10 Best Music Keyboards under 100 USD
Photo by Yuyi Chang on Unsplash
Are you aspiring to purchase a piano or music keyboard that has a price tag below 100 Dollars? Hobbyist musicians who want to get their maiden keyboard and start the piano learning journey usually opt for low budget music keyboards with a decent pricing option. If you are looking for a decent, low budget music keyboard that fits into your pocket, there are a few good options to choose from.
Big music hardware developers and brands such as Korg, Yamaha and Casio have been into existence since multiple decades in the music keyboard industry. However, some other brands have been able to build their space in the low budget segment as well.
In this article we shall explore the best possible options for our readers on selecting the musical keyboards within the 100 USD budget mark.
Free License: Piano Keys Picture (Pexels.com)
How to choose a decent music keyboard for your studio or stage?
Be it studio, stage or a practice session – your music should fill like a treat to the listeners ears. Hence, to get the best out of your music keyboard or synth, it is essential for you to choose a decent model with maximum features loaded.
Here are the key parameters that a musician must consider while choosing to buy a music keyboard as per the desired budget:
- Decent Sound quality (Minimum 16-bit, PCM sounds)
- Sampling Frequency (44.1 Khz to be the standard, 96 Khz on the higher side)
- The keyboard should have Touch Response / Velocity Feature.
- Wide variety of global sounds all over the world for a holistic playing experience
- If it’s an arranger keyboard – must have wide variety of recorded rhythms and accompaniment feature.
- Should be portable and not too bulky for the musicians on the move
- USB to device facility for seamless integration with DAW Softwares for PC or MAC
- Registration Memory / Bank system to store your favourite sounds
- Built-in effects processor with basic ADSR, Reverb, Delay and Chorus effects is an essential feature.
- The music keyboard should be covered with a global onsite warranty of minimum 1 to 3 years with world-wide service facility across major geographies.
- Getting all these features at a price less than 100 USD could be a challenge, however there are few decent music keyboards which come close to these features. In our next section we shall review and provide information about the best keyboards to choose from within the 100 USD budget.
Top 10 Music Keyboards under 100 USD Budget
Based on our thorough review and testing of various brands of music keyboards, we have come up with a curated list of 10 Keyboards under 100 USD Budget suitable for your playing needs:
Rock Jam 54 Keys Keyboard
- A highly compact and portable keyboard, Rock Jam 54 has 54 full size hammer style keys with a decent tone and rhythm collection.
- With an integration support to Simply Piano IOS and Piano Maestro teaching app, Rock Jam is a decent keyboard to start with your musical journey.
- It has a weight of just 8.2 lbs which is portable in nature.
- Has an interactive Blue LCD Screen and comes with a music stand.
- Can get powered with batteries or power supply alternatively.
- Comes with integrated stereo speakers with decent sound output.
Pros:
Decent music keyboard in terms of overall features and price.
Cons:
Touch Response is usually flat and needs improvement.
Average Price:
75 – 80 US Dollars
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Joy 61 Keyboard
- Joy 61 keyboard has 61 full size hammer style keys with a pretty nice tone and rhythm collection. (128 Timbres, 128 Rhythms, 12 Demo songs and 8 Percussion Kits)
- It comes as a package bundle with the keyboard, music stand, seating stool and headphones. (The best part)
- It has a weight of 18.3 lbs.
- Has an interactive Red LCD Screen for viewing tones and rhythms.
- Can get powered with batteries or power supply alternatively.
- Comes with integrated stereo speakers with decent sound output.
Pros:
Winner in terms of sound quality, packaging and accessories.
Cons:
Touch Response is flat and needs improvement. Speakers might produce a humming sound sometimes.
Average Price:
90-100 US Dollars
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CASIO SA-76 Keyboard
- CASIO SA-76 keyboard is a great mini keyboard for kids from the Industry Leader CASIO INC.
- It has a weight of 2.64 lbs, has 100 sounds, 50 rhythm patterns and 5 dedicated percussion pads.
- Has an easy Black and White LCD Screen for viewing tones and rhythms.
- Can get powered with batteries or power supply alternatively.
- Comes with integrated stereo speakers with decent sound output.
Pros:
Cheapest mini keyboard available for kids and beginners with decent features.
Cons:
No touch response facility, no advanced editing features, low polyphony of 8 notes.
Average Price:
50-55 US Dollars
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Alesis Melody 54 <musicdetailed.com Editor’s choice>
- Alesis is a well-known brand for keyboards and sound gear in the world. Melody 54 has 54 responsive piano style keys well-crafted for practicing and performing live and recording on studios
- 300 built in dynamic tones and 300 rhythms from all genres of music. Sounds are mostly of good professional quality.
- Comes with a music rest, dynamic microphone as well as a 3-month free membership for Skoove Online lessons.
- Feature rich keyboard with layering, splits and facility to save user sounds and rhythms
Pros:
Professional quality sounds, good touch response and power packed features are found in this keyboard. A worth buy with this mini price tag.
Cons:
LCD Display looks bit faint at times and can be improved for better visibility.
Average Price:
78-80 US Dollars
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Green Pro 61 Keys Keyboard
- Green Pro has designed an intuitive keyboard exclusively for teaching and learning purpose. It has 300 sounds, 300 rhythm patterns and 30 demo songs for quick access and learning.
- Red LCD Display with high volume stereo speakers integrated.
- Has good connectivity options such as USB port and also basic Audio connection ports.
- Can be powered by batteries and power adaptor separately.
Pros:
Good value for money. Efficient for music teaching perspective.
Cons:
Build quality is not strong. Out of tune from standard pitch.
Average Price:
78-80 US Dollars
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Casio CTK-2550 Keyboard
- A pretty decent keyboard from CASIO brand is the CTK-2550 model. It has 61 piano style keys with 400 Tones, 50 song bank patterns and 100 Rhythm patterns
- Has built in effects and editable sound patches based on user requirements
- Comes with high quality stereo speakers, USB and Audio connectivity options for making music with PC and DAWs
- This model is compatible with Casio Chordana Play App used to learn songs on the go.
- Equipped with battery and power adaptor for dual powering up options.
Pros:
High quality sounds, highly feature rich keyboard. A worth buy with this price tag. Keys are expressive and good in quality.
Cons:
Pitch bend, modulation functionality missing
Average Price:
95-100 US Dollars
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AODSK 61 Key Keyboard
- AODSK provides full piano style 61 keys in its flagship portable keyboard for beginners.
- Comes with a Mic option, music stand, packed with 255 voices across all musical genres.
- DSP Signal processor to articulate effects on the top of voices patches.
- 24 Demo songs for auditioning and practice.
- Dual stereo speakers and 3.5mm jack connector available as an audio out.
Pros:
Decent sounding keyboard with good sounds at this price. Keys are like piano style and good in quality.
Cons:
Pitch bend, modulation functionality missing at this price. Expression and after touch features can be improved.
Average Price:
95-100 US Dollars
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Lagrima LAG-300 61 keys Keyboard
- The LAG-300 is a 61 keys full featured piano style keyboard from LAGRIMA.
- Packed with 128 Tones, 128 Rhythms and 12 demo songs.
- Comes with a 3-step teaching function suitable for kids, beginners and all ages to learn musical keyboard.
- Has Audio and MIC Input as well as Phones output for a good audio listening and recording experience.
- Powered with AC Adaptor and Battery facility as dual powering options.
- Music stand is included in the accessories list.
Pros:
Audio connectivity is decent and this keyboard is a good choice for learning and teaching purposes.
Cons:
Sound quality is average and keys are not much expressive to play.
Average Price:
90-100 US Dollars
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Plixio 61-Keys
- This 61 key digital electric piano keyboard from Plixio is light weight and portable in nature.
- Powered by Adaptor and Batteries for portability. Weighs less than 9 lbs.
- Includes 100 rhythms, 60 demo songs, 40 tones and 8 percussion kits in its sound bank.
- Can be used as a karaoke controller with a microphone input.
- Comes with built in effects such as Sustain, Vibrato and Echo.
- Comes with a music stand accessory included in the kit.
- Pros:
Connectivity options on Audio and USB are decent and this keyboard is a portable option to start with.
Cons:
Not expressive keys on the music keyboard. Sound quality needs improvement.
Average Price:
70-75 US Dollars
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Moukey MEK 61 Keys Keyboard
- The Moukey MEK 61 is a piano style keyboard with 61 keys
- Has 300 Tones, 300 Rhythm patterns, 8 Percussion Kits and 50 demo songs loaded on its sound palate.
- Features a Red LCD Display for quick viewing and editing of sounds and rhythm patterns
- Comes with built-in stereo speakers for sound playback and auditioning.
- Equipped with microphone input and headphone output ports.
- Powered with AC Adaptor as well as battery power as per player needs.
Pros:
Sound quality is pretty decent with this keyboard. Features are good and the sound collection suffices to musicians needs.
Cons:
Missing USB connectivity option at this price range. Connectivity options need to be improved.
Average Price:
95-100 US Dollars
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What is the best budget to choose a beginner music keyboard?
If you are planning for your first music keyboard for playing and learning music purposes, we would suggest to start with a minimum of 100 US Dollars or more for your budget. Although there are plenty of cheap options available at 50-70 Dollars range online or in-stores, such keyboards usually lack most of the features of a decent music keyboard. Here are some of the key reasons why you should not opt for a lost cost option below 100 USD for your first music keyboard.
- Low sound quality and de-tuned pitches for notes
- Patches are not editable
- Lower polyphony of notes (8 to 16 only)
- Buttons and build quality in poor.
- Lack of proper support and warranty coverage of imported cheap keyboards.
- No USD/MIDI connection facility for cheap keyboards.
If I am beginner, what should be my budget for music keyboard?
A minimum budget of 100 – 150 dollars is a decent investment for your beginner music keyboard. Anything less that is not recommendable.
Should I plan for local brands with more features on my music keyboard or stick to global brands like Korg, Yamaha for my purchase?
If your budget is less, you may opt for local brands for your music keyboard. Else we would suggest to stick to global brands with a little higher price tag for selecting your first music keyboard.
Should I buy my keyboard from an online store or always buy from offline stores?
That depends on your location, area of service and your budget. Usually, offline stores have good brands of keyboards, while you can get cheaper options online. Before you take a decision, check about service and warranty coverage as well.
What are the warranty covers I should look for my music keyboard?
You should be looking for a minimum 1-to-3-year onsite warranty on your music keyboard during purchase. Any thing below 1 year warranty is not advisable for a purchase. Can I upgrade my keyboard to a better version using exchange of my old keyboard?
Can I upgrade my keyboard to a better version using exchange of my old keyboard?
Most of the global music keyboard manufacturers allow you to exchange your branded music keyboard and purchase the new music keyboard at reputed purchase centres world-wide. You may get about 10-30% discount depending upon your old music keyboard make, model and utilities.
Conclusion
We have therefore discussed about the top 10 models of music keyboards under 100 USD. Our recommendation goes with Casio SA-76 in kids category and Joy 61-Keyboard Kit or Alesis Melody 54 in general category for best budget keyboards in this price range. We advise our readers to choose wisely the appropriate keyboard model for your needs based on the features and evaluation parameters that you wish to take into consideration.
For more insightful articles on making music and learning about PIANOS, please visit our PIANO Section on our website musicdetailed.com <call to action>
