Casio CZ-1000 | The Synths That Time Forgot

Today we're talking about the Casio CZ-1000, an early 80's digital synth. In Zach's opinion, the ethos of Casio has always been about giving you a lot for a little-- bang for your buck. Through their history as a manufacturer of many things, this mindset has been ever present-- especially with their digital synthesizers. Has time forgotten this line? If so, does it deserve to be forgotten? Take a listen and tell us what you think!

Playing demos start at 7:08

__________________________________________________________________

♩ Call toll-free: [phone]

♬ Connect:

[RetroPlus]

This synth has so much character, definitely an underrated classic

[ngoulet]

The CZ-101 was my first hardware synth. I originally got mine mainly for use as a MIDI controller for my Amiga 1000's soft synths way back in 1985.

Casio was well known as "toy maker" of electronic keyboards, and in the 80s just about no one was going to take Casio seriously as a professional instrument brand. I couldn't afford a Yamaha DX7, which was maybe 5 or 6 times the price but the instrument always talked about in Electronic Musician magazine, which I had subscribe to in early 1985. I was delighted to learn the CZ's internal sound engine was unlike anything previously from Casio, and capable of great sounds. Just learning about synths in 1984-1985, I was unaware that the sounds used on famous records that I really loved weren't so much the DX7 as I assumed, but rather analog synths from Oberheim, Moog, ARP, etc. And I quickly learned the way the CZ engine sounds has a lot more in common with those synths than it does the DX7. The CZ was by no means a rip off in sound to the DX7. Before long I bought a Yamaha FB-01 to gain FM sounds, and eventually a TX7 module (DX7 in tabletop form). Anyone wanting a cheap DX7 was buying the wrong instrument if they bought a CZ.

I grew up with a piano in the house and had little interest in it. In 1980, we got one of the first Casio electronic home keyboards. It could make a lot of different sounds, was very portable and battery operated with speakers. I took a lot more interest in that than our piano.

The CZ's had a lot of other advantages besides giving an incredible value. Verses the analog synths typically used by professionals, the CZ's offered the new MIDI, and you could load sysex libraries into them from a home computer, which was a great thing. You didn't need to know how to program your own sounds. Thousands existed like the DX7. The CZ's were also far more reliable than more typical analog synths, and physically smaller and lighter, plus you could buy the extra small models like the CZ-101 & CZ-1000.

The CZ's were my best known secrets in the 80s as I started playing in bands, covering famous rock from the 80s & late 70s. There is a great series on YouTube demonstrating how the CZ's can sound like much more expensive, famous synths like the OB-X series, Moog, CS-80 and others.

I also loved how you could start off with the least expensive model, the CZ-101, and upgrade to the most expensive and powerful model, the CZ-1, and everything in between and "retain" your sound collections! I sold my CZ-101 a year later to a friend as I upgraded to the identical CZ-1000, which had full size keys and didn't look so silly playing in live bands. A year later I bought a 2nd CZ-1000. In the early 90s, I was on a search to find a CZ-1. A year later a music store called me back whom I told I was looking for one. In the later 90s, I bought a 2nd CZ-1. This gave me a pair of CZ-1's and a pair of CZ-1000's, one set for home and to take to gigs, one set to leave at band rehearsal. I also did the same with a pair of Korg M1's. I used the CZ's for both their internal sounds, replacing famous analog synthesizers, and as MIDI controllers.

I now use software synths of the original analog synths my bands covered mainly for my analog synth sounds, but the CZ's were great and very capable. And in their day, awesome. Had I bought those famous analog synths, they would have been less reliable, road worthy, expensive, and I'm not into using a cassette interface to try to load sounds! Way more patches were available for the CZ's already made, which was great. Plus I could buy sound cartridges that gave me 64 patches would I could also load whatever sounds on them I wanted.

While the secret was well known to me, most mistakenly "assumed" the CZ's were toys, and instead bought very expensive analog synths with a lot of issues to deal with, not knowing the CZ's were capable of making many of the same sounds for a whole let less money, and much easier to transport and maintain.

In more recent years, the CZ's were finally recognized by many as quality instruments and not toys. Many emulations are now available like Arturia's, and they don't usually both modeling uninteresting sounding synths.

The CZ's were the bargain of the century for their time.

[Am]

The 101 will always be my favorite from the CZ series, that little guy holds a special place in my heart, I've done several full-blown concerts with those, oh, and $70 in 1979 was a lot of money so the VL one was not cheap by any means, in fact, I remember seeing quite a few of them on layaway back in the day

[SacSynths_Jack_Z]

They do have a great sound which is quite unique too! The CZ-1 is the one to get if you can afford it. It is the only one with velocity and after touch. It also has the best unweighted key bed I've ever played on a vintage synth from this era. Plus, at around $600-$700, it's still relatively cheap for a solid vintage poly. The envelopes are great and the digital stereo chorus is also interesting. The sequencer on the 5000 is quite peculiar, but some may find that interesting. They all share the same sonic and tonal characteristics, but the 101/1000 only have 4 note polyphony when using both oscillators, whereas the 3000/5000/1 have double that amount. Casio also made a CZ-230S, as well as a CZ-2000S and CZ-2600S (S denotes an added speaker) that were not sold in the North American markets. Great video!

[novakattila]

I have bought one of these last year and expected a "toy" (I have a lot of expensive synths around) and it blew my mind. Definitely fat, warm and full of character, totally the opposite of what I'd envisioned. At best I thought it'd be a fun 80s toy... But I use it all the time now.

[desreb]

12:45 // tone is rich and alive !! Thnx, cz-230s was my affordable entry in the CZ series

[jakelawson]

Just got a CZ5000 down the street from you at a pawn shop for $120. Can't wait to put it through its paces. Is there a VZ-1 review coming?

[tonverfall_studio]

Nice episode. The very first synth I ever purchased was Casio's VL-1 in 1982. I had a serious crush on the CZ-101, which I played every chance I got at the electronics showroom conveniently located at the end of my paper route. I think it was $350, which was astronomically out of reach.

I've had a CZ-1 for about 20 years, but rarely play it due to the amount of space it takes up. Just a few weeks ago I picked up a CZ-1000 for cheap on a bet the audio output issue it has is just an oxidized "anti-thump" relay, which is super easy to fix.

One correction on your observation about PD: it's on the Modal Argon8 as one of eight oscillator cross-modulation modes. So while not in as widespread of use as FM these days, it's still alive and kicking.

[erichkohl]

The second "keyboard" my dad ever bought for me was one of those Casiotones in 1986 (previously I had an itty-bitty Yamaha keyboard). Doesn't sound like much of an upgrade, but it was a bit of a step forward nonetheless. Regardless, at the time I was obsessed with looking at our Sears catalog, because in the electronics section there was a CZ-101! I just couldn't take my eyes off that thing. It looked so interesting. And I tried understanding the description, but I had no idea what the terminology meant. Fast forward 30+ years, now I have a used CZ-5000 in great condition. You just got to keep waiting, you'll never know what will land on your doorstep.

[_of_]

Excellent sounding synth. Awesome video and demo.

[Dan-xjxq]

Thank you Zak! What a synth mate! Will be purchasing as soon as possible. Thank you again.. Dan

[travisguide]

I really enjoy these demos so much the playing is so good too every time is a treat

[joserios]

I’m impressed with the warmth of this digital synth. I want it!

[Screaming-Trees]

Hehe you hit the nail on the head for me. It was my first synth. My parents refused a request for a DX7 haha. On the basis that it was too expensive of course. I was 7 years old I think.

[rickboring]

The CZ-1000 was also my first synth. I spent hundreds of hours diving into it and creating great patches that were so much better than the stock ones. Once I paired it an Atari 520ST it could perform 4 part timbral sequences. Even my beloved Roland D50 that replaced it couldn’t do that!

[bayleybaybey]

Lovely playing from 8:35-9:00. Love this synth!

[downtowntrio]

Hey Zach, Michael Silverman here. This keyboard was my first synth, and this video is an excellent breakdown of its capabilities. If it had a bit of reverb, I would have continued to use it!

[LittleRichard]

I have a CZ-101 that I bought used last summer, the CZ-101 is the same as the CZ-1000 but the CZ-101 is
smaller and has mini sized keys and the CZ-101 also has physical plastic push buttons instead of membrane
buttons. Even though it's a digital synthesizer some of the string and brass sounds have that analog like
sound to them which FM synthesis cannot pull off. It also has some nice tuned percussion sounds like
vibraphone and crispy xylophone. There is also a Casio CZ-230S which is another synthesizer with mini
keys but it has a built in speaker and also selected PCM drums from the RZ1 for either preset rhythms or
you could program your own rhythms as well as an internal sequencer but the CZ-230S doesn't have on board
synth programming but the CZ-320S doesn have 100 preset sounds.

[gordon]

Thx
One of my favorite (cz 1)
Perfekt digital plastik 80s sound ! 👍🏻🎹🎶

[SynthCat]

That intro
lit-rallly
made me choke on my waffles.
Funniest and most informative content out here