- 44 (small) keys
- Keys not weighted or pressure-sensitive
- Volume slider has some problems
- Doesn’t include power-cord
- Sound options can be childish
Surprisingly, the biggest problem with this keyboard is that the AC power cord is not included. Be careful because that means you can’t boot it up the minute you’ve bought it. You’ll need to have bought 6 double A batteries ahead of time or the separate AC power cord.
The Casio SA76 is also a fair bit smaller than it may seem based on the pictures, especially for an adult user. It seems like it should span across your whole lap, but it sits more like a laptop for most adults. For a child though, it’s likely large enough.
We also found that the volume slider is a bit finicky. For a child’s use, it’s really easy to accident change the volume, because it tends toward full-volume. For an adult, it can just seem loud, with mediocre sound quality.
Although it comes with many voices, preset mixes and even drum beats, the variety is lost in mediocre quality. Many of the sounds seem like they haven’t been upgraded in a long time, and seem quite low-quality and electronicky, not authentic.
Cons: The Keys
We want to dedicate a whole section of this review to the keys, because for an advanced pianist, they will be the biggest issue with the Casio SA76.
In addition to the overall smaller size, the keys are also tiny. People with large fingers may find it difficult to play a clean rhythm on the Casio SA76 because they end up tripping over the small keys.
There also are just few keys, which is likely better for a beginning learner or a small child, than a learner of a few years. If you’re okay with sticking within a few octaves, then this is probably okay for you. If 44 keys aren’t enough, then the Casio SA76 might not be the best option.
The keys in and of themselves are also quite plasticky. One place where Casio did not put its money is in the feeling of the keys. The texture is characteristic of a child’s plastic piano – which, let’s admit, is what it is.
The keys also lack pressure sensitivity, meaning that if you press them soft or hard, the volume is the same. Switching to a higher quality digital piano, stand-up or grand piano will be a surprise after using this because of the lack of touch sensitivity.
They also are not weighted. Key weighting is a little bit more advanced and can come in many options. The Casio SA76 does not include any key weighting, which can also be an annoyance when switching to another piano.
