Jump to content

Casio MT-600


Jokeyman123

Recommended Posts

Uh-oh! Just got one of these.................

 

casio mt600.jpg

 

it's supposedly broken and I am hooked on forever fixing and modding keyboards. This one looks kind of cool since ot has midi in and out ports, a pitch control a few interesting sounds and costs 5.00 US on eBay! (shipping added 5x that amount though. Still for roughly 30 bucks US it looks like a fun little instrument. Wow I am hooked on my Casio stuff. i passed on a CZ230s broken and an HT700, but since I've used older Casios for quite awhile, I guess I couldn't resist the "cheese" factor of some of these older instruments-which have some very surprisingly good sounds for messing around.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The MT600 is basically a pre-set version of the HT700. Despite having no functions to modify any of the sounds, it still has the onboard analogue filter as used in the HT/ HZ series. You can tap into this filter and use external controls to manipulate it.

 

There are mods online for the HT's, and if you find the same filter components on the MT600's circuit board, you can take control of its filter also.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't see the description of how he wired that in. Picking up my MT-600 this week, it is sitting in my post office-12 mile drive. so glad the post office is too lazy to deliver packages to my house. Will definitely be doing at least the filter mod. With all the complexities and advanced features of everything else taking up space here, this looks like it could be a real fun instrument to noodle on. I had my wake up call when I saw "Marco" and his trio (he's my close buddy's nephew who I've known since he was born-yeah I'm that old-perform live. He uses among other things the last i saw him-an old Wurlitzer electric piano, and old beat-up Hammond with the legs cut off (must have stolen it from my friend Robbie-we did this so it would fit on stage with all our other hideous noise-makers) plus a Mattel "Speak and Spell" heavily modded and a few other toy instruments-including a little Casio but i couldn't see too clearly, i think is was the VL-1, again must have been modded considering the sounds coming out of that thing!  Sort of like the old Tony Williams Lifetime/Larry Young on organ style, very different and "organic" oops, I make joke.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Young_(musician)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tony_Williams_Lifetime

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, well. Turns out theis "non-working" Casio just needed the right AC wall-wart-it needed a tip negative as many Casios do, and it shipped with a tip-positive. Just read the fine print, plugged in my tip negative 9V supply and bingo it works perfectly! Hoo-haa, i cleaned it up and will be ripping into the mods today.

 

To quote Ren and Stimpy-happy happy joy joy!

 

 

 

ren and stimpy.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
On 9/17/2016 at 11:15 AM, Chas said:

The MT600 is basically a pre-set version of the HT700. Despite having no functions to modify any of the sounds, it still has the onboard analogue filter as used in the HT/ HZ series. 

 

I have an HT700 and I noticed, while listening to some YouTube demos of the MT-600, that the auto-rhythms have different arrangements. I think the individual drum sounds are similar, if not outright the same. This seems like an odd choice for Casio - Perhaps the MT-600's arrangements are on some of the higher-end HT models?

 

Also, does anyone know if the MT-600 transmits the MIDI data for its auto-rhythms via MIDI out? Few, if any, Casio models seem to do this but some Yamaha models do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
On 8/5/2019 at 4:36 PM, Alexei Paredes said:

I have an MT-600. I think it's pretty cool some of his sounds, especially when I use effect pedals like the Boss DD-7. 

However what bothers me is the auto-off... is there any way to get it of the keyboard? 

 

Lower end Casios were stuck with the APO (auto power off) feature permanently activated. Higher market Casios, e.g. CZ101, have a switch next to the power socket that can disable this. The APO feature is simply to conserve battery power, switching the unit off after a period of inactivity. But it's also a pain in the butt when in a studio and the keyboard is needed to be on at all times. I've just encountered this same issue with my HZ600, which I've been using as a controller keyboard with my DAW. It's a nice size, slim, 5 octave keyboard, pitch and mod wheels, and nice synth style key action. The damn thing keeps powering off though when left idle, even when connected to a power supply, so that when I finish editing something on screen with my DAW, I go to hit a key on the Casio only to get silence. Then I realise that the keyboard has shut down and I have to re-power it on again. Grrrrr!

 

The guy in the first modified MT600 video above also modded an HT700, and built a mini circuit to override the APO. What it basically did was to continuously send a signal to part of the logic board, thereby continuously resetting the power down time out counter. Therefore the cpu always regarded the unit as being in use, thus it never shut down. 

 

As mentioned, it does require building a small daughter board to install inside the Casio. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a more simple method of defeating the APO.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
On 7/27/2018 at 11:40 AM, Steplogik said:

 

I have an HT700 and I noticed, while listening to some YouTube demos of the MT-600, that the auto-rhythms have different arrangements. I think the individual drum sounds are similar, if not outright the same. This seems like an odd choice for Casio - Perhaps the MT-600's arrangements are on some of the higher-end HT models?

 

Also, does anyone know if the MT-600 transmits the MIDI data for its auto-rhythms via MIDI out? Few, if any, Casio models seem to do this but some Yamaha models do.

The HT700/3000 and HT6000 and some others like the MT240CT670 do NOT transmit beats only clock sync for midi channel 4. You CAN trigger the drum sounds on Midi channel 4 drums using external MIDI gear though. I did it with my Yamaha PSS 480 musicstation's built in sequencer and my MT240, CT670 and HT700 before I sold them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry Chas, I meant no offense by my comment, it was more of a alert for others that may come here looking for the downloadable pdfs on doing the mods themselves. I figured you would either update the link or remove it. But I am new to this forum so please have mercy on my over enthusiasm here lol! I did spend an entire night posting and answering as I AM a Casio lover of the Classic Casio and have never really had an outlet for such things till now. The yahoo groups were there for me in the past but then again, in the past my wife was also still alive.. oh a different world now I do say!

 

Jokeyman123, thankyou for the response! Yeah I will have to google or errr, duck duck go for those sites. The bad things right now is censorship and alot of sites going ghost on us. But I will find and download before the files and info starts to disappear. Indeed 4.5 years back is not a long time. The modern internet was strong and kicking then lol! But yeah. Archive.org is a good place to find things archived from the old internet too.

 

My HT3000 is still sadly dead due to the battery acid damage on most of the main boards, but I sure am looking for replacement boards if anyone has a lead. Thanks guys and play on!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.