All user reviews for the Casio RZ-1 Sampling Drum Machine

This drum machine has a separate output for each group of instruments and a stereo master output, while the Jack 6. A stereo input, footswitch input, and an I / O Midi.
It has 12 factory pre-recorded sounds (PCM samples), and can record up to four relatively short samples:

3 toms
1 kick
A snare
A rim
An open / closed HH
1 ride
1 crash
A cowbell
1 clap.

No effects, against an editable quantize, accents, etc..

The sound quality sounds very lo-fi, but that's exactly what I wanted.
For a box of this age (1986), suggest features (admittedly simple, and 20kHz) of sampling is quite impressive.

UTILIZATION

The first use of the machine is in a relatively intuitive, simply choose your pattern and press play.
As against no change in pattern on the fly! (Or not find, I have not read the manual

Record mode, the sequencing is done simply by pressing the button corresponding to the instrument at the desired time (and according to quantize settings of course). No way as in the TR BAR Roland, it works more like a Drumtracks a little annoying to promptly correct an error in live, but we made do. The volume faders for each instrument, like the TR707, hyper practices.

All settings are easily accessible (one button per function) either in play or record mode.

Regarding the manual, I admit that I have not yet plunged nose in it ... it should certainly be very handy.

SOUNDS

Sounds totally agree with what I do, not an ounce of realism!
I confess I'm looking for the BAR since I heard the legendary Steve Poindexter - Work That Mutha Fucker ( https://www.discogs.com/release/2031 ) 89, with the sound of that huge cymbal me completely overturned.
It has also been heard in a lot of electro productions start / mid 90 (Dave Clarke, Christian Vogel, prods some of Daft Punk / Wrap it seems to me etc..), The famous cymbal clap open and were pretty hyper sec sought.

No effects, but can treat each instrument thanks to the separate outputs.

With age, the plastic pads tend to be less reactive, such as I had mine completely apart (it's a little gas plant in there) to clean the dust that s' was infiltrated between the contacts and the rubber pads + faders. No velocity or aftertouch on the pads, it sounds simply.

OVERALL OPINION

I use the RZ-1 for over a month or so.
I knew his tone, but not its operation, which seemed secondary.

And actually use it is a little hassle, it's not as simple as a Roland TR. The sounds seem to First Prev first rather bland, fairly cheap, not very basseux.
But with a good EQ and a small compression behind, we discover a real monster! Precision, ultra sounds dry, almost chopped rather aggressive that pierce the ears! Coupled with a 808 or 909, it may return a dancefloor!

Its value for money is now far more than interesting! The BAR unknown deserves more consideration, in the middle notament electro / minimal techno.

A BAR whose sounds have nothing to envy to its competitors, and that works ideally as a couple like the TR707 (It is my opinion).

SP12 of the poor!
Lo-fi sampler for 4 Percussion.
intuitive sequence and groovy to death!
Some sound board, but old-fashioned sound good when trimmed and sequenced.
Separate outputs for each sound, or almost. paired certain sounds all the same.
Volume pulls for each trip and for the samples (2 to 4 samples pulls so it limits or should think before sampler on which pad is recorded regardless if its attention to the slurry)
Midi In / Out / Thru + 1 Din or something like that, footswitch (not tested), tone control (which some take to be happy bender).
10 because at that time was a machine packed with features.

UTILIZATION

It is super simple as a machine.
To sample it supports diverse sample on the pad and we are interested after adjusting the input volume.
To sequence: you press record and then start pattern. We tapped the pad and go. One can quantize before choosing Record quantize and add pleasing groove by sequencing the mute and accents in the same way that sounds.
Once the pattern adds just the combination to make a song.
Frankly there is no simpler and all is written on the machine. 10/10

SOUNDS

The blow-bottom samples. It is unfortunate but some sounds that do not interfere too much. This is the biggest flaw and it's very unfortunate to have so little time sampling.
Cons by slamming sounds sampled and take another dimension.
The sequencer groove. I understood what it meant, finally, a sequencer groove. It must be the compression of the machine that gives that impression but it's roughly right!
Sequences, even played on a regular basis, do not sound exactly as they were playing.
I believe this machine to buy a SP12.

OVERALL OPINION

2 or 3 years of use.
+ + +: The groove, sampling, noon, zippers volume, ease of composition, the separate outputs.
---: Breath sampling and limited to a trickle.
I will like to test the korg ddd1.
I like BAR: A DRM1 an airbase 99, and a Machinedrum and as a sampler mv8000. I had an ESX and DX200.
For a hundred dollars I will ever be the choice. It's a super machine, user friendly, but the sampling is ultra ultra limited. (To say we must do it several times to spend a little low round completely on a pad without the sampling time is exceeded). Then the volume of samples is assigned 2-2 and that's very unfortunate. So great machine but very limited. All cheap plastic. The buttons are cheap plastic but held, surprisingly, very well shot.