Casio CZ-5000

Throw away the manual, unless se habla espanol, solamente. Ignore presets, all 32 sound childish. Editing patches is easy since there are fewer menus, more buttons, and logical DCO-DCF-DCA layout. The only patch editor I've used, is one I made with HyperMIDI--good but unneeded. CZ-Librarian (for MacSE sys 6.0.5) is ok, but a much better solution is to use the data transfer cable to record onto minidiscs. That way, you can create your own, convenient library of patches. A cable can even be made by splicing a MIDI cable to audio cables with some electronics aptitude. On the downside, live use isn't easy if you need instant configurations (less than 25 seconds for downloads).

Polyphony for anyone creating the thicker textures is feels like 7. If you sequence via external master, then you can have 8 sep. mono coolies. The only built-in FX are a stereo chorus via a fader--easy but pathetic... buy outboard FX--easy enuff. Expansion is most possible via cable downloads, since cards are hard to find. The downloads sound like modem noise for about 20 seconds, and can be stored real well on miniDiscs, DAT's, and computer snd,AIFF,WAV files. Keyboard action is NOT velocity sensitive, but the 8-step ENV's help simulation. MIDI capabilities are very minimal, and many signals are sent as SysEx instead of standard (all notes off, volume). No aftertouch or any other frills, but the onboard sequencer is GOD for arpeggiation, if you know how to count beats. Easy sequencer if you read music or program drum machines manually. NO quantization, tho, so you'd better take piano lessons first. The inadequate features are flexible and easy, but that's a matter of opinion and dependent on polyphony needed for whatever style of music you do. Program changes are recorded excellently in the sequencer, so voices can be multiplexed.

Techno, R&B, Dance, Industrial, and Moog-type instruments are realistic, all others take years to create, but can be done via layering, complex ENV's, precise synthesis, and serendipity. Skinny Puppy, Technotronic, Yaz, Eurhythmics, KMFDM, etc. can be emulated quite well, if you get comfortable and buy FX. Reactivity depends upon your envelope programming skills. No velocity, No aftertouch. Learn how to deal with your limitations and you'll go far, kid. Ring modulation is the CZ's secret weapon of total destruction. Why don't you buy a vocoder while you're at it, and annihilate all sonic enemies.

My CZ-5000 I prefer to the Korg M1, Korg FD/W, Alesis Q stuff, etc. etc. It's cheap, light, mysterious, and does what I make it. Other more advanced keyboards are too tedious to edit, too expensive, or don't have any bite. The CZ keyboards are dependable AND expendible. Someday they shall be collector's items, though... and their chips are probably an endangered species. Why don't you buy an Ensoniq ASR-10 as a backup, and us [Prodigy/KMFDM/Front 242] as a backup.

Casio is cordial, unhelpful, and automated via the phone. The web site (and company) is irrelevant for CZ upgrades, repairs, and info. Luckily, other users are on the Internet, as are electronics hobbyists. A note of caution: CZ's aren't difficult to repair, but exploratory surgury can make put the chips into an astable state of error requiring digital logic understanding. If you need an upgrade, buy Kraftwerk or a sampler/digital recorder. If you need a repair, fix it yourself or make do. On the other hand, at least Casio gave out sysEx codes and phase distortion info about CZ. Casio had its CZ synthesis technique imitated by other companies who are rich now, so I'm not in the mood to further slam on the company since I love my CZ.

CZ-5000 is worth what I paid for her, worth apt. insurance too. If stolen, I'd buy another CZ, or get a digital multitrack and remix my old recordings of CZ inferno. I've been playing piano for 18 years, synths for about 5 years. Other gear: MacSE, Alesis HR-16 drums mach., Zoom 1202 FX, Sony JE510 miniDisc rec., optimus SSM-50 mixer, and a bunch of other cheap radio shack junk. I love CZ sounds, hate the lack of MIDI control, velocity sensitivity. I choose this one cause it was the cheapest, editable 61-key, true synth I had ever seen... I never spend more than $400 at a time on audio stuff, and by comparison, used gear rules. I wish I had multitrack Hard Disk Recorder, and a isolation booth for recording vocals. CZ helps me make music, but gets in the way of anything earthy. CZ's worst enemy is the piano, in that realm. One last thing... always buy cheap AND/OR used, that way you can buy a few cool things every few months, instead of one cool flavor of the month once in a lifetime. Be inventive. No one cares what crap you use if it sounds awesome--they think you're Trent Reznor's Evil Twin, instead.