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Average rating:
3.9 out of 5
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Your site is very interesting. I recently acquired a CTK 611 and it provides me with many hours of pleasure. The sounds and rythms are far superior to two of my earlier keyboards. As a matter of fact it's so good that I rarely play the earlier ones.
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I bought my unit around January of 1999, having already a CTK-601 (the same, except for the backlit LCD), for around 300 �. The relationship quality/price of this synthesizer is good: having a GM unit with operable user section to create new sounds, an onboard sequencer and a MIDI velocity-sensitive keyboard in one unit is unbeatable at this price. The often-commented betterable sounds are due, in my opinion, to two factors: some sounds are apparently "lifted" from some professional synthesizers (at least I hear some exact sounds in my Korg 05R/W unit), and all of them are compressed (like mp3) with a betterable algorithm (the D/A conversors could be better as well). Understood, this is a PCM synthesizer based on ROM samples of instruments (like many other synthesizers, although our unit performs better than others in its segment). Two of the presets are remarckable, anyway: the fast strings (048), more realistic in orchestration contexts than the ones in far more professional synthesizers, and the french horn (069), well found. The keyboard (the main reason I first approached the CTK-601/611) is very interesting. The main MIDI features (local, velocity, GM function, SysEx...) are present, what make the unit for a useful and good-for-price MIDI controller. The only serious drawbacks are the pitch-bend buttons, not enough if you have used sometime a pitch-bend wheel, and the far-from-fine adjust of velocity sensitivity (but remember: a not spoken wonderful feature of the CTK-601/611 is a button that permits you to leave the keyboard velocity to a permanent MIDI value of 090, stabilizing the performance volumes of the unit. Ideal for organists). There isn't aftertouch, too, but it can be expecting too much for the price, and most of the users don't need it for sure. The most interesting part of the CTK-611 is the sequencer. 6 tracks can seem not enough for some complex arrangements, but remember: the CTK-611 has 24 notes-poliphony (and some preset sounds use 2 voices for each note), enough for playing and simple sequencing, but bettered in professional uses (or in PC sound cards!). In every case, you can make all 16 MIDI channels sound (with the channel 10 saved for percussion: the CTK-611 has 8 ROM sets, not modifiable) from an external sequencer, making it enough for most users. The synthesis capabilities of the CTK-611, although limited (selecting one or two sample waves and assign volume-envelope, stereo and pitch values, basically), can result in beautiful sounds without much effort. Remember to mantain the power supply to not loose all user sounds in memory. You can, in the worst case, send them to an external sequencer (and record them!) through MIDI SysEx. Ending, the user operativity of the CTK-611 is fantastic. The user can "take" the unit in very few minutes (the manual is excellent as well). Overall, I'd reccomend this keyboard to most home and lower professional keyboardists in need for a well-featured-for-price keyboard for live or domestic uses. High professional users probably will not find it useful. But I have used much this synthesizer in my own 8-track recordings, and I have some more professional units...
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Very goog deal i pay $145 Canadian, you can compare this keyboard with ROLAND & YAMAHA synth you will pay 10 time more for the same close quality why pay more for have fun ,very easy to use.
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I bought the CTK-611 back in 1999 as an upgrade to the CTK-480 that I was using. It is a very good keyboard for the price with alot of attractive features such as General MIDI. By itself, the CTK-611 is ok for playing piano pieces and possibly in a band environment for backing sounds. But hook it up to an external sequencer program on a PC and you can really create some cool stuff!! The layout of the buttons and the interface is very easy to learn. You can be playing some halfway complex-sounding pieces within a few minutes of pulling it out of the box. And with the built-in speakers and its light weight it can be set up anywhere in a snap. Even setting up for General MIDI use is a breeze! Extremely user-friendly! Some of the sounds are quite nice like the Strings and synth sounds. The Choir Aahs are great if played in the mid range (great for backing accompaniments) but getting up to the higher octaves it starts to sound like an organ. The acoustic pianos sound great if used with the reverb effects and extend the release time to give them a damper effect. Overall, all sounds are decent if reverb is added. Otherwise they are quite dry and lifeless. The Layer feature is perfect for sprucing up some of the sounds, too. The user tones are wonderful for those who like to be more creative with the current sounds. Just be careful not to unplug it without having batteries in it or you'll lose all of hard work in creating new sounds. There aren't too many drawbacks about this keyboard. The only things that come to mind are that the effect parameters that effect the entire keyboard should effect the individual sounds instead. i.e. adding reverb to piano parts and leaving it off for the bass and percussion parts. And the pitch bend should have been a pitch wheel to give you more control rather than two buttons that shoot you all the way to either end with no chance for a gradual change. All in all it is an excellent keyboard for the beginner. Lots of features to help you be creative and grow, and just fun to play whith some many different performances to choose from. But if you're really into playing and making music and like to get into the guts of a sound to create that perfect tone you're looking for, then I would suggest getting a more higher-end synth instead. Although I have since moved on to using a Korg, I still use my Casio alot for a few sounds that I have simply grown quite fond of. For the market group it was intended for I would certainly give it a 5.
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Even if u are a beginner or an old musician who wants to get back on track do not start with this keyboard specificly and similar keyboards (my opinion). The voices or as casio call em "tones" are extremely dead and dry, it's hard to explain they are straight forward, dry and unpleasent and kills the melody, and it kills your creative mind and/or the will to learn. I don;t recommend this keyboard on any level, it simpily sounds unpleasent no matter what you play. If you are looking for aforable begginner to advance keyboard I recommend at least a WK1800/ctk811/ctk731 (same chip). Which takes you as a begginer and let's you grow and you'll be amazed how far they can take you. To buy any keyboard u simply need to go to a big music shop (with lots of keyboards not some corner guitar shop) and try everything with in and out of your price range and spend lots of time with them...then I'll garantee you that you will understand why even az a beginner u have to start on something better.
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