ST-50 Keyboard Tips & Tricks: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners and Performers

When it comes to digital keyboards that balance ease of use, powerful features, and performance-ready functions, the ElektroFM ST-50 is one of the most versatile models available today. Whether you’re a beginner learning your first songs, a music student preparing for Trinity Electronic Keyboard Exams, or a performer playing live shows, the ST-50 offers a wide range of tools that make playing more intuitive and enjoyable. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover 50 essential tips and tricks for mastering the ST-50 keyboard. From selecting voices and styles to saving memory banks, using microphone effects, and leveraging advanced performance features, this blog will help you unlock the full potential of your instrument.

Why Choose the ST-50 Keyboard?

The ST-50 isn’t just another entry-level keyboard—it’s designed to be both educational and performance-friendly. With its user-friendly interface, multiple sound layering options, dedicated registration memory, and features like style freeze, transpose freeze, and harmony effects, it can easily adapt to different musical needs.

For students, the ST-50 is also approved for Trinity College London Electronic Keyboard exams up to Grade 5, which makes it a trusted instrument for exam preparation and practice.

If you’re a performer, features like OTS (One Touch Settings), equalizer presets, and microphone input with effects make it an excellent tool for live gigs and stage setups.

How to Get Started with the ST-50

Before diving into the advanced tricks, it’s important to understand the basics. The ST-50 is built with an intuitive layout that allows players to quickly select voices, styles, and performance settings.

Selecting Voices (Sounds): Press the Voice button, then choose your sound using the numeric pad, rotating dial, or the up & down arrows.

Choosing Styles: Press the Style button then choose your style using the numeric pad, rotating dial, or the up & down arrows.

Dual & Split Sounds: You can play two sounds together (Dual/Layer) and can also add a third sound for the lower section (up to the split point which you can set yourself) of the keyboard. 

Saving User Sounds: You can save your sounds for easy recall instead of having to key in the number or search for a particular sound every time. This can be accomplished by using the 6 Memory buttons on the top panel. A total of 8 sets (banks) can be saved thereby allowing for a total of 48 sounds available at the touch of a few buttons.

ST-50 Tips & Tricks Every Player Should Know

To help you master the keyboard more efficiently, here are some key tips and tricks divided into useful sections.

Sound & Style Management:

1. Save your favorite sound into memory banks for quick recall.

2. Similarly, you can save your style along with the sound. This is saved by default and can be changed to whatever you want.

3. Explore layering two upper voices (dual) for a fuller sound, like Trumpet1 & Trumpet2, or add a different depth like piano & strings for enhanced performance.

4. Want to use a percussive sound or a bass line? Assign a lower sound (that plays on the left of the keyboard up to the split point), like Bass or Strings, for that added dimension.

5. Save these settings in one of the memory locations for quick recall.

Deep Dive: Memory Locations and Banks

One of the strongest features of the ST-50 is its memory locations, which allows performers and students to pre-set their entire setup. For example, if you’re preparing for a live show, performance or function, you can assign different voices and styles to each memory location (button) and switch between them seamlessly.

There are a total of 8 banks each providing 6 memory slots (M1–M6), giving you a total of 48 possible settings. A very powerful and reliable feature is that these memory settings are retained even after putting off the keyboard, making it a very reliable tool and a major time saving feature.

How to Save a Memory Location:

1. Choose your sound, style, and tempo.

2. Select your preferred bank by pressing the Bank button repeatedly (1-8)

3. Press & Hold the Store button.

4. Select one of the six memory locations (M1–M6) to save it.

This process ensures that you can always recall your Memory setup instantly. Just select the Memory Bank and the Memory location (M1-M6) and instantly all the settings are recalled on the keyboard.

• VERY IMPORTANT: You can save following settings in memory

• Voices (main, dual & lower)

• Styles (style name, Style part, Tempo)

• Accompaniment on/off

• Effects

• Mixer for volume levels of Voices and Style tracks

• Keyboard velocity (Response level of the keyboard - very useful for sounds which need to be played without touch response)