Casio CZ/ VZ/ FZ - Pro Series

> I'd be very interested in hearing those mp3s, as well as trying out 
> any patches you'd care to share.

I will work on some MP3 samples of tunes using CZ.  I hope the 
compression doesn't do too much damage to the sounds.

> About that neat spacey/ethereal sound of yours: Do find that text 
> file! :-)

Found it.  See below [from the mid to late 1980s].

> I found some CZ-101 and CZ-1000 patches (syx dumps) on the web 
> yesterday and tried loading some of them to the CZ-5000. My CZ 
> accepted them, by there was no sound. Should the patches be 
> compatible or do the syx sound data formats differ?

The format should be identical.  CZ-1 differs slightly.  Create a 
folder in the files section and place the syx data there.  Next week, 
I should have time to look at them.

--Steve

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From vol. 1 no. 1 of the SMUG Newsletter [Syrause Midi User's Group]
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Here are two of my favorite homemade patches for the CZ fused into 
one memory location.  I recommend saving this in line select mode 2.  
This facilitates the 16-oscillator keysplit configuration (described 
below).  Then use the line select switch to access bass1.1.  (Or save 
them as two separate patches.)

DR. STEVE CZ PATCH - DRS001<bass//rumble  (Two Patches For the Price 
of One!!)
Vibrato:   4   00   50   07     Ring/Noise:  optional/off
Octave:  -1    Detune:   +   00   00   03     

DRS001<walking bass1.1                  DRS001<spacey rumble [1 osc.]
line select 1 or 1+1'                   line select 2
DCO1:  Waveform:  1  0                  DCO2:  Waveform:  3  1
   Step  1                                 Step  1   2   3   4
   Rate  50                                Rate  81  03  00  50
  Level  00                               Level  66  67  66  00
         end                                     sus         end

DCW1:  Key follow: 0                    DCW2:  Key follow: 8
   Step  1   2   3   4   5                 Step  1   2   3
   Rate  99  50  50  50  50                Rate  66  20  37
  Level  99  00  00  75  00               Level  70  44  00
                 sus     end                         sus end

DCA1:  Key follow: 0                    DCA2:  Key follow: 3
   Step  1   2   3   4                     Step  1   2   3   4
   Rate  96  40  50  50                    Rate  90  30  25  50
  Level  99  58  99  00                   Level  83  99  02  00
         sus         end                         sus         end

Due to space limitations, I will explain several performance options 
in the next issue.  For the time being, try this set up for the CZ-
3000, CZ-5000, and CZ-1 [or use CZ-101 for 1/2 of the following].

Set both halves of a key split to this patch--line select mode 2.  
This gives 8 oscillators per half [CZ-3000/CZ-5000].  On the lower 
half, rapidly repeat an octave bass pattern, D--D for example.  On 
the upper half (especially the top octave), rapidly and repeatedly 
arpeggiate (downward) a triad, A--F--D for example.

Next month, I'll explain more about this technique for creating an 
ominous or Gregorian-chant-space effect (also great for simulating 
airplanes on a runway).  For single notes in the right-hand be sure 
to strike each note repeatedly.  This works particularly well with 
modal minor melodies.

With line 1 or 1+1', for now just try a walking bass or a boogie bass 
pattern.  The upper registers also produce some usable effects.  
Enjoy!

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From vol. 1 no. 2 of the SMUG Newsletter [Syrause Midi User's Group]
==================================================================
In the last issue of the SMUG newsletter, I offered two CZ patches, 
(1) walking bass1.1 and (2) spacey rumble, with brief explanations of 
some performance options.  In this issue, I have a few additional 
points about the patches plus a a preview of the MIDI subboard 
currently on Gary's BBS.

If you've entered the CZ patches into your synth, you may have 
noticed a slight swelling on the walking bass after the key is 
released.  This is deliberate!  Though it may sound a little odd for 
single notes, when played with moving bass patterns, the swelling 
takes place underneath the sound of subsequent notes.  It is this 
very quality that helps to give a listener the psychological 
perception of a real bass.  For a sequencer-based operation, you may 
want the bass part assigned to two monophonic channels with the notes 
being altered between channels.

The spacey rumble patch demonstrates a couple of dimensions of sound 
synthesis:  (1) how to use a one-oscillator patch to create special 
effects (thereby illustrating the CZ synth's 16-note capability) and 
(2) how to use frequency shifts to create a chorus effect.  The slow 
envelope on the DCO takes effect as the same notes (either individual 
notes or broken chords) are struck and then released.  With the 
spacey rumble, the release time is rather long.  The patch has been 
deliberately constructed so that the decay will be hastened by simply 
depressing then releasing the sustain pedal (either real time or 
through a MIDI sequence).  Keep in mind that the spacey rumble is 
really designed as a polyphonic performance patch, since the 16-note 
capability is only available in polyphonic mode.  Fortunately, it 
works both from the resident keyboard as well as through MIDI.
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