Chas

I found it on my camera Brad, after I took a picture of the vinyl dust cover I have covering my XW-P1! I don't know where the cover was originally from, I got it with one of my many (used) Casios - I can't remember which one! It's a perfect fit for the XW's though! It has 'C-47' underneath the large 'O' in 'Casio', I assume that's the product number. Wish I could find another like it for my G1.

Maybe Casio are about to re-issue the CZ-1, with real time slider controls for all parameters (like Roland did with the all digital JD800)! Or they are going to re-issue the HT6000, again with real time controls for all parameters, with the eight analogue filters able to go into self oscillation, and an octave drop key to finally give this strange and underrated analogue/ digital hybrid board some much needed bass! Then again, I'm finding that I am getting all the sounds I need from my XW's, it's capabilities are far greater than my abilities! An update of the XW would be amazing - I wonder what the next model will have?

And check out how badly Fletch appears to be 'playing' his Moog Prodigy! He's hitting multiple random notes at once (on a mono-synth?!) that bear absolutely no relation to the song. Apparently, all these years later his 'playing' is no better...!

The infamous VL1/ VL Tone makes an appearance with Depeche Mode. Very early TV appearance on British show Top of the Pops with the band playing their new single 'New Life'. Check out 0.16, 0.50, 2.40 and you can see one in front of Martin Gore's Yamaha CS, and there's another that Fletch 'plays' a melody on just prior to the middle eight at 1.26!

Yesterday I finally received my G1 to add to my P1 and extensive Casio collection. For now, My MZ2000 has had to make way for the G1 as I only have a two tier stand, so I have the brothers P1 and G1 together. One day I will get all my Casios set up in their own studio, and maybe get all the midi Casios linked together! First impressions of the G1. Well, I'd just come off a night shift so my brain was beginning to fail, even so, I just had to get it out of the box and have a play before my brain shut down. Initial thoughts were that it was very similar to the P1, well, they are almost identical twins. However, I've obviously become accustomed to the layout of the P1 and found the G1 a little confusing. Solo synth was obvious as its engine is the same as the P1, and I LOVE the individual sliders being able to control the synth parameters (a big plus over the P1). However, the sampler section I didn't find as intuitive as the P1. The P1 is obvious with Tone buttons clearly marked 'Solo', 'Hex', 'Drawbar' and 'PCM', and the sections of 'performance', 'tone' and 'step sequencer' buttons also very clear. Again, maybe I've just become accustomed to the P1. Like most people upon originally getting a sampler, I wanted to record a silly sound and play it up and down the keyboard! Recording a sample was fairly obvious (after looking in the manual), but it took a websearch and a look in this forum before I could finally find out how to make it a 'tone' that could be triggered by any key on the keyboard. I have to say that the supplied manual seems somewhat lacking (the P1's isn't much better) and doesn't do such an amazing board justice. This I found surprising as most people want to jump in with a sampler by recording a sound and playing them back at different speeds! Surely this should have been a lot easier? In the end I managed to sample the pipe organ tone of my MT65, allocate it to a G1 tone and then play it back across the keyboard. Cool! Though I can't for the life of me get it to loop whilst as a tone (it does in the sample looper section). Hopefully someone can show me how to make the tone loop, as I hope to sample some classic analogue sounds, such as famous string sounds that need to play for as long as the keys are held down. I looked at the sample looper examples via online/ Youtube and they look impressive! Trying to replicate this though was too much for my brain to handle after a 12.5 hour night shift so that will have to wait for another day. Thus I am optimistic that I made a good decision to add the G1 to my P1, though I need time readjust to its different controls and features. And no doubt I will have lots of questions coming up once I really start delving under the G1's hood!

I've added my vote, even though I've only had my G1 for a day! The individual solo synth slider controls is a VERY nice touch, and like Scott I really like the 'hands on' feel of editing, much the same as classic mono synths of old. Though I really don't understand why the P1 doesn't also have this feature considering it has the same solo synth engine?

Thanks for your help Gary, I think I sussed it! The problem appears to be that when copying a web address it is automatically converted to a hyperlink. Using 'paste as plain text' stops this, and it then allows it to be posted with the img and /img properties. Now, how do I delete posts?!!!

I tried all the above. Using the insert Media option I still get a thumbnail. Trying to put the image URL inbetween IMG and /IMG gets me this error: You are not allowed to use that image extension on this community. This is what I tried : ( '[' amd ']' replaced by '{' and '}' to enable the text to be posted here). {IMG}http://www.casiomusicforums.com/uploads/monthly_12_2013/post-2103-0-08793100-1386554543.jpg{/IMG} {sharedmedia=core:attachments:151} {attachment=151:DSCF3127i.JPG}

Here's my junk room, er, I mean studio! Yes, it needs a damn good sorting out, especially as I have an XW-G1 heading my way next week... Two keyboards on the stand - top is a Casio MZ2000, bottom is the XW-P1. On the XW's rubber pad is a Behringer Eurorack UB802 mixer. Big'ish keyboard on its side and facing the camera is a Casiotone CT410V (full size keys version of the MT400V). This is the Casio with the onboard analogue filter with real time controls! Next to this are two keyboards on their sides with just their backs showing. One is a Casio CZ101, the other is a Casio HT700. At the very front of the picture you can see three small Casios stacked together. One is an MT65 (white), one is an MT68 (grey), and the smallest is a PT80. And just behind the XW is a Line 6 Spider III guitar amp. This is just a small selection of my somewhat excessive keyboard/ musical equipment/ guitar/ bass collection, though suffice to say the XW and MZ look to be making themselves a permanent fixture!

Isn't the Roland JD800 based on the D10/ D50? I'd LOVE a JD800 - all those sliders and real time controls giving it mad science fiction type sounds, it's like the Jupiter 8 of digital synths!

Grrr, I hate it when Youtube does that. Try this one:

Vince again, this time a picture of him with a bank of CZ101s! I believe he used the CZ extensively on Erasure's first album 'Wonderland'. From the SOS article: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan04/articles/sequentialprophet2000.htm

Vince Clarke (of Depeche Mode/ Yazoo/ Erasure) on UK TV series 'Rock School', showing how to sequence a song using a Casio CZ1000 as a master keyboard! And in part two, at the very beginning, check out the top right of the screen behind the presenter - looks like a Casio CZ1!

Coldcut featuring Yazz - Doctorin' the House Another Casio FZ1 - big keyboard the back left of the stage!

Deeelite - The Power of Love Check out 0.40 + 1.26 and more - Casio FZ1 sampler!

Thanks Scott, that appeared to have done the trick! (I edited my post like you said and now the video is shown). Happyrat1, I did just past the raw Youtube URL in my original message, and it just showed up as a clickable URL when posted

Hey Scott, I was in the Lake Worth/ Boynton Beach area, about 30 miles north of Ft. Lauderdale. Not that far from you, relatively speaking!

Hi all, Many thanks for the responses and the very useful information. Also, sorry for the delay in responding. I posted my first message on the first day of my vacation to Florida. From that day onwards I spent most of the time outside, enjoying the sun, my friends and Thanksgiving than I did online. Coming from the UK, it was much more a priority to enjoy the outdoors considering the weather in the UK is *ugh*, with freezing temps and bad storms sweeping the country. Since coming home yesterday I've finally been able to catch up with stuff online. Anyway, the reason I looked into getting a G1 was because a shop on Ebay UK was selling some off at £199. By the time I'd posted up my initial query here, they'd all gone! My jury was still out as to whether I should get a G1 to go with my P1 (and all my other Casios), and I still wasn't sure if it offered enough for me to justify yet another Casio purchase. That and the fact that I have about 15 Casios already, plus a Roland JX3P and a Korg DW8000 (with about 20 basses/ guitars just to add to the mix!) But I just love Casios and their immense value for money and unique characters. I always check Ebay for potential Casio bargains, and a quick search today pulled up a Casio XW-G1, used once, boxed with manuals, for BIN £170 delivered! Suffice to say, the BIN was swiftly pressed and it looks like I now have a G1 to add to my collection as my Xmas present. Now I need a triple keyboard stand because at present my P1 and MZ2000 share the stand in my room. I wish I had room to have most of my gear set up, but I have to swap boards around, and the MZ is quite a big old beast... I am excited at adding the G1 to my synth arsenal, though I'm still not sure quite what I'll be doing with it and what I can do with it! The sampler facility looks to be fun, and I am looking forward to discovering the extra drum sets (which are more easily modified/ insert new kits I believe?) And more real time control over the solo synth parameters? It will be interesting to see just how much it will compliment my P1, and how different it is at the same time. Xmas 2012 = Casio XW-P1 Xmas 2013 = Casio XW-G1! I wonder what Xmas 2014 will bring?

How do I embed a video like those above?

Not sure if she is really playing a Casio, but it is called 'Casio Love Song'! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G7VJmTnYdg

Percivale, a lot depends on what you want to use your classic Casio for. Casio produced many models from virtual 'toy' instruments (VL1) right up to serious pro-equipment such as the big CZ's, FZ's, VZ, MZ2000 etc. and now the XW range. Many of the older Casios did not come with MIDI, so everything has to be done manually. A real gem of a Casio that comes under this category is the MT400V/ CT410V. This has a genuine onboard analogue filter, with real time slider controls for envelope and cut off/ resonance controls. A similar model (minus the filter) is the MT65/ 68 - you can have a LOT of fun with these, and the drum/ rhythm section is excellent. The CZ101 is a great synth, BUT, out of all the CZ's it is usually the most expensive despite having the least amount of features in the range. If size is not an issue then the CZ3000/ 5000/ 1 are more powerful/ flexible and thus a better bargain. I think the 101 is the most expensive because of it's cute size that gives monster sounds! Another Casio very worthy of consideration is the HT range. They are a digital/ analogue hybrid, using PCM tones but with a fully editable analogue filter and amp. HT's can sound VERY analogue at times, plus have those digital bell like sounds also. The filter doesn't quite go into self oscillation as standard, though there are mods that can up the resonance and allow it to scream. The HT's also have MIDI, which is a big plus point, though sadly no SYSEX. All the programming has to be done on the keyboard, and saved in the onboard memory (which is only backed up by big D cell batteries installed) or via the rare RA100 ram cards. The models to look for are the HT700 (mini keys) and HT3000 (the same as the 700, except with full size keys and mod wheel). There's also a 'pro' model called the HZ600, which is basically an HT3000 minus the accompaniment section and speakers. It looks like a clone of the Roland Alpha Juno, and isn't worth it unless you get it cheap as some of the rhythm sections on the 3000/ 700 are quite usable. The model to go for is the HT6000, though these are rare. The 6000 has FOUR PCM DCO's (!), 8 filters (one per voice) and a velocity sensitive keyboard. For the prices HT's go for, they are somewhat a bargain. Two other models worth looking at as they're such bargains are the VZ1 and the MZ2000. VZ's generally go for LESS than CZ's (except the rack VZ10m/ VZ8M versions) despite being a more powerful and advanced synth. They're not as easy to program as the CZ's, which might have something to do with their lesser popularity. The MZ2000 meanwhile can often be had for the same price as a CZ, and it is a VERY powerful workstation/ arranger keyboard with some impressive sounds. The MZ also has a synth section with a resonant filter, plus a velocity and aftertouch sensitive keyboard that is fully programmable with all parameters. They are are on the rarer side, and some sellers know their value, but some don't and not many people know about them. As such, potential bargains can often be had. Thus for some classic Casio fun at bargain prices I would suggest: MT400V/ CT410V MT65/ 68 All the CZ range HT700/ 3000/ 6000 VZ1 MZ2000 I have at least one of all those listed synths, and only two cost me more than £100 (CZ-1 = £125) and MZ2000 = £105)! Hope this helps find you a classic Casio to play with until you get your XW.

Just a quick question here regarding the merits of the P1 and G1, and whether it is worth having both. I am the proud owner a P1 (among about 15 other Casios!), which I chose over the G1 as the HEX layer sounds and the drawbar emulator I felt were more useful to me than the G1's sampling. However, with the prices of the G1's falling over the past year I am wondering if G1 owners may recommend it as well as a P1? It is worth bearing in mind that I also have an FZ20M, so I do have a Casio sampler already, What I'd like to know is, what advantages does the G1 have over the P1? From what I can tell, it has the sampling section, more drum samples and more real time control over the solo synth section. Though those are nice, I am not sure that is enough for me to warrant purchasing a G1 as well. Are these the main differences between the two models? As they are rather rare I have not had much chance to try out a G1. Anyone have both and can vouch for the usefulness of having a P1 and a G1? Would a G1 be useful enough to me bearing in mind I already have a P1? Looking forward to hearing some opinions! Chas

I can remember spending DAYS programming pages of code for a program that came with computer magazine (early 80's), only to type 'run' and then be greeted with 'Syntax Error' (the forerunner of the Blue Screen of Death!) There would then follow another few days trying to debug the code if we weren't patient enough to wait a month for the next edition of the magazine to come out with the corrections listed...!

How about a Korg Monotron? It uses the infamous MS10/ 20 filter and accepts auxiliary inputs, so could well be up to the job. They are also very affordable (about 30 GBP), plus you get a little mono, analogue ribbon synth thrown in! . http://www.korg.com/monotrons

I have the CT410V, which is the full size keys version of the MT400V. It is a really fun keyboard, especially as you can route EVERY section (one at a time mind) through the filter. That includes drums, main voice, bass and rhythm sections, thus it can produce some very unique sounds/ patterns. The basic synth engine is the same at the MT65/ 68, minus the modulation option and the arpeggiator. The filter is also 'tamed' and can't go into self oscillation, but it CAN be modified to do so. Also, the extra features from the MT65/ 68 can be added with a little work as the 410V and 400V has the feature set on its chips, but for some reason Casio chose not to use them on these models. The excellent TableHooters website has details of the 410V/ 400V (and many other retro Casios), including modifications that can be done to them: http://weltenschule.de/TableHooters/Casio_CT-410V.html