Chas

I believe they were available, but a few idiots were abusing them and using them to ridicule and mock posts. Maybe they're just suspended for now.

Aha! I was looking in my account settings at the top right. The themes selector is at the bottom of the main page - doh! Dark mode now re-engaged 👍

I like it so far @Brad Saucier, but I can't find the dark mode!

Just watched the live stream, & I'm impressed with the novel concept and the thinking outside the box. I've also read a few first impression reviews online and the general consensus is that the CT-S1000V is a very unique instrument and a LOT of fun to play. It generally gets a lot of thumbs up and is regarded as being in a class of its own. It kind of reminds me of a grown up VA-10 and RAPMAN RAP-1, with a sprinkling of SK sampler, all absolutely classic keyboards that were inspiring and fun. THIS is what I love about Casio! I wasn't able to get on the Livestream right from the start due to prior commitments, so not sure if it was already covered. Can anyone tell me what it can do with the sampling side of things? I see that it can have up to 10 seconds of melody and 3 seconds of drums sampling time - can it hold more than one sample at a time and if so, can more than one sample be placed across the keyboard and played simultaneously? Also, I can't find anywhere to download the manual on any of the Casio sites I've looked. Is the user manual available yet?

Just over 12 hours to go until the big reveal, and I am genuinely excited and curious as to what this new keyboard from Casio has to offer. If I'm honest, it's the first new Casio that has really piqued my interest since the XW synths were announced almost a decade ago. And who would have thought that Casio teasing a new keyboard release would generate such a varied array of responses?!!! For all those passing negative pre-judgement, we don't know the exact details about this new keyboard other than some tiny snippets in the teasers. Perhaps we should wait until it's finally released before jumping to conclusions. And constructive criticism is always welcome, but criticizing without offering valid alternatives serves little purpose. How about pointing to other manufacturer's keyboards that have everything you think the new Casio(tone) should have that are at the same price point of the new Casio model so we know what it is you require? Also, perhaps those that constantly pour scorn, negativity and criticism just for the sake of it, maybe direct all that energy towards something more constructive. Imagine if that energy were put into using instruments you already have and writing songs with them. The world would be a much richer and nicer place. As for passing negative judgement for the product name, sheesh, how shallow is that? It's just a NAME, and if it bothers you so much, go get a Roland/ Yamaha/ Korg sticker and put that over it to make everything better for you. Or maybe do the opposite and put a Casiotone sticker over the "Roland" name on a 1981 Jupiter 8. There, the Casiotone Jupiter 8 is now a terrible synthesizer, with a plastic sound and is nothing more than a 'toy'... Additionally, those that mock the Casiotone name clearly haven't been observing the retro and used keyboard markets. Go see the current prices for many of the original and vintage Casio/ Casiotone models. For example, good luck with finding an MT40, MT400V, VA10, CZ101 or an SK-1 at bargain prices as retro Casios are highly collectible and appreciating in value. Many people that grew up with them have fond memories of them, many of the younger generation are drawn to their vintage charm and LoFi sound. Many, like myself, remember Casio as being a quirky and off the wall manufacturer that made interesting products that were fun and inspiring. Check out the list of artists that have used a VL-1, CZ101, an SK-1 and even a Rapman RAP-1 keyboard for example - quite impressive for products that to many are just "toys". And if you aren't able to make interesting music using these, just maybe the problem is with you and not the product. As the saying goes, "a bad workman always blames his tools." I also have to wonder at why some have to berate, belittle, mock and demean others for what they enjoy. Why rain on someone else's parade? Why bring down people who genuinely do like a particular type of keyboard and brand? Why not just live and let live? I don't go onto Roland/ Korg/ Yamaha/ Novation (*insert any manufacturer name) forums and mock those that enjoy products that I don't want. Life is too short for such a wasteful use of time. It should also be noted that Casio is a very successful International company with decades of experience behind them. Regardless of what we think, they know their target markets and know how to develop and market their products. If they don't offer what we specifically want, then maybe we just don't fit Casio and should find another manufacturer that does fit us better. And if that product we want still doesn't exist from another manufacturer, maybe the market for it doesn't exist either. Or maybe those criticizing have a background in product development and target marketing? Perhaps they are successful musicians with a track record and body of work behind them that justifies what they are asking for? Share with us your resume and background so we can see why we, and Casio, should take note of what you are demanding from them. Many of you here know me and know my enthusiasm for older Casios and Casiotones. Many of you know that I even set up a YouTube channel featuring mostly Casio keyboards, and I even made a nod to Casio in my channel name. I was inspired to set up my channel because I have always believed that even the lowliest instruments can be useful if you put your mind to it. When I was growing up in the 1980s, so many of my friends started their musical journey thanks to Casio. For sure, we all aspired to those Rolands, Moogs, Korgs, ARPs, Oberheims, Sequential Circuits etc. that we saw our idols play, but those were out of reach for most schoolkids expressing an interest in playing electronic keyboards. Guess what WAS in reach? Yup, it was Casio that gave many of us an affordable chance to explore keyboards and electronic music. Furthermore, it's the musician that makes the music shine, not the instrument. A mediocre violinist playing a Stradivarius violin is still going to sound like a mediocre violinist. A world class violinist playing an entry level student violin will be able to make it sound incredible. Similarly, put Jordan Rudess in front of a vintage Casiotone with one of the organ presets selected and he'll make it sound amazing. You get out what you put in, regardless of the badge. I never forgot this philosophy, and even though I also own vintage Roland, Korg and Yamaha keyboards, and also a modern Novation Bass Station II mono synth, I still have a soft spot for Casio. I appreciate their sheer variety and unique concepts over the years, they'd often make a keyboard that no-one else would dare to make. They made fun keyboards, they made quirky and unusual keyboards, they often thought outside of the box. They've not been perfect by a long shot, and at times they've missed the mark (sometimes by quite a margin), but this also applies to all other manufacturers too. I also note that Casio has evolved over the years and these days rarely make the sort of keyboards that fit my desires (again, the same applies to nearly all the main keyboard manufacturers). The last new Casio models that I was excited about were the XW-P1 and XW-G1 (Casio's first new synths since the VZ series of 1988/9), brilliant synths with that Casio quirkiness, that I bought and still use to this day. I also liked the concept of the new Casiotone range of 2019 and bought a CT-S300 to see what it had to offer. And though it is a very competent and value for money keyboard, it didn't really offer anything that I didn't already have, and in many respects its tones were TOO good! I wanted something with a unique character, similar to what the old Casios and Casiotones offered. Going by the teasers and speculation, seems that this new Casio(tone) might have exactly what I love about the classic Casios. It appears that it might have some unusual features, quirkiness, an interesting concept, and might also address some of the criticism that has been levied at previous models (seemingly at long last, MIDI clock is back). I'm hoping that it will have some deep synthesis features, step sequencing and rhythm options, sampling features to go along with the suspected vocoder, and all in, it will be an inspiring and fun keyboard to use. Just like those classic Casios were known to be. Tomorrow all will be revealed. And my wallet may have to open! (Sorry for the long post!)

Casio also gave us Consonant Vowel (CV), as used in many of the very early Casios/ Casiotones. There was also a small series of early Casiotones that used an unnamed synthesis based on Sine Waves (CT701, 601, 501, MT70 and CT1000P). They also gave us the incredible mid 80s Phase Distortion (PD) synthesis that is still much loved and respected to this day. PD was further developed for the VZ range as interactive Phase Distortion (iPD). Spectrum Dynamics (SD) was also another sound engine that they used in the late 80s. And don't forget the Hybrid Processing Sound Source (HPSS) as used in the XW series of synths. I'm a big fan of the early Casio sound, but if I had to pick one it would be Phase Distortion because it is just so powerful, flexible and is still just as useful today as it was on release in 1984. I'm also impressed by HPSS in my XWs, as it has also proven to be flexible and powerful, and always deliver the goods when I need it.

I wonder if the the CZ230S uses the same display as the CZ5000? That too has custom segments or characters unique to the model, and though a standard 16*2 replacement display will physically fit and mostly work, the custom characters needed for the CZ5000's sequencer operation will display as garbled. Or is the CZ5000 display also different to the CZ230S display as well as the other CZs?

I wonder if the HT6000 key bed might not be the same as all the others you listed @pianokeyjoe, as the others all have aftertouch as well as velocity. The HT6000 only has velocity. Also, my CZ-1, VZ-1 and CT6000 keyboards all feel the same to play (or very similar), whereas my HT6000 keys feel noticeably lighter. Probably not an issue that is going to affect anyone looking for a replacement key bed for a CZ-1, as HT6000s are on the rare side and unlikely to be parted out!

@pianokeyjoe- I found this video on YouTube of a 602 being repaired so it does exist. I suspect the model is an update on the 601?

From what I have read, the CT501, 601, 701, CT1000P and MT70 are all based on the same "Sine Wave" sound engine that is unique to these models. The CT501 is the full sized version of the MT70 and IIRC correctly, has an identical feature set. The earlier 701 and 601 are essentially the same keyboard, with the 601 being a lower spec model by losing the barcode scanner pen and related features. The CT1000P is a "semi programmable" additive synth using the same sine wave synthesis engine along with additional features (programmable arpeggiator/ sequencer for instance), but otherwise has nothing else in common with the 501, 601, 701 and MT70. Also note that the 701 has a three character LED display that is related to the barcode and memory feature. As the 601 does not include that feature, it has no LED display. From what I understand, the 701 *should* have the same basic sound as the 501, plus you get an extra octave of keys and the two "sound effects" buttons. However, Casio have been known to tweak hardware even in the same series of models so I can't 100% guarantee that they sound 100% identical. Check out some YouTube videos that will give you a good idea of how close they are sonically.

The video you saw I take it is the one below? For sure it shares some common traits, both feature wise and aesthetically, with early 80s Casiotones, but it is most definitely not a rebadged Casiotone. Listening to the video on my phone, it appears to have a nice chorus type effect that was never (unfortunately) included with those old "woody" Casiotones. And though the Suzuki's drum accompaniment has similar tonal characteristics, they don't exactly match those of the vintage Casiotones. Plus those vintage sounding drums were quite common on other home organs of that era, with many sounding similar to the mid 70s Roland TR77. I do have to say that the Suzuki does sound nice! I'm a fan of the warm sounding vintage home organs and this one is worthy of any collection. If it's available at a good price, BUY IT! ares

@Neto- as @IanBsaid above, that's the best service manual that I could find online. I tried searching multiple online sites but have yet to find anything better. Feel free to continue searching for a better CT701 service manual, but from my searching, it currently does not appear to exist.

Just to rule out any potential issue with FL Studio and/ your M-Audio interface, have you tried another (known working) keyboard in place of the CZ101? If that triggers fine, then the CZ is likely at fault. If the other keyboard also doesn't work, then the issue likely lies with the FL settings and/ or the M-Audio settings. Also, another thing you can try is to set the FL/ M-Audio midi channel to "All". Then it won't matter what channel the CZ is set to. Lastly, in the CZ midi settings, maybe toggle "Program Change" between "ENA" & "DIS" and see if that makes a difference.

Hard to believe that it's coming up to 10 years since I purchased my XW-P1, and a year or two behind that since I purchased my XW-G1. I'd be the first to agree that the XW UI isn't the most intuitive, and that some of the features and/ or implementation of them could be better executed (though it's partly to do with the fact that they are very deep synths). And ideally the feature sets from both should have been put into a single keyboard. However... ...Both my P1 and G1 are still permanently set up in my studio. I have WAY too many keyboards, and also tons of VST soft synths including many of the powerhouse analogue polysynths, string machines, mono synths, and also Cherry Audio's PolyMode PolyMoog emulator. Yet many times that I need a sound that just fits, I reach for one of my XWs and they always deliver. The G1 does sterling duty as a bass machine, and the P1 excels with pads, organs and polysynth sounds. And the G1, even though its sampling abilities could be better, still managed to provide multiple lead parts all from samples for one of my tracks. Oh yes, @Jokeyman123, though it's nice that Casio included the CZ waveforms in the XWs, it was those 8 stage envelopes and the DCW acting on the resonant waveforms that made the CZs sound so unique. Why oh why Casio won't reissue an updated and expanded CZ synth is anyone's guess. Or even include a CZ emulator within one of their modern synths. Still, I am excited to see what this new AIX Casio will turn out to be. Really hoping it will be a more synth based Casio, though I am holding off buying any new synths as I've got way too many already. Then again,, if it were to combine the spirit of the CZs and XWs and bring something new to the table, well, maybe then I could be convinced to break my rule!

Glad you worked it out. I, along with many others, was celebrating new years eve and wasn't online as per normal. From memory (I haven't used my CT-S300 in quite some time), the reverb is selected somewhere in the home menu. It's one of the global settings.

If you have a Facebook account, you can upload to your Facebook page and make the post sharable/ viewable by the public.

I FINALLY finished my CZ-101 vs CZ-1 video. I started out thinking "this will be a quick one", but it then grew to Shogun style epic proportions as I got more in depth and more involved with it. Hopefully the end result was worth it! What made me make the video was that many people have claimed that the Casio CZ-1 sounds different to the other Phase Distortion CZ synths. So I did a head to head comparison with my CZ-101 to see if this might be true. Expect to see some Casio CZ history, and to hear a whole lot of Phase Distortion examples showing just how powerful and flexible this type of synthesis can be, whether it’s from the little Bionic Baby CZ-101 or the Big Daddy CZ-1!

Hey everyone, Like many Gen X'ers, I grew up with the C64 and loved seeing it in the stores at Christmas time running the 1982 Christmas Demo. My family got a C64 for Christmas 1983, and the Christmas before (1982) I got a Casio VL-1. As such, I always associated both of them with Christmas and the seasonal festivities. I wanted to combine these two childhood memories, so many years later I re-recorded all the C64 Christmas Demo music by using my collection of Casios/ Casiotones, then I green-screened myself into the original C64 demo playing them and adding some extra characters! (C64 demo starts @5.22, music starts @6.40, watch from the beginning for the lead up intro story) Merry Christmas!

Dug my little red PD1 beast out of a cupboard the other day and had a little play with it. I never could get my head round it when I first bought it, but always felt that it had potential. In the new year, once I've finished my current projects, I'm going to spend some time with it and see if I can crack its interface. Maybe I can finally get to grips with it and come up with something interesting...

As the CT6500 is pretty much a preset version of the CZ Phase Distortion synths, it might also use the same output relays that have been known to fail in CZs and cause similar issues to yours (poor/ low volume/ no volume/ crackly output). They're fairly easy to replace and have fixed many a CZ with output issues. The link below will show you what to look for in a CZ-1, so have a look on your 6500's boards see if you can find something similar. If you do, then replacing (or cleaning them) may get your 6500 working again. http://youthvulture.blogspot.com/2013/11/casio-cz-1-relay-replacement.html?m=1

@giano- Nice work again! Some really interesting sounds you manage to get out of the HT 👍 Once I finish my CZ comparison video, I plan on digging out my HT700 and HT6000 to compare those to each other. I also look forward to re-exploring Spectrum Dynamics synthesis again. I remember really liking my HT700, it had such a sweet sound ❤️

Cheers guys! Been backlogged this past week with other commitments, so unfortunately my video has had to take a back seat. However, all the crucial information, details, demonstration patches and video format has all been selected and completed, along with the structure of the episode. All (ALL?!!! 😆 ) I have left to do is to film and edit it, thought that's going to have to wait until next weekend as we're going away tomorrow for Thanksgiving and won't be back until next Friday night. @Jokeyman123- The CZ-1 can store 64 user presets, double the amount that the 3000/ 5000 models could store (32), and four times the amount of patches that the 101/ 1000 models could store (16). There are no additional waveforms in the CZ-1 and it can use the exact same Phase Distortion patch data that all the other CZ models can use. As with the 3000/ 5000 models, it has a variable stereo chorus (the 101/ 1000 do not have chorus). Where the CZ-1 differs significantly from all other CZ's, is that it is the only CZ model with velocity and after touch ability. Not only that, but the envelopes can vary depending on velocity, making the CZ-1 able to vary a patch sound purely on velocity alone. @IanB- I've read some comments seemingly suggesting that the CZ-1 uses different DACs to the other CZs that may affect the sound, but as I'm not an electronics expert I am simply going to compare the 101 with the 1 by sound, and also by using oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer VSTs. A combination of audio and visual demonstrations should hopefully draw a logical conclusion. Oh yes, I've also seen other comments online, and one person was convinced that the 1000 model sounds fatter than the 101! It was these comments that sparked me into putting this comparison video together to see if there was any truth in these claims, or if it's just many years of myths and misinformation floating about! @giano- Thank you, and I hope you will find my video interesting. Having already gone through hundreds of CZ presets to find a selection to use, I can tell you that the CZs and Phase Distortion sound amazing, even all these years later 👍

It's a little quiet here in the CZ sub forum, though hopefully I will be generating a topic of discussion very shortly. Over the years I've read online in many discussions that the CZ-1 & the CZ101 sound different, despite using the same Phase Distortion synthesis. As I own both a CZ-1 and a CZ101, I decided to put them back to back to see if this really is the case. I'm currently putting the video together, and it will contain many audio and visual demonstrations that will hopefully decide this debate for once and for all. I still have some work to do, though with a bit of luck it should be in the can within the next two weeks. As I needed a variety of patches for the comparisons, I've been going through my patch collections to select some for the test. And I have to say, damn, the CZs can sound amazing and powerful! Anyway, here's a sneak look at Big Daddy and Bionic Baby set up for testing. Of course, once the video is completed and uploaded to my channel, I'll notify this forum 👍

Hey everyone, This is my latest video where I take an in depth look at where the Casiotone M-10 and the Casio VL-1 were used on The Human League's iconic 1981 DARE album. There is conflicting information floating around over the years regarding which Casios were used and on which tracks, and it was especially unclear where the M-10 was used. I decided to investigate and hopefully solve for once and for all, "The Human League and Casiotone M-10 Mystery"! Hope it's OK to post this here rather in the Classic Casio section, though as the video is also about The Human League and Casio history, I feel it should be under the more General Casio Discussion. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

I'm trying to play catch up - been somewhat pre-occupied over the past few weeks. @pianokeyjoe- ah, you are correct. The drums and bass accompaniment are there - I was originally listening to the video on my phone and couldn't hear the drums and bass under the chord drone on my phone's tiny speaker. Now that I've listened to it on my proper workstation speakers, I can hear them. I agree, definitely a chord section issue, though it's good news that the drum and bass accompaniment sections both work, if somewhat drowned out by the chords. I also agree that it sounds as if something may be causing a short on the circuit board/ component pins, either something physical has fallen inside and is touching them, or possibly a corrosion issue. Also, I didn't know you were (relatively) close by to me, at least I am assuming that you are if you are purchasing your gear as far south as Tampa and Orlando. I'm in Bradenton, West Central FL, so literally a stones throw from Tampa and approx. 100 miles or so from Orlando. And I wish I could find flea markets that had old Casios/ Casiotones for sale! I keep checking the local thrifts and Goodwills in my area, and have never yet managed to find a single Casio keyboard in one. Most keyboards I find are the cheap no name/ strange name somewhat rubbish toy keyboards that I still pick up anyway for just a few dollars. @jorud- Good to hear that you've made some progress! Yes, some of the button and switch covers on old Casios can be a little fragile. The three cream coloured switch tips at the left are normally the ones that get lost. My 403 had one missing when I bought it and it really bugged me. I then saw a slightly rough 403 come up for sale for pennies on a recycling site, and it only had one of the three switch tips. So I bought it, took off the switch tip and gave my 403 a complete set, found some generic black switch tips that fitted and looked OK on the rough 403, and bunged it on eBay at a low start bid. Low and behold, it ended up selling for many times what I paid for it! End of the day, the buyer was happy and my 403 had a full complement of switch tips 🙂 When you say that you are opening your 403 to "clean it" and it's made some improvements, what exactly are you cleaning? The fact that you've made some improvements and got the chord section mostly working suggests that you are definitely on the right track. You've probably done so already, though check the components and circuit board traces near the two LSI's. Especially as according to the the Table Hooters site: "The quite complex analogue hardware of this instrument resembles the Casio CT-410V (besides that it has no synthesizer filter) and was apparently a predecessor of it. Like the latter it is divided in an accompaniment CPU and a separate main voice soundchip, although in the MT-60 not only the accompaniment CPU but also the main voice soundchip both poll the keyboard matrix. http://weltenschule.de/TableHooters/Casio_MT-60.html The above applies to the MT60 model, which apparently is closely related to the CT403 and appears to share nearly all the same features and tones (interestingly, the MT60 has an arpeggiator whereas the CT403 does not). It's interesting to note the part about both the accompaniment and main voice CPUs/ LSIs polling the keyboard matrix. This is how the 403's accompaniment would know what to play depending on what keys are pressed down. If the keyboard plays all keys fine in tone mode only, then that indicates that the problem is likely between the keyboard matrix scanning section and the accompaniment LSI/ CPU. Therefore identify the accompaniment LSI (D910G if it's the same as the MT60) and check the traces, solder joints and any nearby components that might be a potential problem. Something might be visually obvious if you look closely, though it might possibly be a failed component also. Either way, I hope you do manage to get your 403 back to full health. They're lovely keyboards and as I mentioned above, they are one of my favourites of the vintage Casio models. Oh, and they look absolutely gorgeous and retro as well as sounding great!