Casio VL-TONE: Super nostalgic lo-fi synth from 1979 + FREE SAMPLE LIBRARY 

'Here I have two rocks I found in my backyard. I wonder what they'll sound like through the Mood and Microcosm.'

This thing, a Christmas gift when I was six or seven, sparked my life-long love of music. Thank you.

OMG !!!!! The RU-vid algorithm has done me right... !!! So random, yet so wonderful And thank you for this video I have been wondering and looking for references to this for the past years... Could not remember how to find it. I grew up with this and was lucky to experience it, but never really took advantage of it and never realized it's capabilities... I wish I still have it now so I could share it with my kids...

I was given one by my dad in 1981, but over the years I lost it somewhere. I recently bought one to make up for the loss and I won't lose it again. BTW, if you own one of these try entering your birth date in the ADSR (YYYYMMDD or DDMMYYY), it's your sound!

goddamn i love lo-fi synths

This keyboard was my JAM at 8 years old. Unfortunately, that demo song STILL HAUNTS ME TO THIS DAY.

Don't show this to Teenage Engineering! They will reissue it with a huge price tag!

This keyboard was my mothers, it was not only her keyboard for her choir practice, but also it was our calculator. She bought it new in '81 and it was in continuous use until 2002. A sound investment. My Grandmother also had the same keyboard. I discovered the ADSR functions in high school but didn't really understand what it was doing, just bashing random numbers in it was magic.

I got the same one when I was 7. So nostalgic memory. I still remember the demo song. The melody doesn’t go away after 40 years.

We’re arriving in the mail with this one 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

I still have mine!

Your set-up, sound, and everything in this video is healing and that's amazing! Thank you.

Wow. I had two Casio keyboards as a kid and this was one of them, they were both tiny and super fun to mess around with. Literally the sound of my childhood. Hearing you make fun music with them was a nice reminder of that, and you taking the time to not just make a sample library of it but give it away for free is a wonderful thing.

Wow! Many thanks for the nostalgia David. The VL-TONE was my first synth. My dad bought it for me when I was around 6-7 in Sweden. Will never forget those sometimes eerie sounds. And, of course, that built-in demo song. Never cared much about the drum presets, but that one-key-play sequencer function was quite clever too - I've never seen anything like it since, outside the Casio-lineup. Also, that flute with fx definitely had some Boards of Canada vibes. Excellent video per usual. :)

Really enjoy videos like this, there is so much to discover about the history of synths and other electronic instruments

Love the videos! I'm always fascinated with all the instruments you bring out for us, tysm!

That little opening jam felt like a certified Strong Bad classic 😄

1:40 Also the beat to Have a nice life's `Holy Fucking Shit: 40,000`, funnily enough.

Just bought my VL-1 and I’ve been obsessed with it since my laptop broke. Super fun little nugget

The Homestar Runner keyboard!

You made something so magical, this is really cool!

Great video! Back when I was a student, Kwai Chang Caine had his flute. I had my VL-Tone and would hang out under railway bridges to get the best reverb. I also used to jam along to the TD American tour album with it. After growing up and losing my Casio somewhere in my adult life I recently got one on E-Bay and the magic is still there. This morning I was listening to Epsilon in Malaysian Pale in the local coffee shop (first time for a while) and in the middle of it, your video post showed up. I took this as sign and am happily noodling with my VL-Tone again. Thank you!

Amazing stuff as usual David, thank you for making this free!

What a wonderful video, just what my hangover and I needed this morning. 😉 And such lovely sounds, those pedals really are quite amazing. I always smile when your videos pop up in notifications, they are always a happy place in a world that frequently isn’t. Thanks. 🙏🤗

I've been hoping that you would do a video on the VL-Tone! When my grandpa passed my dad gave me his original VL and I absolutely adore it. So cool that the manual shows you how to adjust the different instruments, I never would have known! Keep up the fantastic work, your channel is the only one I have notifications on for!

Always love seeing your content popping up in my feed; there's always inspiring content in here! I definitely love the lo-fi vibes out of this little synth!

I just wanted to say that your channel makes me so happy. Thank you.

Always the most inspiring videos. Whenever a new one comes out, I know the wave of inspiration is going to wash over me.

Such a well produced video. I borrowed one of these synths from a friend a few years back and now I'm eager to borrow it again. Thank you for the content!

this might be one of my favorite synth samples ever. simple sometimes works best. thanks so much for the work you put into DecentSampler!

These videos are SO COOL. As someone who is curious about these older technologies but don’t have the time or resources to try them my self, I thank you so much!

This and the PT-10 have got to be my favorites. With the effects, they both give off a very cool and nostalgic effect, both in soundscape and chiptune forms. I hope you find more keyboards like these, and I absolutely enjoy your works, David!

David you are AMAZING !!!! Thank you so much for all you do...

I had this when I was a kid. Loved it.

I love what you’ve done here!🙏

I always adore your soundscapes. You’re an inspiration!

This is delightful and wholesome in an entirely new level of many thanks!

Huh, so this is how Nintendo did it.....

Funny. I was just craving one of these and then you made a video on it. Such a charming little thing.

an amazing high quality video like always!!

I like this channel, it doesn’t make me feel like “ oh I have to buy this!” Instead of making me feel that way, this channel relaxes me. Nice work!

Another brilliant episode!

I actually bought a VL-1 after you mentioned it in your Casio PT-10 video and I started researching about it. It's a lot of fun to mess around with the ADSR features. Since the interface for inputting the parameters is so cumbersome, I usually just end up picking semi-random values for most of them like you did in this video and it's always fun to see what kind of surprising sounds this can lead to. Thanks for the great video as always!

Dude your vids are so good

I had this as a kid too!!!! I loved feeling like I was writing music as a 6 year old. Haven’t thought about it for years and you just brought it back to my mind :) thanks! Also I love your channel sir!

We had a couple of these in the early 80s. Wow! Had so much fun with them. I remember the different rhythms. Thanks for the video.

You're a class act David and you've just taken me back 40+ years to when I owned one. Sadly I never used it creatively like you have!

Bro... this guy is the pokemon master of sounds!!! He goes around the world capturing and training the most amazing songs there!!! I love your videos man!! They are full of passion!!

How fun it is it see this getting loved, by so many in the comments, after keeping mine, all my life. Was my first electronic kbd, a gift from my parents. Could never let go of it. Now it's a "thing" 🎶🎹❤ Will have to try plugging it into my Microcosm 🙂

Hey David, I had this when I was in primary school. I don't know what happened to it after all this years. But 3 years ago I've found this second hand in very good condition and immediately bought it. Thank you for the video. It was a nice to see what it can do with outboard effects. Keep rocking 🤘🏻

I love this channel so much

This Channel is a blessing in disguise.

I had one of those as a kid. Have to ask my parents if it still exists. Thanks für taking me back 🙂

whenever you upload it feels like christmas

amazing video, thanks!

I envy your creativity man, you're such a talented musician. Also your hunger for knowledge is admirable.

Oh my goodness!!! I had this when was a kid .. played hours and hours with it!! 😍 Could never imagine it has/had all of these capabilities!! I hope it is still there at my family's house and that mom did not throw it away!!! My son will be thrilled to have it!

Many thanks for the free download! And also the nostalgia. I never owned one of these but I distinctly remember gazing at one through a shop window on my way home from school. The ADSR thing fascinated me, as this was around the time I was getting into synths but I didn't have any of my own yet. This thing was tantalisingly cheap, yet still beyond my budget at that age.

So many memories of this Casio. Great video, thank you.

Was trying the free one out yesterday writing a song, always love seeing your videos show up

Because of your video about the PT-10 I bought a VL-1 for me just because the ADSR capabilities. It's wonderful that simple instrument can play and use many kind of sounds. It's a great keyboard to have near for you to play something. Oh, and your channel is marvelous! Thanks for the incredible content you make!

This is definitely the best sounding version of this instrument I've heard before. Great job

Awesome. Brings back memories of the 80s. I still have the little brother VL-10.

Youre amazing!!!!! Thank you very much for your contributions, I am your fan!!!!

Best channel on RU-vid and it's not even close.

I got one as a kid, and I still got it! I'm looking at it right now!

I had this! Hearing these tines again made me so happy. Thankyou! I finally know what this was called❤

I had one of these as a kid. Boy, does this bring back memories. Thank you.

Youve mastered the art and science of musical nostalgia on this channel. Thanks

It sounds so beautiful

One day I'd like to collect instruments and work as flawlessly as you do, but I don't have the storage or money right now. I've been collecting instruments for a while, but they're just strewn about and I lack the knowledge in theory (or music as a whole) to be proficient in a DAW lmao. I always look forward to your content and the 'rawness' of your work, best exhibited in your garage sale repair videos and the way you modernize vintage technology (I first discovered you from the Soviet pif synth video) so keep it up!

Love this videos, thanks :)

Your this vdo kept on appearing on my RU-vid on Apple TV for a week , everyday. So I decided to give it a watch. Wow , I must say!!!!! Great vdo. May be RU-vid really knows what I must like. Thank you for your great vdo 👍🙏

Great episode! My very first synth, back in 1981. Actually, the Realistic Concertmate 200 (Radio Shack) version of it, as I somehow convinced my mother that I desperately needed it and it showed up as a present at some point thereafter. And I still have it and it still (mostly) works. The screen is a bit wonky and the battery cover disappeared a long time ago, but with some added effects that Fantasy sound is just timeless (and doubles up well with a Stylophone!) and the synth makes an occasional appearance in our songs. :)

Had one of these as a kid. From 1980. The ADSR function was such fun. Great to hear you play with it, with all the effects and loops. Awesome.

I'm gonna have to dig my old VL-1 out if I can find it and have a play. Great video David :-)

This is awesome! I am a Casio fan, since the Sk-1 was my very first keyboard. Now I want one of these! (Oh wait, I don't need one, because you made us a free sample.) THANK YOU!

Wow. That brought back memories, even just seeing the case. That was the first synth I ever purchased.

David you really make the best videos, they re so beautiful evrytime thank you :)

I wish this video was an hour and a half. Such soothing sounds and such a great voice ❤

That was beautiful!!!

This is wonderful 😊

Gracias✨

At Least I know what pedals are on my wish list now. You made that little synth sound epic Come to mention it the VL tone is also on my wish list.

Excellent! Thank you.

that brings back memories David, i had one in the day but it broke, i loved experimenting with the oscilators,adsr,etc with the numbers from the calculator, this trick was very well though out, you could get some really good sounds out of it, cheers mate

Amazing! Thanks

7:28 So you watch Keen On Keys too? I'd thought so! I hope you also watch Posy. If not, go watch Posy! You'll like him too! Anyways, I'm glad you finally reviewed this little marvel. To me, this is a very humble and charming synth that always holds its own, even if it was kind of a toy. Great video, as always!

Cool video, cool instrument, instantly bought that cuty for my collection. 😊

That ADSR setting is legit cool, really changes the sounds

Core memory unlocked: Playing with a VL-1 when I was young

Had one as a kid. Never even knew about changing the settings through the calculator. Great video!

my dad had one , but it was the very end of his life . he was in the hospital , and he never made it out . i used to sneak the vl-one out . i learned to program it . i would also play beatles synth and guitar solos into the memory then play them back with the two "note play" buttons . i would hook up a little amp with a speaker and then use a stereo with a cassette . i got pretty good at it , once you programmed the melody playing it back was simple. so much fun . the adsr was cool and i learned about this when i was pretty young . it was my first musical experience with technology . i have went on to make music for my entire life . i still do . i mainly use stringed instruments but i also use synthesizers . electro sound one two three - this brings back memorys .

I spent SO much time with one of these when I was a kid. :)

Well done! I have a VL-1 in my studio that has been with me for around 40 years. Of the 60 synthesizers featured in my book SYNTH GEMS 1, it's one of the three I still have and will never get rid of. 😁

Wonderful video.

You've got all my thumbs up!

David, great video. The VL-1 was my first keyboard. This summer it will be 16 years working at CASIO for me. Despite all the Wiki entries, I'm quite certain the release date is 1981. Casio's first keyboard the CT-201 was released in 1980.

Wow! You really managed to make the most of this little gadget. What a memory! I remember a kid in my class called Kiff bringing one of these into music lesson and the teacher was so excited, he tried playing Rhapsody in blue on it and it wasn’t too bad. Hearing these sounds is like jumping into a time machine. Casio definitely know how to make some quality gear.👍

Whoa! I HAVE one of those! And as it turned out, it still works!❤ The display is cracked but Other than that, it is just fine. Can’t wait to experiment with the sounds! Wonderful video by the way!👍