SeriesCasio Casiotone

The CasioTone 405 from Casio is a 49 key analog keyboard that can take 2 different inputs (foot switch and a sustain pedal). It also has an out put for your headphone jack. Since its analog and its an older keyboard from Casio there really wasn’t too many sounds that came with it, I think no more than 25 or 30 and the effects where very basic and there was only 3 of them or so. Mainly the same effects that come with all of them, so reverb and a few filters. UTILIZATION If you have a basic understand of the way Keyboards work you wont need to read instructions you can just sit and play. When the Casio Tone 405 first came out it was like a great thing from Casio they where proud of this board and us musicians couldn’t wait to get our hands on it. At the time it was a very good board to have and im glad to say that I used it several times many years ago. OVERALL OPINION Overall, I have no regrets with the Casio Tone 405 by Casio. There isn’t too much you can do with this board but one thing I know for sure its pretty cool . Its all analog so if you like those old analog sounds then it will fit your perfectly. The only question is can you still find one of these or find someone who is actually selling it?. That will be the hard part, most people wont sell the one they own. I know im not, even though I never use it anymore and its collecting dust it could still be used one day down the road! The Casio Tone 405 even has an arpegiator on it so you can arp your sounds in a few different ways. Pretty cool for a board that’s old and analog!

The Casio MT-45 is a mini keyboard that is on the older side. I don’t know exactly when these were made, but it’s definitely got sort of an 80’s vibe to it in both sound and look. The keyboard is all mini sized keys, spanning a total of four octaves. I don’t know off the top of my head what the connections are for it, as I’ve only used the built in speakers for sounding it. UTILIZATION It only takes a few minutes to figure out how to use with Casio MT-45. For starters, you’ve got your basic tone section that gives you eight different preset sounds to choose from, including emulations of pianos, harp, clarinet, accordion, pipe organ, organ, and violin. In then also has effects for vibrato and sustain, and a full on rhythm section. The rhythm section gives you eight different patterns to choose from, as well as independent control over the tempo and accompanying volume. It also has a ‘fill in’ button for adding fills when you want. Lastly, there’s a section called ‘chord’ for setting the arpeggio and automatic bass. I haven’t seen a manual for the MT-45. OVERALL OPINION While certainly more than cheesy, I actually really like the sounds that the Casio MT-45 has. Of course it’s all in it’s own quirky way, but you can built your own little song all right here. It’s a lot of fun to lay down and beat and use the bass and arpeggio to beef up whatever you’re playing on top of it. I’ve yet to incorporate this in any song I’ve seriously worked on, but we have one of these at the studio I work at so I’ve been messing with it for a bit now and sooner or later will probably try to do something real with it. If you like cheap and cheesy vintage ‘toy’ keyboards, you’ll love the Casio MT-45. I don’t know much at all about their availability or pricing or anything like that, but will say that it’s one of the coolest keyboards of it’s kind that I’ve used. More and more people are using old keyboards like this one, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was somewhat sought after. If you come across one, definitely don’t pass it off as a total cheese ball (even though it kind of is), as I think there’s a lot of cool things that can be done with it…

Extremely rare keyboard, much harder to find than its little brother the MT-400v (with mini keys + detachable speakers). Was lucky to pick one up locally for a decent price. Wow I´m blown away by how good this thing sounds!!! It´s alive, organic, with rich, creamy and weighty tones emanating from its humble electronics and onboard speakers. The full size keys feel lovely and solid (much better than modern basic keyboard keys). The speakers have a decent amount of bass and waaaay too much volume (runs on batteries so this thing is a portable 80´s disco in a box). What really makes this a unique and special instrument is its analog filter, stereo chorus, "waw" (lfo resonant filter), which can be applied to any of the sections (rhythm, bass+chords, main tone, white noise generator). I bought it mainly for its rarity as a collectors item but this thing sounds so damn good I´m going to use it live with various afro/brazilian synth/funk projects. Everybody loves the sound, so rich and musical I can´t believe it´s the same electronics as the MT-65 (also a great keyboard, but the MT-410v is truly on a league of its own.) If you find one and you like funky/unusual/vintage gear, BUY IT. I promise you will thank me for it later.

The Casio Tone 403 is a Great keyboard for the money! Much better than the PX-310 which I replaced. My main keyboard is a Roland FP-7, which is far superior in touch and sound (65 lbs) but the Casio is more practical for the gigs that require hauling stuff long distances or more than 1 set up per gig. UTILIZATION This Piano is great for the money. I’ve always had roland and Yamaha but Casio has out done themselves. I recommend this piano for the quality of sound and the light weight. I like the fact that it is half the price of the rest. great sounding and feeling piano. The action is even better than my Triton studio. The grand piano is the best I've heard in years. I've owned just about every brand of keyboard over the past 25 years and this one is one of the best. The other sounds are great as well. Very light, easy to transport and the onboard speakers are really good. Great all around and great value. The weighted keys are perfect for adding dynamics easily to your playing. If you play them soft they are surprisingly very quiet and if you pound them, they sound like you're pounding a piano. I can't say enough good things about this. OVERALL OPINION Everyone needs a great personal digital piano at home even if your are just learning this one will help you along the way fine. You could have some trouble finding one though unless someone on Craig list or eBay has one for sale because its an older model and no longer made by Casio. But im sure there are some online somewhere because people never know what they got so they sell it and buy one of those big bulky keyboards. I have done that before myself so I know. This one is worth the money spent.