Small but mighty! Today we’re looking at the Casiotone CTS200 vs CTS300 – a pair of 61-note compact digital keyboards with tons of sounds, fun features and excellent portability courtesy of a convenient carrying handle. We often focus on
Casio’s 88-key musical instruments, such as the Privia series pianos, so this is a fun change of pace for us.
Both of these Casiotone keyboards can be had for under $250 CAD, but there is a $50 price difference between them, which is fairly significant considering the price point. We’re going to cover exactly what these differences are and of course, dive into some of the fun features.
Casio has a number of these types of smaller keyboards including the Casio LK-S250, CT-S100, CT-S400, CT-S1 and Casio CT-X700, but today we’ll just be focusing on the Casiotone CTS200 vs CTS300 61-note keyboards.
Whether you’re looking for an introduction instrument for a youngster, or simply looking for a fun instrument to mess around with, this comparison is for you.
Casiotone CTS200 vs CTS300 – Background
Given the price point and number of keys, many folks are automatically going to assume that the CTS200 and 300 are a pair of portable keyboards built strictly for beginners. And of course, both of these are definitely great beginner instruments, no question.
But at the same time, they’re both equipped with a number of features aimed at more advanced users, which makes them both shockingly fun and usable for a wide range of musicians in terms of experience level.
For example, they’re both MIDI-capable, and you can actually specify the MIDI channel you want to use. You can even turn local control on and off, which is something you’d expect to see on an intermediate or professional portable arranger keyboard.
They’re both also extremely portable thanks to a trusty built-in carrying handle and the fact that both can run on battery power.
Now let’s move to what’s the same about these two pianos.
CTS200 vs CTS300 – What’s the Same?
In terms of the number of sounds and overall concept of functionality, the Casio Casiotone CT-S200 and CT-S300 are virtually identical.
Playing Modes
There are 4 playing modes available on each piano, the first of which is accessed by pressing the brightly colored Home button. The default mode is just the standard way a digital piano normally operates, so you can access all of the onboard tones which consist of a whopping 400 presets in total including acoustic piano sounds, electric pianos, strings, synths and just about everything you can think of.
Polyphony sits at 48 notes which is definitely on the low side, but not surprising given how affordable both of these pianos are. There are 10 Reverb levels so you are given a little bit of control over the sounds which is nice.
The second playing Mode allows you to play along with rhythm auto-accompaniment. It’s not a complex auto-accompaniment system, but you are nonetheless able to play with a full band behind you. There are 77 different rhythmic styles to choose from with 2 variations per rhythm available.
Mode 3 is called Song Mode, and here you’re able to access the 60 built-in songs each piano possesses. You can turn either the right or left hand off which is a great educational feature.
Finally, the cherry on top is the Dance Music Mode. This is super fun and an easy way to get lost in being creative for hours on end, with different options for drum beats, basslines and synthesizers.
Features
Both pianos are easy to operate thanks to a logical layout and handy LCD display. Standard features like Transpose, Tuning and Metronome are included on both.
As mentioned above, both can run entirely on battery power, though an AC adapter power supply can be purchased as well, though in some markets a power adapter is included at no charge. The battery life is actually quite strong so you won’t be burning through batteries anyway.
Both pianos include a music stand at no additional cost. A keyboard stand and sustain pedal can be added for a cost as well.
Connectivity
Connectivity is another area where these two pianos are identical. Both pianos have a stereo mini headphone jack that can also serve as an output jack.
They both also have a stereo mini audio input, pedal jack, and a USB port (micro B port) which is how you can connect either one to your favorite device to access apps like the Chordana Play App or to operate a DAW.
CTS200 vs CTS300 – What’s Different?
Piano Action
While both the S200 and S300 have 61 full-size keys, there is a big difference between the key actions, and this is the single largest difference between these two pianos. The difference is that the S300’s action offers touch sensitivity, while the S200’s does not.
Both actions are unweighted, but having a touch-sensitive action unlocks some velocity-related touch response effects on various sounds, and really opens the S300 to be used as a MIDI controller.
Given the relatively small price difference between the two, this makes the S300 almost a no-brainer if you have any type of piano background, or if you think the beginner starting out with one of these pianos is likely to start piano lessons at some point.
Speaker System
When it comes to the built-in speakers, the sound quality on either one of these isn’t great, as would be expected for the size and price of both of these 61-key digital keyboards available.
That said, this is an area where there is a modest, but still noticeable difference between the two. The S200 has 4 watts of amplifier power, while the S300 has 5 watts. A modest difference as we said, but a difference nonetheless.
Pitch Bend Wheel
Finally, the S300 incorporates a pitch bend wheel, while the S200 does not.
Closing Thoughts
Either one of these 61-key portable keyboards is going to be a great option for someone seeking an introductory instrument for a total beginner to the piano. They’re both actually built to be quite durable as well, signalling that Casio definitely has kids in mind as a target audience for these pianos.
Alternatives to check out are the Yamaha PSR products, and the Roland GO pianos. Thanks for reading!
