The Casio CTK-2550 is an all-in-one starter pack for a beginner to learn to play the digital piano and begin to explore the world of music.
With built-in lessons and learning features, simple features and functions that will have you playing complete songs in no time, and integration with the Chordana Play app for even more musical exploration, it's a fast and fun way to learn music and start creating your own compositions.Quick Overview of the Casio CTK-2550 PPK 61-Key Premium Keyboard Pack
Traditional piano lessons can frustrate beginners, as they can find early lessons and practices repetitive and boring, and want to quickly move beyond “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.” With the Casio CTK-2550 PPK 61-Key Premium Keyboard Pack's built-in rhythms, voices, and Dance Music Mode, even a novice can quickly advance to playing the songs and music that are most interesting to them. The included Chordana Play app makes learning music into a game, stimulating interest and lasting engagement with the instrument.
The Casio CTK-2550 PPK 61-Key Premium Keyboard Pack is a complete set, with a keyboard, stand, power adapter, and headphones, so that you can start playing music from the moment you open the box, and be DJ’ing your own dance party in minutes. It's a fun and simple approach to learning to play music.Summary of the Casio CTK-2550 PPK’s Features and Specs
Keys
61-key keyboard
Display
LCD
display
Rhythms
100 built-in auto-accompaniment rhythms
Presets
100 One Touch Presets
Effects
Dance Music Mode with 50 built-in rhythms and effects
Fingering Guide
Built-in Lesson Lite system, with Scoring System and Voice Fingering Guide
Power
Can be powered by the included power adaptor, or by batteries
Weight
Weighs just over 7 lbs.
Instrument Voices
400 built-in instrument voices with stereo piano tones
Reverb
10 types of reverb
Songs
60 songs in keyboard library
Polyphony
48 levels of max polyphony
Ports
Ports for a pedal, headphone or external speakers, and audio in
Accessories Included
Who is the Casio CTK-2550 PPK 61-Key Premium Keyboard Pack Most Suitable For?
The Casio CTK-2550 PPK 61-Key Premium Keyboard Pack is the perfect starter keyboard for children of all ages. It has the full range of instrument voices and rhythms of a more advanced keyboard, so they can learn and experiment with a wide range of styles and expressions. Built-in Dance Music Mode has them creating their own unique dance music quickly and easily.
The MIDI function allows them to import their own favorite songs into the keyboard and learn to play along, even offline. And the Chordana Play app has a fun and simple interface that combines a game-like piano roll and the music score, and tracks your progress, in a way that will be intuitive and appealing to young beginners. Importantly, the Casio CTK-2550 PPK 61-Key Premium Keyboard Pack is also affordable, so that if a child loses interest or neglects their practice, you haven't invested too much in the keyboard.
While older learners can still get a lot of education and enjoyment out of the Casio CTK-2550, they may find the instrument voices and sound reproduction a little thin, and wish for the richer, fuller sound that would come with a more expensive keyboard.
However, children are unlikely to be bothered by the sound quality, and will have just as much fun with the dance rhythms and synth sounds as they would with a higher-end instrument.What’s Included With the Casio CTK-2550 PPK 61-Key Premium Keyboard Pack?
The Casio CTK-2550 PPK 61-Key Premium Keyboard Pack comes with a power adaptor, so you can plug and play right out of the box. It also comes with:
Samson HP30 Closed-Cup Headphones
These lightweight headphones have a closed back, padded cups, and a padded, adjustable headband for lasting comfort. They have a good frequency response range and powerful drivers for good sound reproduction in a wide range of music styles.
World Tour X-Style Keyboard Stand
This rugged X-style keyboard stand is made of steel and can support keyboards of up to 130 pounds. It adjusts to 5 different height selections from 25.25-38.75”, so it can be used seated or standing, and securely locks in place. It also folds flat for easy storage and transportation, and has non-marking rubber end caps to provide extra stability and prevent slipping.
Overview of the Casio CTK-2550 PPK 61's Features
For such an affordable keyboard, the Casio CTK-2550 PPK 61-Key Premium Keyboard Pack has a lot of great features.
Design
The 61-key keyboard is compact and lightweight, and the ability to use battery power allows you to take it anywhere.
LCD screen
The built-in LCD screen is easy to read, and the buttons and screen guide you quickly through settings and adjustments, and even built-in lesson modules.
Features
With 10 levels of reverb, and convenient functions like Virtual Hall, Dance Music Effect, and 100 One Touch Presets, it's easy to customize the sound of the CTK-2550.
Lesson Lite System
Casio's Lesson Lite system uses the LCD screen to guide beginners through piano lessons and practice, using built-in songs hand by hand and phrase by phrase, learning at their own pace. Perfect hand positioning while learning to read music with Lesson Lite.
Stand fold included
The included stand folds for easy storage or transport, for a portable instrument that is easy to play indoors or out, and keep up with practice anywhere.
Sound
With 400 instrument voices and 100 built-in rhythms, it's easy to customize the sound of the Casio CTK-2550 to play nearly anything you like, including 46 ethnic rhythms. 48 levels of polyphony allow for more complex, overlapping sound and sophisticated compositions, and 60 onboard songs give lots of room for learning and exploration.
Dance Music Mode
Dance Music Mode converts the lower third of the keyboard into a dance music generator. With 50 styles built in, and the ability to layer rhythms, instruments, and effects, beginners can create complex compositions that include drums, bass, synth, and effects to play along with.
Scoring System
The Scoring System tracks progress as you learn, and the Voice Fingering Guide helps you out with voice guidance when you need it to hit the right keys.
Chordana Play App
The free Chordana Play app comes with the Casio CTK-2550, and is a fantastic companion to the keyboard. Chordana Play has 50 built-in songs, and guides beginners through playing along with a piano roll display and/or a music notation display, to combine practice playing along with learning to read music.
With the Chordata Play app, you can also convert any song in your library into a MIDI file, and play along in the app, or store it in the CTK-2550 keyboard and play it online or offline. You can also assign tracks or melodies to each hand, alter the tempo, or transpose a tune, and use the repeat function to learn at your own pace.
Even better, the Chordana Play app has an on-screen virtual keyboard display, so you can practice playing anywhere, on your tablet or smartphone. The app will track your progress and keep score, making learning to play the keyboard into a fun interactive game. With Chordata Play, you can transfer your favorite songs to the keyboard and play them anywhere, or use the virtual keyboard to turn your tablet into a keyboard and play it anywhere, for the ultimate versatility in learning and practicing the piano.
An Alternative Product to Consider
Many people opt for the Casio CTK-3500 instead of the CTK-2550, choosing to pay a little bit more for touch-sensitive keys. However, if you are looking for a starter keyboard that makes learning music simple, fun, and engaging, particularly for young learners, it's not a bad idea to consider the Casio LK line. The Casio LK-265 has many of the exact same features as the CTK-2550, including:
However, the Casio LK-265 has a few advantages over the CTK-2550. Unlike the CTK, the LK has:
Touch sensitivity is a great feature to have in a beginner keyboard, because the keys play more loudly or softly depending on how they are pressed. It opens up new possibilities in expression and individuality while you play. And light-up keys make learning even easier, particularly for young children. As you progress, the lights can be turned off, making this a good keyboard for recitals or performances.
The Casio LK-265 also comes bundled with an identical power supply, headphones, and keyboard stand as the CTK-2550, and doesn't cost much more. The LK-265's light-up keys make it a good choice for younger beginners, who won't have to rely on the LCD screen as much, while offering the same app-based learning opportunities and progression as the CTK-2550.Conclusion
The Casio CTK-2550 is a fantastic way to learn to play the piano, and, with the app integration, and included keyboard stand and headphones, is particularly suitable to children and young people. It's designed to help anyone learn to play the piano quickly and easily, using the Chordana Play app or the onboard lesson system, and guide you through the 60 onboard songs.
But the ability to play along with your own music library, create your own dance music with the press of a button, and explore 400 instrument voices and 100 rhythms makes it an instrument that can grow with you over time, giving you more and more opportunities to learn, grow, and explore the rich world of digital keyboards. It's a great way to spark a lifelong love of music and open up new avenues for self-expression and creativity in a young person.