Vintage Synth Explorer Forums

Hey guys I'm new here and I need some help, I just bought a Casio CZ-3000 today and I can't seem to get the right tones I'm looking for.
Now I am a complete noob when it comes to synths, heck I'm a guitar player so I have no knowledge at all when it comes to technical stuff and all that good stuff. And i have never owned or even played on a synth before. But what I'm looking to get out of this synth that I bought is the VAN HALEN jump tone.
I know, I know, very cliche, but I'm a huge VH nut and I just want to start learning how to play the keyboard.
So I tried messing around with some of the settings but I have no idea what I'm doing, for all I know Im probably screwing the thing up.

So could someone please help me out here, I just want to have that classic synth tone that eddie van halen achieves.
Thanks!

No, but seriously. The CZ 3000 makes fm type sounds. The brass presents on it are probably the best you're going to get.

Aren't microkorgs the go to for guitarists these days? That would have better brass presents.

Not overly familiar with the CZ 3000 but my understanding is it has saw waves and envelopes and a filter type effect, but to actually make a brass patch on it you would have to understand how analogue subtractive synthesis works and how to make a brass patch on an analogue subtractive synth and then read the CZ manual and then try and translate you're knowledge of an analogue subtractive brass patch to the CZ-3000.

If you really, really want to learn synthesis on the CZ -3000 then we can point you in the right direction but we can't explain everything here.

Honestly you would be better off buying something that's analogue and subtractive and knobby, if you really want to learn to program.

madmarkmagee wrote:Aren't microkorgs the go to for guitarists these days?

Sorry to drift OT, but that's just frikkin funny! The guitarist in my last band had a microkorg and couldn't understand why I didn't want one.

[/OT]

carry on...

Would have thought you'd be far better served with an Alesis Ion, or at least a Micron for this type of thing.

Though I read the CZ 1000 was more "analogue" sounding ...

Actually has quite decent Brass capability...

The first preset "Brass Ens. 1" is as close as a CZ can get to the OB.

Probs a bit hard on it's brass, but a Micro/ R3 korg or a Alesis micron would have a closer to OB- Xa brass. Though for the OP something knobby would be better if they want to learn synthesis.

Thanks for they replies guys, I actually read the manual and figured out how to sort of change the wave form to simulate a saw like brass. And I also set up my amp to have a lot more bass and a low end sound. It doesn't match the OB-Xa's brass but it close enough for me.
Thanks guys!