Casio • CZ-5000
The CZ-5000 expands the Casio CZ series further into the professional arena. Based on the CZ-101 and CZ-1000 synths, the CZ-5000 adds many new features while retaining the same sound and programming methods as the latter. The keyboard is expanded to a full 61 note or 5-octave length and is capable of being split for bass and treble sounds. There is a built-in 8 track sequencer which is great for storing ideas or creating patterns and sequences to edit in real-time. And finally 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 at once!
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-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-5000 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. It has been used by The Orb and Jean-Michel Jarre.
