Reviewing Roland’s Go Keys 3 and 5 recently has made me take a fresh look at the highly competitive beginner keyboard market. And one of the things I’ve concluded is that, if you want a great-sounding entry-level ‘board that plays pretty well and is easy to use, it’s still hard to look past Casio’s CT-S1. And right now, as we head into Cyber Monday, you can pick one up from Thomann at a price that’s as low as I’ve ever seen.
I’ve had a CT-S1 around the house since it was released, in 2021, and I’m pleased to say that I still use it today. It’s great for when you just want a keyboard that you can turn on and play, and is lightweight enough that you can move it around with ease (a concealed carry handle helps out with this). It’s also a great ‘board to throw in the car when you’re going out to jam with friends - an acoustic guitarist and singer, perhaps.
But of course, the CT-S1’s primary purpose is to be a great keyboard for beginners, and it more than meets this brief. As I said in my review, not only are the ‘basic’ sounds impressive - pianos, electric pianos and organs - but you also get a decent selection of synth tones from Casio’s archives (you’ll even find a few from the hipster VL-Tone). The semi-weighted keys feel better than you’d expect from a budget keyboard, and the stereo speakers outperform the CT-S1’s price, too.
One thing that is missing is Bluetooth connectivity, but you can add this - for both MIDI and audio - via the an optional USB dongle, so you can then stream music through the speakers and play along, and use the CT-S1 as a controller for your DAW and software synths. If you’re happy to stay wired, you can also do these things via the audio input jack and USB port. There’s also a mini-jack output for use with headphones or external speakers.
Even at its original price of £250, the CT-S1 would be worth buying, but I’ve spotted that Thomann are selling the black version for a frankly ludicrous £159. The red version - which is my personal favourite - is yours for £185, or you could bag yourself the white version for £175.
