Yesterday, my first few WK-7500s came into my store. After reading a few posts here at the synthzone I was a bit worried that this keyboard might not be all I was expecting.
I've only just begun to explore this new product but I think it's a genuine winner.............especially because it sells for only $499.00.

I will explain why I think this way.......First, 76 semi-weighted keys in a black keyboard with a really nice large easy to read display and enough buttons to navigate and clearly marked with white letters.......On the Privia models it is very hard to read the lettering.

I was concerned that the sounds wouldn't be up to what I thought they should be, but I realize that Casio took basically the sounds from the Privia PX-330 and added more additional sounds in this model. The Pianos, Electric Pianos, and Organs are really good. For those of you who like drawbars there are nine pull down drawbars, second and third percussion switches and a dedicated leslie fast and slow button. I happen to love the piano in the Privia PX330 and for me, if these pianos and organs were all the keyboard could do it would be a bargain at this price and only 19lbs and can even run on batteries............

But this is not all......What other $499.00 76 key keyboard can record 8 track styles from scratch.......NONE!

What other keyboard at this price can record an audio file for up to 13 minutes long from a midifile, a sound in the keyboard, a style played and with a connected microphone or other musical instrument for $499.00......NONE.

And then add a 17 track sequencer, complete sound editing, internal speakers which can be turned on and off (you don't need to use a headphone jack to turn off speakers), stereo outputs, USB, SD card, assignable footswitch jack, etc.

You can record patterns and songs in real time or step time. You can microscope edit tracks note by note. There is a chord sequencer which allows you to program 100 of your own chord sequences and you can save them with whatever sounds you would like to play over the sequence.

The styles are fine, not great and I think Casio can still do a better job when it comes to the samples they use for their ride and crash cymbals. But knowing I can make my own or edit theirs is a real plus. If you've heard the styles in the Privia PX330, I think these styles with the addition of dozens more sound very much the same. In the Privia I cannot change anything where on this new WK-7500 I can change the volumes, tones, effects, etc.

The brass, guitar and string sounds are good. Some are wonderful and some are just OK. I think the sax's are just OK. There not bad....but they aren't the Yamaha sounds like what you will find in the PSR710 or PSR910..........but again, this keybaord sells for $499.00, not $1000.00 or $1,700.00!

I want to get into the sequencers and the audio recording today. I have tried the pattern sequencer for recording styles and it works great. I haven't read the owners manual yet to see if it is clearly laid out. When I get a chance I will report back.

I just think for so many musicians wanting all the popular features of high end arrangers pushing into the $5,000.00 and up range, this Casio WK-7500 surely has a place in the arranger keyboard market!

Hi George:

Thanks for the preliminary review of the WK-7500. Did you also order any CTK-7000? (Shorter version of WK-7500 from all I've read and $100 bucks cheaper.)

I'm considering the 7000 as a replacement for my Yammie PSR-2000 but wonder if my styles collection from other machines and from Yamaha will transport and play adequately on these two new arrangers from Casio. I don't think I noticed anything in your post about the memory card. From what I've read, one will need to buy a card because none are provided. Is that also true for the A/C power supply?

Thanks again for taking the time to post this info. I look forward to your follow-on reporting.

Regards,

Dave Rice
Songwriter

Thanks for the report, George. Very thorough and unbiased, as usual.

Cheers,

Gary

Rice, Yamaha styles will not be compatible, at least without elaborate conversions.
As far as I know, Casio still only has two variations of their styles.
DonM

George, thank you for the nice review....

Dave, I would PLAY it first ....I would consider going from a PSR2k to that Casio 7500 a major downgrade in sound & styles especially since your a songwriter who needs inspiration......buyer beware at any price.

George. Have you tied to midi a difference keyboard or sound omodule to the WK7500 ? Such as yamaha/roland/korg/ketron module ?

Does it have a mic input ?

Thanks, Don and Donny:

I appreciate your responses. Have no concern about me jumping on board anyone's bandwagon before I have kicked the tires and looked under the hood until I am satisfied. Any keyboard considered must provide more features and capabilities than my old 2000. It has served me well and to be honest, my eyes are glimmering at the possibility that the PSR-S910 will come down in price soon.

Knowing that the styles won't transport without significant tinkering is a real negative point. I simply cannot afford to spend magabucks on just any item of equipment that strikes my fancy. I'm not a performer and so far, none of my creations have generated sufficient income to justify spending much on anything. I won't be guilty of going on an ego trip in my spending habits. Thanks again for your warnings and concern. Your advice is extremely valuable to me.

Dave Rice

Yes it has a mic input and yes it comes with a power supply. I just spent a couple of hours with the manual going through many of its features.
Don is correct. You cannot play other manufactures styles in different brands of keyboards without doing a conversion which is usually never as good because the sounds are not the same and volumes and effects need to be tweaked.

I do want to tell you all how cool this new board is...........First, I would like to say that if you just go into a music store that doesn't have someone like me or Frank around you will never know just how much this board can do and how much control over the sounds and styles you have.

The good news is that I was told this was going to be a music store only model.....only time will tell. In the meantime, I can sell a lot of these even if it says "Casio" on it.


I went into the mixer section where there are 32 parts to play with. Parts for the main sounds, the sequencer tracks and the style tracks. All tracks can be edited for voice selection, sound on or off, solo mode (only that one track plays and all the rest are muted), pan, reverb send, chorus send, DSP send, tuning, octave, etc. What I love is that I can do this with the data wheel, one track at a time or I can use the 9 faders to adjust every track parameter at the same time. This is really easy. This way I can mix all the volumes in real time and get them just the way I want, or I can even use the faders to turn all the tracks on and off . As long as I have my cursor on the item I wish to change the faders will do all the tracks so I become an audio engineer and it's easy. I also found that in just changing some of the factory style sounds which seem to use GM sounds to the internal Privia sounds, I was able to get the styles sounding really good.

Next, I erased all parts in the pattern editor and created a style from scratch. I can program up to 16 measure patterns and I can set all the values such as quantize, pattern length, etc. easily.

The navigation isn't difficult once you've played with it. Just as Yamaha uses it's function button to get into all the functions, Casio uses the function button along with other buttons to get into all the detail features.

I formated a 2GB SD card which costs about $6.00 and plugged a mic into the back. I went into the audio record mode after selecting a style and sound I wanted and I hit the record button a second time and created an audio file of me singing and playing. The quality is great and so easy to do.

Again, remember, this is not a $1,000.00 or more keyboard. I wouldn't say this is a downgrade from a Yamaha PSR anything if you like the styles and sounds. It's an upgrade in every other detail..........more keys, way more recording capabilities and editing, including sound editing, pattern editing, sequencer editing. Drawbars and mixer faders, audio recording, better acoustic pianos ( again individual taste but I think the Privia piano is much deeper and warmer then the pianos in the 710, 910 and especially the PSR2000).

What do you mean by 'semi-weighted', George? IS it similar to an S910, or a T4? An NP-30 or a DGX..? Are they piano shape or synth shape?

I'm sorry, but there seems to be no standardization of keyboard 'feel' descriptions, so perhaps a comparison or two might help...

George:

You did not mention the CTK-7000. (I wonder why they use a different alphabetical designation when the numerical ID would suffice and eliminate confusion?) Do you have or do you plan to carry this smaller version? I don't need 71 keys and the smaller the better for my tiny studio since I've downsized.

Do these two Casio Arrangers allow fewer intros and endings than most keyboards on their "styles?" While I'm at it, do they identify "styles" by a different name?

Is the SD card easy to access and replace? Can a Pen Drive or USB Memory Stick be used to transport the songs created to a PC for further editing?

While I'm at it, I've not seen a photograph of the rear of these keyboards. I'd like to know which side the power cord is located and other details about what else needs to be connected (or could be connected) to this "board" if desired by the user.

Please also give us your impression about the manual that accompanies these units. Is it well written and easy to understand or is it pigeon english like some Japanese manuals?

As you may know, this keyboard family is being advertised by big box stores such as Guitar Center. Unfortunately, their staff is not well informed about "arrangers" so I'll have to figure out things mostly on my own when their units begin arriving sometime after the 9th of Feb.

The good news is that this family of arrangers is so reasonably priced, I might be able to afford to purchase one and keep my PSR-2000.

Thanks again for your informative reports.

Regards,

Dave Rice