Casio CTK-611

synth bass 2 and grand piano are great

24 poly
reverb effects
midi level 1
6 channel seq (from 11 to 16 + drummpad channel 10)

vocal choir sounds great i use it to play six wives of henry viii
choir track.
sound cool when synthetized saw and square wave
of course it plays whit me it follow any movement of my fingers

its my secreet weapon in fact i have it attachet via midi to a yamaha dx 7 s that lose its keys and they play together

my very first keyboard ct 636 was impossible to fix after an electric discharge but this ,the ctk611
is really tought and strong once i plugged improperly but no damage was caused.
i added an aux input via rca jack to hook the audio from the dx7s since it has no speakers my casio keyboard also works as an amplifier

im playin it since 1999
i own a toothless dx7 yamaha
i love my casio ctk611 synth box ,its sequencer
and the fact i created on it my first love song

Having purchased this keyboard over 4 years ago at the overly decent price of #140.00 when these keyboards were still being sold I am happy that I have had my money's worth time and time over!

The CTK-611 is very easy for a beginner at the synth / keyboard to master, however, it does not feel like a child's toy as many electronic keyboards made by Casio and Yamaha do.

As a pianist, I use this keyboard simply for the grand-piano sound and very occasionly the organ. The piano is an extremely good reproduction, the organ, however, is less well produced.

As a cheap instrument, the keys are not meant to be 'tru-touch' in that playing the instrument feels like playing a cheap keyboard, not a piano. To make MIDI tunes is easy, most of the midi functions must be controlled through the computer as the keyboard has little in the way of midi controls built into it. Either a six or eight track sequencer is also provided (I forget which) and there are two seperate channels each containing a free six/eight tracks, so you can record two tracks. When pieces have been recorded, editing is then extremely easy to master, you can trawl your way through the song note by note if neccesary to either correct / delete notes. When the keyboard is not being used for sequencing, the pads that usually contain each track become drum pads. The drums are quite lifelike.

As for the rest of the sounds, well many, to put it rather bluntly, are crap! I would like to be able to change the bass / treble / expressiveness etc from the keyboard, but as yet I have found no way of doing this. I play my Casio through a roland amp, thus making the sound more punchy and twangy, amplifying it and also acting as a means for me to tweak the tone of the final sound.

I can completely depend on this keyboard. It will not break, and has stood the test of time (sometimes the poor thing gets a bashing in some of the more livelier blues and jazz pieces I have played in the past.) I would not perform with this keyboard, simply because there are neither enough keys nor proper piano action to make it a serious instrument. I would prefer to count on say, a Yamaha Clavinova or Roland or some other electric piano for performance purposes. Don't get me wrong though, for messing about with mates at home, the Casio - CTK 611 is perfect.

I have never had to deal with anyone at Casio.

As a pianist more than a master of the keyboards/sythesisers I would probably not buy this again. However, I learn't the basics of music and passed my GRADe 3 piano exam on this thing so I would not sell it either. I prefer to play either an acoustic upright piano or a 'piano feel' electric with weighted keys, etc.

It's easy as hell to figure out. I'm a synth dummy, and I was composing with this thing in two days. I'm in an industrial metal band, and this thing lays the foundation for what we do. I'm more or less a beginner, but I think I'll be using this thing still when I own seven Korgs. It's just to convenient.

I believe it has 16-note polyphony, but I'm not sure, because I never use it. There are three different reverbs. It has some internal memory, and the only drawback is, you need batteries, or unplugging it will cause you to lose all your custom-made user tones, sequences, everything, other than that, if you want a cheap keyboard to lay some basic programs, this is what I'd go with. It has sensitive keys, and GREAT drums. I don't care what anyone says, these drums blow Roland drum machines out of the water.

Like I said, this thing has amazing percusion. The bass's are pretty good. If you're REAL creative, you can come up with some pretty interesting sounds out of the users. It works for any music you want to make. I think if you know what you want, and are uncompromising with what you want to do, this keyboard will work for you.

It's taken some abuse, due to the hardcore nature of my band's music, but other than what is my own damn fault, it hasn't let me down.

never dealt with Casio directly.

I'd probably stick with this if you're on a budget, but want a decent keyboard. You're not going to re-create a Nine Inch Nails or Depeche Mode album with this thing, but it'll work!

I'm just a beginner when it comes to synth sounds, but for a mere $150 that I paid for it, it gets the job done. Very easy for me to understand, but that may be because I learn fast.

I like the Pitch Bend and I use the reverb with the Church Organ which provides a more ominous atmosphere. I also like layering and splitting the keyboard, for it is fun. And the 100 rhythms are fun. You got everything from your redneck chase-the-chicken music (#91) and your bull-fight one (#84), your train (#47), and Big Band! (#50) Plus MANY others.

For the sounds, I wish there was an online library with directions to make some neat sounds. I like the default ones alright, but I wanna share these sounds with others. I like how you can edit the touch effect and the "fade out". Even the 29 effects are cool! I also like how you can vibrato it.

It has never ever failed me once. My cousins have banged the crap out of it, but it stands proud and mighty. The only downside is that when you unplug it and transport it, that your saved stuff will be cleared. Other than that, it's a good and economic choice.

Never needed it.

For a cheap little keyboard, it does the trick. You don't want this when preforming sometimes though, but if you are a stay-at-home-and-do-jack-shit type, it's great.

This unit is very easy to use. Of course it's a keyboard designed for home use, not really a professional synthesizer.

It has a lot of effects that I don't use often, such as song memory, drums, auto accompaniment, etc. I do use the transposition, reverb, MIDI, split, and layer functions. It has 24-note polyphony, or 12-note for sounds that use two oscillators. If you layer two of these, then you are down to only 6 notes, which is a drawback. It is velocity sensitive, and that function may be disengaged if desired.

I simply cannot believe how good these sounds are, especially considering that this is supposed to be a cheap little home-entertainment model. I actually use mine for gigs with a rock band. I shouldn't be able to do that with a keyboard that doesn't say "Roland" or "Yamaha" or "Korg" on the back, but it sounds better than a lot of more expensive models. It has a great piano sound (#138) as well as good strings, steel drums, trumpet, slap bass, and a couple of decent organs. I do wish it had a more realistic Hammond organ sound though.

No problems and it's light as a feather (11 pounds). Works on AC or 6 batteries. Extremely versatile instrument.

It's a little hard to get hold of a human who can help you with anything.

Nobody in the history of Rock & Roll has gotten more of their money's worth out of a piece of equipment than I have on this baby. But I feel guilty buying it a decent gig bag, because they can cost more that the unit itself. I borrowed a Casio CTK-611 from a friend one time, and that led me buy this one on Ebay. By the way, I don't play anything that doesn't come with black and white keys, and I have being doing it for 25+ years now. I love it, and I think I'm pretty decent at it. In other words, you can trust this opinion on this Casio.

the presets sound pretty good. editing the patches is very easy

not sure of the polyphony. the keyboard action isn't like a real piano which i like because i started out as a guitar player and playing piano style action hurts my wrists and hands quite a bit. it has built in reverb which isn't bad at all. no expansion that i know of. there is midi but i'm just too stupid to figure midi out. this keyboard has really, really exceeded my expectations

the sounds on this keyboard come to life much more thru a pair of headphones than thru the speakers or even an amp. this was a gift from my parents because i wanted to learn how to play the piano and i've been very surprised by how good the thing sounds to be a cheap keyboard. if you'd like to hear an example of the sounds this keyboard can make, go to www.mp3.com/elan_virpul and listen to the tracks, almost every cut features this keyboard. i'm giving it a nine because the sound isn't exactly "pristine" but DAMN it's good!

i've had this for about three years and have only recently started to appreciate it for what it is, and that's because i've started shopping for a new keyboard, e.g. roland, yamaha, oberheim, etc. . . and i'm surprised that this synth/keyboard sounds as good as it does. since i've owned it i haven't had any problems at all.

n/a

my overall rating is ten out of ten. i really lucked out getting this as a present from my folks to learn piano on. don't get me wrong, it's not a super top of the line keyboard, but it's a GREAT keyboard for the money. you can get some very good sounds out of it. check out my mp3 site to hear an example of the keyboard (and excuse my amateur playing...)

Presets are OK. It's really easy to edit presets, you choose from
the available 'simple' instruments and then combine them and set
simple ADSR settings to complete the sound. The manual is useful.
I could make better organ and Epiano sounds when i edited the ones
that were already there.

32 polyphony. I use the reverb sometimes but not the other effects
I like that i can completely turn off the touch sens. (for organ)
i use a volume pedal instead! Easy to layer sounds, and you can change the range of the keyboard +/-12. I'm also using it as a MIDI
trigger which seems to work OK. I don't use the sequencer, i use this
keyboard as a cheap live keyboard!

I use this keyboard for a pop/indie band and seems to do the job.
the patches aren't amazing, but with other instruments they sound
good. i wouldn't use this as a module or anything. i'm getting a
module to play it through actually. I use the pitch bend it works
OK but not the best.

I think this keyboard won't break easily, but you need to keep
batteries in it to keep your personal patches. If the power cord is pulled out sometimes the settings disappear as well. be careful
with that. i use it at gigs all the time, and it serves me well.

i've never had to contact casio about the product

i may upgrade to a better keyboard but this is a good one.
i don't ever use the speakers... i am a rock musician who
tours and plays lots of instruments. not for a professional
synth player and not for a studio. but for practice or a
bar gig it's good. i plug it into the PA and it works great.
I wish the settings saved better, and i wish the presets were a
little better.

It was a christmas present two years ago. Best musical creative tool ever invented! I've had more fun with it that I could have imagined. I save good takes by using the headphone jack in conjuncton with split audio jacks, into a tape deck. The quality is very good. For the price you can't beat one.

Love the sensitivity of the keys. Planning on adding MIDI capabilities. Once you get used to what your doing the world is at your fingertips. Wish you could add different rhythym changes on channel 11 and fill/ins

Great sounds wish there were more.

My daughter has used it two years in a row for her variety show at high school. keep batteries fresh and you"ll have no problems. She pre-recorded her background music using both recording modes then played her melody at the time of her performance switching from one background to the other. Pretty good stuff!

Haven't had any problems.

Just a great creative device.

First, let me preface my thoughts on this keyboard by saying that I feel that some of the previous reviews have been a little off the mark - this is a remarkable keyboard from start to finish! And as for its ease of use, this is as easy to use as you want it to be. On one level you can jump right in and have a great time right away. But there is quite a bit that is left to explore beyond the obvious. And this means a keyboard that you can explore and learn in more depth as you go. Easy, but with somewhat complex abilities for those willing to do a little more.

Lots of features here, but a few missing elements too. First off, 200 excellent multi-sampled sounds plus room for an additinal 31 original sounds of your own creation, split keyboard, touch sensitivity, sound layering, large backlit display with bass and treble stave displays and full keyboard key display (great for learning played back MIDI tunes), stereo output, programmable footswitch, killer digital reverb featuring room/hall & stage effects, complete sound creation controls (ADSR, waveforming, variable pan, etc., 2 6-track sequencers, MIDI in/out, auto-chord, auto-accompanyment, 100 rhythms, and much more.

But what it lacks include a usable pitch wheel, and more advanced MIDI capabilities.

The sounds in this keyboard are simply amazing! I know others have been less than positive about the sound quality, but I strongly disagree! The multi-samples are realistic, mostly excellent quality, and very usable. From the stunning piano sounds to the very accurate orchestral sounds, these sampled sounds can amaze you! I can only imagine that others are disregarding the choosen instrument's range or how to play "like that instrument". You can wail with some Keith Emerson licks on the Perc. Organ tone or add Tubual Bells to a track that would scare Mike Oldfield. Want some Grace Jones Accordian sounds? Maybe not, but it's here if you ever did. Hit the Trem. Strings for instant movie suspense. Or try the Soundtrack and New Age sounds for moody, ethereal sounds that sound professional and unique. Choir voices and excellent drum sounds including sets with 6 toms each, tympanys, and virtually every imaginable percussion sound. Some sounds like the Flute ARE a little weak, but the Piccolo in the lower register covers that pretty well. Some sounds like the Trumpet and Violin/Viola need to be played like those instruments to get the best effect, but the quality is there!

And then there's the ability to quickly layer two sounds to create even more original sounds. Which is not to be confused with this keyboard's ability to crate and store over 30 original sounds of your own creation. And enough can not be said about the excellent digital reverb that can add depth and lushness to every voice - a very usable and high quality effect.

I've owned my 611 for about 4 years now and never had a glitch of any kind. And that goes for almost all of my Casio gear. Casio dosen't impress many folks, but actually they do a great job for creative folks on a tight budget!

I've dealt with Casio in the past, and although they seemed very busy they were always quick to fix my problem and often at no cost.

I truly believe that this keyboard is an amazing piece of gear. And for the money, it's one of the best bargains around. It's not the ultimate at anything, but it's very, very good at most eveything that it does. I use mine for a kind of glorified organ/string/chording/natural sounds part of my setup (most of my User Patches are filled with customized Organ, String, Piano, and unique original sounds). For the money, this thing really rocks! When I was first starting to play, a keyboard with this kind of power, quality and versitility would cost a couple of monthes pay! But now, you can pick up one of these and an old Casio CZ1000 for a couple of hundred dollars and have a usable keyboard setup that will let you really compete in the semi-pro keyboard arena. Unbelievable, but true!

Yes, it needs a real pitch wheel (and a mod wheel, while you're at it). And its MIDI capabilities are less than impressive. But for all this cheapie keyboard offers, I think it's a real bargain for beginners and intermediate players alike. It's not the choice for your only keyboard if you want to explore the great beyond of cosmic synthesis. But for live, recording, and beginning MIDI uses - the Casio CTK-611 is a powerful keyboard with great sound for anyone looking for a good, affordable natural sounding instrument.

very easy keyboard interface, everything is laid out in front of you. The presets sound of excellent quality but the synth sounds are somewhat lacking. The manula is long but very simplistic and anyone who is a beginner will have no trouble getting started

MIDI sounds excellent

dependable but not enough

I would pobably get something else should it be stolen, but I've been playing keyboards for numerous years now and this is worth its value. I did buy a KORG EA-1 synth to accompany it because the casio does not have analog controls or very good pitch bend. iw ish it had more room to record tracks or even an external storage supply.