The first step to the musical Olympus: TOP 5 synthesizers for beginner keyboardists

The Japanese company Casio has been known in the electronic products market for more than 70 years, and almost 40 of them produce musical instruments. Casio SA-78 is a synthesizer for young talents, with a simple set of functions and sounds.

The model is very compact (604x57x211 mm) and light (1.4 kg). It will not be difficult for the child to move it from place to place, play on his knees. The synthesizer body is made in three colour options: orange, pink and grey. Bright ergonomic design and toyiness create a positive mood for young talent, stimulate the desire to learn.

The model has 44 small keys with passive mechanics. The nature of the sound does not depend on the force of pressing, which is very convenient for children. 8-voice polyphony and 100 built-in timbres are enough to master the basics, learn how to perform simple works, while not spending a lot of time choosing sounds. The training mode will help you learn the notes and develop the technique of the game.

The synthesizer works from the mains via an adapter and independently — from six AA batteries. It can be taken on a trip, on a picnic. However, the sound in nature will be quiet, since the power of the built-in speakers is only 2x0.8 watts.

10 built-in compositions will entertain the child, and 5 drum pads, each of which reproduces the sound of a certain drum, will make you feel like a beginner drummer.

Given the children's orientation, it is not necessary to expect realistic sound from the synthesizer. Nevertheless, it sounds less toylike than it looks. But to expand the banks of timbres, connect a microphone, another instrument, more powerful external acoustics will not allow the absence of any openings, except for headphones.

Casio SA-78 is a wonderful and inexpensive gift for children aged 3 to 10 years. Older guys will need a more powerful and more functional model.

The Japanese manufacturer Casio produces synthesizers of different levels. The CTK-2500 model is designed for both novice musicians and those who have already mastered the basics of the game and are trying themselves in arranging and composing their own compositions.

The instrument has a strict rectangular shape and a black body colour. The size is close to standard semi—professional models (946x92x307 mm), but weighs an order of magnitude less — 3.3 kg.

61 full-size keys with passive mechanics are a kind of transitional stage from the initial level of training to the average, when you don't need to calculate the pressing force yet, but you will have to get used to a real keyboard. Although the dynamic type of keys in the model would not hurt. The Split/Dual mode is supported, that is, you can play one instrument on the left side and another on the right.

The training mode with voice prompts helps in memorizing notes, the metronome helps in developing a sense of rhythm. 100 styles of accompaniment and 400 timbres create a whole field for experiments for a young musician. Novice DJs will especially like 50 dance rhythms and Dance Music mode with the ability to launch timbres alternately. The implementation of "live" sounds is not bad, but some synthetics are still present in them. This is especially audible on the lower registers of the piano.

Switching capabilities are minimal, but the most necessary: razem for connecting iOS and Android devices and expanding the sound base, headphone output, standard Jack for sustain pedal, mini 3.5mm Jack for linear audio input. Built-in acoustics with a power of 4 watts provides a full-fledged opportunity for rehearsals or organizing a family concert.

CTK-2500 is a model balanced in price and quality for educating a teenager and forming a strong base for starting a professional career.

For more than 130 years, the Japanese company Yamaha has been specializing in the production of musical instruments and sound equipment and succeeds in this. Yamaha PSR E363 is a high—quality and affordable synthesizer for the development of musical abilities, amateur performance.

The model has a strict geometric shape with dimensions of 945x118x368 mm and a weight of 4.6 kg, which is almost half the weight of most professional models.

A 61-note full-size semi-weighted keyboard is inferior to a piano keyboard, but it has a sensitivity to pressing, which means it will be easier to get used to playing a professional instrument later.

Metronome and learning mode facilitate the process of mastering the instrument, and 48-voice polyphony, 574 built-in timbres, 165 accompaniment styles and a sequencer turn it into a small studio for creating your own compositions.

The keyboard separation function helps you learn to play two instruments at the same time: in the left part to lead the bass part, in the right — piano, strings, wind instruments. Many people will also like the effect of harmonization, which works in auto accompaniment mode. Under the chosen style, you can beat the composition with whole chords, while pressing one key.

The Melody Suppressor function is also noteworthy, which allows you to play a song from the player by removing the melodic line from it.

Two speakers with a total power of 5 watts and autonomous power supply make the model convenient for outdoor events where there is no possibility to connect to an outlet and amplifying equipment. It wouldn't hurt for songwriters to have a microphone input, but it's not here. But there are slots for headphones and pedals, a mini-Jack (3.5 mm) for the analogue input signal and a USB port that allows you to connect the synthesizer to a computer to expand the effects bank and record music.

With its affordable price, the Yamaha PSR E363 sounds pretty good. The implementation of “live” sounds from the category of strings and wind instruments, of course, does not reach the real ones, but the model is quite enough to meet the needs of music school students and sound various events, including small concerts.

Casio musical instruments are popular in many countries of the world. They won the love of users with an affordable price and proven manufacturing quality. The Casio LK-280 synthesizer is an inexpensive model for novice keyboard players and amateur musicians.

The tool is distinguished by its compact dimensions (948x103x35 mm) and acceptable weight (4.5 kg). The case is made in silver colour, looks stylish and modern. It does not create a feeling of playfulness.

The 61-note full-size keyboard is equipped with active mechanics, so the volume of the sound will depend on the force of pressing the key. In addition, the sensitivity can be adjusted.

Backlit keys, an intuitive display (for some reason without backlight) and an advanced training mode with voice accompaniment significantly simplify the process of mastering the instrument by a novice musician.

The fact that the synthesizer is sharpened for training becomes clear from the very first notes. The sounds of "live" instruments are not spoiled by realism. The piano is cute, but the strings and saxophone leave much to be desired. At the same time, the functionality of the model is quite rich. The synthesizer is equipped with a metronome, sequencer, timbre overlay functions, keyboard separation and even sampling. 600 preset timbres can be supplemented with uploaded to the SD card in MIDI format. In addition to the card reader, there is also a mini-Jack input, a microphone input, a headphone output and a USB Type B port, somewhat outdated, so you may have to look for a cable.

The built-in 5 W acoustics are quite enough for rehearsals and even chamber performances, and the ability to connect a microphone allows you to train not only performance technique, but also vocals.

Casio LK-280 is probably one of the best training models of synthesizers, not only from Casio, but in general on the market. But for the same money, you can pick up models with a more "lively" sound.

The Japanese company Roland has been producing musical keyboard instruments with a beautiful design and rich functionality for more than 40 years. Roland GO Synthesizer:KEYS is a serious model, the purchase of which can be considered the final stage of training and transition to the league of professional musicians.

The instrument is made in a rectangular red case. The dimensions are quite compact (877x82x271 mm), as well as the weight (3.9 kg). The design is concise, no frills.

On GO:KEYS is convenient to play and it sounds good too. The 61-note full-size active keyboard supports 128-voice polyphony.

There are a lot of accompaniment styles in the instrument (1232), but the model is not rich in timbres, there are only 554 of them. Such "poverty", however, is not a problem, because GO:KEYS supports Bluetooth technology, which allows you to connect to a laptop, smartphone and share files, so you don't have to worry about the quality and quantity of sounds and samples.

The model implements a fundamentally new approach to music creation — the Loop Mix function, which allows you to play phrasal loops directly from the keyboard, even without knowing the chords. You can prescribe the parts of the rhythm section, instruments and process them on the go using reverb effects, chorus, pitch controller (lift effect). Connecting the sustain pedal helps to revive the sound even more.

The results of creativity, if desired, are saved via USB with the B Type connector type. But there is no microphone input, so fans of singing will not be able to record vocals to music directly from the synthesizer.

The process of managing settings and creating compositions is so simple and intuitive that Roland did not even consider it necessary to provide the model with a training mode.

To be able to play anywhere, you can charge 6 AA batteries in Go:Keys, which will last for 3 hours of battery life. And the volume of the built-in acoustics with a power of 2x2.5 W will be enough for both training and entertainment. Headphones will help you focus on the process and not interfere with others.

Roland GO:KEYS is a semi—professional instrument with high-quality sound, easy to use and easy to learn. For a similar price with similar characteristics, it is not worth trying to find something better.