Vintage Synth Explorer

Casio • FZ-1

The Casio FZ-1 is an impressive sampler/synthesizer keyboard from 1987. Its offerings at the time were very professional features. In an 8-voice polyphonic full 61-note keyboard synthesizer you get a 16-bit digital sampler with variable 9kHz to 36kHz sampling rates. 1MB of memory expandable to 2MB could provide a maximum time of almost 2 minutes sample time at 9kHz. Up to 64 samples can be held in memory and placed across the keyboard. Graphic editing on the big LCD screen provides intuitive and easier editing of your samples with tuning, truncating, looping and much more. It also has eight outputs and analog-like 8-stage filters (DCF) and envelopes (DCA).

Surprisingly the FZ-1 also has a built-in synthesizer section. It uses digital synthesis employing both harmonic additive synthesis and waveform drawing. Basic waveforms available include sawtooth, square, pulse, double sine, saw/pulse, random waves and 48 harmonics. The FZ-10M (pictured above) is the rack-module version of the FZ-1 with 2MB internal memory and XLR inputs and outputs. Dated by today's standards, the FZ-1 is a neat piece of Casio history to own but could never replace your current sampler. With the look and features you'd expect from a vintage pro-sampler, this Casio has been used by Underworld, Kronos Quartet, Dee Lite, 2 Live Crew, and Kitaro.

The Hohner HS-1 is a German version of the Casio FZ-1. Only its case is light in color. This version has been used by Coldcut.

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Solstice

Posted 228 days ago

It was used by Vince CLARKE (Erasure)

Troub

Posted 239 days ago

...the demo tune is really nice ;)
i'm hip hop, but its really nice

Nick Esposito

Posted 252 days ago

Did the FZ-1 use Phase Distortion synthesis like the CZ series?

Vudu12

Posted 272 days ago

I got an FZ-1 in 1990 as I had figured out a sampler was essential to making hip-hop records. I found it a pain to navigate from sampling to editing to assigning keyboard range and outputs (that's all I ever really did), but I got fast, memorizing the number of "up arrow, left arrow, down arrow" etc. to get where I needed fast. I ended up doing about 7 rap and dance records with it, an Alesis MMT-8 sequencer and a Fostex R-8 reel-to-reel and a few other synths and drum machines before moving on. The good old days!

Ben Anderson

Posted 280 days ago

I bought this sampler as I'm a huge fan of the Casio pro-line from the 80s. The Casio line fails to disapoint once again! It's a great sampler with great sound clarity even by todays standards. Very easy to use with a very gritty sound character. The filter is a beast! The resonance is so strong it distorts the audio! In short: highly versitile, powerful and charming sampler, I'd buy it again if it was stolen or damaged beyond repair.

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