It was the first fully programmable polyphonic synthesizer that didn’t require you to take a mortgage on your house. Aside from being cheap compared to other synths of that time, Casio CZ101 brought one more important innovation which is partially why it is considered legendary today.

However this didn’t impact the popularity of this synth as it sold in over 60,000 pieces.

The keys weren’t full size, they were miniature. There’s the keyboard section with 49 keys and four octaves, and a whole range of controls surrounding it. Looking at it today, Casio CZ101 looks like your average vintage synth. CZ101 was the first synth to bring the features everyone wanted within a price range that was accessible to a large number of people. Keep in mind that these devices were still very much pricey back in those days.Įspecially since they were pioneering the whole new type of technology. It brought some features that were exclusively seen in more expensive synths. When it was first released in 1984, CZ101 was a game changing synth.

This vintage synth is regarded as one of the most important synths ever made, and is still in high demand to this day. Needless to say, it became extremely popular over a very short period of time. When it first appeared, it really changed the playing field in the industry. This trust and good track record draws roots from another model that was first in the series.Ĭasio CZ101 is a miniature version of the CZ1000 that started the whole CZ lineup of synths. It has proven to be a formidable choice for many who didn’t want to commit to more advanced models like the CZ2000 and CZ 5000. Their CZ1000 was their entry level model that has become somewhat popular thanks to its decent features and a good set of 8-stage envelope sections. Casio is one of those manufacturers that make decent keyboards but that have everything you would need in a simple and intuitive package.

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