What's this chap in Clor playing?

John writes: "So, I was just watching Clor's video for Outlines, and was wondering just what the keyboard player is playing. Some kind of electric piano perhaps, but what about the white synth on top? I thought at first it was a Casio VL-Tone, but it doesn't look right. And then there's the thing that looks like an ancient desk calculator." Anyone?

Posted by Tom Whitwell.

Comments:

Looks to me like a Casio PT-30! It's a neat little machine, with chord keys and a transposer. I actually put a photoshopped version of it on the cover of my last album, PIECES FOR THE LEFT HAND: 100 SONGS.

# posted by

Anonymous : 12:11 am

It's definitely one of the Casio PT series. I've got a PT-100, and it has the samne chord keys. The PT's have some of the best analog drum sounds I've heard (yes analog), much nicer than a 606 IMO.

# posted by

Anonymous : 12:46 am

The lower keyboard is an Italian reed organ.
I have the same one right here.

# posted by

Anonymous : 2:22 am

The device on the left end of the lid IS a calculator (with printout)... largely used by session musicians to calculate their weekly income, based on the 3-hourly rate (not including jingles)

# posted by

Anonymous : 10:09 am

the use of the calculator is obviously a 'calculatated' move (groan) to sucker synth geeks.
I used to strap bits of random tech to my synths for just that purpose - confusalisation.

# posted by

Anonymous : 1:18 pm

Yes, definitely a Casio PT30.

# posted by

Gavin Lloyd Wilson : 2:05 pm

This makes me want to hack an old calculator into some kind of noise machine, however...

# posted by

Anonymous : 3:33 pm

For the record, the PT series was not the only set of Casios that used that type of chord keys. The Casiotone MT-40 (my first "synth") also used them, and looks very similar the one in the picture except that it doesn't have an LCD.

# posted by

Anonymous : 4:05 pm

This is one of those cases where it looks cooler than it probably was. Like it really isn't that WILD to play a PT-100/calc/chorgan, but it sure looks fab. The noises he made surely are not that exciting.

Ok, but i love old Casios, they just ain't as wild as they look. Plink Plonk.

# posted by

Anonymous : 5:28 pm

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

# posted by

cillic : 8:20 pm

I second the Casiotone MT series... that was my first 'synth' as well. After which I 'graduated' to the Casio CZ-1000. I'll dig around my mom's attic and see if I can find the old Casiotone. If it's there, I'll post a photo for comparison purposes.

# posted by

cillic : 8:22 pm

Sure looks just like my Casio PT-30.
http://www.chench.com/thelittlethings/casio_pt-30.jpg

# posted by

Anonymous : 3:41 pm

I have one of those keyboards on the bottom. All I can tell you is it has an air compressor in it - when played it sounds somewhat like an accordian. The compressor is quite loud and makes utilising the organ a bit impractical.

# posted by

Jase : 3:42 am

oook... my CD2 synth has this "reed organ" voice that i always use, but i kept wondering, what the hell is a reed organ? well, now i know :D it sounds a bit like a bagpipe on my synth, dont know IRL.

# posted by

Anonymous : 12:47 pm

That's right. It's a small organ, make sound by air through reed, just like harmonica, accordian, melodica sort of instrument. I have one similar, in 70s a lot Italian maker made a lot of them. You can call it harmonium also. It's not electronics device at all, just a electric drive air pump push air into chamber.
All those stuff are quite interesting.

# posted by

Grind Sight Open Eye : 2:48 am