Casio Keyboard Model Updates

Casio is constantly adding to their line-up of keyboards.  Even before I could could dig into some CTK-series models I've been interested in they've created a couple of follow-up versions.

The Casio CTK 2000 is one of the lowest-cost "real" keyboards out there.  You can sometimes find it for as low as $100.  With 61 keys you can play two-handed arrangements with plenty of polophony (up to 48 notes simultaneously.  It features 400 different tones and 150 different rhythms.  This keyboard also features 110 built-in songs with a 3-step learning system.  The more recent CTK 2100 adds "AHL" -- a technology that significantly improves sound quality.

The CTK 3000 adds touch sensivity to all the 2000 features.  This means that you can control the volume of each individual note depending on how fast you depress the key.  You'll also get a pitch wheel to "bend"notes -- that is make continuous small changes in pitch.  There's also more built-in tones and rhythms to choose from.  You can often find the Casio CTK 3000 for just $20 to $30 more than the 2000 or 2100.

If you take the 3000 and remove the pitch wheel but add AHL and an arpegginator auto-accompanyment and you get the CTK 4000.  Again, you also get more tones and rhythm patterns and the cost-adder is around $20 to $30 depending on where you buy.  Just recently Casio has introduced the 4200 which includes even more tones.  You're now up to 600 different instrument sounds to choose from, and more rhythms as well.  There's also a couple of new convennience features -- two buttons to quickly switch between piano and organ sounds as well as turn chord auto-

accompaniment on and off.  The street price is literally just a few dollars more so the 4200 is a pretty clear choice over the 4000.