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you can overdub audio but not midi

@@MuraNava Oh, so you can layer instruments over each other by recording them one by one, but then afterwards while it's playing, you can't change the instruments so it plays different instruments as if you recorded it with those instruments?

@@MelodicEgghead that's right

yes it does display chord names on home page

@@MuraNava thanks!

I think this is a weak spot which Roland should improve during the next iteration. You can map five sounds to the category buttons so that when you press them your saved sound comes up. However, there are only five of those and you will also lose the quick entry to the respective categories.

Hi there, thanks for the feedback! It is not offensive in any way, it made me laugh. A few people have already inquired about why I talked the way I did. Simple answer: a sensitive microphone in an untreated room with computer noise creates quite a few problems in post-production. I'll have to treat my room and change a few things about my setup, then I should be able to talk normally :)

@@deepseafishmusic Thankyou

That's quite an important one, didn't know that was a difference too. Thanks for the info!

I love the key action on the Casio CT-S series (I have the CT-S1). I think the layout and controls on the CT-S500 are better too (dedicated mod wheel, assignable knobs, etc.). However, the Zen-Core sound engine (including the ability to load more sounds) is a big advantage for the Go:Keys. Also, the microphone input (including vocal processing effects) is really great too.

@@jamietopolski4019 Agreed 👍

I'm looking for the Roland go keys 5 or the Casio CTS 500. I wonder how the keybed compare.

As far as I am aware: yes, those are the only differences. The 3 and the 5 should have the same sounds and the same keybed. Haven't gotten into the bluetooth features yet. I think the main function is to be able to stream audio from say a smartphone so that you can jam along to it. Someone else has pointed out that the USB connection supports midi and audio over USB, so hooking the keyboard up to a DAW should be easy (it may require an additional driver because that's how Roland have done things in the past). Some people have been pointing out that they would have liked to hear more sounds. And others have had questions about the functionality just like you. I might end up making another video where I cover both things, but I can't promise anything because I'm short on time. In the meantime I recommend sorting the YT results by upload date (there are bound to be some dedicated sound demos) and downloading the manual which should have answers to your bluetooth questions.

What would you rather have had? A simple no-talking demo of most of the sounds? Or perhaps a bolder voice? The latter is something which has been pointed out by others as well, that's simply due to my current mic setup and room treatment (or lack thereof). So I can change that :) As for the sounds: I believe there are now videos which showcase them, so feel free to sort by date on the YT results list.

OK, sorry.

I went with this budget keyboard because I've been playing this game of gear hunting for a few years (so I know what I value), because I already have a proper digital piano and because I wanted something other than the computer which could provide me with the ability to sketch out song ideas quickly and in a non-frustrating way. The Go:Keys does this at a budget price, that's why I think it's a decent little arranger. I'm sure it can be a lot of fun for complete beginners as well, but I am not sure if it's the right choice for someone who wants to be in it for the long run, which is pretty much a must if you want to learn how to play properly. I think if you really want to learn the piano you're on a journey of a few years and you'll likely want an instrument with a weighted action and a better acoustic piano sound. The synth sounds in the Go:Keys sound great, the digital pianos are mostly nice but the acoustic pianos are just ok, even for the budget price. So if your focus is playing the piano, you might be disappointed. The difference between the 3 and the 5 are neither the keybed nor the sounds. If you value more inputs and outputs and apparently slightly better speakers: only the 5 has those. Most modern digital pianos have bluetooth just like the Go:Keys does, which means you can pair it with a smart device and play along to some songs you like, provided you're patient enough to listen out for the melody and chords or simply get the sheet music for it (and learn how to read it, learn to play with both hands etc). There are also lots of apps for your smart device so you can also have a drum beat or a metronome in the background, a chord recogniser, some sheet music or other functionality on top. You could also get a midi controller and piano software, which is a popular choice these days. At the end the choice is yours. If you are hesitant I suggest going to a store and trying out different keyboards and digital pianos because you might like them better than this.

@@deepseafishmusic very thoughtful response. I bought the Yamaha PSR-473 and hated the sounds, took it back after a week. This unit might last longer.

Thanks a lot for both! Been jamming a little today, I think the strength of this instrument is the combination of chord sequencer/arranger features with the good synth sounds, enabling one to get going quickly and jot down a few ideas. That's a lot of fun for just over $300. However, I think I should have shown some more sounds. Don't want people to buy this thinking they're getting an affordable digital piano or a full fledged synth which it simply isn't.

Thanks! I think I should have pointed out that the acoustic pianos aren't that good, but I do think the electric pianos sound nice and the synth sounds are great (since this is basically a synth engine). And this amount of sequencer/arranger functionality paired with usable sounds for $300 or $400 respectively? Still a good deal I'd say :) Hope you're happy with yours!

Depends on what you're looking for: with Native you're bound to a computer, which is not what everyone wants. I had the Native keyboards and I agree with the keybed being good. I think they are good products overall, but they never got me to play a lot. The knobs and especially the sound selection are praised in the commercials, but I thought it was a rather lengthy and fiddly process. Nevertheless, if the goal is to produce instead of quickly laying down an idea with some jams then there's no way around the computer, even with expensive grooveboxes or full fledged workstations. But if I just want to have some quick fun without having to fiddle around with a DAW I can simply switch this on and have a go :)

@@deepseafishmusic If you want a sketchpad Maschine Mikro + keyboard is way ahead of that cheesy arranger, both for sounds and workflow. Maschine MK3 is probbly the most fun and user friendly groovebox / scratch pad around, considering that stuff like a Circuit sound bad and are full of limits.

@@eaman11 go 5 + mikro portable studio

My pleasure! I think I should have demoed more sounds, but if I have some time left tomorrow I should be able to make some quick demos.

Made me laugh - though I'm not sure if sounding like a lullaby is a good thing during a review ;) My room is not treated and I'm using a pretty sensitive shotgun microphone. In order to keep the noise floor down I kind of have to record it this way. I can either treat my room or get a different microphone, then I should be able to speak up a bit. But perhaps a soft-spoken video every now and then isn't a bad thing in this noisy world :)

He’s right and your explanation clears things up. You definitely should do something about your microphone or room. You speaking low causes lots of issues with your voice cutting out slightly and people can tolerate bad video much easier than bad audio. Your content was good though. Thanks for sharing

@@deepseafishmusic :) I actually said it as a compliment , that you sound so soothing. And yes I was losing interest in the content because of the same. Anyways good luck with your future recording endeavors.

They should not have skimped on the modwheel and put one in. That’s how you normally change the rotary speaker speed on ZenCore sounds.

I had no idea it was able to do this, thanks for pointing it out :) Hooking up a midi controller with some knobs and faders should open this up nicely. I think having a dedicated filter control is essential whilst playing with synths. It would also be great if one was able to cue the effects or sequence them to get the most out of them. I'm curious if and how Roland will improve the Go-Keys with firmware updates.

Wven the wave expansions that can't be played om MV-101/707/Verselab?!

@@jenslempke7501 On Roland Cloud there are EXZ and STZ expansions and sound pack that can be used. I wonder how many memory there is open the Go Keys 3 and 5

This thing is Zencore? So basically an extremely killer rompler/va affordable enough to be in the hands of any kid learning?

@@lorenmorgan1931 Exactly, this is why it got me excited :)

Agreed :) The acoustic pianos could definitely sound better, but the chord sequencer/arranger functionality paired with good synth sounds and usable if not nice electric piano and world sounds still make this a good deal in my books.

Simple reason: my room is not treated, so if I turn up the gain on the microphone a lot of noise gets recorded as well which is hard to get rid off. If I lower the gain I can talk a bit louder and turn up the volume later, but I also have to get closer to the microphone. Getting the dynamics right in that situation is a bit hard: it's easy to get the microphone to clip if I'm too loud but it's also easy to talk so quietly that even a compressor can't make the result sound somewhat even, so I would sometimes simply sound too quiet which can be annoying for the listener. The solution would be to treat the room and get a different microphone, but I didn't feel the need to try that just for the occasional video I make :P

Oh yeah it's a different thing entirely. Dedicated synths with hands-on control for tweaking are simply more fun when it comes to sound design. They are also more flexible. However, they often lack a dedicated arranger, let alone a chord sequencer, which is where this comes in. Granted, Roland have reduced the zen-core engine in here to the bare minimum, but it's nevertheless nice to see it being featured in a budget arranger keyboard. If you're happy with your instruments there's no need to buy more stuff :)

Yeah this is a beginner/budget keyboard that punches a bit above its weight. It's great if you keep your expectations in check based on the price.

@@danieldougan269 yeah they like $240 and include Analog Lab Pro I believe so a nice bundle.

I think the WC-1 usb gizmo is to connect to WiFi for downloading patches n such from Roland Cloud similar to Jupiter X/Xm n Juno X Hopefully they still giving year of Cloud Pro with purchase of WC-1

@@duhguyfrombrooklyn1693 Thank you, that makes sense! Built-in Bluetooth is all I need as a beginner tbqh, there's already more than enough sounds on board that I could ever use!

Zen core engine according to the official site. Doubt they are lying.

@@James-ry9nl marketing say whatever they want to sell. I trust my ears. Do you trust yours? Or you just take their word for granted? Open it up and don't be very surprised if it's a medeli keyboard with a new skin as they did with that ex50 crap :(

@@rafaelcatarino8372 Do you have one?

@@rafaelcatarino8372 Do you have one?

Do you have one?

Can you drive the Go Keys 3 or 5 with the FP 90x

It kind of is because it didn't get a lot of attention at first ;) Though the real reason is my mic setup. I would have to treat my room or get a different microphone but I couldn't be bothered because I don't make videos like this one regularly. Although people seem to be enjoying it, so it might be worth it.

Yes, you can, you just need to set them manually after entering the main chords. For example: If you want C over F you can enter the C chord like I did in the video, but for the F you need to press on the "bass" tab (function key number 3) and scroll to the F. Sounds harder than it is and can be done quickly too :)

@@deepseafishmusic 💯

I notice in the GK5 that most of the sound comes out of the small round speakers and not so much the rectangular ones. Is it the same on your board?

@@PianoMan-hx3ev Yes. I believe the larger openings may be bass reflex ports.

@@deepseafishmusic I thought that too, but when you look at the GK3 it just has the larger openings and not the little ones.

Thanks! :) A few people have been asking for more sound demos. Can't promise I'll have time this weekend, but if I do get to make a video I'll make sure to include some piano sounds. As for the concert grand: it's nothing to write home about, neither is the keybed. It's fine for jams, jotting down ideas, training and having fun, but if you're a pianist I think you'll be happier with a dedicated digital piano or a good midi keyboard with decent software. As I understand it, all the sounds except for the drums are based on the Zen-core engine (I may be wrong about this), so they are synthesized. Coming from this the main strength of this keyboard are the excellent synth sounds. The organs are decent but they lack drawbars, the digital pianos range from ok to nice and the world sounds sometimes sound not too exciting, but also sometimes nice if not great. The "acoustic" pianos are a bit of a mixed bag: I have heard digital pianos which sound worse than this, but also quite a few which sound better. If you happen to mostly care about the piano sounds I have to recommend getting something else.

​​@@deepseafishmusicthank you for the detailed reply. I do have two 88 key digital pianos to practice piano pieces with. I agree this would not be appropriate for piano learners. Similar to another commenter, I plan to use this on my desk as a smaller secondary training keyboard, as well as for exploration and having fun 🎉. The chord sequencer and the ability to at least mute some parts of the accompaniment look unique and promising. I do think the quality of the 1st piano sound of even an entry level arranger type keyboard is important (after all this is not really a synth and it targets beginners). I had a YAMAHA entry level arranger keyboard 20 years ago as a teenager, the beautiful and authentic grand piano sound was awe inspiring. It made me fall in love with the piano as an instrument and the brand 😂. I was interested in the Casio CT-S500 which has a really nice grand piano sound based on the demos, however I decided to go with the Roland Go Keys 3 for the chord sequencer and more freedom with the accompaniments. I'll report back if I like the tones or not when I get it 👍

Well, it is a review after all ;) But let me see if I find the time to record a few jams within the next few days. Surprisingly enough there still aren't many demos on YT, so it might be worth it. You know, doing one of those "no talking" demos which have become popular over the last few years.

You want playing, go buy the keyboard and try for yourself, this gent is explaining the features of the board, what’s wrong with you

@@user-bp1yr3uc1h 😁👍

No need to be rude, it's a great review

@@michaelan6925 It was only a joke😁 Review ok👍

Zen-core ftw! Finally a budget friendly keyboard which has more than just a few good sounds. Tbh I didn't like the commercial at all because it was missing most of the appealing points this has to offer. I would not call myself a beginner and I will gladly use it for some hardware jams or maybe even in computer based tracks. But I'd say it's also nice for beginners because they will likely not become frustrated within a few weeks or even months simply because it sounds good and offers enough functionality to keep being entertaining for a while. Yes! Looking forward to what the competition will be able to bundle into an affordable arranger keyboard. Roland have clearly shown that it's possible, so I'm curious how the others might want to top it.

​@@deepseafishmusicI agree, the commercial video was not good. It didn't show the features very well. After reading the entire manual, I looked back at the commercial, and finally understood what they were trying to show (the very basic and ubiquitous chord - style - tones playing), but the keyboard manipulation scenes were too quick to get what's going on, maybe I was just a bit slow. The highlight of this keyboard imo, the chord sequencer and the ability to mute parts of the accompaniment, were not shown at all.

The factory styles cover some ground, but I think I'll get tired of them rather quickly. To be frank: I dread the cloud and detest unnecessary subscriptions. A one time purchase of new styles, sounds and scenes would be great, but I haven't had a chance to check out Roland's pricing models yet. To answer your question though: The drums are quite punchy and sufficient for my taste, but they may sound lacking to you. The only thing I'd wish for is to be able to mute and mix individual drum sounds, but I guess that's asking for too much. There are on board drum kits as well and you can add more via the cloud content, but there too I think you will be limited to what Roland provides. Some people have asked for more sounds. If I have the time I'll work on a new video with some sound demos this weekend, including drums.

I’ll probably order it then. Thanks 🙏

Same here, exactly that is what has kept me from buying a more expensive arranger. They seemed way overpriced, out of date (a couple of good sounds but that's it), clunky and simply not appealing. Let's see what the competition will do: maybe we'll see more decent budget friendly keyboards in the near future :)

Got mine today. What a remarkable instrument.

@@CoderCoronet Glad to hear you like it! It's not perfect, but I think the price to performance ratio is excellent.

@@deepseafishmusic I agree. I feel like it’s very inviting. Easy to get myself jamming and having fun with it.

Yamaha reserves everything for their entry-level keyboards. That's why even until now they're still shitty. PSRE keyboards badly needs a drastic upgrade. Shitty style controls, shitty 90s sounds in a new box, shitty screen. It's basically a big pile of shit compare to GO Keys. Very limited features (can't control the volume each instrument) I'm saying this as a Yamaha user.

My pleasure, hope you'll like it!

Have fun with it! Yesterday I ordered a Go Keys 5 😀

How’d you guys like it?