Behringer CZ-1 Mini

CASIO's cult sounds of the 80s in a compact mini format

With the CZ-1 Mini, Behringer brings back the 1986 synthesizer classic Casio CZ-1 into the modern age and at the same time reduces it to a handy format. The special feature of the CZ-1 - as well as the CZ-1 Mini - is the digital phase Distortion synthesis.

Phase Distortion (PD) changes the Phase of an oscillator signal (e.g. a sine wave) to create more complex waveforms. The trick is not to modulate the amplitude or frequency directly, but to change the phase of the waveform. The result is waveforms rich in overtones such as sawtooth, square or even complex spectral structures - starting from a simple sine wave. The CZ-1 Mini uses two DCOs (Digital Controlled Oscillators) with eight waveforms, six eight-stage envelopes and two LFOs to make the most of the possible sound spectrum. Most of the sounds sound unmistakably digital, but at the same time warmer and less metallic than the FM-Synthese from the same era.

The digital part with oscillators and modulators is followed by an analog 24dB Lowpass filter, with the VCA and chorus effect completing the signal path. There is a separate ADSR envelope for modulating the filter and VCA. The Chorus is a guarantee for even livelier sounds, especially for pads and pads. The CZ-1 Mini impresses with authentic synthesizer sounds from the 80s, which are based on the digital Phase Distortion synthesis that is still rather rare today. The three-voice polyphony is sufficient for monophonic playing and simple chords. There are 16 memory locations for your own sounds.

The integrated step sequencer offers access to 16 patterns that can be programmed with different scales. The CZ-1 Mini also offers an arpeggiator with three playback patterns. Notes can be entered quickly using the capacitive 27-key mini-keyboard or via MIDI. Power is supplied exclusively via the USB-C port, MIDI is also fed into the synthesizer via USB and the DIN socket. Thanks to extensive MIDI implementation, the CZ-1 Mini can be conveniently automated with the DAW or a master sequencer.