Casio Lk-280 61-Lighted Key Touch Sensitive Portable Piano Keyboard

Wow. I own an Ensniq TS10, two Korgs, and a Roland keyboard, but THIS keyboard has the incredible ability to import ANY blues/jazz piano midi file (.mid) you can find on the internet, and play it in "teaching" mode, at your tempo, so you can learn it. For this reason alone, I rated this keyboard 5 stars, even though it was shipped with a loose connection mentioned elsewhere in these reviews. It's a simple fix. Take the time to browse the internet for the best blues piano licks you can find in midi format. If you find it, you can play it. Here's how to use the free MIDI sequencing program Aria Maestosa to format any midi file to light up the Casio LK's learning keys:Use of Aria Maestosa Midi Sequencer for Casio LK-280 “Learning Files”rev 12-20-15The Casio LK-280's default factory setting is to have the teaching key-light up channel (Navi Channel in the Function menu) set to channel's “3” & “4”. The Navi Channel, selected in Casio's Function menu, is the one that determines which notes show up on the lighted keyboard. Specifically, Navi uses “paired” channels, so when the Navi Channel is set to channel “4”, then channel “4” is paired with channel “3”. It is only the notes present in channel 3 that will light up in the Casio LK for teaching purposes. The Casio will play the notes that are in channel 4, and that are in every other channel, but only notes on channel 3 will light up the keys.So, for each MIDI song you want to learn, use Aria Maestro to ALWAYS isolate the keys to be learned to channel 3. I will explain how below. I always set up 3 midi files for each song I export from Aria Maestrosa, and here's how I name each:First file: 01 LH 3 & 4, in which “01” is my song # (I keep the name short for the Casio's LCD screen), and the LH tells me I've placed the left-hand notes in channel 3. The RH notes are placed in a track that is designated as channel 4 (I'll explain how below). Both hands' sound will be be played, but only LH notes will be lit up for the student to learn.Second file: 01 RH 3 & 4, in which channel 3 contains the RH (right hand) notes and 4 contains the LH notes. RH notes can thus be learned.Third file: 01 Both 3 & 3, in which both LH and RH are in channel 3. The keys for both hands will light up at once. You can learn to play both hands together.Once you've exported these midi files from Aria Maestosa to your PC, you can place them on your Casio's SD card. Make sure you've “formatted” your SD card in the Casio, as formatting creates a required “MUSICDAT” file folder on the SD card. Place your midi files in the MUSICDAT folder for the Casio to read.To set up my 3 midi files for each song using the Aria Maestosa program, open the program and import your midi file of choice by dragging & dropping it from the file folder to the main window in Aria Maestosa. Isolate the TRACKS that have the best LH and RH piano parts that you want to learn. Aria Mestosa has a red button (mute) and a green button (solo) on the track bar of each track. Use "solo" to single out what each track is playing. You may find that both piano parts, left and right hands, are in the same track. In that case you can split the notes below middle C into the LH notes on another TRACK, and those above middle C into still another new track.To set a TRACK's channel in Aria Maestosa, use the main menu bar to choose “Settings”, “Channel Mgmt”, and “Manual”. On the right side of each track bar, a small square box with a CHANNEL number in it will appear next to the the “instrument box”. Click in the box to change the channel of the desired track(s) to channels 3 & 4.Once completed, choose “File”, “Export to MIDI”. NOTE: Any track you mute (small red light in track bar) will NOT be exported to MIDI. Likewise, any track you SOLO (green light in track bar) will be the ONLY track that will export to MIDI. Though it's useful to solo and mute some tracks to isolate the best LH and RH info to put on channel 3, I would suggest that when you prepare to export the MIDI file for use on the Casio LK, you leave no tracks soloed or muted.Run a test of what you've chosen for the left and right hands by playing the files on the Casio LK. If some of the bass notes or treble clef notes are above the Casio LK's range, they can't light up. If this happens, take the file back into Aria Maestosa and move notes as necessary, up (or down) an octave, so they fit the Casio's 61-key keyboard layout.Enjoy!BTW, heres a super MIDI (.mid) Blues file I downloaded, converted, and have the LK-280's keys lighting up instruction for: Do a search on "30 Must Have Piano BluesLicks.mid". It's free, and you'll be amazed. It's not your typical "beginner" piano instructional stuff, it is awesome!

While it took 3 different orders to finally receive the right Casio LK280 keyboard. Firstly, you have to be careful reading the reviews of the Casio keyboards since on the same web page you can choose from various models: the LK175, LK260 or the LK280. When viewing your model of interest, the reviews attached to your selection will unfortunately include the reviews for all 3 models. This seems to be a departure from Amazon's typical model of information. So, if you're not careful, you might be reading a wonderful review of the LK280 when you're thinking it's for the LK260, or a lesser expensive model. This is what happened to me. I ordered the LK260 thinking it had all the attributes I was interested in but they belonged to the Casio LK280. In fairness to Amazon, they did precede each review with the appropriate model number but in very small font. Again, this is a departure from the norm: one product and only reviews pertaining to that product. My LK260 keyboard order arrived safely packed in another protective shipping box but was promptly returned in favor of the LK280. That ordered, however, arrived without a protective shipping box. It was shipped in the manufacturer's 4-color commercial store shelf box. As you'd expect with heavy Christmas orders, the box arrived damaged with a gaping hole in its center. I returned the keyboard but not before contacting Amazon's Customer Care department. I spoke to the rep to register my concern and they investigated the shipping problem and apologized for the inconvenience and promised that my re-order will be packaged correctly (meaning in a protective shipping box, like they did with the model LK260 keyboard. After all, keyboards are a sensitive instrument). Unfortunately, my replacement LK280 keyboard arrived again without an outside protective box. However, no visible shipping damage to the container was evident this time. I unboxed the instrument and inspected it. No apparent damage was noted. I set it up, plugged it in and played it. The sound and feel of the keyboard was exceptional. I highly recommend it. I purchased the unit for my wife who wants to learn to play the piano and with keyboard lights, this one is a no brainer. This model has many tones (600 to be exact), lots of rhythm modes and built-in songs, plus a 6 track recorder. How cool is that? At this price of $200.00, it's a steal! Especially when you search around the internet, you'll find this model selling for $400.00!! Now if Amazon could get its packaging problem straightened out, great. Otherwise, it might be a hit and miss game. Good luck.