Casio • CZ-3000
The CZ-3000 is very much like the CZ-5000, minus the on-board sequencer. Yet the CZ-3000 expands the Casio CZ series further into the professional arena. Based on the CZ-101 and CZ-1000 synths, the CZ-3000 adds many new features while retaining much the same sound and programming methods as the latter. The keyboard has been expanded to a full 61 note or 5-octave length and is capable of being split. As a side note, the CZ-5000 has an expanded waveform memory for even more sounds and thicker sounds. It's like having two stacked CZ-1000 synths all in one!
Casio's CZ series of phase-distortion digital synths make for a unique sound. After all, there are 8-stage envelopes and 2 oscillators per voice for a thicker tone. Their sound is similar to the Yamaha DX synths but is much easier to program. The CZ-3000 and CZ-5000 may be at the pinnacle of Casio's synthesizer line, and it is still a great low-cost means of getting into vintage digital synth sounds today. The CZ-3000 is not analog and has no filters. But many still find it useful where strange synth sounds are needed such as industrial and electro types of music.
