Casio's industrial designer might have been a tad nostalgic for the Sega Master System

Everyone: Why? Casio: Why not? Everyone: Fair enough. Fun instrument.

Old school synth guy here. Must be honest, I’ve just become really cynical and bored with modern synths but this is cool 😂 never thought I would spend almost 30 minutes watching a review on the new Casio keyboard! Thanks Ben

Thank you for always having the most entertaining product reviews! There's definitely a lot of potential with this synth. This is something my son (and I) would enjoy exploring.

I know there’s probably a lot of professional musicians who will stick their nose up at this thing, but to me it looks like a lot of fun! Isn’t that part of why people create music in the first place? Awesome review of this new keyboard, I just ordered mine yesterday and am pumped to get my hands on it!

Seven-year-old Benn praying his Christmas list to 🎅 is my emotional rescue this third week of January, 2022. My first Casio 🎄 🎁 was a VL-Tone 🎹 and I used to play The Beatles’ version of Till There Was You with a Bossanova rhythm. Later, I bought an SK-5 and a CZ-101. So, yeah, this video hits it out of the park for me. Thank you, Bennio.

*LOVE IT* -- was mesmerized (had an SK-1 also *YEARS* ago). Thank you for showing off so many of the features and having so much fun!

What a great review and a lot of fun! Looking forward to more!

if they made a compact desktop version, without a keyboard, but with full midi in, out & thru, i would buy it right away. i just don't have the desk space for this. thanks for the demo.

Wow, I didn't know this is what I was looking for!

Awesome video! Casio kills. Here In Taiwan the accompaniments is a must at many social events, weddings and funerals. There’s a whole culture of live karaoke with a keyboard man playing hundreds of songs so the attendees to these events can sing their hearts out. One small detail: Tango from Argentina/Uruguay, Cueca from Chile. Abrazos Benn.

Fantastic demo. Using custom waveforms in the vocal synthesis engine could be a fun way to get some unique sounds. I really wish casio made a full blown iPad patch editor for this. I think it would help with the sound editing and be a much nicer screen to look at than the dated design on the keyboard itself. I can't wait to see how they iterate on this tech in the future, but it looks very interesting to me right now.

Thanks for this review. This is really cool, can’t wait to get my hands on one.

Great video, persuaded me to get it and glad I did. Great fun synth with lots of quality useable sounds and the vocal synthesis is really well implemented.

I want one! Thanks for the demonstration. it was really fun and inspiring to watch AND listen to. Thank you!

Casio puts out fun keyboards still but God I hope they come back with the CZ series some day.

Thanks Benn, hope you enjoy those vids as much as we do. Cheers 👋🏼

Excellent!! Thank you for sharing 🤠

I’m going to use this as my way to talk in public from now on haha

I do not understand how didn't I stumble upon this gem of a channel before. You, sir, are the peak of comedy and information in one. Good job, thanks for the content and stay healthy!

Classic Casiotone sounds!! Ok NOW I want this..

Great video, I was just reading about this synth yesterday and was intrigued by it. Seems to be a great instrument, thanks for the in depth review.

It would be outstanding if they introduced a desktop version of this. I hope that Casio has plans to do so in the future.

Bahahahah love you dood!!! Glad to see both Casio back in the Synth game (I have a Casio XW synth (1 of a pair of Casio synths that I believe were before this the last synths Casio has made in over a decade) which is amazing & super underrated. & always glad to see a new type of synthesis, especially when in hardware form!!!!

Really good review I loved it!!

Great Vid Benn! Aces

Casio are the masters of cheap fun! I love them especially used!

Randomly found this video and I can't play an instrument but just the amount of features and how much I enjoyed the music for a "funny" keyboard is absurd for me. I think this keyboard has a lot of potential for just interesting music just fussing about trying stuff like this review shown. I mean I ended up watching all of it because the features. Great work and thanks for sharing this video.

Excellent review ! I just bought the Casio WK-7600 two days ago. Now I want to add this one to my collection.

My Vsynth GT's vocal designer ain't worlds apart from that affordable kb & I could've easily indulged that charming in depth review longer than it already is.

Awesome and super tight video man, thanks! Funny as stitt, bright, extremely interesting and the last boss film of all other takes on this artefact by now... I also need to see this again now, I'm sure I missed half of the features on that thing. And again :) .. solid stuff! Mezmerizing, thnx.

This is the best video that explains the vocal synthesis part of this keyboard. I'm already familiar with the Casio tones and rhythms but the vocal synthesis part is mystery until now.

Spent and afternoon at Guitar Center. THIS SYNTH was the most fun instrument in the store, hands down. Inspiring as hell. ALSO, keys have a great feel, much better than arturia, m-audio, novation etc at similar price

My first Keyboard was a Casio mini, my first Synth was a Casio CZ230S. That is about 35 Years ago. My next HardwareboaRD WILLBE A CASIO: AMAZING!.

That Casio love right here. Rocking the Casio Privia PX-5S. 88 Weighted keys, lots of sounds, also a MIDI controller. Love it! Thanks for talking about the Casio line.

Hey, having owned every synth that mattered in the last 20 years, Im really looking to find something that brings back the fun in making music. I own a MODX and JDxi and think this will make me smile so thank you immensly for taking the time to make me feel involved and invested in a video. I seldom get past 10 minutes with a review of a Poly Brute or Take 5 so well done bud. :-)

You finally convinced me to finally pull the trigger on an electric piano after well over 2 years of sitting on the idea. I ended up getting the CT-S1 for my first "real" keyboard to learn piano on. I had no idea about it and it fit the bill for what I was looking for. Thank you!

Really enjoy your video, this made me laugh and smile, so please keep up the good work🙏🏻❤

Very detailed! Awesome!

I love it thanks to share this demo🙏👍😏

this thing looks like a boatload of fun! i was half expecting the lyrics for "come horn" when you mentioned the first thing you did when you turned it on! your choice was far more tactful. the voice synthesis on here kind of reminds me of what plogue is doing with alter-ego and chipspeech, epecially the way it handles reading back lines of text with midi inputs. i'd assume you've checked those out by now what with your liking of quirky voice synth stuff!

Happy to see the VL-Tone preset and all those classic drum patterns from the original VL-Tone VL1!!!

OMG this thing is awesome. It would be perfect for my recent Acid House live jams

OMG - I just discovered you because I wanted to watch a few tutorials while my 1000v is being shipped to me and I DO FEEL beyond entertained. That portable jail idea for your Grand Ma did sound like the ultimate level in practicality in one's expressing themselves as a self-revealing genius prior to turning 7, EVEN!.. Give yourself a kiss on the shoulder for choosing to be vulnerable although your purpose was to review a phenomenal product by a phenomenal brand; which is not only BIG IN JAPAN.

My very first keyboard was a Casio PT-87, then in 1997 my paternal Aunt loaned us a Casio MT-210. Then in 2004 my Dad bought a Casio LK-35 at Big W which was being sold off thinking £150 was cheap ( I can't believe the LK-35 was over £200 when it first came out! ). After getting the Casio LK-35 my parents decided that it was time to give the Casio MT-210 back to my Aunt and thought maybe my younger cousin might like it but unfortunately in 2005 my Aunt sold the Casio MT-210 so that my cousin could have a piano as my cousin took piano lessons as a child. In 2005 my maternal grandparents got thier Yamaha PSR-18 out of the cupboard and as I liked the PSR-18 in summer 2005 I also decided to buy a second hand Yamaha PSS-16 as it was a mini version of the PSR-18 and has quite a few instrument sounds the Casio LK-35 lacked even though I wasn't yet there with doing multi tracking. I used to like watching Casio LK keyboards and Privia digital pianos when they were shown on Ideal World and the Casio digital pianos sounded really stunning ( In December 2005 I remember being very jealous when they demonstrated an LK-93 as it was similar to the CT-S1000v although the LK-93 didn't sound quite as good but I was already planning to buy a Yamaha PSR-295 in the future ). So in March 2006 I decided to finally get a Yamaha PSR-295 as that model was going to be discontinued ( I also bought a Yamaha PSS-280 in March 2006 to use with the PSR-295 as I wanted the PSS-280 mainly for it's celesta sound and it was also fun to have another cheesy lofi sounding keyboard ). In May 2006 I finally bought one of the last Yamaha PSR-295's even though my parents suggested I waited for the new E403 but I think I made the right choice getting the PSR-295 as E403's are known for having intermittent fault and some E403's didn't even last 5 years plus I had already got acquainted with the PSR-295 and it's what I should have started out with in 2004 instead of wasting money on the Casio LK-35. The next keyboard I bought in 2008 was my first of 2 Yamaha PSS-790s, my main motive for buying the PSS-790 was because I needed a midi keyboard for my Roland MC-505 groovebox which my older brother got as a gift from one of my uncles for Christmas 1999 but in 2007 my older broher was no longer interested in the groovebox so he let me have it! The Yamaha PSS-790 was what really got me into doing song covers and I had always wanted a keyboard with lofi PCM sounds and drums so it the was perfect all in one solution for lofi PCM sounds. Also in summer 2008 I inherited my late maternal grandparent's Yamaha PSR-18, in 2009 I also bought a Casio SA-10 after kicking myself way back in 2005 for not buying a Casio SA-1 I saw at a market stall. In 2011 when my Great Aunt passed away I was given an Acoustic Solutions MK2054 which was pretty rubbish keyboard but in 2018 I decided to sell it and buy a Yamaha PSS-470 as I was really into the Yamaha Porta Sound keyboards with digital synthesizer. In November 2020 I finally bought a Casio CT-700 after playing on one at afterschool club way back in August 2001 and I'm still having fun with my Casio CT-700! In April or May 2021 I also bought a Yamaha PSS-680. In 2022 I bought a second Yamaha PSS-790 as one of the buttons on the original PSS-790 no longer works so it's in the garage as a spare and the Casio LK-35 was also put in the garage after I bought the Casio CT-700. Casio always had slightly better E pianos, clavis and organ sounds than Yamaha at least in an entry level keyboard but now I'm more interested in the lofi 80s Casiotones like the MT-500 as it's basically a keyboard and a drum machine in one along with several other models, I'm hoping to get an MT-500 for my birthday soon. I might also get a CZ-101 at some point in the future. I think unless your a songwriter or someone that plays at venues I would reccomend a consumer level arranger keyboard like this Casio CT-S1000v or an E473 over something like a Tyros 5 or a Genos ( I have seen some amateurs using flagship keyboards thinking that they sound good just because they have the most expensive keyboard yet their playing skills say otherwise, I very nearly fell into that trap myself with the Tyros 5 but fortunately I didn't get one in the end ).

Love the product review

The bossa nova synth demo was so good!

nice one Ben, cheers

Great vid, thank you. Just bought the CT-S500.

Cool stuff!

My first keyboard was a Casio ct670 and I loved it... I used it for a few years making beats recorded to a home stereo with cassette tapes back in 1995 till around 97 ..... I really like this new synth... I’m tempted to buy one after watching this vid ... very cool 👌

what a great review!

Really surprised by the price. Thanks for sharing this, Benn.

Some of the features on this Casio remind me of the 'song-writing' tools that were included on the Ensoniq MR76. Casio have their own vibe of course and the vocal tools on the CT-S1000v are completely unique. Well done - this was an outstanding overview.

Great enthustiastic demo! And YES, the Casio pianos are super and generally underrated! They're my standard recommendation, excellent sound and quality at a beginners price point.

Some of the toy casios have INSANELY cool sounds on them. The SA-10 for instance has some sounds that I use to this day, and it has a jack out! I've used one of the bass patches on a bunch of my tunes, and the lead guitar makes for the craziest deep house chord-sound. Partly due to the sounds themselves, partly due to the converters and sound of the synth itself - Many low res digital sounds are a staple in many sub genres of electronic music. Sample a couple octaves and use your DAW to tweak a filter, the envelope and anything else you like, the EXS24 in Logic for instance is great for this. Sampling toy keyboards can give you very unique sounds no one else uses.

"raise your hands up" is definitely the Casio version of "errbody put your hands in the air" ... and I absolutely can't wait for this split in the timeline.

Great demo.

Great review

I’ve recently been inspired playing it again and the have had a pleasure playing with it writing melodies

thank you for the video

your childhood santa related memories are hilarious

My life doesn't feel complete without an arranger keyboard. This rocks!

Loving the shirt bro great content

I have not seen a Ben&Gear vid in a while. The synth looks really fun. A decent price point. I have a soft spot for Casio and Yamaha synths. My Polly synth is a Yamaha PSS 480. 2 operators. I have considered an XW-P1, but now I am going to look into this.

So a 1978 Speak and Spell has been updated, put into keyboard format!

I think this is the first gear review video i have ever watched all the way through.

I have one if these in the way from Zzounds. A friend of mine got a Casio that has great sounds, so after looking at some of their synths, this one really caught my eye. 2 more days and it'll be here. 40 bucks a month for a year, I couldn't hold back and ordered one

I've actually owned one of these babies for a few months now, and I've just been sleeping on it- AMAZING to see what it is capable of in the hands of someone who has some idea of what they're doing 😅 Thanks Ben!

Goddamn this is insane! Time to come full circle back to Casio.

I just don't know how they developed a whole synth around the exact lyrics I was struggling to express for over a year

Excellent review. You gave enough of a demonstration to trigger the imagination - what can I do with this keyboard. Your explanations were on point and the music was inspiring.

Nice video as always! Very entairtaining and informative. Makes me wanna buy it and I am not a keyboard player but I always though I should learn the pianno basics for improving my composition skills. So, thanks for that. Question: is it possible to outout these rythmic paterns and/or arpeggios via midi in order to drive external instruments?

Swizz Beatz started out using a Casio, ended up making hits for Ruff Ryders and DMX. It's all about your creativity.

Wow this is really cool, casio have been killing it recently

Your sense of humor killed me through this whole video.

thanks for the jazz part

Hi Benn, glad I found your channel. I was looking for demos of this keyboard and you are having too much fun haha. New sub here... I read another comment and kinda feel the same, Casio should offer this in a modular form. I don't have or care to make room for anything like this right now. A smaller footprint would be great but I get the target market. So far for the price I'm still gonna wait till I save up for the Alesis Strike Multiple Pad. Great review! Looking forward to watching more of your videos. :)

Thanks to your video, I now need to buy one of these (and dig out my SK-1 to play with it again). Even though I just spent more cash than I am like to admit on a Korg Nautilus, I'm getting one of these. Thanks for the info, this is a great video!

THIS is what i was hoping the Speech Synth portion of the Electron Monomachine and the Arturia Microfreak could do but couldn't. :O Casio has been quietly releasing some awesome new gear in the past years or so. Basically filling the gaps that other manufacturers of Synthesizers ain't really touching for some reason. I'm glad they are still around and releasing some affordable and interesting gear. After all they basically helped defining the Synthesizer Landscape more than people think and they are just as important as Roland, Yamaha and Korg.

Okay okay okay. I’ll get one! Lol just found your channel today, perfect presentation. Now where’s that old Casio I had when I was 7?

I've been working on this electronic/pop record for 5 years, using all kinds of vocal synthesis and processing and now that it's almost complete, THIS comes out. Argh. Great review.

Cool sounds and jams :) Is there a VST version of this? Or another existing VST that has cool comparable sound synthesis features?

Casio is awesome. I actually got a *red* CDP-S160 recently, and I am glad they're coming out with cool looking fun synths like this again.

ooow that CT E Piano sound was wonderful 😍 Like a wurlitzer stuffed with muffins

Those voices sound insane!

this might become the synth I didn't know I needed. Something that doesn't need me to boot up my audio interface / monitors / untangle the patch cables... I can just waltz on over to it on the faintest whim and start toying around.

Sweet ordered will get it in 3 to 5 days

Hi Benn, thank you for the video. Are you able to touch on it’s midi output? Does it just send what is played physically on the keys or will it send arp, sequencer, and/or arranger notes and midi out?

I LOVE CASIO! They like music to be fun. They haven't lost their cheese factor and that is their strength. Now Behringer should clone several of the old Casio synth engines in one board with some analog drums too. Maybe preinstall some circuit bent variations in it for underground coolness.

I just wanted a modern take on the lion and dog bark keyboard

I- I need to watch this. 😆💕

Just by watching this makes me want one. I hadn't seen a modern yet simple looking keyboard with all those functions in so many years. In fact, I hadn't seen a keyboard with the "Auto Harmony" function for a looong time. Now, if Casio made a 49 key version (for people like me with little space to keep keyboards) it'd be awesome. Also, if it was even available in my country it'd be even better 😓

This is really cool

finally, a dedicated synth for vocaloid!

Great review. This thing looks like a lot of fun. I can't help but think I'd fall into covering Laurie Anderson though. eta: I really want a CZ-101 btw. Those things rule!

This video hits all my spots, thanks. Lost it at the Bossa Nova improv lol. It's more entertaining watching someone have fun on a capable but limited, and even funny, piece of gear than some super high-tech/super-hyped "game changing", new synth.

Casio knocking it out the park again

Definitely buying this and upload the serum waveforms

Fun....goood review