Background and Related Models
CTK-1000
The Year 1993
Conflict with FM
CASIO had already developed complex nonlinear synthesis in late 1980s.
Their CZ and VZ series used PD (Phase Distortion).
It generates sounds by modulating the phase while reading out a single cycle waveforms like Cosine.
They have even more nonlinear functions.
CZ can use Ring Modulation, Noise Modulation, Sync and Window Function.
VZ can use Ring Modulation and interactive Phase Distortion between the Oscillators (See CZ page and VZ page).
Unfortunately YAMAHA sued CASIO, stating that PD violated their patent of FM synthesis.
YAMAHA won at last.
CASIO retreated from the synthesizer market.
CTK-1000 was released soon after that.
In contrast to CZ and VZ, this time CASIO carefully avoided to disclose what IXA's Nonlinear means.
Romplers ruled
Before romplers ruled the world, it was difficult to implement big sample ROM and a resonant digital filter.
Memory chips were expensive, and the processing power was not enough.
Synth manufacturers tried to create unique synthesis engines to overcome this difficulties.
As the memory price got down, most manufacturers turned to romplers with more polyphony,
leaving behind the unique synthesis engines.
Even YAMAHA dropped FM synthesis in releasing SY85 in 1993.
How CTK-1000 came out - a speculation
This is my complete speculation.
CASIO as a synth manufacturer may have been planning a new step after they released VZ-1.
The new synthesizer was to be an integration of FZ-1 sampler,
CZ-1 nearly-analog synthesizer, and VZ-1 strange nonlinear synthesizer.
FZ-1 still used the analog filter, and the digital filter still cost high.
So they decided to drop any filters, and thought that Nonlinear is expressive enough.
While the tech crews were developing a new exciting synth - IXA,
CASIO had to drop the whole synthesizer department because of the lawsuit.
And at that time, romplers, polyphony and GM almost ruled the world.
CASIO decided to release IXA as a Casiotone to memorize the fact that once they were an innovative synth manufacturer.
And they themselves hurried to make romplers.
CTK-750 was released only two months after CTK-1000.
It uses A2 (A-Square) Synthesis, which is just a PCM playback, but with the polyphony doubled to 32.
CASIO CTK-750 (1993)
Related Models
Hybrid without a filter
The first PCM/digital hybrid synth is Roland D-50.
It uses LA Synthesis - PCM and analog emulation combined with Ring Modulator
(see D-110 / MT-32 Page).
Kawai K1 followed by combining PCM and additive synth with Ring Modulator.
D-50 and K1 used single-point samples.
YAMAHA released SY22 / TG33 / SY35, combining PCM and FM.
They had several multi-samples.
SY22/TG33/SY35 are most related to CTK-1000, as they use multi-samples and inherently nonlinear (non-analog-emulation) synthesis.
CTK-1000 has better sound quality,
as SY22 has too many kinds of samples in its just 1MB ROM, and has no chorus effects.
YAMAHA SY22 (1990)
High-end Hybrids
YAMAHA SY77 / SY99 combines PCM and FM with interactive frequency modulation.
Since SY99 reaced the peak, hybrid synths have been fading.
KAWAI released K5000 in 1996, which combines PCM and deep additive synthesis with Ring Modulation.
Kurzweil K2000 series may be added to this high-end hybrid list.
YAMAHA SY77 (1989)
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CTK-1000
Deep Synthesis: Home
10. 27. 2003
Modified 4. 18. 2004