CZ V

Here’s a bit of synth history. In the mid-1980s, electronic instruments were becoming affordable due to the development of new methods of digital synthesis. When Yamaha’s DX7 quickly became the bestselling synth of its time, Casio wanted to capitalize on its success. The company patented and developed a technology called phase distortion, and would later implement it in a family of low-cost synths known as the CZ series.

Two of the most well-known models, the Casio CZ-101 and the CZ-1000 served as models for Arturia’s CZ V, the virtual instrument that I’m reviewing now.

Synths from the CZ series were employed by artists such as Erasure, Eurythmics, Salt-N-Pepa, and Jane Child, so that should give you a good idea of what to expect from the soft synth. But like most of Arturia’s virtual instruments, the CZ V is much more than an emulation.

The synth comes both as a plugin for your DAW, and a standalone program. When you first open it, you’ll be greeted by a tutorial that will take you through some of the basic processes. This is a most welcome feature, and I was very happy to find out that there are three more tutorials which you can easily access from the drop-down menu. The gorgeous interface is created to resemble a classic Casio synth, but more often than not you’ll wish to expand it to access the full power of the virtual instrument.

While you don’t need to understand phase distortion to make music using the CZ V, it’s important to mention that one of its main features is customizing your own waveform, which represents a phase distortion function. Sounds can be easily manipulated through envelopes, effects, a modulation matrix, a vibrato section, an arpeggiator, and – most easily – through the macros controls right above the keyboard.

With many presets to choose from, it’s easy to recommend CZ V to anyone looking for a synth that can sound like the 80s, but can also be integrated seamlessly into any modern composition.