Help: Casio CZ-101 Becomes Monophonic with Tone Mix

[brysonschmidt]

I just bought a Casio CZ-101 that's in (visually) perfect condition, but whenever I use the "Tone Mix" function, the polyphony stops and I can only play one note at a time. Here's the troubleshooting I've already done:

• I've done the factory reset on it.
• I've tried running it off batteries instead of the power cord.
• I've tried using both the internal and preset sounds.
• I'm only using the singular line selection.
• Solo mode is not engaged.

The keyboard clearly has the capacity for polyphony, but something about the tone mix button (which is very important to me) negates it. Anybody have any ideas? 

[Jokeyman123]

I'll have to check the manual specs, but i seem to remember my CZ-101 would cut its voice count in tone mix mode. Been awhile from my memory, but this might be its normal behavior.

 

Addendum-yes I checked the manual-in tone mix mode the CZ-101 becomes monophonic-one note at a time. It also cuts the voice count to 4 from 8, if you use 2 oscillators for a tone program. I think you need the bigger CZ's, the 3000/5000/1 to overcome this limitation. I could be wrong there too but I don't recall my other CZ's as having this monophonic limitation.

[pianokeyjoe]

Tone mix mode takes the 8 voices and mixes them down to monophonic but with 4 oscillators mixed(most of the better sounding tones are layered with 2 tones or "lines".),thus a thicker sound. The CZ 101 "lines" setup is as follows: 2 DCOs, and 2 "lines" per DCO. So 2 tones can be layered and each tone has 2 "lines" or oscillators. The polyphony is 8 max but only in single DCO mode with only "line 1" single(not layered). Very boring sounding but usable with effects machine. 4 note poly is the normal expected limit with most presets being layered with either 2 lines or both DCOs with one line each or in the case of mix mode, all four parts/lines mixed in a limited set of combinations. Now the here is something you need to know that you may not have known.. The CZ101 is 4 midi channel multitimberal. BUT each midi channel is monophonic. and receive only a single line or single oscillator tone per midi channel. If you layer lines/DCOs and so on, you get less midi channels to work with and mix mode is a mystery to me as far as midi because I never got that far with my unit before I regrettably sold it. I DO have the CZ3000 and CZ5000 and can confirm you get 4 and 8 Note poly play with mix mode as those keyboards are 16 note poly max. They are also 8 part midi channel multitimberal.

[Chas]

With the CZ101 and 1000, "Tone Mix" should've been called "Unison". Most other synths of that era had a Unison mode that stacked all the oscillators for a big fat monophonic sound. Great for basses and leads 👍