HT-6000[edit]
The HT-6000, released in late 1987 but not widely available until late 1988, was an entirely different SD synthesizer which greatly expanded SD the synthesis engine. While designed as a consumer model, it was far more powerful than the more professional-appearing HZ-600 whose synthesis engine the other HT's utilized. The HT-6000 introduced for the HT line some of the more high-end features previously only included by Casio in the CZ line, such as ring-modulation, detuning, key-follow, and initial-touch (which, among the CZ's, was only found on the most advanced model, the CZ-1). The HT-6000 used an impressive 4 DCO's per voice (vs. 1 on the other SD synths, and 2 on the CZ synths). It had 64 DCO wave forms to choose from (32 basic, 16 with noise [white or metallic], and 16 with ring modulation). It had 8 independent VCF filters (1 per voice, vs. 1 per channel), and added key-follow parameters for both the DCA and VCF. The DCA also added attack and decay curves (acute and obtuse). It also added an independent ADSR envelope for noise. The 4 DCO's each use the same waveform, VCF and DCA envelopes, but can have separate tunings, velocity response curves, and relative DCA envelope depths. Stacking the oscillators with detunes allowed the creation of flange and chorus effects, fat "super saws", and the creation of dual-note or even triad and 4-note leads. The filter cutoffs could be set to respond to velocity which added some expressiveness. Because each oscillator could have separate tuning and velocity response, it was also possible to have the pitch change according to pressure, if one of two differently tuned oscillators had an inverse velocity curve. Ring modulation used oscillator 4 to modulate oscillator 3, and allowed the creation of metallic and pulse sounds, lower bass harmonics and even distortion. Like the HZ-600 but unlike the others, the HT-6000 had a complete parameter list silkscreened on the outer panel, somewhat alleviating the need for a manual. In terms of "home keyboard" features the HT-6000 improved the auto-accompaniment versus the previous HT's by including some additional PCM drum sounds, an additional accompaniment part ("obbligato"), 4 bass patches (versus one), additional chord inversions (including more tonic, suspended and subdominant triads), and the addition of "Intro" and drum and chord "Variation" for auto-rhythms. The HT-6000 was also sold in Germany by Hohner as the KS-610/TR. The HT-6000 was reviewed in Keyboard Magazine, November 1988, p. 149. If the HT-6000, rather than the HZ-600, had been packaged as the "professional" model, it may have sold much better.
Feature Comparison Matrix[edit]
Casio SD Synth Features | HZ-600 | MT-600 | HT-700 | HT-3000 | HT-6000 |
Keys |
61 Full |
49 Mini |
49 Mini |
61 Full |
61 Full |
Built-in Speakers |
No |
Yes (1W+1W) |
Yes (1W+1W) |
Yes (2W+2W) |
Yes (2W+2W) |
Velocity (Initial Touch) Sensitive |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Polyphony |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
8 |
Multi-timbral MIDI Channels |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
Programmable SD Synthesis |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes, Expanded |
Headphones Jack |
Front, 1/4" |
Rear, 1/8" |
Rear, 1/8" |
Front, 1/4" |
Front, 1/4" |
Volume Pedal/Line-in Jack |
Yes, 1/4" Stereo |
No |
No |
Yes, 1/4" Stereo |
Yes, 1/4" Stereo |
Line-out Jacks |
L & R 1/4" |
None |
L & R RCA |
L & R 1/4" |
L & R 1/4" |
MIDI Jacks |
In, Out, Thru |
In, Out |
In, Out |
In, Out, Thru |
In, Out, Thru |
Transpose |
-5 to +6 |
No |
-5 to +6 |
-5 to +6 |
-5 to +6 |
Chorus |
Analog, 3 levels |
Analog, no levels |
Analog, 3 levels |
Analog, 3 levels |
Analog, 3 levels |
RAM Card Patch Capacity (Upper/Lower) |
120 / 60 |
None |
20 / 10 |
20 / 10 |
20 / 10 |
Accompaniment Sequencer Memory (Banks x Chords/Operations) |
None |
1x 1304/395 |
2x 640/198 |
2x 640/198 |
2x 427/198 |
Pitch Bender Range |
Selectable (Major 2nd, Minor 3rd, Perfect 5th) |
Fixed @ Major 2nd |
Fixed @ Major 2nd |
Fixed @ Major 2nd |
Fixed @ Major 2nd |
Modulation Wheel |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Programming Wheels |
1 |
None |
1 |
1 |
2 |
Auto-shutoff override |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Keyboard Split |
3 split points |
None |
2 (only for auto-accompaniment) |
3 split points |
3 split points |
Preset Patches |
Piano, Harpsichord, Jazz Organ, Brass Ens, Symph Ens, Synth Bells, Magical Wind, Blues Harmonica, Light Harp, Plunk Extend, Elec Piano, Vibraphone, Synth Clavi, Strings, Synth Bass, Synth Celesta, Pearl Drop, Synth Reed, Fantasy, Typhoon Sound. |
Same as HZ-600 |
Same as HZ-600 |
Same as HZ-600 |
Synth Ens 1, Cosmic Dance, String Ens, Brass Ens, Pipe Organ, Piano, Harpsichord, Guitar, Trumpet, Vibraphone, Synth Ens 2, Cathedral, Symphonic Ens, Synth Brass, Jazz Organ, Elec Piano, Harp, Funky Clavi, Flute, Synth Bells |
"Internal" Patch Defaults (Rewritable except on the MT-600) |
Piano 2, Marimba, Pipe Organ, Strings 2, Synth Ens 1, Synth Vib 1, Koto, Double Reed, Clarinet, Miracle, Elec Piano, Vibraphone 2, Violin, Synth Strings, Synth Ens 2, Synth Vib 2, Synth Harp, Slash Reed, Synth Guitar, Explosion |
Same as HZ-600 |
Same as HZ-600 |
Same as HZ-600 |
Synth Ens, Space Fantasy, Chorus, Synth Harp 1, Pipe Organ 2, Piano 2, Harpsichord 2, Harmonica, Synth Reed, Steel Drum, Brass Ens 2, Metallic Sound, Synth Sound, Fantasy, Jazz Organ 2, Synth Celesta, Synth Harp 2, Clarinet, Synth Guitar, Marimba |
Auto accompaniment patterns |
None |
20 presets, non-programmable |
20 presets, 10 internal, +10 card |
20 presets, 10 internal, +10 card |
20 presets, 10 internal, +10 card |
Volume Sliders |
Master, Lower Tone |
Master, Accompaniment |
Master, Accompaniment, Drums |
Master, Accompaniment/Lower Tone, Drums |
Master, Accompaniment/Lower Tone, Drums |
Accompaniment Parts |
0 (No accompaniment) |
2 (Chord, Bass) |
2 (Chord, Bass) |
2 (Chord, Bass) |
3 (Chord, Bass, Obligatto) |
Accompaniment Bass Patches |
0 (No accompaniment) |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 (Wood, Elec, Slap, Synth) |
Accompaniment Obligatto Patches |
0 (No accompaniment) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
Programmable PCM Percussion Sounds |
0 (No accompaniment) |
No programmable percussion. Preset rhythms use the 15 HT-700/3000 drums. |
15 (bass, snare, rim-shot, elec. toms (hi, low), ride, claps, hi-hat (open, closed), bongos (hi, low), timbales (hi, low), agogos (hi, low), claps) |
Same as HT-700 |
18 (same as HT-700/3000 but adds gated snare, timpani, orchestra hit, cowbell, and drops the claps.) |
Chord Inversions available for Custom Accompaniment |
0 (No accompaniment) |
0 (Not programmable) |
8 |
8 |
14 |
Rhythm Intro |
No (No accompaniment) |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Rhythm Ending |
No (No accompaniment) |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Rhythm Variation |
No (No accompaniment) |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Accompaniment Variation |
No (No accompaniment) |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Auto-Harmonize |
No (No accompaniment) |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
DCO Oscillators/Voice |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 for upper tones, 2 for lower tones |
Available DCO Waveforms |
32 (Some including noise oscillation) |
DCO-based presets uneditable. |
Same as HZ-600 |
Same as HZ-600 |
64 (32 basic, 16 including noise oscillation and 16 including ring modulation) |
Programmable LFO Settings |
Pitch only. Delay, speed, depth, wave (saw up/down, triangle, square, random) |
None |
Same as HZ-600 |
Same as HZ-600 |
Same as HZ-600 |
Programmable VCF Settings |
ADSR w/ cutoff frequency, resonance, depth |
None |
Same as HZ-600 |
Same as HZ-600 |
ADSR w/ cutoff frequency, resonance, depth, key-follow, velocity curve |
Number of VCF's |
1 shared/channel |
1 shared/channel |
1 shared/channel |
1 shared/channel |
8 independent (1/voice of polyphony) |
Programmable DCA Settings |
ADSR, depth |
None |
Same as HZ-600 |
Same as HZ-600 |
ADSR, attack and decay curves (acute or obtuse), key-follow, plus velocity curves and depths for each of 4 oscillators |
Independent DCA for Noise Oscillator |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes (ADSR) |
Detuning |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes, higher than fundamental, fine or coarse (but not both together for a given oscillator) |
Ring Modulation |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes, oscillator 4 can modulate oscillator 3. |
"Line Editor" Programming |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes: simultaneous side-by-side view of all 4 oscillators' velocity, amplitude or detune, with 4 pairs of increment/decrement buttons. |
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