Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Moderators: Aesthetics, Drones, Hexagon Sun

User avatar
oliveoil22
Boqurant
Posts: 84
Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2020 4:48 am
Location: San Francisco Bay Area, California

Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by oliveoil22 »


Had this project on the backburner for a while but finally got on it this summer. Effects and EQ make a lot of the magic, but I have to imagine this is/was the secret weapon.
Image Image Image
User avatar
Wildfire
Sherbet Head
Posts: 778
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 6:24 pm

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by Wildfire »

Seriously amazing work, so much so you've convinced me to buy one. Are these presets or did you manually create all the patches? I understand there's a lot of FX going on too.

edit: Ignore I see you've kindly supplied all the patches for Virtual CZ, incredible, thank you!

Also, do you think this is what was used to get that Whitewater synth patch?
User avatar
DFD21
Boqurant
Posts: 72
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2014 7:19 pm
Location: Wiltshire, UK

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by DFD21 »

Thanks so much for this. It answers the question for me on the Boards signature "electric piano" sound.

So, early BoC used the SH101 for wobbly synth sounds, and the CZ-101 for the tinkly synth sounds. Then the Akai S-1000 for sample sounds.

Now to go and get myself a CZ or one of the clones.
Manc
Friendly Stranger
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon May 27, 2013 8:32 pm

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by Manc »

Brilliant video!

I really try to pick out BOC melodies on my gear, but many of them are frustrating for me. This is like a cheat sheet, especially the Twoism stuff.

I had a CZ101 when I was in my early teens, along with a basic Boss Dr. Rhythm drum machine, but my brother sold it. Seeing it here has convinced me to stop looking at a second hand SH-01a and dig a little deeper into my pockets.

Thanks for this
User avatar
Wildfire
Sherbet Head
Posts: 778
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 6:24 pm

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by Wildfire »

DFD21 wrote:Thanks so much for this. It answers the question for me on the Boards signature "electric piano" sound.

So, early BoC used the SH101 for wobbly synth sounds, and the CZ-101 for the tinkly synth sounds. Then the Akai S-1000 for sample sounds.

Now to go and get myself a CZ or one of the clones.
The VirtualCZ is on sale just now at Plugin Boutique - From £80 to £20 and it sounds really damn good, the OP supplies presets for it....

https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/ ... -VirtualCZ
happy
Friendly Stranger
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2026 5:05 pm

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by happy »

this is incredible. I didn't know this little synth was responsible for their most iconic melodies. Doing God's work!
User avatar
Goiter Sanchez
Dayvan Cowboy
Posts: 1522
Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2005 7:39 am
Location: San Francisco, California
Contact:

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by Goiter Sanchez »

Mind blowing vid! Could this be 'The Secret Weapon'?
I make music as Sweguno.
Instagram ︱YouTube ︱Soundcloud
User avatar
TorrentialTrain
Friendly Stranger
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat May 03, 2025 12:04 am

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by TorrentialTrain »

Goiter Sanchez wrote:Mind blowing vid! Could this be 'The Secret Weapon'?
The timing, cost of these things back then, its usage all seems to add up.
User avatar
Wildfire
Sherbet Head
Posts: 778
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 6:24 pm

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by Wildfire »

Goiter Sanchez wrote:Mind blowing vid! Could this be 'The Secret Weapon'?
It's always been a contender but I think after this amazing effort by Oliveoil22 it's cased closed.
User avatar
Waterbagel
Dayvan Cowboy
Posts: 1953
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 12:50 am
Location: gulf coast US

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by Waterbagel »

my jaw literally dropped when you got to Twoism

this is it lmao. good work. seriously. this is awesome. a joy to listen to in its own right
User avatar
harpoon dodger
Dayvan Cowboy
Posts: 2342
Joined: Fri Nov 10, 2006 7:20 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada
Contact:

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by harpoon dodger »

Well freaking done, sir! I'm in agreement...gotta be the secret weapon. Always had a soft spot for the CZ series, I sourced a CZ-1 for a friend a few years back and it has a unique tonal palette for sure. Always impressive to see so much music squeezed out of one synth! 8)
The preparation for a dive is always a tense time.
User avatar
Redd Panderson
Eagle Minded
Posts: 295
Joined: Fri Apr 10, 2026 12:36 pm

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by Redd Panderson »

Gotta say that I enjoyed just listening to these tunes played with the other stuff stripped back. Kind of felt like "the music box christmas" version of these songs, or like "instrumentals?" I can't think of the right word, but it's nice and lovely to hear! BOC's melodies deserve the love.
Verde Hexagon Hashbrown
User avatar
Aesthetics
Site Admin
Posts: 5449
Joined: Thu Nov 25, 2004 11:59 am
Location: Lowlands
Contact:

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by Aesthetics »

That really is something quite special! Do you have any plans to cover the songs in their entirety?
Life is a Frequency
User avatar
DFD21
Boqurant
Posts: 72
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2014 7:19 pm
Location: Wiltshire, UK

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by DFD21 »

Wildfire wrote:
DFD21 wrote:Thanks so much for this. It answers the question for me on the Boards signature "electric piano" sound.

So, early BoC used the SH101 for wobbly synth sounds, and the CZ-101 for the tinkly synth sounds. Then the Akai S-1000 for sample sounds.

Now to go and get myself a CZ or one of the clones.
The VirtualCZ is on sale just now at Plugin Boutique - From £80 to £20 and it sounds really damn good, the OP supplies presets for it....

https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/ ... -VirtualCZ
Bought a copy last week and have been having fun playing Turquoise Hexagon Sun!
User avatar
Waterbagel
Dayvan Cowboy
Posts: 1953
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 12:50 am
Location: gulf coast US

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by Waterbagel »

i'm having fun recreating boqurant myself :D
happy
Friendly Stranger
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2026 5:05 pm

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by happy »

Aesthetics wrote:That really is something quite special! Do you have any plans to cover the songs in their entirety?
I think i read in the comments that he’s working on another video with a different synth, can’t remember which synth?
User avatar
Wildfire
Sherbet Head
Posts: 778
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 6:24 pm

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by Wildfire »

happy wrote:
Aesthetics wrote:That really is something quite special! Do you have any plans to cover the songs in their entirety?
I think i read in the comments that he’s working on another video with a different synth, can’t remember which synth?
Amazing, no doubt either the Roland SH101, Ensoniq VFX or the Yamaha AN1X as they are only other real stand out synths I think.
happy
Friendly Stranger
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2026 5:05 pm

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by happy »

Wildfire wrote:
happy wrote:
Aesthetics wrote:That really is something quite special! Do you have any plans to cover the songs in their entirety?
I think i read in the comments that he’s working on another video with a different synth, can’t remember which synth?
Amazing, no doubt either the Roland SH101, Ensoniq VFX or the Yamaha AN1X as they are only other real stand out synths I think.
The Ensoniq VFX - that’s the one. I know the SH-101 well, but I’ve no idea what the VFX sounds like or what BOC tracks it’s known for
User avatar
Wildfire
Sherbet Head
Posts: 778
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 6:24 pm

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by Wildfire »

happy wrote:The Ensoniq VFX - that’s the one. I know the SH-101 well, but I’ve no idea what the VFX sounds like or what BOC tracks it’s known for
It's only the synth responsible for the strings in Everything You Do Is A Balloon!

Enjoy - https://www.twoism.org/forum/viewtopic. ... nsoniq+VFX
happy
Friendly Stranger
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2026 5:05 pm

Re: Casio CZ-101 - The OTHER 90's BOC Machine

Post by happy »

Wildfire wrote:
happy wrote:The Ensoniq VFX - that’s the one. I know the SH-101 well, but I’ve no idea what the VFX sounds like or what BOC tracks it’s known for
It's only the synth responsible for the strings in Everything You Do Is A Balloon!

Enjoy - https://www.twoism.org/forum/viewtopic. ... nsoniq+VFX
Okay, I’m partial to a bit of synth collecting, this is doing nothing for my gear addiction syndrome

I love that these things are digital too, after all the analogue hype in synth forums
Post a reply