Improve piano sound of Casiotone CT-S1

[charlinectw]

Hi, I have recently purchased a Casiotone CT-S1, mainly because I needed a keyboard which I can travel with. People in forums everywhere have been speaking about this new keyboard, mainly praising it for its fantastic sound (given it's a budget keyboard).

However, I have most recently played on a Yamaha keyboard with a decent "grand piano" sound, and I absolutely do not like the sound of the Casiotone acoustic piano - it sounds extremely digital and nothing like a piano. It makes me miss my Yamaha! I mainly play on the acoustic piano function, as I am pretty serious about learning the piano.

I just ordered a sustain pedal hoping it will give the piano a bit of a boost, but in addition to that, is there any way of improving the Casiotone piano sound, either through in-built technology (which I assume is quite limited on a $200 keyboard), or through an external speaker? I was thinking of purchasing myself a simple Marshall Acton speaker to give an external speaker with basic amplifying functions a go. Needs to be portable as I will be traveling by plane quite frequently.

Would love some advice.

 

[Biggles]

Welcome.

As wanting to learn to play piano you really would be best returning your Casio and buying a digital piano which has a hammer action keybed.

A Yamaha P121 has 73 hammer action keys, great acoustic piano sounds but the downside is that it weighs 20kg.

For ultra portability in a 61 keyboard with compact dimensions and very light weight then look at a Korg Kross 2, the piano sounds are pretty good and as long as the latest update is en they are even better. Downside is no onboard amp and speakers so factor in buying a set of headphones or a small amp like a Boss Katana Mini. I used this pairing for a couple of years.

 

[charlinectw]

Welcome.

As wanting to learn to play piano you really would be best returning your Casio and buying a digital piano which has a hammer action keybed.

A Yamaha P121 has 73 hammer action keys, great acoustic piano sounds but the downside is that it weighs 20kg.

For ultra portability in a 61 keyboard with compact dimensions and very light weight then look at a Korg Kross 2, the piano sounds are pretty good and as long as the latest update is en they are even better. Downside is no onboard amp and speakers so factor in buying a set of headphones or a small amp like a Boss Katana Mini. I used this pairing for a couple of years.

Thanks for your reply. Sadly I won't really be able to travel with anything with more than a 61 key keyboard.. That's what made the Casiotone so attractive to me - that it's basically made for traveling. I can't return it either, so I am trying to make the most out of what I have and use this one until I settle a bit more and can invest in a better keyboard. I am just wondering if there's any equipment I can purchase that enhances the Casio's performance for both personal use and the occasional jam with friends.

 

[delaware dave]

I would not expect to get great tone from a $200 keyboard. It does have a headphones out jack, you might try connecting this jack to a home stereo system and see if quality speakers improve the sound of the piano.

 

[happyrat1]

If you don't like the sounds of your Casio just plug it into your laptop or an ipad and run some virtual instruments.

There's thousands to choose from and if you want to spend some money buy a VST called Pianoteq and you'll swear there's a 12 foot Bosendorfer grand in your Living Room.

You get what you pay for and spending $200 on a keyboard buys you a children's toy piano, that's it, that's all.

You might even decide to return the Casio and buy a standalone MIDI controller insted.

I can highly recommend a 49 key controller made by Monoprice if you need something you can carry around in a backpack.

Amazon.com: Monoprice Midi Controller (625889) : Musical Instruments

Buy Monoprice Midi Controller (625889): MIDI Controllers - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Using a computer as the guts and brains of your audio is the cheapest possible way to get decent studio quality instruments at your fingertips.

Gary

 

[ratrob]

I was looking for a portable keyboard that I could play on the couch and travel with and recently purchased the Casio CT-S1. I personally love the sound and feel that it is much better than other portable keyboards in this price range. Before I got my sustain pedal, there is a way to add "auto sustain" that adds a richer sound. While the built in speakers are decent, I have seen some videos where plugging into higher quality monitors do give a better sound.

The action is not great, but it does feature touch response. It is only a two point response (I believe more expensive keyboards have more) but still it makes a huge difference while playing. While it doesn't have a ton of sounds, it seems that Casio tried to add 60 usable sounds instead of 500 sounds that you would ignore 99% of them. It's a $230 keyboard so you are not going to get everything you want at that price point. Still, if you are really looking to travel do you want to take your $1000 keyboard on vacation to the beach or mountains?