Back in 1985, this synth pushed Casio's Phase Distortion tech to pro levels, delivering those glassy, metallic tones that defined '80s electro and still cut through modern mixes today.
At its core, it runs dual digital oscillators per voice with eight fixed distortion modes, feeding into eight-stage envelopes for pitch, phase, and volume—far more hands-on than DX7-style FM programming. You get 16-note polyphony in single mode or eight voices with doubled oscs for thicker stacks, all shaped by a single LFO, stereo chorus, and a mod wheel with assignable depth. The 61-key velocity-sensitive keyboard spans five octaves with split capability, pitch bend, portamento, and aftertouch, while the panel's DX7-style LCD names patches from 32 factory and 32 user slots. That 8-track sequencer shines for patterns—real-time or step recording with rests, dotted notes, tempo tweaks, and tape-like Rev/Fwd/Play/Stop controls—though it shares the single stereo out.
Players love its intuitive editing and unique PD bite for pads, bells, and weird effects, often stacking it with VirtualCZ software for fresh patches. Build feels solid, MIDI In/Out/Thru integrates nicely, but some note it's outshone by the pricier CZ-1 in timbrality. A gem for vintage digital hunters.
