Casio CTK-2550 Review

The Casio CTK-2550 is a fantastic workstation especially for music producers who love to have fun. Casio packs nearly everything you need to make music on the go. And have fun while you do it. There are few workstations like it and today we get to find out all about this dude.

We understand that making music can be a pretty challenging venture. But with the right instruments, you can cut down your job by a bit.

Well, most times, those instruments are also pretty expensive. And most of them also require a bit of a learning curve. But things are a bit different with the Casio CTK-2550 as you will soon come to see.

Casio has sure made a lot of digital pianos and each of them have had a mix bag of reactions from customers. But here’s one instrument that seems to be generating a lot of good vibes.

So, without further ado, let’s get to the meat of this review. Let’s find out what exactly makes this keyboard tick.

Our rating: (4.2 / 5)

Check Price on Amazon

An Overview Of The Casio CTK-2550

So, what should you expect from the Casio CTK-2550? Well, a lot. This is a great keyboard and is also very very portable. This instrument is very playable and is also really affordable.

But portable and lightweight as it is, this keyboard packs a serious punch. There are loads of awesome sounds for you to play around with here, in addition to playing features as well.

Like we said before, this is a keyboard that Casio produced specially for beginners. In fact, even if, in all your life, you’ve never had to play a keyboard before, you’re in good hands. This keyboard features lessons that will take you from zero to pro (or at least as close as possible) in no time.

The learning system here is a 3-step system to make learning simple and effective. And as you learn and get better, you’ll find 400 sounds to experiment with. And 400 is a whole lot!

But here’s where the fun really stands – the Dance Music Mode.

The Casio CTK-2550 features a Dance Music Mode with which you can create some crazy songs that you can dance to and get others to dance along to as well.

And before we leave here, we must make mention the Chordana Play app. The Chordana Play app is an app from Casio that can be linked to the CTK-2550. Thanks to this app, you can now link your smart device to your keyboard and do a whole lot.

With this app also, you can download any MIDI file. And then you can learn to play all the songs that you love.

But you know the best part of the CTK-2550? You get all these at a sweet sub-$100 deal. You’ve got to admit that’s a sweet deal!

Casio CTK-2550 Specs

Key Features Of The Casio CTK-2550

Portability

The CTK-2550 is a very portable instrument and will make a fantastic choice for anyone looking for a compact instrument. It doesn’t come in a full size like most other keyboards. In fact, it measures at 37.2 inches which is about 15 inches smaller than most portable keyboards.

So, you can see that this is really compact.

Students needing a keyboard to work with will find a friend in the CTK-2550 as it will easily fit into any space. Whether it’s a dorm, or an apartment, there’s no place you can’t fit the CTK-2550 into conveniently.

And at 7.3 pounds, this keyboard is very easy to move around. So, if you need something to take along with you from place to place, this is also a great choice.

Since it operates with a power adapter and batteries as well, you can always make your music on the go! It doesn’t matter where you are, in your dorm or in a tour bus, inspiration comes unannounced.

Now, since this keyboard is portable, you can now run with your ideas as promptly as possible. And who knows your hit song might come out from that tour bus!

400 Built-In Tones

Like we said, this is a keyboard for the beginner. So, it naturally comes with features that make music creation a lot easier for the budding musician. One of such features is its number of built-in tones.

This keyboard comes with 400 of such tones. With these tones, you should be able to draw enough inspiration to begin creating your own songs. And that’s pretty cool.

Playability

The Casio CTK-2550 is a very playable instrument. It comes with 61 keys, which is a bit of a downer. Some might say they resemble those of an acoustic piano but we don’t think we will agree with that.

For one, the keys hardly come with any touch response at all. And we know that all acoustic pianos come with a touch response. In fact, it’s one of their best features. So, in this department, we’re not sure Casio really did it for us. The keys could have been a lot better.

But then again, the absence of weighted keys is part of what makes this keyboard weigh less than 10 pounds. Think about it. Plus, at such an affordable price (it’s practically a giveaway), you could hardly expect more.

Step-Up Lesson System For Beginners

This is perhaps Casio CTK-2550’s biggest pro. The step-up lesson system helps the beginner gain useful piano techniques in a fun and easy way. It not only teaches you to play the piano, it also helps you discover more in the world of music.

Furthermore, the keyboard features 60 built-in songs. And with the Step-up lesson system, you’ll be able to learn to play each of them phrase by phrase. And, of course, in all of these you call the shots of the lesson’s pace.

The LCD display of the CTK-2550 also helps to make this lesson system much more effective. By displaying correct finger positioning and musical notation, you will learn much faster.

Plus, the lessons also feature a grading system. So, you’re not just learning, you’ll also be able to track and assess your performance.

Everyone knows that a good feedback system is important for effective lesson.

Dance Music Mode

The Casio CTK-2550 features a dance tune playback that’s very easy to work with. All you need to do is to tap a button. Simple and easy.

Also, this function newly introduced to the CTK lineup of keyboards can help you create electronic dance music. And you won’t just be creating dance music, you can also remix dance music too just the way you want.

The best part of it all? It’s very easy and very fast too.

App Integration – Chordana Play

The Chordana Play – an app from Casio – takes the fun you can get from this instrument to a whole new level. It features 50 built-in songs. And with this app, you can even expand the song library on your keyboard.

Let’s talk a bit about the song expansion bit.

This keyboard comes with 110 built-in songs which is a whole lot. But if that’s not enough for you, you still have the option of expanding the library.

One way you can do this is to transfer the 50 songs on your Chordana Play app to your keyboard using an audio cable.

Or you could also download your favorite songs as MIDI files and transfer them to your keyboard as well. With all your saved songs plus accompaniment, you should be able to enjoy the lesson feature even more.

But please, bear in mind that songs that you transfer into the keyboard may not have the same sound quality as the built-in ones.

Pros Of Casio CTK-2550

Cons Of Casio CTK-2550

Conclusion

This is a really great instrument specially geared towards the beginning musician. It is portable enough to be carried around. And it also comes with 400 built-in tones to inspire the player to begin creating his own music.

Two other features that are unique to this model (and that we really loved) are the Dance Music mode and the lesson mode. Casio really did a good job making this keyboard completely playable even for a beginner.

Altogether, this piano is a learning tool and an entertainment hub all in one. We recommend this to any budding musician looking for a fun piano buddy they can create good music with on the go.