This brings back wonderful memories!!! Now I want to find my CZ-5000, my data tapes, my lists of what's stored on the tapes, and my data cable and see if it still works!
A weird one, but a solid one! Right now it's even the master midi clock for our techno live sets since it does that job better than any of our modern gear
@@SynthsandSounds The CZ5000 is extremely underrated. Can produce some fat rich sounds and the sequencer is fun to use. And simple once you understand it.
I was always interested in the music workstation idea and the way I kind of graduated through synths in the 80s kind of reflects this. After learning the basics with a Moog Prodigy and Yamaha CS30 in 1981, I bought a SCI Pro-One, which had an arpeggiator and then a Roland JX-3P, which has a basic step sequencer. I was looking for one unit that could record a whole song with different parts and came across it with the CZ5000, which I owned in 1986. In those days, you really had to study the manual to get the best out of it. Though I did attempt some interesting stuff, the hard and digital nature of the CZ sound just wasn't all that suited to multi-timbral songs - although I salute its ambition. I moved from there to the Ensoniq ESQ1 and then the Roland W30 sampling workstation. In the early 90s, I had the idea that a PC could be custom-designed with the right hardware and software to become a virtual recording studio. So I researched it, bought all the components and ended up with a midi sequencer synced to four tracks of audio via a SMPTE card (the time code that synced audio to visuals in film). I had basically invented a DAW - primitive by today's standards, but it worked. The CZ5000 was a big step towards that. though, of course, Cubase VST came along in the mid-90s and gave me exactly what I was striving for all along.
not really, it is not 8 bit. That is a 12 bit, probably with delay. Modernly, it is in the mbs now, with layer overdubbing of ambience, and other instruments; forcing everybody to get high powered speaker to enjoy the norm??
2:39 In 1980 the Synclavier II was released, it featured a real time multi-track sequencer, and of course the Fairlight II CMI (1982) had one as well..
You're absolutely right. The question is if these can be considered synthesizers, since they were predominantly samplers and very untypical synthesizers, if so
@@SynthsandSounds I feel that Casio deserves credit for so many innovations in music, an have always been a huge supporter, as for your comment, note that the Synclavier didn't include sampling until much later. It was an additive and FM synth. The Fairlight was originally designed as an additive synth with the unique ability to draw waveforms, but once they added sampling they saw that this was the future.
Enjoyed your explanation and especially the multitrack composition at the end. Nice use of percussive elements too. I get my CZ-5000 the day after tomorrow hopefully, can’t wait :)
Oh that's cool, congratulations! The sequencer has a totally different but very inspiring workflow compared to anything else! I always wanted to make a video about using the CZ-5000 as a drum machine. It's a funny exercise to learn about the CZ's abilities: You can easily program eight patches that sound like kick, snare, hi hats and so on and play them all at the same time using the sequencer to get a fully programmable drum machine. Use only four drum sounds, and You have four tracks left for melodic sounds. That's a fully blown groovebox from a time when grooveboxes didn't exist
@@SynthsandSounds yeah that’s a great idea! Even ignoring making drum sounds which sound different several octaves apart to make different sounds, you could have the essentials (kick, snare, hats etc as you say) and make some weird effects sounds bleeps and bloops to put on as well.
Quote from the original user manual (p.53): "Data recorded in the sequencer of the CZ-5000 can be played back using a MIDI Keyboard as external sound source." I have never tried it since the sequencer is not very handy. Also i got a Alesis MMT-8-sequencer lying around which would be much more advanced for hardware-based sequencing. Anyways I haven't worked a lot with MIDI signals so far and I have little to no experience in that area. The manual further mentions that you can only send one track at a time via MIDI making it a monophonic MIDI seuqencer. In the end I qouldn't recommend using the CZ-5000 this way. I got an MMT-8 in perfect condition for much less than 200$, which is a very advanced 80ies-sequencer many musicians use until today. Just keep in mind that all MMT-8 have clocking issues today, so you need to have an external clock signal for the mmt-8 not to run out of sync
@@MasleyVystupoe In the meantime I have worked quite a lot with the CZ5k and figured out how the CZ5k handles MIDI. In my newest setup, I use the CZ5k to send the sequencer's MIDI Clock signal to my actual sequencer, an alesis MMT-8 that has a broken internal clock. Other than that, the CZ5k sequencer sends 8 monophonic MIDI tracks on MIDI Channel 1-8 if you have sequences stored. Still it is not the perfect MIDI sequencer since the real time record function is practically not usable and the manual programming is still quite painful
There's always something special in using original gear. An emulation is nice if you don't have access to the originals, but the original will always be better
Fantastic video. Thank you! I made an album with just a cz1000 (found for $10) and an MPC and more recently found a 5000 for cheap but had not gotten into the sequencer section yet in part because I found the manual a bit confusing. Your video really helped and I'm looking forward to exploring it now.
The CZ-3000 was my very first synthesizer!🎹 the same friend that sold me the 3000, had a 5000 and told me about the sequencer and I wanted to get it but he sold it before I could get the money!😅
I wish it was mentioned that you can't save any sequences without that super rare MT cable! I know you can do some soldering to a midi cable...but the tinyloops website doesn't mention where to get the cable in the first place.
I made my own cable and it's not too hard. It was a couple of years ago, but basically you solder two separate mono audio jack plugs to a midi-type plug (din 5-pin). You only need to connect 3 pins: ground for both plugs and the pin for record (save) on one of the jack plugs and play (load) on the other jack plug. Once you hit save on the CZ, you will be able to record a modem-like sound, which you then can load again with the cz via the other jack plug. Getting recording and playback volumes correctly for the cz to recognize the saved file is a bit finnicky, but I got quite consistent in storing and loading files quickly. So, all you need is standard audio equipment that you can buy in any audio equipment shop. Also, you will need a device to save your files, which works best via audio interface. I made a second cable that uses a mini jack, so i could load my sequences quickly during a live gig from my phone. If You need further help, let me know, it's really worth trying to make your own cable
I have a usual hardware setup with my synths being connected to an audio mixer. I have the mixer connected to my loud speakers as well as to my usb audio interface which i can use to send audio from my pc to the mixer as well as to record audio tracks from my mixer on pc
The Six-Trak from Sequential Circuits (1984) had a Multitrak Sequencer before - it had 2 Tracks. The Multitrak from Sequential Circuits (1985) had a Multitrak Sequencer with 6 Tracks.
None of the CZs has any real time modulation other than Vibrato. That's really the downside of the CZs. I play it though a metal zone and somer reverb to have some kind of external modulation options when i play it live
for the sequence you created at the end how did you make those presets? do you use cartridges? or were they all made from the initial programs already on the synth?? just got mine and i'm trying to learn how to use it! thanks so much for making this video :)
For this video, most of the sound presets were on the CZ-5000 already when i got it. I can't say if they're inital programs, it might be the preowner's custom presets. No cartridges are involved.
how to get the sequencer data saved? yes, there´s an DIN audio out, but no pin diagram. also, is it possible to save that data (not the patches) via MIDI? if so, how to do that..? a video on that topic would be nice!
Yes, you can use the MT connector for that! You can use it similarly as the tape save function from other devices of that time. There's a great source on how to solder your own MT connector cable: tinyloops.com/doc/casio_cz-5000/mt-connector.html That should cover everything you need. You can use the MT connector to safe both patches and sequences. For me it's working fabulously! I made myself a minijack connector that I can use to load sequences from my phone during live performances. I am planning to do a video on that for a long time, but it's very technical and quite boring to do. If you have any further questions I am happy to help!
Hallo u guten tag! Why does the CZ 101, even though it's almost 40 years old! still hold a rather high resale value? I found a CZ 101 in some curbside stuff - yes found. I got a hold of a suitable charger for it & it seems to work. I haven't tested the features yet, but i am puzzled as to why these units go for high $$. Danke
Thank God I did not sell my CZ5000 and CZ3000!!! That sequencer was pissing me off(angering me)as I could not figure out how to record in it like you would in a normal real time sequencer like Roland MC50/Brother PDC 100. This video should help. Now about that very fast percussion beat you had on track ONE?? That sounded like a ROLL. How did you do that ROLL, or note spitting effect?? That is what I do NOT have on my $1000 Korg Workstation!! The ability to spit or machine gun notes like that.
Ayyy I'm glad I helped you save a piece of awesome music gear! For the roll, I just took some short percussive sound and threw in a bunch of the shortest notes available on the sequencer (I'm not sure but I think it's 1/32 notes). I randomly added some double length notes (1/16) to give it some variety. Obviously, all my sequences are in a 4/4 time signature, but you can create a sequence of literally any length (in fact it's quite difficult to make sure none of the sequences is too short or too long). Now comes the clue: That roll sequence has some very weird time signature, probably some 13/16, 7/8 or so. This means, it doesn't start over together with the other sequences, making the roll sound a bit different each time the sequences play. I guess you could call that a polyrhythm, which comes very natural out of the CZ-5000. I discovered it by accidentally by failing to get the length correctly and really liked the effect! th-cam.com/video/umnh6E84mEM/w-d-xo.html this is by far my worst video, but you can hear another example for one of these rolls that don't add up to the time signature of the other sequences. There, I even played the percussive sound in different pitches, giving it some variety, simulating different hit velocities that would make a percussion instrument sound a bit different.
i try to write after the second track but the sequencer doesn't work only the first 2 tracks i can record is it a hardware problem? great video thank you 🙏🏻🎹
Where did you obtain the sales figure of 68,000 CZ-101 units sold, and that the ESQ-1 was released in May 1986? (I'm always interested in synth/electronic music gear sales numbers and precise release dates, but that info is very hard to find... and often of dubious reliability!)
Hey Jeffrey, a lot of time has passed since I made that video. I try to quote fairly reliable sources, but I don't have the full documentation of what I did back then. The sales count (the production count to be exact) can be found on wikipedia, but unfortunately wikipedia doesn't further elaborate the information source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_CZ_synthesizers I couldn't find the source of the ESQ-1 information anymore. It is very true that reliable information on more than 30 year old products is very hard, if not impossible to acquire. I try to do the best but I cant guarantee on being correctly informed.
6:04 what buttons are you pressing exactly? i don’t know if there’s something wrong with my cz5000 but this is the part of the tutorial i’m stuck on. i can’t seem to select to the right
Hey! It took me some days to check it. Once the display shows what mine does at 6:04, You go forwards and backwards in the sequence with the rev and fwd buttons in the sequencer section. To get there from startup: Turn synth on > press sequencer button on the left > press both manual plus one of the 8 track buttons at the same time. if the track light over the button has started flashing, You did everything right and You can continue with the rev and fwd buttons.
Hello! First of all, grat video! It really convinced me that I could use that secuencer. But I was wondering how well does this synth stands for bass synths (harsh saw-ish, alla I would die for u by price but with some actual low end) we went nuts in the studio with the synths they have and used some bass synths in some songs and now I really need one as I'm the bass player. I really dig this one A LOT but I know that's not really my bass player side talking. I just want to know if this one can get the job done with my responsability in the band and give me the warm round pads and shiny sparkly leads I'm craving for when I hear this demos.
Hey Omar! Thanks for the compliments! Unfortunately I think that the CZ-5000 is not really what you are looking for. You can get some bass sounds out of it, but i have to turn up my bass eq to give it a full bottom sound, naturally it doesn't have too much bass width. Also the sound programming is quite hard, and i got one or two nice FM-ish bass sounds out of it, but not tha variability you would look for as being the only synthesizer to take it all. It is nice having a good sequencer and a synth engine in one, but it's a rather uncommon synth engine and so are its sounds. It really sounds like a CZ and not like anything else. If you're looking for a versatile budget synth, i can recommend good old microKorg, which offers a lot of fat bass sounds. Good vintage contenders for nice bottom end sounds is tha Juno range or the more affordable JX-3P or JX-8P (which i love to make bass lines) aside of the more digital Yamaha DX7, which i assume has been used in that prince song. Even though the CZ and DX series have both been early digital synths, they really differ a lot. By the way, none of the mentioned alternatives contain a sequencer. But have you looked into my video about the alesis MMT-8? Maybe that is what you're looking for on the sequencer sinde of sounds
@@SynthsandSounds Hey! Thanks for the response. But it's 2 late haha, i bought it. I regret nothing. I got a sweet deal so my budget has some space and I'm planing on getting a micro or a monologue later on. Now I'm just thinking how I'm gonna take it to the rehearsals because the thing is huge and heavy haha.
@@omarmega4093 Ayy congrats on the buy! Don't worry, you will have a lot of fun with the CZ5k, it still has amazing features for what you pay for it. A monologue might be a great addition, you could also think about getting the behringer crave which is about to be released and it's gonna be great value for money. 12.7 kg is quite a lot. But it could be worse, my nord stage is 20 kg.
Great video! I'm still having trouble with the sequencer on mine. Even in Manual record mode I'm still getting a delay when the sequence loops. Any ideas? The operation manual doesn't explain this very well at all!
Hey Jeremy! Unfortunately the "repeat" function is not working properly, i guess you used that to loop it? When in Manual Edit, you can insert a repeat sign in the note editor. Add a repeat that includes all your loop this way. By hitting the button multiple times, you can set the number of repeats. Set it to infinite and you're done. This way there shouldn't be any way of getting weird breaks in between
I bought the stand alone version, SQ1 ? many years ago used, but as new boxed. I don't think I tried it more than a couple of times, family issues at the time. I must get it out and actually learn to use it again. 👍 Not able to read music, note lengths etc made it hard to understand what I did wrong too. 🤔
It's a totally different workflow than on any other sequencer, but it's fun! Since it isn't bound to any rhythm pattern, it's great for polyrhythmic stuff. For example, I've used it for some morse-code-like irregular bleep sequences in the background
Make shure that you are in sequencer mode. This means that on the upper left area of the synth you push the sequencer button, not normal, tone mix or key split. Once you are there you need to select the manual mode and the track at the same time. To make shure that all sequences are reset, push the reset button first. Then, push the manual button. Once you hold it down, the display should show "MEMORY 100% AVAILABLE". If you can sse this, all the buttons work and you did everything right so far. Now you have to push one of the 8 track buttons while still holding down the manual button. The display now should read "SELECT PROGRAMMER" which is the first step of creating your own sequence. If you have reached this point you have to choose your program using the programmer section. Did I answer your question? If not you have to elaborate your problem more exactly
You're right, it did. But would you consider the Fairlight a Synthesizer? It's more of a sampler honestly, and it doesn't come in the typical synth form factor. But that's a debatable point for sure :)
Yes, but the big 60s synth systems were in a totally different league monetarily as well as by size. remember that the CZ doesn't just have a sequencer, but it can trigger 8 different monophonic synth patches at the same time. To have a early modular system reproduce that (8 full separate voices with 8 sequencers) would be possible in theory, but I think few people ever had a system with that many sequencers and voices. Also you usually had 8-step sequencers while the CZ can make much much longer patterns. And usually you only had one or two of them. So yes, you could reproduce multitrack sequencers on modular synths, but it's unfair for both on different levels to draw a comparison between them. I spoke about a multitrack sequencer which wasn't avilable built into synths before. On a modular synth you would rather have multiple sequencers which is a bit of a different thing.
wise choice. Without the sequencer working, it's just a very bulky CZ-101. Though I think it's possible that the former owner just didn't figure out how the sequencer works... it really is quite unintuitive, so You might guess it's broken but actually it just wasn't used correctly
Yeah back then my setup was terrible... I stil do not have a de-esser, but the quality surely has gone up. At least I'm using an audio interface in comparison to 95% of the smaller synth videos on youtube. I recorded my voice directly via the camera mic which sucks. I had no proper lighting and I had roughly 30 subscribers when I uploaded it. So please watch my newer videos if you care about quality :)
@@SynthsandSounds yes, I'm a sub and I'm watching and admiring your stuff. i like more small channels because they feels more authentic. don't see my comment as hate. it was a joke! and a good joke must contain a little bit of truth. thanks for your contents and keep on rocking
@@coolvibesradio3267 Hey Giovanni, i think I should stop responding while being super tired. I afterwards checked and realized that you're a sub and that you probably have seen my newer videos. My comment was really cocky, sorry about that!
@@SynthsandSounds no worries man. I love the "should you buy" series. with the large used market that is continuing growing in these years (ebay, reverb, local flea markets etc) it's great to have a guide on the vintage gear. thank you so much
This brings back wonderful memories!!! Now I want to find my CZ-5000, my data tapes, my lists of what's stored on the tapes, and my data cable and see if it still works!
Good idea. I did that about 8 years ago, found loads of good ideas stored away :)
Im still being my cz5000 and store everything on my pm3 recorder. Much easier to use then the old tapes.
The CZ-5000 definitely had an awesome (VERY USABLE) step-time sequencer.
A weird one, but a solid one! Right now it's even the master midi clock for our techno live sets since it does that job better than any of our modern gear
@@SynthsandSounds
The CZ5000 is extremely underrated. Can produce some fat rich sounds and the sequencer is fun to use. And simple once you understand it.
Indeed. There was no quantize possible.
I was always interested in the music workstation idea and the way I kind of graduated through synths in the 80s kind of reflects this. After learning the basics with a Moog Prodigy and Yamaha CS30 in 1981, I bought a SCI Pro-One, which had an arpeggiator and then a Roland JX-3P, which has a basic step sequencer. I was looking for one unit that could record a whole song with different parts and came across it with the CZ5000, which I owned in 1986. In those days, you really had to study the manual to get the best out of it. Though I did attempt some interesting stuff, the hard and digital nature of the CZ sound just wasn't all that suited to multi-timbral songs - although I salute its ambition. I moved from there to the Ensoniq ESQ1 and then the Roland W30 sampling workstation.
In the early 90s, I had the idea that a PC could be custom-designed with the right hardware and software to become a virtual recording studio. So I researched it, bought all the components and ended up with a midi sequencer synced to four tracks of audio via a SMPTE card (the time code that synced audio to visuals in film). I had basically invented a DAW - primitive by today's standards, but it worked. The CZ5000 was a big step towards that. though, of course, Cubase VST came along in the mid-90s and gave me exactly what I was striving for all along.
Yeah but you ended up at home with a PC, rather than a, keyboard you could actually take out to a gig, and play along to the sequencer
The first MIDI synthesizer with integrated multi-track sequencer was the Sequential Circuits Six-Trak from 1984.
Agreed and I used to own 2 of them!
Very helpful! I spent many happy hours on this machine back in the day. The step programming was cool.
Just found a broken one at a thrift store and fixed it up. Excited to try it out before I have to sell it off.
Your song sounds like Commodore C64 music for another Last Ninja sequel!!! Good job!
not really, it is not 8 bit. That is a 12 bit, probably with delay. Modernly, it is in the mbs now, with layer overdubbing of ambience, and other instruments; forcing everybody to get high powered speaker to enjoy the norm??
2:39 In 1980 the Synclavier II was released, it featured a real time multi-track sequencer, and of course the Fairlight II CMI (1982) had one as well..
You're absolutely right. The question is if these can be considered synthesizers, since they were predominantly samplers and very untypical synthesizers, if so
@@SynthsandSounds I feel that Casio deserves credit for so many innovations in music, an have always been a huge supporter, as for your comment, note that the Synclavier didn't include sampling until much later. It was an additive and FM synth. The Fairlight was originally designed as an additive synth with the unique ability to draw waveforms, but once they added sampling they saw that this was the future.
Enjoyed your explanation and especially the multitrack composition at the end. Nice use of percussive elements too. I get my CZ-5000 the day after tomorrow hopefully, can’t wait :)
Oh that's cool, congratulations! The sequencer has a totally different but very inspiring workflow compared to anything else!
I always wanted to make a video about using the CZ-5000 as a drum machine. It's a funny exercise to learn about the CZ's abilities: You can easily program eight patches that sound like kick, snare, hi hats and so on and play them all at the same time using the sequencer to get a fully programmable drum machine.
Use only four drum sounds, and You have four tracks left for melodic sounds. That's a fully blown groovebox from a time when grooveboxes didn't exist
@@SynthsandSounds yeah that’s a great idea! Even ignoring making drum sounds which sound different several octaves apart to make different sounds, you could have the essentials (kick, snare, hats etc as you say) and make some weird effects sounds bleeps and bloops to put on as well.
That's some juicy sound right here man
Thank you so much for making this thorough video on the CZ sequencer. I just got a CZ5K and im loving everything about it!
I felt the same when i got my CZ-5000 a few weeks ago. It's a great synthesizer! Stay tuned for more videos on the CZ-5000
Does sequencer midi out?
Quote from the original user manual (p.53): "Data recorded in the sequencer of the CZ-5000 can be played back using a MIDI Keyboard as external sound source."
I have never tried it since the sequencer is not very handy. Also i got a Alesis MMT-8-sequencer lying around which would be much more advanced for hardware-based sequencing. Anyways I haven't worked a lot with MIDI signals so far and I have little to no experience in that area. The manual further mentions that you can only send one track at a time via MIDI making it a monophonic MIDI seuqencer.
In the end I qouldn't recommend using the CZ-5000 this way. I got an MMT-8 in perfect condition for much less than 200$, which is a very advanced 80ies-sequencer many musicians use until today. Just keep in mind that all MMT-8 have clocking issues today, so you need to have an external clock signal for the mmt-8 not to run out of sync
@@MasleyVystupoe In the meantime I have worked quite a lot with the CZ5k and figured out how the CZ5k handles MIDI. In my newest setup, I use the CZ5k to send the sequencer's MIDI Clock signal to my actual sequencer, an alesis MMT-8 that has a broken internal clock. Other than that, the CZ5k sequencer sends 8 monophonic MIDI tracks on MIDI Channel 1-8 if you have sequences stored.
Still it is not the perfect MIDI sequencer since the real time record function is practically not usable and the manual programming is still quite painful
I love the entire CZ, FZ and VZ family. Arturia emulation is also quite usable, but original is original! Thanks for the very nice video 👍
There's always something special in using original gear. An emulation is nice if you don't have access to the originals, but the original will always be better
I had the original and gave it away due to lack of real time control. I much prefer the arturia
OUTSTANDING ...!!!...👍👍👍👍🤗🤗🤗🤗....for only 8 notes polyphony....
Fantastic video. Thank you! I made an album with just a cz1000 (found for $10) and an MPC and more recently found a 5000 for cheap but had not gotten into the sequencer section yet in part because I found the manual a bit confusing. Your video really helped and I'm looking forward to exploring it now.
Yes it can be confusing since it works quite different than any other sequencer. I'm glad I could help!
The CZ-3000 was my very first synthesizer!🎹 the same friend that sold me the 3000, had a 5000 and told me about the sequencer and I wanted to get it but he sold it before I could get the money!😅
What a sad story! You really missed out on something!
@@SynthsandSounds yeah I know?😵😅 but I still made do with the 3000🎹 later on I got the red sound "Darkstar xp2" it was awesome!🎧💫😵👍
If you had the 3000 it really isn't worth getting the 5000 for the sequencer tbh.
Very well done man!! Subscribed now! and I will continue investigating in your videos!!! Cheers from Argentina!!
Yeah, thank you! I hope you find more interesting things about less-known gear
Gute Arbeit und Information! Ich hab ein CZ-5000 aber ich hab nie versucht die Sequenzer zu benutzen.
Killer. Thanks for this example and explanation.
I wish it was mentioned that you can't save any sequences without that super rare MT cable! I know you can do some soldering to a midi cable...but the tinyloops website doesn't mention where to get the cable in the first place.
I made my own cable and it's not too hard. It was a couple of years ago, but basically you solder two separate mono audio jack plugs to a midi-type plug (din 5-pin). You only need to connect 3 pins: ground for both plugs and the pin for record (save) on one of the jack plugs and play (load) on the other jack plug. Once you hit save on the CZ, you will be able to record a modem-like sound, which you then can load again with the cz via the other jack plug. Getting recording and playback volumes correctly for the cz to recognize the saved file is a bit finnicky, but I got quite consistent in storing and loading files quickly.
So, all you need is standard audio equipment that you can buy in any audio equipment shop. Also, you will need a device to save your files, which works best via audio interface. I made a second cable that uses a mini jack, so i could load my sequences quickly during a live gig from my phone. If You need further help, let me know, it's really worth trying to make your own cable
Sakomoto at the end there!
Great vid. Very interesting. Big thankyou. 😁
Hey dude, how do you connect to sound? What systems did you use?
I have a usual hardware setup with my synths being connected to an audio mixer. I have the mixer connected to my loud speakers as well as to my usb audio interface which i can use to send audio from my pc to the mixer as well as to record audio tracks from my mixer on pc
The Six-Trak from Sequential Circuits (1984) had a Multitrak Sequencer before - it had 2 Tracks.
The Multitrak from Sequential Circuits (1985) had a Multitrak Sequencer with 6 Tracks.
Is there a way to change the patch's parameter while sequencing it? Like sequence it while Changing the waveform, messing with the modulation etc
None of the CZs has any real time modulation other than Vibrato. That's really the downside of the CZs. I play it though a metal zone and somer reverb to have some kind of external modulation options when i play it live
@@SynthsandSounds thanks for the reply sir
I have a chance to buy a casio sz1 sequencer. Have you used one before and would you recommend it? Cheers
for the sequence you created at the end how did you make those presets? do you use cartridges? or were they all made from the initial programs already on the synth?? just got mine and i'm trying to learn how to use it! thanks so much for making this video :)
For this video, most of the sound presets were on the CZ-5000 already when i got it. I can't say if they're inital programs, it might be the preowner's custom presets. No cartridges are involved.
how to get the sequencer data saved? yes, there´s an DIN audio out, but no pin diagram. also, is it possible to save that data (not the patches) via MIDI? if so, how to do that..? a video on that topic would be nice!
Yes, you can use the MT connector for that! You can use it similarly as the tape save function from other devices of that time. There's a great source on how to solder your own MT connector cable: tinyloops.com/doc/casio_cz-5000/mt-connector.html
That should cover everything you need. You can use the MT connector to safe both patches and sequences. For me it's working fabulously! I made myself a minijack connector that I can use to load sequences from my phone during live performances. I am planning to do a video on that for a long time, but it's very technical and quite boring to do. If you have any further questions I am happy to help!
Thanks a lot :)
You rock man
Nice video!
Now I really want to know why they removed the sequencer from the CZ-1…. And I have to figure out if I‘ll buy an CZ-5000 too :D
Hallo u guten tag! Why does the CZ 101, even though it's almost 40 years old! still hold a rather high resale value? I found a CZ 101 in some curbside stuff - yes found. I got a hold of a suitable charger for it & it seems to work. I haven't tested the features yet, but i am puzzled as to why these units go for high $$. Danke
Thank God I did not sell my CZ5000 and CZ3000!!! That sequencer was pissing me off(angering me)as I could not figure out how to record in it like you would in a normal real time sequencer like Roland MC50/Brother PDC 100. This video should help. Now about that very fast percussion beat you had on track ONE?? That sounded like a ROLL. How did you do that ROLL, or note spitting effect?? That is what I do NOT have on my $1000 Korg Workstation!! The ability to spit or machine gun notes like that.
Ayyy I'm glad I helped you save a piece of awesome music gear!
For the roll, I just took some short percussive sound and threw in a bunch of the shortest notes available on the sequencer (I'm not sure but I think it's 1/32 notes). I randomly added some double length notes (1/16) to give it some variety.
Obviously, all my sequences are in a 4/4 time signature, but you can create a sequence of literally any length (in fact it's quite difficult to make sure none of the sequences is too short or too long).
Now comes the clue: That roll sequence has some very weird time signature, probably some 13/16, 7/8 or so. This means, it doesn't start over together with the other sequences, making the roll sound a bit different each time the sequences play. I guess you could call that a polyrhythm, which comes very natural out of the CZ-5000. I discovered it by accidentally by failing to get the length correctly and really liked the effect!
th-cam.com/video/umnh6E84mEM/w-d-xo.html this is by far my worst video, but you can hear another example for one of these rolls that don't add up to the time signature of the other sequences. There, I even played the percussive sound in different pitches, giving it some variety, simulating different hit velocities that would make a percussion instrument sound a bit different.
I used to own a CZ-3000, which I think is basically a CZ-5000 without the sequencer.
It is, but it has an arpeggiator instead
@@SynthsandSounds I forgot about the arpeggiator! I did'nt like the synth at the time, but regret selling it now!
@@lundsweden for that reason, I am a helpless synth hoarder 🙃
great video!
i try to write after the second track but the sequencer doesn't work
only the first 2 tracks i can record
is it a hardware problem?
great video
thank you 🙏🏻🎹
Great video and explanation just subscribed, but you should DeEss the audio, look into it.
Thanks for the advice, I'll have a look into de-essers! Is there any vst plug in you'd recommend for that?
Where did you obtain the sales figure of 68,000 CZ-101 units sold, and that the ESQ-1 was released in May 1986? (I'm always interested in synth/electronic music gear sales numbers and precise release dates, but that info is very hard to find... and often of dubious reliability!)
Hey Jeffrey, a lot of time has passed since I made that video. I try to quote fairly reliable sources, but I don't have the full documentation of what I did back then. The sales count (the production count to be exact) can be found on wikipedia, but unfortunately wikipedia doesn't further elaborate the information source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_CZ_synthesizers
I couldn't find the source of the ESQ-1 information anymore.
It is very true that reliable information on more than 30 year old products is very hard, if not impossible to acquire. I try to do the best but I cant guarantee on being correctly informed.
@@SynthsandSounds Thanks for your reply!
A nice snake sound on this guys voice reminds me of the snake in jungle book. “ trust in me “ not really into the sound of the synth
Sssank you dear ssir
I remember this girl from that minecon video
I mean like I'm just saying I don't need a history lesson disguised as a tutorial lmao
6:04 what buttons are you pressing exactly? i don’t know if there’s something wrong with my cz5000 but this is the part of the tutorial i’m stuck on. i can’t seem to select to the right
Hey! It took me some days to check it. Once the display shows what mine does at 6:04, You go forwards and backwards in the sequence with the rev and fwd buttons in the sequencer section. To get there from startup: Turn synth on > press sequencer button on the left > press both manual plus one of the 8 track buttons at the same time. if the track light over the button has started flashing, You did everything right and You can continue with the rev and fwd buttons.
Hello!
First of all, grat video! It really convinced me that I could use that secuencer.
But I was wondering how well does this synth stands for bass synths (harsh saw-ish, alla I would die for u by price but with some actual low end)
we went nuts in the studio with the synths they have and used some bass synths in some songs and now I really need one as I'm the bass player. I really dig this one A LOT but I know that's not really my bass player side talking.
I just want to know if this one can get the job done with my responsability in the band and give me the warm round pads and shiny sparkly leads I'm craving for when I hear this demos.
Hey Omar! Thanks for the compliments! Unfortunately I think that the CZ-5000 is not really what you are looking for. You can get some bass sounds out of it, but i have to turn up my bass eq to give it a full bottom sound, naturally it doesn't have too much bass width. Also the sound programming is quite hard, and i got one or two nice FM-ish bass sounds out of it, but not tha variability you would look for as being the only synthesizer to take it all. It is nice having a good sequencer and a synth engine in one, but it's a rather uncommon synth engine and so are its sounds. It really sounds like a CZ and not like anything else. If you're looking for a versatile budget synth, i can recommend good old microKorg, which offers a lot of fat bass sounds. Good vintage contenders for nice bottom end sounds is tha Juno range or the more affordable JX-3P or JX-8P (which i love to make bass lines) aside of the more digital Yamaha DX7, which i assume has been used in that prince song. Even though the CZ and DX series have both been early digital synths, they really differ a lot.
By the way, none of the mentioned alternatives contain a sequencer. But have you looked into my video about the alesis MMT-8? Maybe that is what you're looking for on the sequencer sinde of sounds
@@SynthsandSounds Hey! Thanks for the response. But it's 2 late haha, i bought it. I regret nothing. I got a sweet deal so my budget has some space and I'm planing on getting a micro or a monologue later on. Now I'm just thinking how I'm gonna take it to the rehearsals because the thing is huge and heavy haha.
@@omarmega4093 Ayy congrats on the buy! Don't worry, you will have a lot of fun with the CZ5k, it still has amazing features for what you pay for it. A monologue might be a great addition, you could also think about getting the behringer crave which is about to be released and it's gonna be great value for money. 12.7 kg is quite a lot. But it could be worse, my nord stage is 20 kg.
@@SynthsandSounds thanks. I am having fun. And little sleep, it really is kinda complicated and I love it.
Great video! I'm still having trouble with the sequencer on mine. Even in Manual record mode I'm still getting a delay when the sequence loops. Any ideas? The operation manual doesn't explain this very well at all!
Hey Jeremy! Unfortunately the "repeat" function is not working properly, i guess you used that to loop it? When in Manual Edit, you can insert a repeat sign in the note editor. Add a repeat that includes all your loop this way. By hitting the button multiple times, you can set the number of repeats. Set it to infinite and you're done. This way there shouldn't be any way of getting weird breaks in between
@@SynthsandSounds Thank you so much! I got it working! Using this, and the "rest" note function, my cz5000 will now get a ton of use!
@@jeremydurant9344 I wouldn't have guessed it, but it plays a big role in my setup as well, event though i got a couple of more synths by now. Enjoy!
Funny sequence at the 4:07 mark.
Ok but all the sequence tracks have to be monophonic?
I bought the stand alone version, SQ1 ? many years ago used, but as new boxed. I don't think I tried it more than a couple of times, family issues at the time. I must get it out and actually learn to use it again. 👍 Not able to read music, note lengths etc made it hard to understand what I did wrong too. 🤔
It's a totally different workflow than on any other sequencer, but it's fun! Since it isn't bound to any rhythm pattern, it's great for polyrhythmic stuff. For example, I've used it for some morse-code-like irregular bleep sequences in the background
@2:42 the Sequential Six-Trak was earlier.
I think the Evolution evs-1 has phase distortion amongst its many synthesis types
Make a tutorial in how to program patches on it and how to use the envelopes.
FM and PD are two sides of the same coin. I bet they only called it PD to evade some patents.
Cool!
I dont understand wich button u use then u chose the programmer, I'm just trying the manual mode but the screen still the same
Make shure that you are in sequencer mode. This means that on the upper left area of the synth you push the sequencer button, not normal, tone mix or key split. Once you are there you need to select the manual mode and the track at the same time. To make shure that all sequences are reset, push the reset button first. Then, push the manual button. Once you hold it down, the display should show "MEMORY 100% AVAILABLE". If you can sse this, all the buttons work and you did everything right so far.
Now you have to push one of the 8 track buttons while still holding down the manual button. The display now should read "SELECT PROGRAMMER" which is the first step of creating your own sequence. If you have reached this point you have to choose your program using the programmer section.
Did I answer your question? If not you have to elaborate your problem more exactly
Can you overdub?
Didn't the Fairlight CMI from 6 years prior have a multitrack sequencer
You're right, it did. But would you consider the Fairlight a Synthesizer? It's more of a sampler honestly, and it doesn't come in the typical synth form factor. But that's a debatable point for sure :)
Are all the CZs multitimbral?
I'm afraid, I don't know this
It's not the gun, its the gunner.
I have vl1 app on my phone.
Wasn't a sequencer an integral part of modular systems of the '60s, like Moog 55?
Yes, but the big 60s synth systems were in a totally different league monetarily as well as by size. remember that the CZ doesn't just have a sequencer, but it can trigger 8 different monophonic synth patches at the same time. To have a early modular system reproduce that (8 full separate voices with 8 sequencers) would be possible in theory, but I think few people ever had a system with that many sequencers and voices. Also you usually had 8-step sequencers while the CZ can make much much longer patterns. And usually you only had one or two of them. So yes, you could reproduce multitrack sequencers on modular synths, but it's unfair for both on different levels to draw a comparison between them. I spoke about a multitrack sequencer which wasn't avilable built into synths before. On a modular synth you would rather have multiple sequencers which is a bit of a different thing.
Are you in Japan?
Switzerland :)
I was going to buy a cz5000 but the sequencer was broken so I passed.
wise choice. Without the sequencer working, it's just a very bulky CZ-101. Though I think it's possible that the former owner just didn't figure out how the sequencer works... it really is quite unintuitive, so You might guess it's broken but actually it just wasn't used correctly
@@SynthsandSounds no I didn't want to risk the additional cost of repair.
Bow I'm checking out another cz locally. I'm hoping to get phase distortion.
if you do a video about a SucceSSful SyntheSISer by CaSIo you must have a desser
Yeah back then my setup was terrible... I stil do not have a de-esser, but the quality surely has gone up. At least I'm using an audio interface in comparison to 95% of the smaller synth videos on youtube. I recorded my voice directly via the camera mic which sucks. I had no proper lighting and I had roughly 30 subscribers when I uploaded it. So please watch my newer videos if you care about quality :)
@@SynthsandSounds yes, I'm a sub and I'm watching and admiring your stuff. i like more small channels because they feels more authentic. don't see my comment as hate. it was a joke! and a good joke must contain a little bit of truth. thanks for your contents and keep on rocking
@@coolvibesradio3267 Hey Giovanni, i think I should stop responding while being super tired. I afterwards checked and realized that you're a sub and that you probably have seen my newer videos. My comment was really cocky, sorry about that!
@@SynthsandSounds no worries man. I love the "should you buy" series. with the large used market that is continuing growing in these years (ebay, reverb, local flea markets etc) it's great to have a guide on the vintage gear. thank you so much
@@coolvibesradio3267 I have some affordable vintage gear in my studio that is waiting to be reviewed! I should soon have time to continue the series
zie germanz are really german about zeir zynths.
Great site 👍