CASIO CTK-6000 REVIEW

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            CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. OVERVIEW

3. TONES

4. AUTO-ACCOMPANIMENT

5. SEQUENCER

6. ARPEGGIATOR AND PRESETS

7. OTHER FACILITIES & CONCLUSION
The Arpeggiator is an effect you can add whereby various patterns are added to odd notes or to chords. You can turn it on or off with a single button while playing, though changing to a different pattern takes several steps and you can't do that while playing. It's not something I personally would have much use for, but if you are constructing electronic/synth type music it's an added effect which could be attractive.

Here as a demo are four types of arpeggio, each with one, two and three notes (36 seconds):


The Auto-harmonizer is available from the same button and selector. This adds chords, of several different types, to notes in the melody line: you have to using accompaniment chords to use this (or it wouldn't know in what key to form the chord). The results are a bit variable, but used carefully can produce a fuller sound. Here is a simple phrase, followed by the same phrase with three harmony types (24 seconds):


Presets are pre-recorded chord sequences using various of the auto-accompaniments. There are 305 of these, ranging from just a few bars to complete songs. They are for the most part not existing songs, apart from a selection of traditional or classical ones (the latter mostly presented with a tacky beat accompaniment - pure lift music): each is presented with a style which is considered suitable.

I would have thought them of limited use. For example, number B051, 'Tea Time', consists of the first eight bars of 'Tea for Two' repeated indefinitely (until you stop it) - (22 seconds):


Other songs are a lot more complicated, with many and fast chord changes  - the display does show the current chord, but even so it's difficult to keep up with it. There is no printed information on these presets to help you along. Here is a more complicated example. 'Bossa Pop', including the auto-ending (1 minute):


The final page examines the advanced settings and wraps up this review.