Casio

Casio CZ synthesizers

The Casio CZ series is a line of low-cost, digitally implemented phase distortion synthesizers introduced by Casio in 1984. They simulate analog filter behaviour without physical filters, using digital phase distortion instead. Each oscillator plays waveforms in series—not parallel—enabling sub-harmonics but restricting waveform pairing. Polyphony drops from eight to four voices when using two oscillators per voice. They were built for amateur musicians, prioritising affordability and portability over expressive control or sonic flexibility.