Despite the harsh competition on the music market, Casio has its name in the hall of fame where users of all levels choose it to be their trustable instrument brand.
That said, if you look to buy a reliable piano to begin your music career or to advance a level further, the WK 6600 is an unbeatable choice.
Curious why?
Read this Casio WK 6600 review to know this product is worth your money.
Casio WK 6600 Overview
This 76-key workstation, in our opinion, is a portable arranger fully loads, what you need for a workstation keyboard. And we added it in our collection of the best Casio pianos.
We were doubtfully testing the heaps of features and ready to conclude that it meets the mediocre instrument voice quality.
The general specs include:
- 700 built-in tones
- 10 user tones
- Song sequencer of 16 tracks
- 210 accompaniments
- AHL Dual Element sound source
- 32-channel mixer
- Rhythm editor
- Tone editor
- 10 types of reverbs
- 5 types of chorus
- Digital sound effects
- Touch-responsive keyboard
- Sustain pedal input (sold separately)
- Backlit LCD
- SD card slot
- USB ports to connect to computer or MIDI
WK 6600 makes a fantastic choice for those who are at the intermediate level. These features present a concentration of investment in the quality of Casio.
It’s clear what they want to deliver is an all-in-one synthesizer at an affordable price.
Yet there is so much to say about this Casio WK 6600. Let’s check out the notable features of the device.
Prominent Features
Playability
The first thing that came to our mind is to see how this hardware fits players’ skill.
Honestly, beginners will find the keyboard somewhat too complicated for their entry level.
It may drive starters a bit confused with a load of buttons and functions built for experienced producers.
You’re welcome to skip if you’re looking for a simpler workstation.
But hey! Rules always have exceptions
We don’t see why a beginner can’t learn how to perform on this advanced keyboard with a bit of practice day by day.
If you are seriously goal-driven, religious dedication to practice will get you better with time, making everything possible.
By when you reach intermediate, the upper-level world will tell you what to do next with this music production hardware.
Straightforward Interface
Now! This relates to how friendly the keyboard is to even first-comers.
Although there are several buttons and configurations, all are labeled and instructed in the manual. The rest of the work of editing relies on your creativity.
What we mean is the indicating directory is accessible in a logical manner that requires minimal skill to engage.
Also, the display is there to make it easier.
Keep in mind you need a bit of knowledge about the keyboard to get the tone editor on the go.
Accompaniments
Casio WK 6600 consists of a massive bank of accompaniments from various genres.
With 210 units of preprogrammed instrument sounds, you can engage the rhythms with the OneTouch presets.
What’s more to make your singing performance more practical?
The WK 6600 allows you to customize the latter with the tone and rhythm editor.
It also incorporates sound effects including Reverb, Chorus, Auto Pan, Tremolo, Rotary, Phaser, Chorus, Reflection, Enhancer, Filter, Delay, Compressor and Ring Mod.
These will come in handy when you tend to record independently.
Although it’s hard to tell the difference of sound between live-recording and post-production, the results are comparable.
Portability
Performers benefit a lot from this portable unit. At 15 lbs in weight, when versus Casio WK 6500, the WK 6600 is lighter.
On-the-go music makers love this keyboard for it is portable and easy to transport. You will need to set up a stand if your jamming section is outdoor.
One more plus is the long battery life allowing using the device without being close to an electric outlet.
So, there is no limit of the stage to show off your skill
And how do you set up this keyboard on the move?
Good news is you will get a stand inside the box. It’s a pretty standard stand but better than nothing in this price range.
Powerful Music Production Tools
Not sure how many times we’ve mentioned the device’s ability to produce music in a pro fashion.
As it features 16 track-sequencer, the keyboard is super diverse in the recording.
In a demo, we reached the max record at 16 tracks, 5 songs and more than 30,000 notes in total. That is more than enough!
With the support of 48 notes of polyphony, we noticed a minor occurrence of note droppings while playing big chords, layering sounds, or adding notes using the sustain pedal.
It is possible to monitor the speakers with the pitch bend wheel during music creation sections.
This means you can make realistic sounding effects for more impressive performance.
What else are we missing about the WK 600?
It is the Multiple Digital FX. Casio WK 6600 allows live monitoring while recording and editing tracks.
With over 100 preset DSP (Digital Signal Processor) effects, 100 user DSP effects, 10 different Reverb settings, 5 Chorus settings and the ability to layer effects (wah, delay, rotary, phaser, flanger and more) on a single track or tone, you can customize music the way you want.
So, Casio WK 6600 really unlocks your creativity to infinity
With the bend-wheel located on the left side, you can adjust the pitches from 0 to 24 semitones.
Another winning point is the built-in arpeggiator in the WK 6600.
This powerful feature allows you to assign different phrases or rhythms to sole keys. This is pretty helpful when you need to incorporate loops into your production with one touch.
The arpeggio also packs with various types including guitar phrases, fingered chords and more.
Output Sound
For us, the 2-way stereo speakers and a 6W amplifier are quite sufficient for rich and resonating sound. If you look for more powerful volume, the Line Out Ports L and R, Mic-in, and an Audio Mini Jack are there to help.
Touch Responsive
Touch responsive is the next thing we care about in a digital piano
Keys on the WK 6600 is quite sensitive to the press.
How about it vs. Casio WK 7600? Of course, the next generation takes the upper hand, but it doesn’t make a significant difference. However, it is audible in realistic sound but the pitch and tone may go a bit flat on the WK 6600.
Nonetheless, it was a pleasant feeling listening to high-output 2-way bass reflex speakers.
It delivers a rich vibrancy of sound from low range to high.
Not only that
The class-compliant USB connectivity will attach your workstation with a computer of both Windows and Mac OS. This connection is needed when you want to download drivers.
It’s literally better than standard USB
Compliant MIDI transforms your keyboard into a controller to bring a lot of music at your fingertips. It unlocks more options for recording, mixing, and editing; it helps you master more features when connecting to a computer.
That said MIDI enabled is a huge advantage for those who want to exploit high-end features for even more creative music.
With this alone, WK 6600 is a lot better than most of its competitors.
However, it requires a MIDI Adapter cable to connect the two devices. How to use this MIDI interface is a seamless process of plug-and-play.
Room For Your Creation
Casio WK 6600 allows you to record and convert tracks into SMF before storing to an SDHC Memory card or a regular SD card.
The onboard memory is another thrive on the 6600. You have a vacancy for seventeen tracks in the internal memory. It is more than enough for a producing section.
Casio WK 6600 Pros & Cons
What We Like
Great Budget Keyboard
Beating the price for this quality is hard. Casio has brought a rival to the market that rumbles and handles most types of contemporary music creation.
We received many comments claiming the hardware fits the bill to establish a studio with budget gear. It makes an economy device that generates sound comparable to more expansive keyboards possible.
The price can cause the quality to be doubtful.
But guess what?
You can’t go wrong with less three hundred bucks. It’s a Casio, and it comes with a warranty.
Simple Accessibility
If you pass the beginner stage, handling the 6600 is not anything daunting.
It took out tester two days to get familiar with the device. After that, there is no difficulty figuring out the rest of the functions.
One of our readers reported that he used the board to teach his 5-year son keyboard etiquette and got him to rock on it. It sounded like a good start for beginners though.
Seamless Touch
Honestly, the keys feel good to the touch. It doesn’t give much restraint to the press but bounces back the sound at zero delays.
All the buttons have clear indicator text, and the bent wheel spins with no halt.
Flexible functions also count the straightforward LED display making the WK 6600 extremely easy to tackle with.
What We Don’t Like
Unweighted keys
It’s a pity that this keyboard doesn’t come with weighted keys. Or else, it would make the item flawless. We wish Casio could have added it for more cost, only if it was their sale strategy.
But anyhow
We still think it is a huge miss not to have the weighted keys.
Besides, the incomplete key set is a minus. But as it doesn’t come with piano-like keys, it is not necessarily in need of a full 88 board.
Beginner Unfriendly
As mentioned above, this 6600 doesn’t bring much love to the novices. It has too many advanced features that take time and effort to conquer.
In the worse scenario, it’s likely to discourage starters due to the complicated operation only meant for intermediate.
But as we claimed it’s okay for rookies to thrive, we recommend using the keyboard with an expert coach.
Casio WK 6600 FAQs
Check out what our readers ask around the WK 6600 and seek your answers here.
Q. I heard the keyboard doesn’t support Mac. Is there a way to make it work?
A: The Casio WK 6600 does support connectivity to Macbook, iPad, and iPhone with no cumbersome of downloading drivers. The problem is either on your computer or the cable. Make sure you get the right MIDI connection kit, and your OS is updated.
Q. Can I do a live performance with this keyboard?
A: The keyboard is more prone to self-composing than getting on the stage. It takes time to wheel up the voice, and that makes no sense for the band to wait for you.
Q. How to connect to MIDI?
A: The USB ports let you connect the keyboard to your computer using the cable. Windows and Mac OS will recognize the device. From there, you can add the keyboard into the music tool you’re using.
If you wonder how the WK 6600 compare to other models in WK series like the WK 7600. Luckily, we got the thing you need. Here is the Casio WK 7600 review, let us know your thought about it.
Final Thought
The Casio WK 6600 is a nice gear for your studio. It saves tons of money spent on a high-end gadget while giving the exotic outcome needed for an avid composer.
It will make a good companion for those who enter the world of music production and wish for ultimate pieces of creativeness.
After all that we have rounded up, the choice is yours. But keep in mind that we are here to listen to you. So, don’t forget to leave us a message stating your question.
