctk5000 or wk500. where as in yamahaPSR there are many.. this only says that people are strongly in favour of yamaha brand.. do you know any site where hindi songs are featured on casio please let me know ..
thanks again
Rajib Ghosh
July 27th, 2010 at 1:11 am
Dear Sumit,
The PSR 550B is in many ways superior to the PSR-740. Only, the 550 does not support microphone input for real-time reverb/echo effect (DSP) processing through the keyboard.
The 550 offers a superior sound engine, enormous control over the sound quality and features USB connectivity.
The PSR 550B also does not feature a Modulation wheel, but features a Pitch Bend Wheel.
HTH
Rajib Ghosh
July 27th, 2010 at 1:15 am
Dear Kanav,
Glad to hear that such a young person like you has so much knack for digital music.
Normally, you can connect the Casio keyboard to WinXP+ operating systems without installing any driver. Once connected, the keyboard shows up in Control Panel->Sound/Audio as ‘USB Audio Device’.
To connect the keyboard, ensure that your keyboard is OFF. Connect the keyboard using a USB-B cable (the type used to connect USB printer to computer). Turn on the keyboard and wait a few seconds for the computer to recognize the keyboard. Check in Control Panel->System->Device Manager->Sound/Video to check if the keyboard is listed as ‘USB Audio Device’.
Once connected, you need a MIDI compatible software (for ex: Cubase, Cakewalk, Reaper) to send/receive MIDI data to the keyboard. You can also send waveform audio data over the USB bus to the keyboard.
Casio also makes available on it’s website ‘Data Manager’ and ‘USB Drivers’ for those who have difficulty connecting the keyboard to the computer.
HTH
Rajib Ghosh
July 27th, 2010 at 1:18 am
Dear Kanav,
The sounds in a musical octave do not always have increasing pitch in regular simple arithmetic pattern. Some cultures such as Arabic, use sound pitches that are not used on the english octave.
In such cases, the concept of scales kicks in where the exact pitch of sound emitted by the keyboard for different keys is changed very slightly.
The scale editor helps tune the keyboard’s pitch to instruments such as Harmonium whose pitch does not match that of the keyboard.
HTH
Rajib Ghosh
July 27th, 2010 at 1:20 am
Dear Rajaram,
Perhaps this is a golden opportunity for you to belt out some classy hindi numbers on your new Casio!
You can ofcourse choose to join the thousands who have put up really badly performed hindi songs on their Yamaha keyboards
I trust your playback skills exceed theirs, irrespective of the keyboard brand you use.
Regards
kanav
July 27th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Thank you so much sir. :p
kanav
July 27th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Sir, I have windows 7. How can I connect to my ctk -5000.
kanav
July 27th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Sir i have sd card. i put songs on it but my keyboard was saying error no file.
Rajib Ghosh
July 28th, 2010 at 9:39 am
Dear Kanav,
Connecting the CTK-5000 to Windows 7 is identical to the process in Windows XP. Just connect the device and switch it on.
To play files from your SD Card on the keyboard, you need to download the SMF convertor from Casio’s website.
HTH
kanav
July 29th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
how to use smf converter
KANAV
July 31st, 2010 at 4:53 pm
sorry got it how to use smf converter. please tell me from where can i get midi songs. please tell me the site.
Rajib Ghosh
July 31st, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Dear Kanav,
Try the following links:
http://www.jadierose.com/midicollection.html
http://www.free-midi.org/
http://www.acousticfingerstyle.com/midifils.htm
http://www.classicalmidiconnection.com/
http://www.autrey.org/midi/index.html
http://www.google.co.in/search?q=midi+file
HTH
KANAV
July 31st, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Hello sir thanks for the answers. sir can i download rhythes for ctk 5000 of yamaha tyros. can i play them on my keyboard ?