If you’re looking for a healthy, creative hobby that your kids could get involved with, you’ve probably considered music. But then again, most find that many musical instruments are a tad bit too expensive to be used as just playthings. If you’re one of those, then the Casio SA-76 is for you.
The Casio SA-76 is not a keyboard for everyone. In fact, it’s very difficult for us to call this an entry-level keyboard. Because you can hardly call it that. It’s just a fun instrument that Casio made with the youngsters in mind.
Today, we are going to check out all the features of this keyboard so we can see if this is what you want for your child. But just in case, you’re in a hurry, you can read our bottom line section below to get the gist of the review today.
(4.4 / 5)Bottom Line For Those In A Hurry…
Now, get this straight, we can’t call the Casio SS-76 an entry-level keyboard. Because, as we said earlier, it is not. Casio made this keyboard for a specific demography – kids! And in fact, not every kid can use this.
You’ll soon find out why we said that.
The Casio SA-76 is a jolly good instrument, no doubt. However, it does not deliver even half the features and functions the beginner needs to begin his musical journey.
Check it out. This keyboard comes with 44 keys only. That’s half of a regular sized keyboard and 17 keys fewer than the smallest sized entry-level keyboard. It kinda limits what you can do on this keyboard.
However, what this keyboard does pack are rhythms, tones and songs. Now, seeing the target group for this keyboard, you can almost be sure that nothing will blow your mind. but it will keep the children happy that’s for sure.
In all, if you come from a strict musical background or you’re a piano purist, we doubt you’d give this a second look. And there’s no serious tutor worth their salt that would tutor your kid, no matter how young, on this keyboard.
But if you’re just getting this for the fun of it and the peace of mind you can get when your kids are engaged, then continue with this review. The SA-76 will make you happy.
Features Of The Casio SA-76
Remember that the age group for this keyboard is really specific. So, with that in mind, check out the features of the Casio SA-76.
Size – Extremely Small
The Casio SA-76 is a super small in size. Much much smaller than your average, even portable keyboard. Since there are only 44 keys, it’s perfect for any little kid just wishing to have fun without all the befuddlement of 88 keys and all.
But we’ve got to put in a caveat here. There’s no piano tutor on the planet that will teach your kid with a 44-key piano. A 61-key, some might try. But ultimately, they will tell you, and it’s the truth, that an 88-key keyboard is best even for starters.
We’ve seen 5 year olds play Beethoven. And if that’s the musical future you see for your child, then this isn’t the keyboard you want to get.
But like we said, if it’s just for fun and games, then hey why not? The size won’t be too overwhelming for your kid. And they can easily store it in a drawer because it’s that small.
As for the weight, we’ve got to say that this might be the lightest we’ve ever seen at less than 4 pounds. So, get ready, this piano will be getting an automatic plus one for every road trip you have planned.
Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Design And Outlook – Kid-Friendly
Kids love colors and all such things and so, they might not appreciate a sophisticated look. Knowing that, Casio makes this with a black color and a brown underside. So, altogether, the SA-76 looks good for a kid.
As for the layout, there are two speakers on either side of the keyboard which together deliver an output of 1.2 Watts. 1.2 Watts isn’t excellent but it will suffice for kids. So, we’re not complaining.
And then, in between the speakers, you’ll find the control interface which is also quite kid-friendly. Despite, the mini size of this keyboard, Casio has found a way to fix in a lot of buttons and knobs on the control panel.
And that many buttons are necessary because as we mentioned earlier, Casio did not skimp on features here. There are 100 built-in tones, 50 rhythms, and 10 demo songs. So, you’ll definitely need quite a number of buttons.
It’s also quite impressive that this keyboard comes with an LCD display. While we wouldn’t exactly call this a snazzy addition, it is commendable. And it will certainly help your kid to navigate their keyboard easily too.
Sound Quality – Sufficient For The Purpose
The Casio SA-76 comes with 100 tones. Of course, if you’re even a smidge above the level of a piano novice, you’ll know better than to expect anything out of the world. However, the best and most dependable of all the tones is the Grand Piano sound.
Of course, this isn’t supported by any of Casio’s world famous sound technologies like the Acoustic and Intelligent Resonator (AiR) or the Linear Morphing AiF system. But then again, you should totally expect that. This isn’t exactly one of Casio’s higher end keyboards, so that’s fine.
Read more review: Casio CTK-2550 Review
Max Polyphony – Insignificant
The Casio SA-76 comes with a max polyphony of 8 notes. We must confess that we hitherto didn’t that a digital piano could come with a polyphony of 8 notes. But here we are with the Casio SA-76 – 8 count polyphony.
An 8-count polyphony naturally gets us concerned and then we remember that this isn’t for serious playing. So, maybe it isn’t such a big deal after all.
But then again, it’s another reason we can’t recommend this for a kid that’s seriously looking to commit to music. An 8 note polyphony poses a serious limitation to what you can play. Even a 32-note and 64-note polyphony are somewhat limiting. An 8-count would be even more so.
But then again, if your 5 year old isn’t looking to do the whole Beethoven thing, then this should suffice.
50 Rhythms And 10 Demo Songs
There are many fun functions on the Casio SA-76 to enjoy. You’ll find 50 different rhythms which sound wonderful enough for their function. At least, they will help your baby develop their sense of composition and rhythm as they play their keyboard.
Like we said there are all kinds of them from salsas, to ballads, to waltzes. And of course for a child born in this century, there are also modern rhythms for them to enjoy as well. These rhythms are every bit as fun as they are educative.
Furthermore, and to make things even more educative, this piano also comes with 10 demo songs. This is great because this way, your child can hear different songs and pick up how to play them by trying their hands on them at it on their own.
And since these tunes each come in various styles, it will help to broaden your child’s knowledge base. And also, there are about 5 different drum pads as well on this keyboard.
Melody Cut Rehearsal System – Learn To Play The Right Hand
The Melody Cut Rehearsal System is a learning function on the Casio SA-76. This learning system helps the player to build their piano skills by learning to play the right hand first.
For most players learning the keyboard, it usually begins with learning the right hand. And then as they improve, they move on to the left hand.
So, if your child learns on this, they can get a head start with this piano till they are ready to begin practicing their left hand.
Functions And Connectivity – Limited
From the tone of our review so far, you might naturally expect the Casio SA-76 to come with limited functions. And that’s smart. This isn’t your regular, full-fledged digital piano, so it won’t come with all the functions you’ve probably seen in other digital pianos.
For instance, you won’t find a metronome function, or transpose, or layer/split. Of course, we totally understand this considering the purpose of this keyboard. But if these features are important to you, then you’re better off looking elsewhere.
Of course, there isn’t any port for USB or computer connectivity. But there is a headphone jack though which is important if your kid is going to be able to play without disturbing the peace.
Pros Of Casio SA-76
- Will keep kids entertained for hours unend at a time.
- With 44 keys, this keyboard comes in a really small and compact size that you can place anywhere.
- It comes with enough rhythms, voices and tunes to keep your kid lost in the music as they play.
- Comes with demo songs for practice even without a tutor.
- Quite affordable, so it’s not such a big deal even if your kid loses interest.
- Comes with an LCD screen as well.
Cons Of Casio SA-76
- No piano tutor will recommend this even to children.
- Not loud enough except in an exceptionally quiet environment.
- Keys do not feel realistic at all. So, if your kid gets real vested, they’ll need an upgrade pronto.
- Does not come with a power adapter which is only a concern for a few people.
Conclusion
Casio has always been known to produce really fun instruments and here’s another one to its credit – the Casio SA-76. Will we recommend this for serious players, even if they are kids? No. But if you’re looking to keep your kids engaged with something that’s well-made, then the SA-76 is bingo!