Casio HZ-600

Back in 1987, Casio shook up the affordable synth scene with their first Spectrum Dynamic model, blending digital waveforms with an analog filter for that signature mellow glow—think pristine 80s pads and quirky leads without breaking the bank.

This 61-key velocity non-sensitive keyboard packs 8-voice polyphony in a duotimbral setup, letting you split for upper and lower tones across two MIDI channels. A digitally controlled oscillator dishes out 32 waveforms from smooth sines to wild noise-like shapes, shaped by a resonant 24dB/oct lowpass filter (NJM2090 chip), dual ADSR envelopes for filter and amp, plus a versatile LFO handling vibrato with speed, depth, waveform, and delay controls. Pitch and mod wheels, dual volume sliders, a small LCD for editing, built-in chorus (four flavors), and stereo 1/4" outs join MIDI In/Out/Thru, sustain/footswitch ports, and even battery power option (6x D cells or 9V adapter) on its compact frame.

Players dug its easy editing and unique "Casio family" tones for beginners diving into synthesis, though some noted the preset bass scarcity and shared filter limiting complexity in splits.