Casio WK-200 76-Key Personal Keyboard with MP3/Audio Connection and 570 Tones Review

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Casio WK-200 76-Key Personal Keyboard with MP3/Audio Connection and 570 Tones ReviewWhen I was shopping for a keyboard, originally I was in the market for a MIDI controller, not a keyboard/workstation type device. I was looking for something that transmitted data only, both via USB and MIDI output, preferably with 76 or 88 keys. Having checked out several boards in this price range, I found most to be spartan and light on features. However, on a whim, I checked out the Casio WK 200, and I was very impressed by the sounds and features, especially in this price range.
I've been a musician for the last 20 years, so my immediate perception of Casio keyboards (and pretty much any stand-alone keyboard in this price range) was that they were fully-featured kid's toys. To my credit, I started playing when the electronic keyboard was no longer a synth, but not quite a workstation. In those in-between days, the quality of sound and features was seriously lacking, so much that pretty much anything with built-in speakers could be safely written off as junk, and you wouldn't even dream of using it live or in the studio.
Anyway, after making up my mind that all I needed was a board that would interface with my soft synths, I started checking out MIDI controllers. However, the lack of significant features in this price range left me somewhat unimpressed. After branching out to workstations in this price range, I found the WK-200 met my immediate feature requirements: MIDI via USB and at least 76 keys. The rest turned out to be just gravy, because this board has a few key features that really set it apart from MIDI controllers.
Firstly, I'll describe the sounds on board. The pianos are beautiful, full of character and very believable. This includes several Rhodes and Clavinet voices, with all of their pearly harshness when a full-velocity strike is performed. The chromatic percussion sets are good too, full of very musical timbres. The guitar and bass guitar sections are passable, along with the strings and brass, although there are a few stand-outs, most notably the upright bass along with the tenor and alto saxes. Beyond that, there are some decent sounding rhythms and drum sounds, but I use software to simulate drums, so this was not immediately useful to me. The "string ensemble" voices were the only thing I found to be lousy. Perhaps it's just my ear, but nothing sounds worse or more fake than that generic "string ensemble" sound, and I'll hold that against the WK 200 the exact same way I'd hold it against a Yamaha Motif. Don't get me wrong, the Motif is amazing, but I just hate the sound of "string ensembles". The brass ensembles suffer in like fashion, to a lesser extent.
As mentioned before, there were a few key features that set this board apart from a dumb MIDI controller, and one of those features is the sampling abilities of this board. This board supports numerous slots for melodic and rhythm-based samples, a feature you wouldn't even dream of finding on most MIDI controllers without even considering price points. Samples are of reasonable audio quality with 10 seconds of sample time, making this perfect for, say, accurately simulating the 8-second reel of tape on a Mellotron (each key having a tape consisting of an 8-second pre-recorded voice, which I guess would make it a very primitive example of a sampler). In any case, the sampler was a huge bonus. In addition to that, the USB MIDI functionality allows for two-way MIDI traffic, meaning you can use software to trigger the sounds on the board for cool arpeggiated effects. Speaking of, the WK 200 features a limited arpeggiator, again something you wouldn't find on a MIDI controller in this price range.
So to add it all up, factoring in the length of the board, the MIDI connectivity, the good-to-awesome soundset (at least for the bread-and-butter sounds), sampling functionality, and overall aesthetics, the WK-200 was an obvious choice for me. Even the built-in speakers are good, with strong bass response and crisp, clear highs. The board is light, the keys are full piano style (synth action though, not weighted) and the board is just a pleasure to play.
There are a few things that were not included on my ideal wish list, not the least of which a power supply, which has to be bought separately. That struck me as kind of stupid. Also, there are no pitch or mod wheels, so no joy there. I would have liked to have some kind of SD slot for expansion and data transfer, but that's not a deal-breaker for me. The one thing I seriously fault Casio for on this board is the LACK OF STANDARD MIDI INPUT/OUTPUT. All of it is done via USB, and there's not a standard MIDI jack to be seen on this board. I have keyboards that are 25 years old that have MIDI in and out. What gives?
Anyway, for the price, you can't beat this board. Don't let the fact that it's a Casio or that it's a budget-priced workstation deter you from hearing this board out. You may find it's a good fit for your studio or live sets. While this board is nice, it's not as solid as my old-school Casio CZ-5000 synthesizer (we're talking their top-of-the-line from 1985), but as they say, they don't make 'em like they used to. In any case, this keyboard is a great addition to my studio, and I'm very satisfied.Casio WK-200 76-Key Personal Keyboard with MP3/Audio Connection and 570 Tones OverviewThe Casio WK-200 is an affordable instrument with a 76 Key Piano Style Touch Sensitive Keyboard, 570 total onboard Tones, 180 Rhythms and Reverb plus Chorus Digital Effects. Packed with great features such as Casio's famous Step-up Lesson System, audio inputs for a MP3 player, Mic input, 10 seconds of sampling and a USB port for MIDI. All this makes WK-200 more realistic and expressive than ever before at this price range.


Standard-Size Keys with Touch Response The WK-200 features 76 standard-size keys and two sensitivity levels for a more piano-like experience, along with 48-note polyphony (24-note for certain tones).

570 Built-In Tones Find just the right sound with 570 built-in tones, from strings to woodwinds and plenty more. You can layer two different tones (such as piano and strings) or split the keyboard down the middle for an ensemble approach.

Reverb and Chorus Effects Select from ten different reverb and five different chorus effects to add depth and shimmer to your performance.

USB Port For many musicians, the computer has become a music-making center. Connect the WK-200 to a computer using a USB cable and exchange MIDI data between the two devices. Send play data from the keyboard to music software running on your computer, or send MIDI data from your computer to the keyboard for playback.

Built-In Sampling You can use the WK-200 to sample a sound from a portable audio player or other device, and then play the sound with keyboard keys. Sample up to ten seconds, and store up to five sampled sounds to keyboard memory.

152 Built-In Songs and Ten User Songs The WK-200 comes with a bank of songs for your learning and enjoyment. You can also record your own performances, using up to six tracks of different instruments.

Step Up Lessons To master a song, it is best to break it up into shorter parts (phrases), master the phrases, and then put everything together. The WK-200 features a "Step Up Lesson" feature that helps you to do just that. The built-in songs are pre-divided into phrases to help you master keyboard play. Step Up Lesson takes you through practice of the right hand part, left hand part, and both hand parts for each phrase of a song. Master all of the phrases and you master the song.

Music Challenge Keyboard Game Music Challenge is a game that measures your reaction speed as you press keys in response to on-screen keyboard indicators and fingering guide indications.

Auto Accompaniment With Auto Accompaniment, simply select an accompaniment pattern. Each time you play a chord with your left hand the appropriate accompaniment will play automatically. It's like having a personal backup group along with you wherever you go. The WK-200 features 180 built-in rhythms, and you you can also edit and save up to 10 of your own auto accompaniment patterns.

Auto Harmonize Auto Harmonize automatically adds harmony to notes you play with your right hand, which adds rich depth to the melody of your performances. You can select from among 12 types of Auto Harmonize to suit the type of music you are playing.

Arpeggiator The Arpeggiator makes it possible to play an arpeggio pattern automatically. There are 90 different arpeggio patterns from which to choose in order to match the music you are playing.

Transpose Function An easy operation instantly changes the key of the keyboard.

Line-in and Mic Input Play along with MP3 or CD players or other devices by plugging them into the stereo mini input jack, or plug a mic right in and sing along.

Battery or AC Power Power the WK-200 with six D-sized batteries or purchase the AD-5MR adapter separately to power from your electrical outlets. Built-in speakers make the keyboard entirely portable.

An Auto Power Off feature turns off the device six minutes after the last key is touched, helping you save batteries.

What's in the Box WK-200 Keyboard, Song Book, Safety Precautions, Appendix, Warranty


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