Casio synthesizer
The Casio synthesizers are synthesizers from the Japanese electronics manufacturer Casio .
history
Casio began producing keyboards in the early 1980s. In 1981, the inexpensive Casio VL-1 came on the market, which was known among other things through the hit Da Da Da . In 1984 Casio brought the first digital synthesizer (CZ-101) onto the market. The CZ series is based on the Cosmo ZZ-1 music system, a mixture of sampler and PD synthesizer, which u. a. was co-developed by Isao Tomita .
The first PD synthesizer from Casio, the CZ-101, was a full-fledged synthesizer with 8-part polyphony, 16 internal memory locations and a pitch bend wheel, despite its 49 mini-keys . It already had several basic waveforms (square, triangle, sawtooth, etc.), which could be modulated with an envelope . Additional programs could be saved via an external plug-in module .
Over the next three years, Casio launched seven more CZ synthesizers. The CZ-1000, CZ-3000, CZ-5000 and the top model CZ-1 appeared. Modifications were the models with built-in speakers CZ-230S, CZ-2000S and the CZ-2600S. The Casio CZ 101 synthesizer was used by Moby and Vince Clarke , among others . The Orb and Jean-Michel Jarre played the CZ 5000.
In 1986, parallel to the CZ models, the AZ-1 hanging keyboard appeared , a MIDI controller without its own sound generator with 41 keys. Casio also built the model series VZ (iPD synthesizer, where iPD stands for "interactive phase distortion", a further development of PD) and FZ ( sampler ).
From 1987 to 1991 Casio produced synthesizers of the HT and HZ series with the so-called "SD synthesis" (Spectrum Dynamic). At the end of the 80s there was a collaboration with the Hohner company . The second generation of the Casio synthesizer was also sold under the name Hohner (e.g. the Hohner HS2). At the beginning of the 90s, however, Casio withdrew from the professional synthesizer market in order to increasingly turn to keyboard production. Casio had sold more than 10 million keyboards worldwide in 1987.
In 2012, Casio revived the tradition of synthesizer construction. In early 2012, Casio launched the Casio WX-P1 synthesizer and the Casio XW-G1 groove synthesizer.
List of model lines
precursor
Casio started building keyboards in 1980. The first keyboard model was the Casiotone 201. Casio later developed the Very Large Scale Integration Chip, which was used to generate music. This VLSI chip was integrated into the Casio VL-1.
| model | synthesizer | Others |
|---|---|---|
| VL-1 | Mini keyboard | Bj. 1981, u. a. with synthesizer and sequencer function |
Casio PD synthesizer
The synthesizers of the PD series ( phase distortion synthesis ) were developed from 1984 to 1988.
| model | synthesizer | Others |
|---|---|---|
| CZ-101 | PD synthesizer | Bj. 1984 / sold approx. 100,000 |
| CZ-1000 | PD synthesizer | Successor to the CZ-101 |
| CZ-3000 | PD synthesizer | Further development of the CZ-1000 |
| CZ-5000 | PD synthesizer | with sequencer |
| CZ-1 | PD synthesizer | Top model |
| CZ-230S | PD synthesizer | with speakers |
| CZ-2000S | PD synthesizer | with speakers |
| CZ-2600S | PD synthesizer | with speakers |
| VZ-1 | iPD synthesizer | Bj. 1988, 16 voices with 8 oscillators each |
| VZ-8 M | iPD synthesizer | Rack version |
| VZ-10 M. | iPD synthesizer | Bj. 1988, rack version of the VZ-1 |
| AZ-1 | Remote keyboard | Bj. 1987, MIDI controller |
Casio SD synthesizer
The Casio HZ-600 was the only "professional" synthesizer in the SD series. The following models MT-600, HT-700, HT-3000, HT-3500 and HT-6000 were marketed as (home) keyboards.
| model | synthesizer | Others |
|---|---|---|
| HZ-600 | SD synthesizer | Bj. 1987 |
| MT-600 | Keyboard with SD synthesis | 49 keys (mini) |
| HT-700 | Keyboard with SD synthesis | also sold as Hohner KS 49 |
| HT-3000 | Keyboard with SD synthesis | with speakers |
| HT-3500 | Keyboard with SD synthesis | similar to the HT-3000 |
| HT-6000 | Keyboard with SD synthesis | with speakers |
Casio FZ sampler
In 1986, Casio first presented the Casio ZZ-1 sampler. In the same year Casio launched the Sampletone SK-1 with a sampling function. The Casio SK-1 became a bestseller, with the mini keyboard with sampler function sold over a million times. The Casio FZ sampler series was also available under license from the Hohner company.
| model | Sampler | Others |
|---|---|---|
| ZZ-1 | Sampler | Bj. 1986, rack version (also SK-1) |
| FZ1 | Synthesizer / sampler | Bj. 1987, identical to Hohner HS-1 |
| FZ10M | Sampler | Rack version identical to Hohner HS-1 / E |
| FZ20M | Sampler | Rack version |
Casio XW synthesizer (current models)
After withdrawing from synthesizer development in 1988, Casio launched two new synthesizer models in 2012.
| model | synthesizer | Others |
|---|---|---|
| XW-P1 | XW synthesizer | Bj. 2012 |
| XW-G1 | XW synthesizer | Bj. 2012, Groove Synthesizer |
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Cosmosynthesizer.de - History of the Cosmosynthesizer, accessed on August 13, 2009 ( Memento from April 3, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Casio CZ-101 | Vintage Synth Explorer. Retrieved July 4, 2020 .
- ↑ Casio CZ-5000 | Vintage Synth Explorer. Retrieved July 4, 2020 .
- ↑ Casio HT-3000 | Vintage Synth Explorer. Retrieved July 4, 2020 .
- ↑ Sequencer: Casio accessed June 2, 2012
- ↑ Sequencer: Hohner HS 2 accessed on June 2, 2012
- ↑ Casio XW-P1 accessed on May 31, 2012 ( Memento from June 30, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Casio XW-G1 accessed on May 31, 2012 ( Memento from May 30, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ Matthias Glodek: On the history of electronic instruments in popular music, p. 69, University of Bochum, 2005 (PDF; 1.2 MB)
- ↑ Casio VL-1 accessed June 2, 2012
- ↑ Casio HZ-600 - Specifications, pictures, prices, links, reviews and ratings. Retrieved July 4, 2020 .
- ^ Hohner KS 49 accessed on June 3, 2012
- ↑ Casio SK-1 | Vintage Synth Explorer. Retrieved July 4, 2020 .
- ↑ Casio: Company History, Casio Sampletone SK-1 accessed on June 3, 2012 ( Memento from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Cosmo: The history of the Cosmosynthesizer accessed on June 3, 2012 ( page no longer available , search in web archives )
- ↑ Casio Keyboard. Retrieved on July 4, 2020 (German).
- ↑ Amazona: Casio FZ1, Casio FZ10M accessed on June 3, 2012
- ↑ Vintagesynth: Casio FZ1 accessed on June 3, 2012