Jump to content

Casio VL-1

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 99.228.187.14 (talk) at 03:11, 19 October 2009. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in
    Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[2] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
  2. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[1] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough T
    Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[2] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough T
    Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[3] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough T
    Casio VL-Tone VL-1

The VL-1 was the first synthesizer of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. Released in 1980,[4] the VL-1 is notable for its kitsch value among electronic musicians, due to its cheap construction and its unrealistic, uniquely low-fidelity sounds.

Sound

Its sounds were mostly composed of filtered squarewaves with varied pulse-widths. Its piano, violin, flute and guitar timbres were nearly unrecognizable abstractions of real instruments. It also featured a "fantasy" voice, and a programmable synthesizer which provided for choice of both oscillator waveform and ADSR envelope. The synthesizer was programmed by entering a number into the calculator section's memory, then switching back to keyboard mode. It had a range of two and a half octaves.

Features

The LCD

The VL-1 featured a small LCD display capable of displaying 8 characters. This was primarily used for the calculator function, but also displayed notes played. As well as this, the VL-1 also had changeable tone and balance, basic tempo settings and a real-time monophonic music sequencer, which could play back up to 99 notes. There were also 10 pre-loaded rhythms which utilized just three basic drum samples.

Voices

Rhythms

  • March
  • Waltz
  • 4-Beat
  • Swing
  • Rock-1
  • Rock-2
  • Bossanova
  • Samba
  • Rhumba
  • Beguine

Notable uses and appearances

  • The VL-1 received some fame when the German band Trio used it in one of their songs, "Da Da Da". They used the Rock-1 rhythm preset and the Piano voice.
  • The same rhythm preset features in the first half of The Man Whose Head Expanded by The Fall, only to be cut short by Mark E. Smith's command to "turn that bloody blimey space invader off".
  • Industrial artist Monte Cazazza uses the VL-1's drum patterns on both sides of the Stairway to Hell / Sex Is No Emergency single (1982).
  • The music video for Thomas Dolby's hit "She Blinded Me With Science" shows a group of schoolchildren holding VL-1s during a dream sequence.
  • The VL-1's "fantasy" voice is the only sound on the cover version of Roy Budd's theme tune for Get Carter which is featured on the Human League album Dare. The instrument is also used on the hit single "Open Your Heart", and on "Toyota City", a track on their first album, Travelogue.
  • Le Casio, the final track on the album Vehicles and Animals by Athlete prominently features the VL-1's 'Fantasy' voice.
  • The VL-1 is used by death industrial act Brighter Death Now.
  • The Rock-1 and Rock-2 rhythms are heard on the track Stop/Start by The Assembly.
  • Boom Boom Boom Boom by the Vengaboys starts with a rhythm that is identical in sound to the Rock-1 rhythm
  • The progressive electronica band Yip-Yip often uses the VL-1's distinctive beats.
  • Fergie's "Clumsy" also uses one of VL-1's beats.
  • On older Sakata (Australian rice cracker company) advertisements, the Rock-1 rhythm is used as a backing beat.
  • In one Homestar Runner cartoon, Strong Bad creates a "crazy cartoon" called "Sweet Cuppin' Cakes", in which he appears as a character, but with a VL-1 as a head.
  • The Rock-2 rhythm is used in the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}} ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough ate=August 2009}}.
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References

  1. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
  2. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
  3. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218
  4. ^ Holmes, Thom. Electronic and Experimental Music (Routledge 2002, ISBN 0-415-93644-6), p.218

rade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References


[[fr:C [[id

References


the track "Who was That" by Deee-Lite.
  • Calvin Harris used a VL-1 strapped to a double bass while performing 'Ready For The Weekend' on Alan Carr: Chatty Man. It went off[citation needed].
  • In the official video for Rough Trade's 1980 hit "All Touch", Kevan Staples appears to be using a VL-1 during the song's synth section.

See also

References


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Casio_VL-1&oldid=320728502"