Casio CZ-5000

Well, the presets are close to useless with the exception of the jazz organ, which sounds really nice with portamento. To be honest I doubt there is a real situation where I would use the presets, but thats not why I bought it. Editing is quite tedious because of the sheer number of times one has to press the up and down buttons. On the plus side you can do alot with the editing.

16 note polyphony but if you want to bring out the full capability its 8 voices. As far as effects go they are easy to use and the portomento in particular sounds great.
It has a sequencer, but since thats useless to me I havent tried it out yet.

No velocity or aftertouch, but in a very 80's sounding synth its not really required. Presets are cheesy and static sounding but with the 8 stage filter editing you can get some very, very weird expressive sounds.

Had it or less than a week, no problems. But one week isnt much of a dent in its 20 something year life. Casio's have a reputation for sturdy reliable equipment. I plan to gig with this and thats a reason why I chose it.

If it were lost I would consider getting another one, I would be willing to pay a fair bit for it but within reason. I mainly use this as a rythym instrument, and thats why I love the 8 step filter, great for funk wah sounds.
I use this in conjunction with a vintage ARP, which I for basslines.. nothing like a vintage monosynth.

Preset sounds aren't really usable, for a noticable difference in editing I found through error that if you keep your finger on a (any) key whilst keeping your finger on either of the up or down value of whichever parameter your editing, you immediatly notice a difference in the change of brightness, attack etc. . . the reason why I mark the ease of use as a 4 is due to the sheer time consumption of working out what effect is achieved by doing what when changing values for the whole 8 stages of just 1 waveform, before continuing onto it's 8 stage amplitude.
Don't bother with the manual, it'll make the process seem twice as long. only revert to the manual for MIDI function

Initially 16 note polyphonic, but when using all 4 waveforms at once(which is recommended) then the polyphony is reduced to eight but sounds much better. no velocity, and doesn't respond to velocity data.
The MIDI function of this thing baffles me. On the it's eight track sequencer, the cz5000 allows you to choose how many notes polyphony you desire for each track (obviously if you're using four notes on track 1 & four notes on track 2, then you only get two tracks because you've already allocated the other six tracks polyphony) In MIDI mode, the only option you have is 'mono' mode, which means if your only using 2 MIDI channels, you can't allocate those of the other six's polyphony whether they're already in use or not, which is a waste

fantastic sounding synth once you've mastered the editing. I will not sell it. With patience, though it's never in it's life an analogue synth, it sounds closer to any analogue than yamaha's FM synths

The keys are fragile, but i would certainly rely on it for beefy sounds

N/A

They're cheaper than cz101's and cz1000's from what I've seen on E-bay

First of all, I bought one when they first appeared.
Everyone was falling over themselves to get a Yamaha DX-7, and the CZ-5000 was just #different#.
I found it easy to use, BUT...... a lot of limitations.
Presets were generally ordinary or bland. The manual had a load of user-programmable patches, which generally were indifferent.
Having only the one 'split' and one 'layered' memory was really bad.

the sequencer is handly for some automation, but depends heavily on the backup battery bank, which is really badly placed.

16 note poly, single oscillator; 8 note in dual; 4 note in quad

Depending which preset/program you choose one of these will sound good, usually ;)
Chorus effect is nice, but needs stereo feed to realy do it justice
Another area where Casio really went wrong was the lack of velocity/aftertouch on the keys - Yamaha and Roland already had synths out there with the full thing on.
The sequencer is #ok# if ou have the patience. #Live# input is fine, but not brilliant. Key-based (note-by-note) could take hours!

As its a synth, realism isn't in the frame, and the problem with it being digital but not Yamaha's FM system is that you get the sharpness of digital, with no real flexibility. I was always frustrated by the lack of possibility in the oscillator bank.

Has to be said though, that it did a mean brass lead sound.

Fine, but the Sequencer locked up at some point.

NA

About three months after I'd bought this, I began to realise that I should have got the Roland A-Juno instead. That's really its problem - Casio tried to produce a good main synth, but they should have stayed with the CZ-1000 - better for a lead-line/solo, smaller, not trying to vye with the serious players.

I replaced this with a Jupiter 6. No comparison!

Programming is tedious, though not as complex as it sounds. Phase distortion synthesis is easier to understand the FM, but still not something I've had time to get good at, but I've got some good sounds from it. The manual explains it pretty well and I've found lots of patch tables on the Net...

Polyphony could be better at 8 voices, but it'll do - I use it mainly for bass noises and techno bleeps that don't need to be chords. For the age and the cost it's a pretty well featured synth imo.
No fx, except a chorus which makes no difference to the sound I reckon. Keyboards pretty good - no velocity sensitivity, but I don't use it much. Accepts a data cartridge to back up (never seen one)or can back up to tape - but not tried it. The midi seems to work fine on the simple bits - controls an MC303 fine and is controlled fine by one. I've seen some well complex info on the real deep midi stuff on the Net, but unless you're really desperate for editability I reckon it's too scary to approach.

The sequencer seems reasonably easy but I only used it once - will try again though.

Lets face it, the presets are shite - except the bass sound. I put it through a Zoom505 pedal and it turns in the wierdness central, but keeps tame enough not to mess up the fx. You can program some wicked stuff on it though - good for hard digital bass sounds and nasty techno noises.
Oh yeah... - try one of the bell sounds (glock I think, but i'm not sure) through serious distortion, delay and reverb - it's the business!!!
The sounds aren't that reactive or expressive but again that's not what to use it for really. Chunky sequenced basses, riffs and digital pads are where it's cool...

Hmmmm.... Gigged with it for 3 years and the only problem is that it's so bloody big it won't fit sideways in a car in it's hard case and most taxis get annoyed when you crush their parcel shelf.

But... It suddenly lost all my patches once. I don't know if that was 'cos the battery went?

Sometimes notes stick.

Never tried - Don't think they still admit to it's existance..?

If It died (doubt if anyone would steal it it's too big!) I'd probably get one of its smaller relatives. Think I paid a bit over the odds, but the hard case has been usefull for other gear too...
It fell out of favour after losing my patches and due to being too big and grumpy, but I have plenty of affection for it and it's featured on many tunes. To be fair I mainly multisample it now though - the size problem again. I brought it mainly on a whim 'cos I had some spare cash, needed a treat and wanted some harder bass noises. Don't regret it though.

Considering that this is basically a variaton on FM synthesis, it is stupidly easy to use this synthesizer. I learned the interface in about 5 minutes without a manual and within a few hours had several good patches. However, in comparison to subtractive synthesizers it is very slow to program, and if you're programming from the front panel it lends itself more to basses and leads than pads (which the 8-stage envelopes are better for). However, if you get a Sysex editor for it (If you can find a Sysex editor for a Casio CZ-101 or 1000, it'll work for this synth too), then you pretty much have it made. Without the assistance of a computer, I give it a five because while the signal path is easy to follow and understand, the programming is very tedious, especially for more elaborate patches. I don't have a manual, but honestly there are very few synths I actually need the manual for and this is definitely one of them.

For an 80's synthesizer, the features on this aren't half bad. The keyboard feels very light, which can make rhythmic playing very difficult and painful on the wrists. The board is 8 voice polyphonic for your standard 2 osc (or "line") patches, and goes up to 16 voices for one line patches. The built in chorus is kinda noisy, but works decently for fattening up patches. Unfortunately, there's no Unison mode on this keyboard, which could serve to truly fatten up the synth somewhat.

It can send and receive MIDI, but since it's keyboard isn't velocity or aftertouch sensitive and it doesn't receive those, it's not that great of an implementation. I haven't touched the onboard sequencer, but it's very basic and is more useful as a "scratch pad" than anything else.

It sounds plastic and 80's, which is why it's such a guilty pleasure. This instrument SCREAMS "hey look at me I'm a synthesizer" and has a very rough bite to it. I would never attempt to synthesize a real instrument on this, and on anything that needs any sort of warmth through a filter, I'd definitely look elsewhere. However, for solidly plastic sounding 80's sounds, I'd go for this synthesizer in a heartbeat. It can do basses that rival a Minimoog in terms of bubbling with personality (it's a very different personality, but you can definitely pull off some funk with this), does incredible leads, very strange pads and textures, and for bells and higher frequency stabs, it's brilliant. The only reason I give this a 9 is that while it can pull off all of these sounds, the only thing it can't do is "warm and thick" without the assistance of effects.

It's 20 years old. I only got it a week ago, but I've had no problems with it (other than the previous owner having stickers all over the back). The buttons are starting to wear down, but probably just need cleaning. I have done some pretty radical things with the programming and as long as you don't hack it through SysEx, it's solid as a rock. Whether or not SysEx hacking makes it any less stable I can't tell you, but for normal usage it's solid as a rock.

I would trust it in a live situation, though I'd probably put it in a nice solid flight case and leave nothing to chance. The keys wobble some, but are stable and don't feel like they are going to break off when I play them, though I don't have a heavy touch at all so you may want to be wary if you are used to playing a piano and haven't adjusted to the lighter action of synth keys yet. The wheels work perfectly fine, and the patch select buttons respond the first time (and I haven't even cleaned it yet).

Considering that this synthesizer was manufactured almost 20 years ago, you cannot get customer service on it.

If this were lost or stolen, I'd probably upgrade to a CZ-1 (same synth with velocity and aftertouch sensitivity and no sequencer).

I've been into synths for two years, and in my arsenal is a Clavia Nord Modular, a Korg OASYS PCI, and a Yamaha CS-15, along with a few softsynths and things laying around my studio I don't use much at all (Roland SH-32, for example). I have previously owned an Ensoniq SQ-80 and a Korg MS-2000. While this is digital, I cannot fake it on my Nord Modular without hours upon hours of effort and probably consuming a fair amount of DSP resources on it. If you're looking for THE 80's cheesemaker sound, there's no reason to not go for a Casio CZ, as this cost me $170 shipped ($120 for the board, $30 for shipping, and $20 because I felt like being nice that day since I know the guy). CZ-3000s and 1000s are even cheaper, and a CZ-101 is very cheap if you're willing to tolerate mini-keys.

I strongly advise against this being the only synthesizer in your setup, as if you are in a "normal" band (with guitars and drums) you will stick out like a hot pink highlighter. If you're in an electronic group, it's probably fine if you have a warmer polysynth to balance it out.

In terms of my advice for what polysynths you should have or get to balance this synth out sonically, I'd recommend something that has either a very smooth or very thick tone to it, and avoid things that may sound harsh. For VAs I'd recommend the Access Virus or Alesis Ion and not recommend Clavia's Nord Lead I or II (NL3 should play well, as it's smoother than the previous Nord Leads). For low end analogs I'd recommend a Roland Juno (60 or 106, with the 60 being slightly smoother), and not recommend a Korg Polysix. For the high end analogs I'd say a Roland Jupiter (6 or 8) or almost anything Oberheim (absolutely NOTHING plastic sounding about those), but I wouldn't recommend a Prophet 5 as those can be somewhat harsh with high cutoff frequencies. This advice isn't the Word of God or anything, just my recommendations for trying to have a good contrast in your setup. You may find that you're wanting to have a setup more slanted to harshness anyhoo, and honestly the CZ series are very unique synthesizers so they will play well with just about anything you throw at them.

It takes some getting used to if you're a synth user of the faders and knobs school, but the potential this synth has is truely remarkable. Each DCO has two assignable waveforms (you can pick any of 8), plus the waveforms can be edited to taste through their DCW envelope. ADSR can be approximated through the DCA, and all other effects are easily toggled and edited. The two-line LCD is hard to see under bad lighting conditions, but aside from that, I have no complaints.

Again, if you're used to faders and knobs, this thing will throw you for a bit of a loop. The totally digital data entry system is a bit stand-offish and it's hard to visualize an ADSR envelope into a numeric expression, but once you grasp that concept, everything else will follow.

I suppose I can't talk about any feature of the CZ series without mentioning the orgasmic 8-stage envelope. Well, it's all aces, no two ways about it. Though the soundscapes at your disposal with this system are truely marvelous, and difficult to replicate elsewhere, my biggest gripe is a lack of filter.

Aside from that, you get a sweet vibrato system that lets you choose sine, sawtooth, reverse sawtooth, and squarewave modulation, a ring modulation that is one of the most musical I've heard, and portamento/glide that is easily assigned. Everything beyond the up-to-four-voice oscillators and their seizure-inducing 8-stage envelope seems a bit anticlimactitc, but this synth has got some good features.

MIDI implimentation is rather limited. It sends key data, portamento data, pitch and mod wheel data, and that's it. It receives a bit more, but MIDI at that time was only 3 or 4 years old, so that was about as good as it got for that time. At any rate, it's decent enough to trigger most soft synths with reasonable efficiency.

There is no on-board arpeggiator, but the sequencer can approximate one reasonably.

I know I've gushed about the 8-stage envelope, but it really gives you the power to create a myriad of sounds. My only complaint is a lack of a filter of some kind, which will suck a little fatness out of it. However, when compared to Yamaha's DX series (and their soft synth counterparts), it's a bit more "shaggy" and warm. Even with its unbelievable tweakability, this synth is a pads/lead synth primarily, because it lacks the bottom-end usually present in Analog. It's quiet, though. Also, the stereo chorus adds texture.

My next purchase will probably be a Moogerfooger filter unit. I just prefer the sound of a filtered synth.

Well, it's lasted almost 20 years...

*snickers*

The CZ 5000 has really won me over to the CZ cause. I've been toying with synths for about 3 years, and I currently own an analog (Roland Juno 60) and a VA (Roland SH 32). The CZ has a good place in my setup, because I was lacking the harsh, cutting sound of a fully digital synth. While the reputation of Yamaha equipment is far more respected, Casio's phase distortion synthesis method is both easier to learn and capable of different sounds. However, if I had my little way, here's what I would have:

1.) An arpeggiator - Though the sequencer can be programed to arpeggiate, I would have preferred a simple up/down/up-down arpeggiator.

2.) A filter - Nothing sounds more digital than a non-filtered synth. Blecch!

3.) MIDI and Mod Wheel - Both of these functions have to be manually turned on to be activated. Petty, I know, but a gripe nonetheless.

4.) Faders and knobs - Yeah, I know, I'm a baby. I just like the idea of being able to real-time tweak. Oh well, beggars can't be choosy.

So far, I've really enjoyed the CZ, and I don't anticipate it'll be going anywhere soon.

I found the manuals to be very vague in their explanations of its various functions. Basically, I learned to use it by trial and error.

I purchased the keyboard primarily for the use of the sequencer. I am not a keyboard player. I programmed the sequencer in step-time for the purpose of learning new church choral music. I used each track as a particular voice.

The only thing on the unit that let me down were the individual pushbutton switches on the circuit boards. I found that all pushbuttons were the same type, so I removed the defective switches, and replaced them with switches from other parts of the synth that I seldom use.

It would have been a lot more convenient for me if it had had its own amp and speakers which could have been used for programming.

It's fun to work with. Not much space to experiment in - but in one word: fun. DX like sounds but it's really easy to work with.

No velo sense or aftertouch but this plus the light keys make this ideal for "vivace" solos. Data cartridges work fine. The sequencer sucks - but good for etches and yes, it needs extra battery power which is a bit weird but the hole sequencer is useless so this ain't count.

Sounds are amazing - even for a casio :). This time they ARE amazing. Brass 1 stands out - and the human voice is pretty (not at all or just a bit realistic but) charming. A bit like the Jarre lead in Chronologie III. And one REALLY can hear the CZ5000 on rendez-vous. If it means anything. Good old days... 10++

Works well.

Since my first SK Casio is in my heart - the CZ5000 is their last masterpiece. But this truly is.

The Manual is very brief. Programming this synth can be pretty hard, 'cause its not built as standard ADSR synths...

Cool data catridge, works perfectly. You can also connect a tape recorder, but i haven't been able to find one yet.! Two built-in effects, ring modulation and noise. But fun, though limited. Midi-in, midi-out. cool sequenser!

This is a very limited synth. Good for 80's music. some lead-presets are good at everything.
No velocity or aftertouch, but thats just retro :)

Never crashes! Always works

It's okay. rather have a juno!! It has some cool leads, but not any strings or bass-sounds that's worth using!

the presets sound really good, they were exactly what i was looking for when shopping about for an 80's digital synth. there are a couple of bass patches that are cool, but the vibes and organ stuff are sometimes even better for that. the string patch is rad, even with out editing, it sounds very stark and musical. you will need time to learn how to edit if phase distortion synthesis is new to you, but its really about learning how to navigate through its editing menus, at least for me. the manual is a bit cryptic, ive had to read things a few times over and realise what they were talking about. for example, it wasnt very clear how to erase a track on the sequencer, it would refer to erasing "partial data on a track while in manual mode." nothing lke, "this is how you erase a track". once i started getting the hang of the sequencer, i thought it was pretty cool. it has real time and "manual" [meaning, step record]. i use it to make phrases, not for making whole sequences. the sequencer is 8 part multitimbral. i use it with an external sequencer usually for just one patch, im not sure if its also multitimbral in that scenario. a patch editor oculd be evry cool, like soud diver, if they made it user friendly enough.

8 part polyphony. it doesnt haev velocity or aftertouch, but the amount of time you press a key can make a difference in some patches. for example, there is a drum/tom sound with delay, and if you keep your finger pressed down for a while, it decays quickly. and if you jsut quickly tap it, the sound opens up in a way. i suppose you could program any patch you want to do that. very expressive. im looking for a card for it at the mo, also for my CZ101, whihc is also rad. chorus is cool. i may have not spent enogh time with mne, but the mod wheel, the lfo is always at the same speed, and cant seem to find where youd program it otherwise. like i said abotve, the sequencer is cool, it has soem limits, but if your inspired enough you could make all sorts of tripped stuff on it. the quantisation goes up to 32nd notes.

the most realisitc patches are the vibes, organs and sounds of that nature [whihc goes for many other synths] i use its sounds specifically for their electronic nature, and recommend it for industrial/hard electronic bass and stabs and general noise. if your doing rock, id jsut get a newer more modern synth, unless you want to sound dated especially [not a bad thing]. in my case, doing noise, lectronic and folk, its one of my favourite key boards here.

seems very reliable. mine would distort intermittently while playing, after having not played it for a several months. it cleaned up somehow. i would take it to a gig, its rad to see a casio on stage. since im here i might add that for the CZ101, the power cord is an AC adapter. it falls out on mine frequently. could be a loose connection. and i dont ahve a acrd backup, so you could be playing for a while, made a rad sound, and you breathe on it and the power disconnects. the cz5000 has an IEC power cable, much better no probs.

neer tried, never would. id just take it to a synth repair place. i dont imagine that casio has support for this still.

id hate to lose this synth. i have a couple other casios, namely the cz101 and the FZ-1. fz1 is a baddass old sampler. it has a blue lcd screen, and it weighs a ton. cz101 is fun to take to friends places and jam with. the cz5000 stays in my studio. wouldnt sell it for anyting. im selling my jp8000, but keeping my casio. ive been making music since 92, with guitar as my primary instrument. over time i became more interested in synths, and now they are both my first instrument. i have a jp 8000 which i dig but am going to sell. i have an emu E Ultra 5000, a bad ass sampler, but the thing is i hate working on modules. i like big keyboards. likewise i ahve a Korg TR rack and Alesis DM Pro which i dig but am going to sell. the cz5000 is somewhat comparable to the yamaha dx7, tohugh the actually have unique osunds of their own. the dx 7 id frequency modulated synthesis, and the cz is phase distortion. they come from completely different areas, but both have a brownish 80s quality. id sya the dx seven is more rubbery and pliable, the cz more...not like that. its bass synth patch is like a body rising from the grave. thats a compliment. heehee. i wish it had a better menu screen, wish you didnt ahve to press so many buttons. the osunds inspire me though, and it was because of its name and stature that i bought it. its in its own class, even the dx7 had contemporaries with s8imilar sounds. the cz sounds very CASIO! i ouwld say its a bonus to every studio who had one.

The Presets are allright.
The editing is not hard at all, compared to other digi synth(DX7).
With a bit of knowledge and a bit of time( they could have used a data slider instead of these up+down buttons)

Polyphonic.keyboard action is normal for a synth in this range and age.
no velo nor after.
great chorus.Fat
Midi is very basic but allright.(not recommended as aa master)
Sequencer is a great bonus to storage upcomming ideas immediately!!
GRAET

OHHHH Thats the point.
when I bought it and heard it the first time I was totally flashed!!
The sound is really outstanding.
It's a sound of it's own .
Fat basses nice leads.
for a digi the sound is really incredible!!!!!

NO problem.

Never had any Problem , so...

For the money and the other circumstances
this was the best deal i ever made..
I,m thinkin to get me a little brother cz1000
to push my setup with these unique sounds

My rating here is due to not having a manual. I still have to figure out how to split the keyboard and how to make it operate muti-timbral (mono). To program your own sounds you need to push many buttons many times. It can get a little tiring but with determination this thing can make all kinds of interesting noises. The patches are not stored when you turn it off. You need to have a memory cart, which mine has luckily. You can put batteries in it but I think this is only to power the sequencer. Apparently the sequencer is great but I've never used it (no need as I sequence from a computer). It's easier to program than the one-data-slider keyboards. At least every parameter has it's own button and a label. Everything is laid out on the front panel, but still the midi and spilts are a bit foggy for me. Anyone know where to get the manual or an equivalent? I understand this keyboard is the same as the CZ3000 minus the sequencer.

No velocity or aftertouch. I haven't found this a major drawback as I have other keyboards that do these functions. What's great on this is the performance features: SOLO is just that, no big BOOST of volume with it like some keyboards. Portamento is adjustable over a huge range as well as Glide, Vibrato etc. Lots of Waveforms to choose from with up to 8 steps in the DCF and DCA. You can also vary pitch over 8 steps which can get you some pretty interesting choris and phase effects using two oscillators. You can use one osc for a pure sound or two for cross-mod and layering effects. The chorus doesn't work on mine, so I leave the slider off. Big range in volume, no switching between hi and lo levels etc. A few keys on mine don't work but with midi this is not a big deal. No effects really to speak of but many other interesting features reward the diligent tweaker. There is a mod wheel with assignable range which has an on/off switch so you can leave it set somewhere and kick it in when you want it. There is a separate pitch wheel with assignable range.

I have to say this is an interesting and unique sounding instrument. Originally I was nervous that it would sound thin and cheesy. Not at all. The presets give a good idea of the range of sounds, but you can really program some interesting and unique tones that cut right through any mix. Very musical-sounding instrument. You can get the purest simple tones or nasty resonant snarls. Basses are not earth-shattering but are warm enough and cut through very nicely. There are 8 different waveforms, all unique, including 3 resonant ones that sound very nasty in the bass, and up higher give a "zipper-like" sound that I love, especially with the portamento on. Using the portamento you can get a very slippery bassline or with vibes down mid-low range also gives interesting effects. You can make the envelopes open very slowly and settle at any frequency for sustain. The 8 step envelope allows you to assign which step is the sustain and which is the END. You don't have to use all 8 either. You can just use 2 or three or however many you like. Theoretically you could press a key and have the sound vary over a long long time. I haven't done this but if you set all the steps to their slowest time it would probably go on for several minutes.
Some of the factory patches are very useful, and good starting points for programming. I like Synth Strings and Vibraphone, there are noise effects as well. When you program a sound you can select to add noise (fixed amount) and this noise will be effected by the DCF (digital controlled filter). It also has a "Ring Modulation" effect which isn't much different from the noise, though less severe. I haven't found a use for it yet. You can get a huge variety of timbres out of this instrument, and a great variety of pads and really great lead sounds as well as uniqu stuff and sound effects. The leads are gorgeous, and with portamento in SOLO mode with a bit of echo...beautiful. Full marks for the unique sounds on this unique and dirt-cheap keyboard. I got mine for $140 CDN. That's less than $100 US. It is a little bit noisy but I found by turning the volume to about half and increaing the gain on the mixer, it runs fairly quiet. I hear the chorus adds lots of noise.

So far so good, though those dead keys (3 total) were not caused by me.

No idea though I hear it's impossible to get support.

I don't think I would consider selling it. For the price it is extremely versatile and musical. It has really grown on me and I have become fond of it. For comparison my other keys are Korg DW8000, Poly6, Roland JX8P, several Roland samplers, Akai S612, Electro-Harmonix Mini-Synth (in the shop) and a Rhodes Suitcase 88 and Hohner Clavinet. I love them all, though the JX8P can be annoying. You can't lose getting one of these for the price. Remember, I'm looking for a manual so email me if you can help. Thanks!

Extremely Easy to use. All parmateres have an action button to edit. Considering its age the midi functionality allowed me to sync to Soundiver for instant realtime editing. The Presets are awfull. But hey aren't most sysnth presets. Its a synth go make your own noise.....

I think it is 16 note poloyphonic - But you can stack two patches together - more power - but half the polyphony. A sliding chorus, interesting. Portomento and glide - which I have not seen on modern synths. No expansions - Except for the slot where you can place some batteries to keep the sounds and senquences in memory. Midi is good but no aftertouch, or sensitivity from the keyboard. Its an old synth - but it does have that 80's metalic cold sound. Casio really got their stuff together when they made these synths. Its such a shame they went downhill from there on.

80's Synth - Of course it does not sound realistic - But then thats not what you would buy it for. You want those crazy, bizarre. electric sounds - with a gritty edge that S+S synths cannot deliver.
And as you can stack sounds its like having two CZ101's at the same time - !!!

Well its about 17 years old. I bought it second hand. It looks like it has been dropped from the top of a tower block - and suvived to tell the tale. The O/S has never crashed or done anything strange. As I said it runs with Soundiver no worries......Built like a battle cruiser - - and probobly tougher!!! They sure don't make em like they used to.

Who knows????

Lost or stolen - I would run to the nearest hill and cry loudly. Then get straight back down and search out another one......A CZ3000 or CZ-1 would be ok as well.........Cannot compare with another product except I guess A DX-7....But trying to programme one of those - NO WAY!!! Its instand not so many frills or complications - just straight in there with PURE UNADULTERATED CHEESE - YOU GOTTA LOVE IT!!!

Its hard to use...no knobs for tweaking, everything has to be edited by some buttons..very tiring..

has a built in chorus, which sounds great, but too noisy to use..you can use it multitimbral, but i have to admit i really dont know how to use it that way..its kinda complicated to manage that..

THATS THE POINT...THIS SYNTH ROCKS...If you are looking for Depeche Mode, New Order, or some other eighties style bands sounds, this machine is it for you..I am using it for two years now, and i still havent found any other synth with this special "cold" sound to it..

Built like a tank, and weighs as much as one...looks pretty reliable..dont forget to change the batteries sometimes though.

Never tried...i think they dont give any support on this old piece of gear..

if it were lost or stolen, id go looking for the cz 101 i guess, for it looks much smaller, but i am not sure if it has the same big sound as the cz5000..i love the sound, hate the controls of the cz 5000..compared to my juno it sounds very "crystal clear" and cold, a good complementary to the warm and hearty juno sound..i wish it had a lighted display, and an alpha dial or an fader for entering data..

I was looking for that 80's sound and found it in my cz5000!!! I am still learning it but I am happy with this syth! I'm still learning the editing patches and I NEVER GOT A MANUAL since it was bought used! If any one can tell me where to get one I WOULD be so happy! My e-mail is joegomez10@hotmail.com The preset sounds are so,so, I LOVE THE Strings, syth bass, organ and typhoon! But the magic is distortion and this machine is great in that! You can hear these sounds on many 80's songs, techno, pop, etc.

I dont know too much about the polyphony, but the keyboard action is good! The effects are great! It is easy to program and you can make the keyboard sound like the 80's, today's techno or vintage 70's!! I am looking to find an old cartrige, anyone let me know ok! I haven't tried the midi, but I WILL soon with my drum machine! The sequencer is rather boring, but I AM TRING TO work with it!! One more thing! I discovered more creative ways to use it, by expermenting the preset sounds and distortion and playing along with my drum machine, hooked to my amp! Excellent!!!

I love the strings, bass, typhoon, fantastic organ! But the rest of the presets are rather cheeze! BUT YOU can distort the sounds and come with something strange and new! I love using it for retro 80's music, pop, dance, techno! Again the on board effects are excellent! IT REACTS great to my playing, but again it is vintage! One more thing, it is easy to pick up! Fun to play!!

It has lasted this long and in great shape!! It is heavy but need to I WOULD USE IT ON TOUR! It is one of two syths I HAVE on my 2way stand, the other is my Kawai 4!!!!! It is very reliabile and I NEED TO SAY THIS! Casio has gotten a bad rap over the years, being a cheap keyboard found every where in department stores, etc. This keyboard is not one of them! Last of their breed!! A real syth!!! I love it!

I never needed customer support, but I HAVE TRIED TO CALL Casio for advice, supplies and get an answering machine??? Casio should do more I FEEL!!

If it was lost or stolen, I would try to find another but if I CANT i would get another vintage syth!! I have been playing on and off for 15 years! I do more songwriting and producing! I also own the kawai 4 syth, korg drum machine, voxbox voice changer, 4track recorder, yamaha drum machine, 3 mikes, recording machine, etc. I love that I OWN A SYNTH!! I dont hate anything about the casio cz5000, except I WISH i had the manuel and cartrige! I wish I Had a private studio in my home( I'M USING MY BEDROOM!) I wish I HAD A HIT SONG! LOL! I havent compared it to other synths, except my KAWAI, BUT I know one thing this keyboard is unique in sound distortion and feel! I love to write and the cz5000 brings out great things! Again I was looking for a keyboard with an 80's feel and this one is great! I love making music and it's part of my life!!

the preset sounds on this beast are fairly impressive. the synth is very sharp and accurate sounding. as far as editing, its very simple and self-explanatory.

sorry folks, the keyboard is not velocity-sensitive, one of the drawbacks of the cz5000. the built-in effects are cool if u have some programming skills u can come up with some neat sounds.

the guitar preset isn't that great but with some work to the touch u can make it sound like a real one:) this machine is very good for 80's rock and synth.

very dependable, i would definitely use it on a gig without a backup

n/a

this thing is rather heavy so be careful, better than a lot of synths out there! much better, but this is completely digital, which means no vco, vca, vcf,
can someone email me on how to get a regular piano sound? and also, on the beginning of "I'll Wait" by Van Halen, does anyone know what the settings are to get that synth sound eddie uses? thanks in advance

Mmmmhhh.... Before a lot of years using it, it's easy to me. The manual is OK to learn.

Today, poor. In the past, great.

The presets are a real crap. But you can create an interesting sounds if you work hard. Do you want to hear songs created in 1990 ONLY with a CZ5000 (sinthesizer) and a RX8 drum station? Go to http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/112/centinel.html and download "5051" or "Train to Bethleem"

presets are wack, but you know that already. editing patches using the panel buttons are okay..not the best because there's a lot of punching in (8 envelope stages for amp, filter and pitch) but it's not terribly hard. Yesss patch editors make a big difference! (I use unisyn; the freeware one doesn't seem to work for me)

best thing i can say about it by way of features is that it has 8 stage envelopes...which is tremendously...wow. the sequencer is okay, limited as it is but YOU CANNOT LOOP WITHOUT ADDING A BAR OF SILENCE AT THE END!!! if not for this it would have made a cool arpeggiator on its own.

ring mod, noise, no velocity, no aftertouch, wonky chorus (but i leave it on all the time). oh yeah the keys transmit velocity of only 68 or something, very annoying since this is my midi controller at the moment

yes..the sounds...almost anything not analog or realistic: clangs, bells, sweeps, housey stabs. i give it a 10 for the sounds (if you know what to expect and like that kinda thing) not "pristine" though. use this for house, industrial, d&b, hardcore...

too heavy and limited to gig with, better to sample it methinks, otherwise seems solid enough

id like to get a CZ101 instead (velocity, smaller, AND CZ sounds). its the sounds that i love more than anything. if you don't have anything digital/fm, get the casio cz line. people may laugh when they see the casio logo but you can wipe the smile from their faces with the sounds

OK, Firstly I don't have it anymore :-( but this was my first synth I ever owned and I learned a lot about synthesis and step sequencing thanks to this keyboard! Most of the presets arn't that great but the most common trick I used was detuning the two occilators and this easily phattend the sound! Everything is laid out in logical order DCF, DCO, DCA so I found it pretty easy to edit.

16/8 note poly is OK...especially if you consider this an "analog" keyboard! Chorus is simple but adds a bit more depth as required. The only Midi I used was between this and a Casio RZ1 sampling rythm machine which was simply to trigger the tempo which worked fine. Onboard sequencer is basic but I managed to get a lot done with it! (multiple layers of bass-lines & programmed arpeggios was my forte! :-)

This is a SYNTH - it's not meant to be "realistic"! ...but with some "tweaking" I got some sounds I'm still trying to replicate today (without success!) - I now own a Yamaha CS1x & Roland EG101. They are great but the Casio still has a sound of it's own! I think the CZ series are good for brass/bass sounds and other "wierd" sounds (like before I got my RZ1 rythm unit I managed to create some rather funky soundin drum sounds & incl. them in the mix! :-) It also has portamento and glide which react independantly (poly) and add a nice effect!

Never let me down!

Never needed it...fortunately! :-)

Well I had one...moved on...but I miss it! ...and I would like to re-record some songs from "days gone by", so I would like to get another one...maybe a CZ101 will do the trick? A friend of mine bought the CZ1 and I did find the touch sensitivity definitely bought a different dimention to the keyboard!
I now own a Yamaha CS1x (which I love to bitz! - but I do find it a bit limiting and am looking at upgrading to the CS6x - I see it has rave reviews! :-) ...and my other keyboard is a Roland EG101 which I find a rather frustrating keyboard although it does have it's good points!
As I said, the Casio CZ range has a character of their own and it's not a synth you are going to try to run on it's own...but it definitely does have something to offer "in the mix"!

presets kind of stink, there is one or 2 I like. But take one of the presets and tweak some of the settings and you can get some real cool techno sounds. Editing the patches with the on board buttons and lcd is kind of time consuming. I just downloaded this free Windows program by Alfonso Hermida called CZ Sysex Editor that makes it way easier. It puts all the options and settings in front of you in a graphical layout, you tweak what you want or load patches downloaded from the Web, then hit the Send button, and it loads it into the currently selected bank through the Midi In port on the CZ. Way easier. I got the manual with mine (bought used) but it seems technical... i am pretty new to this stuff and don't even know what Portomento means... the manual just says things like Portamento: Hit this button to change Portmento. Oh well, I am figuring out this stuff as I go. I just like changing whatever settings I see until a sound comes out that I like.

I use a PC sequencer, so I don't use the one on board. I figured why waste the time to learn it when the the one on my PC probably blows it away anyway. Has a couple effects, jus turn them on or off, no expansion options I can see other than some outdated hard to find cartridge. The most basic MIDI controller keyboard that you can buy new today I'm sure blows this keybaord away, the CZ isn't pressure sensitive or anything.

The built in sounds kind of suck. I am using this to make crazy sweeps and basses and other techno sounds. It seems to be good for that for what I can tell. Seems to have some noise hiss with the chorus reverb so I might keep that off more often than on, but on some sounds I don't hear the noise and it does add some cool effects to some of the sounds. I just found out how to load patches found on the Web, so now I am playing with a whole lot of new sounds, and having fun!

Seems reliable. It just sits on my keyboard stand, I don't take it anywhere. I can't see anyone using this for a gig. It's kind of heavy and doesn't seem like it's probably not great for changing sounds on the fly and who'd use the built in sounds for any gig unless they were going for a cheezy sound. Definitely though I would sample this baby and use the sounds on other gear at a gig. A couple times I had an anger/rage fit/tantrum and smashed down on the keys as hard as I could, and it is still working fine. =:^))

I searched for CZ-5000 on casios site, had no results found. Guess they don't care to admit it is theirs. Seems like there are still some user sites out there, like Temple of CZ. I was able to find several patch editors and many many patches out there on the Web. There are a few companies selling sounds/patches for it too. One site, dreamweb.com or something, said they even still have some Casio RAM cartridges for sale, but I didn't look into it. (Aug. 2001)

if lost or stolen, probably buy something new just because I like getting new different toys to play with. I oriignally bought this at a pawn shop, didn't really know what I was getting into, I just wanted a keyboard that could do MIDI so I could trigger this sampler that I have. But now that I am learning about it, I will be sampling alot of the sweeps and stuff I am getting out of the CZ. (and then probably play them back through the sampler using the keys on the CZ or with my step sequencer or a combination.) If this sounds backwards, whatever... it works for me!

I've been borrowing this for about 6 months or so now. The presets are
REAL crap. A couple of basses are *OK* and the brass are good starting
points for programming. Which leads to the next part...

I can't seem to get the sequencer to work, I don't have a manual. It's
either broken or I'm really stupid. The chorus sounds okay, but again
you don't have any control over it. plus the chorus "slider" is rea-
lly nothing more than an on/off switch that generates a bit of noise
when you cross over to "off" mode. It's got a 16 note polyphony, but if
you can actually max that out on this limited gear you're a noise god.

Midi is not very comprehensive at all--in fact it downright blows.
MIDI send/recieve note on/off is all it really does. It might do
program changes, but I haven't done it. It doesn't even have velocity
sensitivity.

The mod wheel is alright,
but it is global like the portamento/mono mode and has to be
reprogrammed for every patch--it doesn't save them individually.

Programming is
a tedious process. There is no control for cutoff or resonance, so you have
to program those parameters into the envelopes. Which is the good part--
you have 8 stage envelopes on every envelope section. You can make
some damn crazy sounds if you're willing to work. In my opinion, it is
best at monophonic bass sounds, but portamento and mono mode are global
so you have to redo/undo those parameters manually. This is a bit of
a chore, so for this reason I do not consider it a good live synth.
The ring mod is not programmable and therefore makes it almost useless.
It's good to toy with, it can either sound like sh*t or give a nice
sound. Noise mod is almost useless--it's not programmable either,
but if you toy with it when making more percussive sounds it can add
a good character. Also there is a very slight hiss when it's playing
that sounds like a normal bias tape being played.

In the end, though I really like the sound it makes.

It's never crashed, and it's been dropped a couple of times. It's
plastic, but it's still put together well.

N/A

I think when I get my own cz synth I'll get a CZ-1 or a CZ-101. I need
just a tad bit more diversity. But if you want a cheap but good
entry into electronic keyboards there is no reason why you shouldn't
buy this, esp since they can be had really cheaply. I'm gonna sample the
living sh*t out of this synth b4 I give it back, the electronic sounds
are really nice when you program them. It DOES have a sound of it's
own, but I'm gonna end up doing most processing through my K2500.

I like it's sound despite it's limitations.

* Except for the string and brass sounds, most of the presets are a waste, simply because, the CZ-5000 is for making weird techno sounds, not "real" acoustic instruments, in my opinion.
* The manual is worth very little. It contains mostly technical information, although it came with a "Data Book" containing a few useful patches. But again, only the organ and string sounds were useful.
* Editing patches is painful, because the interface contains no sliders, everything is numeric, and it's very difficult to visualize the envelopes you're creating and how they relate to one another. I'm positive a patch editor would help that. I'd be eternally grateful if someone could point me to one (heypat@bigfoot.com).

* Forget about the sequencer. It's a toy.
* The chorus effect sounds very low-fi. You might like it.

* I have an anecdote that may explain how durable these units are: I've had my keyboard since 1990. In 1994, a large, drunk person *fell* onto one end of the keyboard, launching it onto a concrete floor. I was sure he had killed it, but it didn't even put a dent in it. It works perfectly.

I like it, even though I got ripped off when I bought it. If you can find a patch editor for it, you've got a Nice Piece of gear.

Patch editing is simple, with everything laid out on the front panel
for you. Multi-timbral operation, however, is very quirky - changing
patches for different MIDI channels requires either external program
changes (from a sequencer, perhaps)