Amazon has the Alesis Melody 54 Key Electric Keyboard Piano available for $67.30. Have you seen this one? I was unaware of the smaller keyboards from this brand until seeing your videos. I have both Casio SA-76 and Yamaha PSS-F30. They are fun instruments. Thepianoforever channel did a great in depth review on the Yamaha which inspired me to buy it. I found it on Amazon before it disappeared. I found the Casio on ebay at a great low price, brand new in the box. Thanks for your detailed reviews!
You're welcome, I'm glad you found my reviews helpful! I've seen the Melody 54 advertised, but I've not personally had any experience with one. I'm guessing going by the specs that it's a bigger version of the Harmony 32 with a few more features? The Keen on Keys excellent review of the Harmony 32 is enough for me steer away from the Alesis brand, certainly for now. Most of their portable keyboards seem to be the same basic feature set just repackaged depending on the size and number of added features. The Alesis keyboards might have more features on paper, but I do believe that the Casio and Yamaha equivalents are of a higher quality and have more rounded and more useful features, therefore I'd rather pay a little more and pick Casio or Yamaha models over them, or look for lightly used Casio/ Yamaha models at the same price.
Unfortunately, the SA series has no MIDI capabilities so cannot be used to control DAWs or other keyboards. Casio are really missing out on a market sector by not including MIDI with these keyboards.
@@CasioChaosTheory man that really sucks 😭 you’re so right. I don’t understand why they wouldn’t just make these keyboards multi functional. The money they could make would be amazing.
Excellent series on the SA-76 CCT. Just a short note that the Yamaha PSS F-30 is till for sale in October 2022. Saw one on Amazon UK for £57 on 22nd. As is the PSS A-50 which I've purchased and look forward to trying out its USB MIDI capabilities. Keep up the good work on Casios.
Nice review. I have had a SA-78 (sold), and I still have a PSS-A50; the second one has better sounds and only one limits: only 3 octaves. However, I prefer my old and trusty Casiotone MT100/68 they have 4 octaves and their analog sound is my preferred. These old keyboards are better build than newest ones.
Thanks so much for the compliment! The PSS-A50 is a very good little keyboard, though it's really in a different league to the SA76. In terms of features/ sounds, it's more in line with the Casiotone CT-S300/ 400, though those are full sized keyboards. (Come on Casio, make mini keys versions of the new Casiotones!) I also agree that some of the vintage Casios/ Casiotones have a much more unique sound. In the video where I compared a 2019 Casiotone CT-S300 with a 1980 CT201, it was apparent that despite being very limited compared with the newer Casiotone, the CT201 had much more magic and individuality in its sound. The modern Casiotone had some fantastic sounds in it, but they sound just that same as other modern keyboards, such a Yamaha PSR, and also computer VSTs. Meanwhile, the 1980 Casiotone had a sound all of its own, and that's what I love about those older Casio(tone) models. And yes, some of those old Casio keyboards are incredibly well built and feel so much more substantial compared with modern home keyboards.
Yes, it and the SA-81 have been released some time after my video review series. Some nice improvements over the SA-76, but should have included a dedicated line out and USB MIDI IMO.
I recently purchased a Like new SA76 for 30 US dollars . It’s not too bad . I haven’t run it through effects as of yet . Great review series though !
Amazon has the Alesis Melody 54 Key Electric Keyboard Piano available for $67.30. Have you seen this one? I was unaware of the smaller keyboards from this brand until seeing your videos. I have both Casio SA-76 and Yamaha PSS-F30. They are fun instruments. Thepianoforever channel did a great in depth review on the Yamaha which inspired me to buy it. I found it on Amazon before it disappeared. I found the Casio on ebay at a great low price, brand new in the box. Thanks for your detailed reviews!
You're welcome, I'm glad you found my reviews helpful!
I've seen the Melody 54 advertised, but I've not personally had any experience with one. I'm guessing going by the specs that it's a bigger version of the Harmony 32 with a few more features? The Keen on Keys excellent review of the Harmony 32 is enough for me steer away from the Alesis brand, certainly for now. Most of their portable keyboards seem to be the same basic feature set just repackaged depending on the size and number of added features. The Alesis keyboards might have more features on paper, but I do believe that the Casio and Yamaha equivalents are of a higher quality and have more rounded and more useful features, therefore I'd rather pay a little more and pick Casio or Yamaha models over them, or look for lightly used Casio/ Yamaha models at the same price.
Can I plug this into my laptop and use it with ableton? My midi unfortunately only has two octaves of keys and I’d like to have more.
Unfortunately, the SA series has no MIDI capabilities so cannot be used to control DAWs or other keyboards. Casio are really missing out on a market sector by not including MIDI with these keyboards.
@@CasioChaosTheory man that really sucks 😭 you’re so right. I don’t understand why they wouldn’t just make these keyboards multi functional. The money they could make would be amazing.
How much does the SA-76 weigh?
According to the official Casio manual, it weighs 1.4 kg, which is just over 3 lbs.
Thank you for your reply and for the great care and integrity you expended to put up the videos and this product. The best to you. @@CasioChaosTheory
Excellent series on the SA-76 CCT. Just a short note that the Yamaha PSS F-30 is till for sale in October 2022. Saw one on Amazon UK for £57 on 22nd. As is the PSS A-50 which I've purchased and look forward to trying out its USB MIDI capabilities. Keep up the good work on Casios.
Thanks for the heads up! Strange how they were showing all out of stock when I checked during the editing of the video. Maybe supply chain issues?
Nice review. I have had a SA-78 (sold), and I still have a PSS-A50; the second one has better sounds and only one limits: only 3 octaves. However, I prefer my old and trusty Casiotone MT100/68 they have 4 octaves and their analog sound is my preferred. These old keyboards are better build than newest ones.
Thanks so much for the compliment!
The PSS-A50 is a very good little keyboard, though it's really in a different league to the SA76. In terms of features/ sounds, it's more in line with the Casiotone CT-S300/ 400, though those are full sized keyboards. (Come on Casio, make mini keys versions of the new Casiotones!)
I also agree that some of the vintage Casios/ Casiotones have a much more unique sound. In the video where I compared a 2019 Casiotone CT-S300 with a 1980 CT201, it was apparent that despite being very limited compared with the newer Casiotone, the CT201 had much more magic and individuality in its sound. The modern Casiotone had some fantastic sounds in it, but they sound just that same as other modern keyboards, such a Yamaha PSR, and also computer VSTs. Meanwhile, the 1980 Casiotone had a sound all of its own, and that's what I love about those older Casio(tone) models.
And yes, some of those old Casio keyboards are incredibly well built and feel so much more substantial compared with modern home keyboards.
Thank you for sharing all of your videos. They are the most complete and helpful of those I have seen
Thank you for the kind words! Really glad that you enjoyed the video series and found them helpful :-)
sa 80
Yes, it and the SA-81 have been released some time after my video review series. Some nice improvements over the SA-76, but should have included a dedicated line out and USB MIDI IMO.