Top 10 Famous Casio Keyboards 

Please remember the eligibility criteria that was used for this Top 10 list when making suggestions! To make the list, the keyboards had to meet one or more of the following requirements: "Casio keyboards that have featured prominently on hit recordings, made appearances with well know bands on stage and in promo videos, and also that were spotted on TV." When making suggestions, please also state WHERE the Casio was confirmed as being used, i.e. artist/ band/ song, promo video, TV appearance, hit recording etc. There's been many great Casio revelations in the comments, but there have been a number asking "why wasn't Casio in this list?" If the model didn't meet the criteria above, or there aren't validated sources confirming its appearance/ use, it wouldn't make the list! Also please bear in mind the date that this video was published - 20th December 2022. I've started getting comments asking why the Casiotone Thriller "Frog" Keyboard didn't make the list. That's because the Thriller Frog Casiotone knowledge didn't come to light until 11th August 2023 thanks to Anthony Maranelli's video - "MJ’s Thriller Frog Bass - The Search", that was published eight months after my video. I didn't include the Thriller Frog Casiotone because at the time I researched and published my video, it wasn't yet known about! Lastly, I want to address the SK series and why they weren't included (though I did point out a sighting of an SK-1 in the Yaz/ Coldcut - "Doctorin' the House" promo video shown during the FZ segment). No doubt that the SK's are super little keyboards, and I actually have three of my own. There are a good number of mentions online that allegedly used one, and many synth sites/ forums have lists of artists that are said to have used them, but actually finding 100% proof that an SK was used on a hit recording surprisingly didn't come up with much. Again I refer to the eligibility criteria that had to be met to make the list, and unless I could confirm that an SK was being used on a recording and/ or could clearly see it on stage/ TV/ promo video, it wouldn't be eligible. Meanwhile, all the keyboards that did make the list were confirmed via the promo videos, TV appearances, concert footage, audio from a hit song, magazine articles, interviews etc. that were all shown during this Top 10 Famous Casio Keyboards video.

I have bought the VL Tone 1979! 😉 bought for 149 DM. At Neckermann! I then saw "Trio" live in a small club in 1981, shortly before they became famous, in Germany. The Casio was used a lot in this concert! They only had the Casio, a guitar, a very reduced set of drums and a megaphone! After that I had an SK1 which I gave to my little nephew after he broke the VL Tone 🤪 Then came an MT70 and a CZ5000! There are all gone...🥴 I'm currently selling my Casio CT-S 400 and bought a CT-500! The next big thing from Casio! Basically the new “Synclavier” Nice and interesting video, a little journey back in time, thank you! ❤

The secret is: Every great band (and as we can see in this video also lesser great artists) used a Casio at some point. Most of them were embarrassed and didn't show it publicly. And every great artists wishes that Casio would come back with an updated new great Phase Distortion-Synth.

Great work! Glad you found some pictures of Hiroko Okuda, I was desperately searching for those at the time.

Great video! Back in December 1981 (in)famous anarcho-punk band Crass released a "xmas record" (under the pseudonym of C.R.A.S.S. Creative Recording And Sound Services). The record is basically a compilation of excerpts of various Crass songs all played on a Casio keyboard.

Awesome research, thanks 4 sharing your knowledge!

The CZ5000 was/is a fantastic machine. I learnt all about synthesis from that thing and a Juno 60. Two totally different types of synthesis. The CZ was capable of some incredible pad type sounds. The 8 stage envelopes were brilliant.

*Thank you for producing a video just for me, I am honored.* Of course there are friends and many others _Who I’ve turned kinda stuff on to over the decades._

New subscriber here. Proud to say I have an MT500, PT30, Sk1 an MT68 which was used as the intro to Acorn Antiques on Victoria Wood’s sketch show. I also have an VLtone 10 which was always confused with the VL1 but it’s actually different, it’s silver and a lot smaller and has a key ring on the side. Love the channel 👍🏾😱

I saw DM on that tour (Broken Frame ) and Martin had that “Fairlite” synth balanced on top of his PPG Wave. As you said, Apparently it was a cheeky dig at Vince Clarke who by then had gone and bought a proper Fairlight system

I bought a CZ5000 in 1985. I didn’t really use it for music but I used the built in 8 trak sequencer to create a quirky rhythm section

I had a casio PT-30 around 1982?? I remember it had a tape interface where an optional module could be slotted into the back to enable data recording... Some years later I acquired one of these modules from a car boot! Talk about a rare find... Wish I'd hung onto it

I'm sorry I am late - but this is a marvellous documentary, CCT! It is on par with the great RU-vid synth documentaries by Alex Ball, Keen on Keys and David Attenuator! The FZ-1 has definitely deserved rank 3, I got a lot of interesting insights I never expected! I really have to replace the disc drive in mine with a modern USB drive, I couldn't fix mine :(

Killer video my man. Nice to see all these references in one place. I was even pleased and surprised to see my beloved CT 6000 make an appearance.

Excelent video! I love all the old PT, MT, CT, SA, especially the small ones, and I use a lot of them in my videos!... these equipment were used in the music industry around the world by great artists, so these instruments would be considered 'keyboards for beginner, or toys'? By no means... what will determine whether an instrument is for children or not, is what you will use that instrument for... you can have a Nord Lead at home and just play basic songs like jingle bells or gather the family to play small Christmas pieces... would that make it a home instrument, for a beginner? That's the question... a 'beginner' musical instrument would be extremely useful in a mega studio, for big artists, would that make them professional keyboards? Sure, why not? Those who make the instrument professional are those who use it.

Yesss, this video is Indeed Checking all of the boxes..

Number 10 was my first board. I learned my foundation on that little thing.

HONORABLE MENTION: Casiotone 401 - Michael Jackson's "Thriller", one of the biggest hits on the planet - layered bass sound coming in prior to Vincent Price's spoken lyric. This is now documented on Anthony Marinelli's channel in his chat with Steven Ray. They call it "frog sound" - supposedly Quincy Jones' Casio was used to ad that extra spice to the Arp2600 bass. Timeless. 👍

Thanks for a great episode! 👍😊

The Sk-1 only had 2.5 seconds of sampling but that was all we wanted, the sampler. The synth sounds and drums were unimportant. Every kid I knew had 2. I had 4 of them. The Sk-1 should have been number 1. We sampled records at 45 or 78 rpm to get long loops. The SK-1 quiet as kept was sold everywhere and my friends and associates snatched them all up with the quickness Until the Rise of ENSONIQ, EMU and AKAI.

Last year I found a CZ-1 that was being thrown out. I grabbed it, took it home, and hooked it up and low-and-behold it still worked!

Not to mention with the MT-100 that Lorraine Bowen (Britain's Got Talent 2015) won the golden buzzer playing her original song with the keyboard's auto-accomp feature!

i also owned the \ct-460 in the day - bought with a student loan money. couldnt play, but it opened my eyes and brought me to where I am now.

My album Mini is made with 90% various casio keyboards. Especially mt-40 and sk01

I often use the VL-1 drums in my musics

My all-time favorite Casio synths were the Spectrum Dynamic series, most of which had a model number starting with "HT." Casio developed that line after Yamaha sued them over the Phase Distortion (CZ) series being a ripoff of their FM synths (DX series).

I have kept my MT68 close and with a tiny tweak it’s blown peoples minds.

My most beloved VL-1 track is on "Schneider with The Kick"' ' s '82 album "Exposed_ track No. 6 "Out For The Night", a well done, still kind of unusual New Wave track.

I sold my CZ-1000 (which rather optimistically had pegs for a shoulder strap on it) to help fund my CZ-1 which I still have today. The CZ-1’s aftertouch capabilities made it a great controller keyboard too 👍

I have VL1 too, i has a SK1 and CT403 I miss them

I still have a MT-520 , my first keyboard

I am a fine musician I practice every day And when I < something something > Can you come and hear me play. 'Twas a childs song in the '70s from a childrens TV skoe in Austratia. So, way before the Casio VL1 demo song.

14:54 The rythms used in that lovesong are written deeply to my memory... I had SA-20 ,so it could be this, or related model (SA-10, or so...) Anyway,great work, great video !

Have you ever looked into the "I Just Wanna See" by Smash Mouth's Astro Lounge album? I definitely here a Casio rhythm in the background. It might be a MT-100 model.

German Song is called: es tanzt ein bibabutzemann in unserem Haus herum.

Excellent video, i always loved a good Casio!

Very cool video. it shows that even "toys" can be powerful in the right hands. I learned a lot here. I myself got the beautiful looking 403, with wooden case and old-school swithces. It is used by the keyboardist in the Australian band Parcels.

Surprised you kept Trio for last. No mention of Thriller? And did I miss it or did you skip the SK1 and SK5?

I have Casio vl1 for many years, still my favourite

A Casio Pt-82 can be spotted in Tera Melos's music video for their cover of Hey Sandy.

What a great video!!! 🎉

The casiotone mt-40 (my favourite casio) is also used by the Space Lady

There’s a PAUL McCARTNEY video with a CZ-1 out there somewhere from that late 80’s era. I’ll find it and share it…

Another famoius song of the Nineties in which the VL-1 appeared was "Your woman" by White town, playing the piano melody and some unmistakeable beats towards the end of the song 😀

I've got three Casios in amongst my studio's synths... The CheeZy 101. This thing has scary bass capabilities. Not only Kevin Saunderson's "reese bass", but it has the ability to generate very powerful but basic low end sounds. One live set that I did back in the 1990s had mine driven by the MIDI out from a 909 and used this BRUTAL bass patch. I remember looking around the venue, an abandoned factory, and noticing the old-style unbreakable windows. I had another look after the set...and the closest ones to the subs (about 25 kW on those) were now shot full of little cracks. The VL-tone, I've had since they came out. One thing I like about it (besides the downright weird patch programming...surprised you didn't mention that) is that the cleanness of the sound makes it a perfect candidate for extensive audio processing; there's probably a lot of "hidden VL-tone tracks" out there where the little bugger is slathered with effects. And an SK-5. Odd how the SK series didn't turn up in the video, as it and the SK-1 have been faves of the lo-fi, noise and industrial scenes for some time now. The gritty, nasty sampling quality makes it perfect for those, not to mention early hip-hop. The SKs are also very popular as "starting material" in the circuit bending scene, with lots of potential troublemaking possibilities lurking behind the front panel. The only other mini keyboard of this type that's garnered that sort of respect is the Yamaha VSS-30...same idea, but with FM sounds and pretty extensive sample-mangling options that are largely missing from the SKs. Still got that, too. Synthesists ignore Casio at their peril. The "Cheezies" are, as far as I'm concerned, de rigeur synths. Phase distortion synthesis is powerful AF, plus the power gets crammed into the tiny and easily-transportable instrument, creating a very deceptively-capable sound machine. Love these things!

the mt-30 was also featured in hunt for the wilderpeople!

Great video!

I can't believe that Casio CT-401 is not on this list. It was used in the main song of the most selling album of all time - Michael Jackson - Thriller! The iconic froggie sound at the end is a preset of Casio CT-401 and been confirmed that they really use it from a Casio CT-401 that MJ owned back then.

I have only one of them, but it's number 1. In fact it's my only synth. I couldn't find the exact Casio keyboard they used (if any), but I thought you would mention Ruby Vroom's Casiotone Nation. Go check it if you don't know them already. Cheers!

Nice as all your videos. Hope the ctx can continue the story, i'm working on it😉😅👍

Great video. i use a XW P1 as my daily driver. cheers

Oh yeah, I believe the percussion sounds from the VL-1 were sampled by White Town in their 1997 hit, Your Woman.

Just spotted a short from a yet to be interview from Rick Beato with Stuart Copeland , Police Drummer. The short is all about how a Casio keyboard inspired the track Spirits of the Material World. No details given as to which model it was.

The SK-1 is missing, I'd assume it at number 3.

The Zappa part blew my mind :D

The song Push it by Salt N Peppa was actually recorded with the Casio CZ1 which I saw in one of their MTV videos, not the live but actual Music video. All that time I thought it was a Roland D50 being played when I was a kid and when I moved to the mainland USA and saw MTV, I saw it was a Casio CZ1! That they used a CZ101 for the live shows is not a surprise and makes sense since the CZ1 was heavy and prone to damages from touring but the CZ101 was light and small and ideal for touring. CASIO.. where miracles never do cease!

They are vintage keyboards. Now we have a new generation from PX5s.

SK-1 goes underrated here!

Jean Michel Jarre used a Casio CZ 5000 on "Rendez Vous IV". The sound is the same as on CZ 3000, the CZ5000 just added a sequencer.

I think casio rapman would be in the list. Greets

I once owned and started out with a Casio PT-80 back in the eighties. Now I own a Casio CT-X 3000 keyboard featured on my more recent RU-vid channel music videos. Casio is an icon in affordable and sometimes quirky keyboards. Trio is one of my favorite retro bands of the eighties. Another Trio hit was Boom Boom, classic stuff!

I think I love Casio I've had a lot

Great video! Not a casio keyboard but the RZ-1 sampling drum machine was extensively used by Prince Paul on De La Soul's debut album 3 feet high and rising.

Nice video!

No mention of everybody's favorite, the SK-1? It was like a toy version of the FZ-1 in capabilities, with a sampler and additive synthesizer. I had a huge collection of Casio keyboards at one time. I was never able to acquire an AZ-1 keytar, unfortunately.

this first song (riff) is from the Almann Brotehrs' s Band's Jessica

Fun vid... I wonder if the Casiotone 1000P every wound up on a hit tune?

I like! You missed some: The Fashion Police used Casios on their 1988 album "A Secret Policeman Patrols The Night" and I remember hearing an interview with Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs mentioning using one on something. A few more New Age/Ambient type bands in the '80s used them, also, Crystalised, Book of Shadows, and Clouds of Zen, all used them.🤩

sounds like one of the honourible mentions was on a casio CA-110. I have one, so that's what it sounded like to me.

I've got one of it....VL1.

Had the VL-tone as a kid followed by the cz 101, a band called Trio released a tune called "da da da da" which used the little VL. Commenting early in video so youre prib gonna mention it. Lol.

The Casio 1000p. Underrated

What was that clip featuring the PT-50 from?

Way to go!

Fantastic video thank you

Man Parrish use Casio CZ-101 in his "Boogie Down Bronx" (he said)

🤙🤙 This is Brillient!

Classic WK series synths?

This is the best video I've ever seen it's good that Casio gets a mention

In the Dutch speaking part of the world, the Netherlands and Flanders, we have a song : ‘Het loze vissertje’ About a ‘fisherman’ Des winters als het regent, dan zijn de paadjes diep. Dan komt het loze vissertje, al vissen in het riet ….

#10 is vibraphone with some percussion

great video introducing the much underrated Casiotone keyboards to the unsuspecting public! 🙂and yes, there are MANY other truly nice and and 'toy' Casio keyboards out there that can do great jobs in the right professional hands ... having Kitaro and Tomia among the names using some Casiotones for example, tells a lot ... i had a PT-50 and PT-31 once and i played some really nice performances on the duo for quite a number of people who did eventually admit how good these little things are despite their childish looks and cheesy sounds at first glance ...

Thank you for showing that clip of Jarvis using that particular Casio. I didn’t realize he used the pads to play drums while he played the chords with his other hand.

Excellent !! love all my Casio's, and love the songs they have been used on. Yazoo's (And on) I'm sure, has a VL- 1 on it. Have you seen recently the storey about the frog 13 preset of the MT-60 being used on Thriller by MJ

Nice touch, with the Casio televisions.

Thank you so so much!!!

Sugar Ray used the VL-1 in their song Rivers, which I think was an homage or tribute to Rivers Quomo from Weezer. The song Rivers was track 2 on their 1999 smash hit single, Every Morning.

I've got CT 101 a cz 1 ht 700 and 3000 ctk 691 vz1 vl tone

Hello. Can you review the Casio ctk-240 fa. I'm looking for a 49 key keyboard

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

I'm sure Robert Smith sent that PT-1 through some heavy processing on "Close to Me." It sounded pretty thin in person.

Missed the PT-1

Must include the xw-p1

The VL-1 made a big splash in hip hop too, starting with Jimmy Spicer's "Dollar Bill Y'all" and "The Bubble Bunch".

I LOVE CASIO

Wonderful wideo. I will always refer to this examples when another time someone would try to persuade me that Casios are just toys.

Casio 7000 4eva!

pLease, and how about CASIO Casio tone MT90? o.o

I will nominate Gene Belcher's SK-5 from Bob's Burgers.

What about "Da Da dah" by Treo! ??? -Hee-Hee! OK you got it! Very Good BRAVO!! ': )