Casio CTK-3500 Review (2021): A Touch-Sensitive Version of the CTK-2550 – For The Same Price!

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The Casio CTK-3500 61-Key Touch Sensitive Portable Keyboard is a beginner’s keyboard with onboard lessons and simple integration with Casio’s popular Chordana Play, so students can quickly and easily learn to play the piano at their own pace.

This digital piano also has built in rhythms, voices, and a Dance Music Mode that can have even novices playing fun, party-friendly music right out of the box! In this Casio CTK 3500 review we will learn about different features, specs, pro & cons, and some alternative options to consider. Let’s get started!

Casio CTK-3500 Overview

The Casio CTK-3500  with it’s 61 Touch Sensitive keys & portability makes learning to play the piano fun and simple, avoiding the frustration that can prevent people from practicing or progressing. With the Chordana Play app, learning to play the piano is a fun game, and can even be practiced on your tablet or smartphone, so you can make music and play along with your favorite songs from anywhere.

The Casio CTK-3500 Keyboard comes with a power supply, and is loaded with features and built-in rhythms, making music education fun and accessible for all. Not many companies offer so many features in this price range, which makes this keyboard special. 

Video Overview of Casio CTK-3500

Here’s a quick video covering the features and benefits of the Casio CTK-3500:

FAQs of Casio CTK-3500

When did the Casio CTK-3500 come out?

The Casio CTK-3500 came out in 2017.

What are the dimensions of the Casio CTK-3500?

The dimensions of the Casio CTK-3500 are 946 x 307 x 92 mm.

What is the weight of the Casio CTK-3500?

The weight of the Casio CTK-3500 is 3.4kg (without batteries).

How much does the Casio CTK-3500 cost?

Casio CTK-3500 costs around $280 but it can vary depending on where you buy it.

How many keys does the Casio CTK-3500 have?

The Casio CTK-3500 has 61 keys, however, they are not weighted keys.

How many sounds does the Casio CTK-3500 have?

The Casio CTK-3500 has 400 sounds presets.

Where can I see a demo/test of the Casio CTK-3500?

You can see a demo/test of the Casio CTK-3500 here.  

Where can I see an unboxing of the Casio CTK-3500?

You can see an unboxing of the Casio CTK-3500 here.  

Where to buy the Casio CTK-3500?

The Casio CTK-3500 is available in large shops including Amazon.

Casio CTK-2550 vs CTK-3500

Casio CTK-2550 costs less than CTK-3500 and both have similarities and differences. The similarities between two models are:

• Both models have 61 keys.
• Both have 400 sounds preset and 60 songs preset.
• They have same reverberation and same numbers of maximum polyphony (48 notes).
• Both has same practice features and fall under the $150 price range.
• Both models have connections of auxiliary audio input and headphone output.
• They have same amplifiers and speakers.
• They have same power adopter and battery size.
• They have same dimensions of 946 x 307 x 92 mm and very insignificant difference in weight.

The differences are:

• Casio CTK-2550 has Weighted Action but CTK-3500 has Semi-Weighted Action.
• CTK-3500 has 2 levels of touch sensitivity which isn’t applicable for Casio CTK-2550.
• Casio CTK-2550 has 150 style presets which isn’t applicable for Casio CTK-3500.
• Casio CTK-2550 has 100 rhythm presets but Casio CTK-3500 has 150 rhythm presets.
• CTK-3500 has General MIDI which isn’t applicable for Casio CTK-2550.
• Casio CTK-3500 has Type-B USB port but CTK-2550 doesn’t have USB port.

Casio CTK-3500 vs Yamaha PSR-E263

Similarities of both boards are:

• Both models are suitable for learning to play in the first year.
• Both models have a sustain pedal input.
• They have same number of sounds preset (400).
• Both uses same batteries.
• Both have an IN input for connecting a player and playing over it so that the sound comes out of the speakers.

The main differences we can find between both keyboards are:

• The Yamaha PSR E263 does not have MIDI and the Casio CTK-3500 does
• The Yamaha PSR E263 has no sensitivity on its keys while the Casio CTK3500 does.
• The Casio model has two types of sensitivity.
• Casio CTK3500 doesn’t have Duo function which exist in case of Casio CTK3500.
• The Yamaha model offers the possibility of saving a setting and assigning it to a button, which Casio does not have.
• The Yamaha model offers the possibility of saving a setting and assigning it to a button, which Casio does not have.
• Yamaha PSR E263 has 112 songs presets while in the Casio only 60 pre-recorded songs.
• The Yamaha’s speakers are 2.5 watts while the Casio’s are 2 watts.
• The Yamaha PSR-E263 keyboard has its own equalizer with its EQ master. The Casio CTK-3500 keyboard has a Pitch Bend wheel, which allows you to make sound variations, causing a bending effect.
• Casio CTK-3500 weighs 3.4 kg compared to the 4kg of the Yamaha model.

Specs of Casio CTK-3500

SPEC	DESCRIPTION
Keys	61 full sized touch sensitive keys
Weight	Weighs just 7.5 lbs.
Display	LCD display
Voices	400 built-in instrument voices
Rhythms and effects	Dance Music Mode with 50 built-in rhythms and effects
Auto-accompaniment	100 built-in auto-accompaniment rhythms and effects
Songs	60 built-in songs
Reverb	10 levels of reverb
Polyphony	48 levels of max polyphony
Presets	100 one-touch presets
Sensitivity	2 levels of touch sensitivity, or turn sensitivity off
Ports	Ports for pedals, audio in, headphones, and USB
Transpose and tuning controls	Yes
Pitch bend wheel	Yes
User Level	Built-in Step-Up piano learning system for beginners
Apps	Compatible with Chordana Play app
Store and Play	Store and play MIDI songs through the keyboard with the app
Power	Can be powered with the included power adaptor, or by 6 AA batteries

Who the Casio CTK-3500 is Most Suitable For?

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The Casio CTK-3500 61-Key Touch Sensitive Portable Keyboard is designed to be the first keyboard for a student or family, with a lot of beginner-friendly features that make learning the piano fun and simple. It has loads of built-in instrument voices and rhythms, and the touch-sensitive keys increase in volume based on how hard you play them, for more individualized expression while you play your music. However, it should be mentioned that keys are not weighted, which means that if you or your child decide to pursue learning further and upgrade to a professional piano, you will need to spend some time getting familiar with the new setup and keys that are weighted. 

With the Chordana Play app, unlike many portable keyboards, you can load any MIDI song into the keyboard’s onboard memory and play along with your songs anywhere. Chordana Play generates a music score from the MIDI file and detects chords, too, making it easy to learn to play two-handed piano. It will even show you the musical notation for your songs, so you can learn to read music as well as play it.

Casio keyboards are known for being affordable, easy to use, and durable, and this is a great starter instrument, where learners can get familiar not only with playing the piano, but with using today’s advanced digital technologies to play music. It’s a smart way to start a music education, before upgrading to a more advanced, specialized keyboard.

What’s in the Box of Casio CTK-3500?

The Casio CTK-3500 61-Key Touch Sensitive Portable Keyboard comes with a power supply, but it can also be powered by batteries.

The keyboard has Casio’s step-pp piano lesson system built in, and is compatible with the Chordana Play app.

Here’s a quick video from Casio that explains the step-up feature: 

Features of Casio CTK-3500

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The Casio CTK-3500 with 61 Touch Sensitive keys has all the features a beginner needs to learn to play a digital keyboard, and to not only play along with all their own favorite songs, but to start composing their very own music

FEATURE	DESCRIPTION
Design	The 61-key keyboard is compact and lightweight, and the ability to use battery power allows you to take it anywhere. With 6 AA batteries, you can play inside or out.
Sound	It has 400 instrument voices and 100 built-in rhythms, so it’s easy to customize the sound of the Casio CTK-3500 to play nearly anything you like. With 48 levels of polyphony, you can create complex, overlapping sound and more nuanced compositions. It also has 10 levels of reverb, and a pitch bend wheel
Touch sensitive keys	Full-size, touch sensitive keys allow the sound to be responsive to your touch and playing style, for greater expression.
LCD display	The bright LCD screen is easy to read, and the buttons and screen guide you quickly through settings and adjustments, and even built-in lesson modules.
Step-Up Lesson System	Casio’s Step-Up lesson system uses the onboard LCD screen to guide beginners through piano lessons and practice, using the 60 built-in songs hand by hand and phrase by phrase, to learn at their own pace.
Dance Music Mode	Dance Music Mode uses the lower third of the keyboard to make dance music generator. With 50 styles of dance music that include drums, bass, synth, and effects, beginners can create their own fun party tunes and styles in just minutes.
Features	This digital piano has all the features and functions you would expect, including transpose and tuning, a built-in metronome, and a pitch bend wheel for advanced synth pitch effects.
Chordana Play App	The free Chordana Play app comes with the Casio CTK-3500 and is a fantastic companion to the keyboard. The app 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.|The app also lets you convert any song in your library into a MIDI file, and play along in the app, or store it in the CTK-3500 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 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 Chordana 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.

Pros & Cons of Casio CTK-3500

PROS

61-key touch sensitive keyboard has full-size keys like an acoustic piano for accurate fingering 2 levels of touch sensitivity, or turn it off for a synth sound Weighs just 7.5 pounds for portability and convenience The ability to use the power adaptor, or power its batteries, makes it convenient to take outdoors or anywhere else The built-in LCD display is bright and easy to read, for guidance through lessons, or to use different keyboard features and settings This keyboard includes the power supply without having to buy it in addition 400 built-in instrument voices for a wide range of sounds and styles 100 built-in auto-accompaniment rhythms Pitch bend wheel for fine control of tuning and timing, and a greater possibility of musical expression Dance Music Mode with 50 built-in rhythms and effects 48 levels of max polyphony for overlapping sound Compatible with Chordana Play app for piano lessons and practice with or without the keyboard Store and play your own MIDI songs through the keyboard, to go beyond the built-in song library Built-in Step Up lesson system makes piano education simple and fun

CONS
weighted keys are not available Keyboard instrument sounds are a bit mechanical and not very expressive No onboard recording or playback function

Casio CTK-3500 Manual

If you’d like to dig deeper into the CTK-3500, here’s the link to the keyboard’s manual:

Click to Download Casio CTK-3500 Manual

Alternative Products to Consider

The Casio CTK-3500 61-Key Touch Sensitive Portable Keyboard is virtually identical with their popular CTK-2550 model, except that the CTK-3500 is touch sensitive. If touch sensitivity isn’t important to you, then consider saving a little money and getting the CTK-2550.

For a young piano student, the Casio CTK-3500 or CTK-2550 are both excellent choices, while the LK-265 might be a good choice for a very young learner, who can more easily follow along with the lighted keys.

For a piano beginner who is particularly interested in exploring the vast possibilities of digital music, the Casio CTX700 is a compelling alternative.

It costs a little more than the CTK-3500 but is loaded with advanced features and capabilities that usually cost much more. Like the Casio CTK-3500, the CTX700:

• Has 61 full sized touch sensitive keys
• Comes with an AC adaptor
• Can be AC or battery powered
• Has 48 max levels of polyphony
• Has metronome, transpose, and tuning functions
• Has 100 one-touch preset slots
• Includes the Step-Up lesson system

However, the Casio CTX700 has more features overall, and more powerful features than the CTK-3500, including:

• Powerful AiX sound for more range and expression
• 3 levels of key touch response
• 600 instrument voices
• 20 types of reverb
• 32 registration memory
• 10 choruses
• 10 types of Master EQ
• 195 built-in rhythms
• 100 types of arpeggio
• 310 music presets
• 10 customizable user rhythms
• Auto harmonize, synchro stop, one touch presets, and other fast functions
• A built-in MIDI recorder with enough memory to record and playback 5 songs with 6 tracks each
• USB to host port

While the CTX700 does not have a pitch bend wheel or dance music mode, and isn’t compatible with the Chordana Play app, the ability to connect it to any Android or iOS device via USB opens up the whole world of apps, as well as endless possibilities for recording, mixing, and sharing your music.

 The Casio CTX700 may be a better choice for a slightly older beginner, because it has onboard learning and practice features, but also has a better sound engine, and the sophisticated digital capabilities one would expect from a more advanced instrument, including USB connectivity and onboard recording and playback functions. In the end, it depends on your preference and how much money you are willing to spend.

Tablet Connectivity & Dance Music Mode

John Coupland’s Casio CTK-3500 Review

Summary

The Casio CTK-3500 61-Key Touch Sensitive Portable Keyboard has a lot of great features in a compact keyboard in an affordable price range. The onboard lessons and dedicated learning app make learning to play the piano a fun and engaging game, encouraging children to stick with the instrument and improve over time. The wide range of instrument voices and rhythms allow players to customize their sound, experiment with different styles, and express their own taste.

Dance Music mode has even new players composing their own songs and making fun dance music in no time. It’s an excellent option for a first keyboard, to enhance musical education and introduce a newcomer to the world of the piano, and to the possibilities of today’s tech-enhanced, digital keyboards. With so many features in this price range makes it easy for a beginner to invent in a piano without too much risk and to learn and try lots of different styles and features. There is also an added bonus of saving money on piano lessons as, mentioned earlier, there are a lot of learning features available on-board.

Casio CTK-3500 (please click image for more info)

When you’re ready to move on to a more advanced keyboard, you know what to look for and what features and capabilities matter most to you. It’s a perfect, low-risk introduction to learning music, and puts the world’s styles, rhythms, and songs at your fingertips.