There’s a lot of electronic keyboards out there designed for novice players, many of them coming with built-in tools for learning piano. The Casiotone CT-FS1, though, ditches the learning features in favor of an AutoTune-like capability that fixes your playing on the fly, allowing you to hit the wrong keys while still producing the right musical sound.
Designed to help novice keyboard players master rhythm and timing, the instrument, basically, adjusts the notes you press to match the harmony of whatever song you’re playing in real time. You still control the rhythm, the dynamics, and the feel, while the device ensures the correct notes play out every time.
The Casiotone CT-FS1 is a 61-key portable electronic keyboard that’s powered by the outfit’s AiX Sound Source sound engine, allowing it to reproduce the natural sound and dynamics of all sorts of instruments, from pianos and organs to strings and synths to a whole lot more. The highlight feature here is called Feel Sync, which works in conjunction with a companion app (iOS and Android) to assist novice keyboard players in the process of learning how to play songs. According to the outfit, the tech is supposed to eliminate the frustration and demoralization that could result when people try to learn songs on the keyboard, as it allows them to play along smoothly even while still learning the ropes.
To start using Feel Sync, you plug the included wireless MIDI and audio adapter into the keyboard and pair it with the app over Bluetooth. From there, you can choose a song and start playing along in real time. It works by processing each song, analyzing their chord progression, melody, and rhythm. When you start playing, it will only produce notes that actually match the song’s harmony, regardless of which keys you press, requiring you to only match the correct rhythm, timing, and dynamics. That means, you don’t need to know the right melody or chord progressions to play along, basically allowing you to simply feel your way through a track.
The Casiotone CT-FS1 comes with only five songs preloaded on the keyboard, which you can play along to without having to pair with the app. If you want access to more songs, though, you need to use the app, which comes with 70 different tracks preloaded. You can also upload your own MP3, WAV, and AIFF music files, which it will process to become part of its available track list. Free Sync even works when you split the keyboard into two halves, which is useful when you’re teaching someone to play the piano. Basically, it will switch on Free Sync on one side, but not on the other.
The keyboard comes with a bass-reflex stereo speaker system with surround sound effect for those times you want to play aloud, as well as a headphone jack for those times you’d rather just play for yourself. Other features include a monotone color (either all-white or all-black), numerous effects, 10 master EQ settings, and some basic accessories (music rest and strap lock). It can run on either six AA batteries or the included AC adapter.
The Casiotone CT-FS1 is available now, priced at $399.99.
