Studio gear | electronic rumors

Believe it or not, Casio have made some classic synths in their time. Both the CZ ranges (I had a 101 myself) and the VL-Tones (particularly the VL-1) were pretty uncool when released but over the years have achieved cult status. Samplers to, like most people my introduction to sampling was the circuit benders favourite the SK-1 and there was a time when the FZ-1 was in a race with the Akais to become industry standard.

Casio are returning to the world of synth with the forthcoming release of their new XW range, lead by the XW-P1. The synth was launched last week in London along with Casio’s search for the UK’s best synthesist. Submit your best work to the Casio UK Facebook page to be in with a chance of winning an XW-P1 and a slot performing as part of the G-Shock Sessions at the Relentless Boardmasters Festival 2012 in Newquay, Cornwall. Also, you can strut around telling your friends you are the UKs best synth player and have a peice of paper to prove it!

Check the competition video featuring out good friends Queen Of Hearts and Bright Light Bright Light.

Check the Casio UK Facebook page for details.

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There’s always something pretty special about homebrew Synthesizers. there a love to them you don;t always find with mass produced kit.

That this instance, Paul Maddox heads up Vaco Loco, makers of unique electronic music devices and he’s a massive SynthWave and ‘80’s fan, so you know he builds kit he want’s to use. He’s just produced the Zira MonoSynth which currently uses the LowPass filter from the Korg Poly 800. It’s a dual digital oscillator, analog filter synth for a nice 80’s sound. Check out the demonstration video for a good overview of how this tiny beast sounds.

The Zira runs down as follows:

* Two oscillators, each with 48 wave forms, a sub oscillator and hard sync.
* Analogue LowPass 24dB/Oct filter. Zira uses the NJM2069AD (New old
Stock) chip found in the Korg Poly 800, DW6000, DW8000 and DSS-1 to
give a stunning warm and rich filter sound.
* The VCA is part of the NJM2069AD and is a low noise, high quality VCA.
* Two ADSRs, one for the VCF and one for the VCA.
* LFO with 4 waveforms, with delay, single shot mode and four routing
destinations.
* All parameters editable via MIDI CC.
* 64 Patch memories.

And if you want to know how the Zira sounds in the mix, here’s Depeche Mode’s ‘See You’, all on the Zira (save for the drums).

The Zira is £250 (assembled and in it’s case. So if you’re looking for an interesting new synth, and like supporting new synth makers, then Zira is definitely worth checking out.