I don't get how you can just jam out like 4 to 8 little tunes per video, all of which sound like they could easily be developed into full songs. Ridiculous talent/work.
I've been a reggae bass player for a long time, and chasing that "Sleng Teng" tone eventually led me to playing synths as well. However, I had no idea that the entire riddim track was a Casio demo! Great piece of music history here, excellent video.
Very cool! I didn't know the little keys on the MT-40 were bass keys. I assumed they were chord keys just like on every other Casio. After watching this demo, I much prefer the bass key setup as it seems to be able to produce considerably better results for making songs.
@@robinsss As I showed in the video, this bass pattern was inspired by a David Bowie song, but it was programmed for the MT-40/41 with a half-time beat.
I've been on RU-vid for many years, I'm subscribed to hundreds of channels and for whatever it's worth, I left maybe 5 or 6 comments total! It's amazing how specialized and unique some channels can be. Coming from someone who owns a few vintage synths and love the history behind them, your channel is great. Your videos are very enjoyable, top quality, awesome editing, they are impeccable! I'm always happy when you post a new one. Your attention to details is remarkable. Awesome work.
As a hardcore digital reggae geek, I salute you for this excellent work. Probably the best overview of the MT40 I've seen so far. Although the legend of the MT40 heralding the digital revolution in Jamaica is perhaps a little bit over-stated, in reality there were quite a few songs pre-dating Sleng Teng that were essentially 'digital' (aka electronic in Jamaican parlance). And also the live musicians in Jamaica, especially Roots Radics, were slowly becoming more and more robotic in their playing as the early 80s progressed. But I guess you could say the discovery of the MT40 rock preset in Jamaica was a perfect storm - coming at a time when Jamaicans were very much primed for these kind of riddims. Anyway nuff respect.
7:20 I was just wrapping some flowers in a half year old newspaper when the pictures of a young and an elderly Mrs. Okuda caught my eye. It was an article on her in last October's Asahi Shimbun and it pretty much conclusively confirms that it has not just been a happy accident. According to the article she did not only "listen to a lot of Reggae and Dub in college", she basically fell in love with it while studying music theory at college. After she and a few fellow graduates joined Casio, they were asked to put on a company-internal music performance. Her fellow graduates played classical piano, but to everyone's surprise Mrs. Okuda chose a keyboard and played Dub. The young Mrs. Okuda might just have been a bonafide dubhead.
Yeah, actually it reminds me of some of Bruce Haack's later work? At that point he was multitracking early 80s Casios and putting them through spring reverb. Makes me wish he stuck around on Spaceship Earth longer to collab with some dancehall people.
Opening RU-vid and having this little gem to watch while drinking coffee.... priceless. My cousin had this one while I had the monophonic PT-82... I was green with envy and I was 8. It had such a deep and clear bass sound thanks to the unusually fat speaker... Still wanting to get one.
EXCELLENT overview, history, insight & performance on the legendary Casio Sleng Teng! Consistently the best demo videos on RU-vid from Keen On Keys - much respect. I've owned both the cream MT-40 & the chocolate MT-41 before, now I have a mint MT-40 in its hardcase - a keeper. The tones, bass & riddims are so versatile. Nothing else like it!
9:50 I have mine! I still have my MT-40. It survived my whole childhood intact and still functions. I've never done a full tear down/cleaning though. Thanks for showing what's inside if I ever do mine someday.
I am a big fan of your videos and voice. I know your video takes more time to make than others. But I hope you make more videos about newer synth and other instruments too. Thank you!!!
In Sheep's Clothing recently held a listening party at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in LA, where they led the audience through a history of various phases of reggae's influence on Japanese music. I never listen to reggae, since i tend to lean towards faster paced genres, but this was a very, very interesting history. Plus, when the presenters started talking about the Casiotone and the creator of its presets, I became hooked! So cool!
I had one of these in 1981 and loved it. The history behind it is interesting and the fact that also it was designed by a woman. Plenty about this instrument in wikipedia too. Some of the sounds were very good for the time. It even had a transpose feature were you could tune it to different temperments. And £99 in the 80's
SL2 sampled that baseline for their song "Way In My Brain". You are making me want to go invest in some old small keyboards. Need to make sure I don't watch your channel after a couple of beers and get carried away shopping online 😉
Great review! We’re honoured to be featured in the Famous Musicians section! :-) Have you ever thought about making a separate output for the bass section? Apparently that is doable.
It was my pleasure, I only wish the picture had a higher resolution, then I could have placed it in a more prominent spot. A bass output could be nice. I will think about that.
8:51 - that dried out foam stuff that is found in every keyboard of the era is a nightmare! great idea just wrapping the cable up in tape after you have cleaned most of the crap off it. i guess it helps with insulation aswell. I kept trying the clean the cables with iso-pro and it never came good.
I was wondering if you could have the missing knobs 3D laser printed. I chuckled a little seeing that nasty sticky thin brown foam tape that had rotted inside around the wires. I have seen it before and it's always a mess. But you did a nice clean up on the instrument. I loved the ending composition. Always take care.
Please keep these videos coming, I love them!!! The only bad thing I can say is I've bought an MT40 & PS3 solely from watching these videos hahaha. Enjoy everything about them, esepcially the dis-assembly/inner workings part. Cheers! Love it!
Hmm... I believe there's a Sublime song that uses that classic bassline pattern. Listened to way too much of them when I lived near the beach more than a decade ago. Cheers.
Cleaning song was really awesome. I really like your production quality and style. The outro song's pad sound is really nice especially for this kind of keyboard. I wonder did you change the attack/release time or add a quality reverb.
Excellent review. Thanks for the visual shout-out at the 2:11. The Casio MT-40 is a favourite amongst Tunstyle band members! Used on Spray Water on the Stereo, Studying the Stars and Purple Crown on the album Turnstyle Country. Love the MT vids!
I must of watch this review 50 times or mo. Excellently executed informative video and narration are absolutely top-notch, even managed to stick some humour in there, I was around in blues clubs in 84-85 when this track was released... Legendary!
I've been looking all over for that picture if noel davy with the Casio MT-40 and can't find it anywhere! Can you share where it came for? It's for a project :)
Funny. When I hear that rhythm, I immediately think of IT'S NOT RIGHT by Devo. That song came out in 1980. Could that have been an influence on the Casio programmer?
Great video! I was wondering if you are able to determine the polarity of one of these devices? I recently got one but cannot reliably find this information online. It seems most casios from this era are center negative but I cannot be certain. Thanks so much if you know! Best.
You can 3D Print the parts that are missing. They will never be on the same exactly color, but resin printer would look GOOD on it. Those are pretty easy to model in 3D. (I can do it if you can't).
Wow! This keyboard sounds beautiful! How the heck did it cost less than the MT-45/46!? The MT-40/41 has more instruments and features than the MT-45/46! What was Casio thinking!? I would of picked the MT-40/41 back in the day! I might just get one off Ebay or Reverb when this Virus situation blows over.
I came here because of the track by Wayne Smith - under mi sleng teng. I don't know anything about instruments or music making but I got into Jamaican music sometime in 1986 and I totally enjoyed the roots reggae but later on in the late 80s and early 90s this new music came out and it was what was being played at parties all over the place; and it was not Jamaica lol, but the country I grew up in, we had a windwo to the islands and we were totally influenced by Jamaican music and other islands. I had not listened in a while but it brought back nice memories from those years. I'm just learning 30+ years later how it started. I appreciate this video.
Tasty as a four-course meal! . I've resolved to play your videos directly through my mixer to my monitors because whatever the heck you're using to mix with is perfect and lost otherwise. Oh yes, Keen, there's the musician's sweet spot - our beloved monitors - yes indeed...
Hi. Do you think is it possible to create similar bass tone on yamaha pss 370 /470/570 ? Lead is easy but I can't get nothing similar to bass... Mt40 is very neat with that sound+drums+bass combo. Manudigital in jamaica digital sesions nails it!!! All best
Is it possible if you could upload direct recordings of the drum pattern? And a one shot sample of a bass note? Im surprised there isnt a sample pack of the sounds from this keyboard online (or atleast i havent found any)
lovely video!!! had my eye on the MT-40/41 for a while (they're so expensive and rare tho compared to the other old casios) since it has the same drum machine as my beloved PT-7 and I'm always fearing that will crap out on me at some point. You know of another old small Casio that has this punchy drum sound?
what was the song you used during "a look inside"? Is it available somewhere? I couldn't find it from your soundcloud. EDIT: Nvm, it was on the bandcamp.
Memories... of my Musical childhood. I played the helll out of this. I ever was wondering if the cars were using it also in the song heartbeat city (sound celeste)
