Casio • CZ-1
The CZ-1 competes with the CZ-5000 for the best all around Phase Distortion digital synth. The CZ-1 has the most advanced keyboard of all the CZ series synths. It has a full 61-note 5-octave keyboard with velocity and aftertouch sensitivity. Very professional features from a Casio synth! Otherwise it is essentially a CZ-3000 (which is essentially two CZ-1000s or CZ-101s). With the CZ-1 you get 8-stage envelopes, 2 oscillators per voice and a whole lot more with relatively easy programming. Whereas the CZ-5000 may not have had as good a keyboard, it had the benefit of an on-board 8-track real-time sequencer which the CZ-1 lacked.
If you're looking for low-cost Yamaha DX-like sounds, the Casio CZ line of Phase Distortion synths are a good buy. For performance, the CZ-1 may be the best of the CS-series. Its dynamic keyboard and enhanced memory abilities make it ideal for live situations. Memory, MIDI and multitimbrality have all been upgraded in the CZ-1 making it one of the nicest budget synths ever to grow out of a consumer market.
Never used it much with the built in sounds. It is used as a midi controller for soft synths currently. The keys on this machine are very responsive and have nice weight to them. Actually, the entire keyboard has a nice bulkiness to it, unlike the cheap plastic things they sell now for keyboard controllers.
Aftertouch really adds a lot to the sound of piano patches.
I saw one of these being played at the Birmingham NEC, the year it was launched (for some reason Casio were not giving you hands-on), and knew they'd answered at least some of the criticism of it predecessor.
To be blunt, the 5000's sequencer was only so much use, and the addition of velocity and aftertouch far outweighs any loss of that.
Sounds exactly the same as the other PD synths, of course, but much better memory. For the best of PD synths, this is the one to get.