PORTABLE KEYBOARDS HAVE come a long way since those far off days when I stood in Dixons gobstruck at a 30-quid piece of plastic called the Casio VL-tone. Once capable only of pier-end organ swells and plink-plink-fizz tea dance rhythms, many machines now offer sound quality that rivals that of "serious" synthesizers, with programmability further expanding the range of auto-cruise options.

Take the new launches from Italian organ maestros Farfisa, for example - the romantically titled TK120 and its smaller brother, the TK100. (Under scrutiny here is the big model, but at £120 less, the TK100 may be a more realistic proposition for some.) Features include a large selection of digital sounds based around samples of real acoustic instruments; some natty auto-accompaniments; the ability to program your own sounds, rhythms and accompaniments; and a full MIDI spec allowing you to interface with other electronic instruments.

This technical wizardry is smartly packaged in a robust dark grey plastic case. There's a 61-note full size keyboard, two built-in speakers rated at seven watts apiece, and a lid-cum-music stand which lifts to reveal a control panel with more buttons than you'd expect to find in your average Cadbury's pack.

Arrangements can consist of a total of five "parts" made up of Orchestra, Accompaniment, Solo, Bass and Rhythm, all of which have separate volume controls. The latter gives you a choice of 16 different basic patterns (from Disco and Rock through to Waltz and Samba) with as many variations, plus fill-ins, intros and endings at the touch of a button. Patterns are made up from a total of 13 different "sampled" drum kit and percussion sounds, and you can play along with these from the keys.

There are 16 orchestra preset voices available, five each of Solo and Accompaniment and four Bass sounds. The choice here covers the usual ground - including pianos, organs, harpsichord, accordion, guitar, flute, brass, "funky" bass, tuba and a choir. On the whole I was favourably impressed, especially with the Bass voices. Long, smooth sounds like the pipe organ and vocal ensemble tend to sound better than the more percussive ones such as pianos and vibes, but this is partly explained by the keyboard's lack of touch-sensitivity: no matter how hard you press the keys, the volume of the sound doesn't change. The more weedy voices, such as guitar and trumpet, can soon be thickened up by adding "special effects" - chorus (normal or fast), vibrato and detune.

Pressing a button labelled Custom allows you to create your own variations of sounds by mixing and matching the three basic ingredients from which all the preset voices are created - that is, an "envelope" and two waveforms. Say you want to produce a voice which sounds like a cross between piano and strings: the TK120 first shows you what elements those particular presets are composed of. Then you can take a wave from each, mix them together, impose a suitable envelope, and there you are.

It sounds complicated. But that old standby technique, trial and error, soon yields some exciting results. Especially as you can also introduce further "movement" using eight extra shapes (four waves and four envelopes).

Providing you've put some batteries in, the resulting sounds are stored and can be programmed into the auto-accompaniments. Features here include Easychord (so you can play whole chords just by holding down the root note) and Memory (which keeps the chord going after you've taken your hand off the keyboard to scratch your bum).

One nice feature is the Arranger, which changes the part played by the accompaniment section from block chords or strumming to an arpeggio effect. Another is the Mono-Poly Switch (MPS) whereby you can alternate between a chosen Mono or Orchestra voice depending on how many notes you press down.

Along with new rhythms, you can also create your own bass, accompaniment and auto solo harmonizations through what's known as the Self-programming Arranger. Each of the new patterns can be interchanged with the preset ones at the flick (well, touch) of a switch. This means you can easily manipulate the TK120 to change the accompaniment subtly during a chorus or middle eight.

The full MIDI spec means easy interfacing with other instruments, either playing them directly from the keyboard or via the accompaniments. With so-called "multi-timbral" expanders, for example, you can create some fab backings by doubling up with the onboard voices. The TK120 can also be controlled from external instruments, so it'll still be useful even when you upgrade to better things.

The TK120 certainly has enough "do-it all" and "do-it-yourself' features to keep players at all levels happy. It looks smart, the onboard sounds work together well, and the programming facilities make it fun for people like me who don't enjoy anything unless they can pull it apart.

FARFISA TK120 KEYBOARD: £469 inc VAT

INFO: Farfisa UK, (Contact Details)