Casio Ct-370: This 35 year-old home keyboard is actually not bad

[@BlueUniverseChannel]

My dad gave me one of these when I was a kid in the early 90s. God this makes me want to cry

[@gearfacts]

Good old Dad! :) GF

[@bensistManors19]

Ordered one online a couple weeks ago and it came a few days ago, there's nostalgia all over my house now

[@shambien]

I got a ct380 (very very similar) from the thrift store just before Christmas. It's lovely. 370 is from 1988, mine is from 1989, if you open it you can find markings with the production date inside. I had to open mine to clean the bottom that was corroded by a battery leakage but everything works 😉

[@gearfacts]

Very nice!

[@qwertiee]

Sweet, I got the CT-390 sitting right next to me. My grandma gave it to me about 20 years ago, looking back, it must have been really expensive...

[@troycharbonneau8643]

I have a CT-615 and the mini version MT-140. Both use the identical sound engine with a different panel layout. I absolutely love the raw, lo-fi piano sound of these.

[@gearfacts]

Yep that piano sound has a certain something…can’t put my finger on it :D

[@aaronaquino9048]

ct-370 is my first keyboard, picked up from 2nd shop with $15 few yrs ago

[@angelaweisbecker]

I received this exact keyboard in 1991 for my 17th birthday, and it was still a model on the shelf in the stores. I still have it and it is still fully functional. So mine is almost 28 years old.

[@gearfacts]

Yep they built them tough. I guess a home keyboard back then was a considerably more serious investment.

[@WillsJazzLoft]

Indeed it was. The Casiotone line was targeted at families and wage earners of modest means who still needed something that could impart some recreational value. Still there were some small indie rock and garage band outfits that achieved modest success using it.

[@dariusbic]

In most keyboards, Auto Harmonize usually works only in fingered mode. Great videos!

[@gearfacts]

Thanks Darius!

[@ryanmartin8557]

I have one from 1991....it was $199.99 bought in Florida at Montgomery Ward

[@Am71919]

Just did a couple videos on these

[@WillsJazzLoft]

Vintage Casiotones can still be found at yard sales, Goodwill and the Salvation Army. And they're still affordable

[@jasch5847]

Grew up with one of these

[@travisguide4516]

classic sounds I’m into it

[@gearfacts]

Yeah it's so nostalgic!

[@robertgapatas]

2:07 Synth-ensemble is identical to Metallic Sound Both sound like Synth-Guitar from Casio CA-100 Timbre like Burn It Down intro

[@gearfacts]

True

[@bestrickie2]

When you put these old vintage keyboards through an EFX unit they HONESTLY transform to real AMAZING results.

[@gearfacts]

Yeah I've made a few videos about that - so much fun and it really brings out the unique capabilities of each effects processor.

[@WillsJazzLoft]

In fact, a fun and interesting project would be to run a vintage Casiotone into an audio interface. With the powerful virtual synth and DAW options available the results might very well be spectacular

[@JeffyG]

@@WillsJazzLoft I’m doing exactly THAT! I got the crazy idea to sample most (if not all) those lo-fi Casio tones in Logic via my UA Apollo audio interface and create custom instruments. My goal is to capture that 8-bit cheese. Once sampled, you can use any plugin to add FX, modulation and midi - since ,any of the earliest Casiotones had no midi.

[@rebeccabledsoe4550]

Found one yesterday at goodwill for 4.99

[@4598juan]

I have this keyboard and I'm learning how to play on here and I had no clue it was this old

[@gearfacts]

Oldie but a goodie :) #gearfacts

[@ahmedelkhdadi]

Is output a port for headphones if I dont want to make noise

[@gearfacts]

Yes :) Gearfacts

[@t55a2]

I have a little MIDI module called a Hohner MSE-1 that has the same sounds on it, nice wee thing to have.

[@gearfacts]

Oh ok that sounds useful ...I really like that smooth piano tone. Gearacts

[@timothyarthur7336]

How can I hook it up to a fx unti? Great video BTW

[@gearfacts]

The best way is to get a cable that is stereo at one end and mono at the other end. The you can connect the headphone socket to the MultiFX/s input.

[@Coconutlovergirl]

I just bought one of these off Facebook marketplace. When I plug it in, it started making a buzzing noise and none of the keys will make sound. I have no idea how to get it to work, can you offer any advice?

[@miguelrejas5034]

Usually the buzz noise is because the volumen internal piece must be replaced.. I'm telling you coz I have just got my Yamaha SY22 and had this CHANGED cost me about 23 bucks. Besides, had three keys without sound.. this happens becsuse conduction material is wasted need to repair with silver solder.. in each key.. could be the same case. ALSO a general clean.. must say "maintance service". So, depending of the diagnostic and the cash you're gonna invest.. you may decide if keep it done.. or buying another in better condition. Good luck!

[@mitchelladams1]

Mine was buzzing because it had the wrong power adapter. Should be 9V DC and the connector should fit well.

[@kimthompson5871]

That’s cool vintage . I have the model 360 which is almost identical . The record feature is cool .

[@luisneitzke106]

They look similar, but in terms of sounds they're very different. The 360 features an older sound generator and PCM rhythms, same as MT-110, MT-520, MT-205 and others (also their CT equivalents). SK's 100, 200 and 2100, HT's 700, 3000 and 6000 and the RZ-1 drum machine also have the same PCM rhythms/percussion sounds. By the way, the CT-360 was the keyboard used by Nick Cave in The Boatman's Call's "Brompton Oratory". CT-370 is of the MT-240 family, which was the very first Casio keyboard to feature a sampled piano. While I personally enjoy the older Casiotone sounds more, I think it's not wrong to say that that line of instruments featured better quality than the previous ones. It was probably the first time many had access to a decent piano sound in amateur keyboards.

[@kimthompson5871]

MitsuharuSan thanks for the info ! It’s funny you mention those other keyboards as many of those I have or had .i found a number of them in thrift stores in various stages of working lol . I’m not much of a keyboard player .mostly a guitar player for 40 + years but these keyboards are fun for sure !

[@luisneitzke106]

The old Casiotone keyboards are definitely fun because of their unique character! I have a big place for FM sounds in my heart, but there's something about these 80's Casio instruments that is special for sure. The pre-1989 MT and CT models are beautiful, they have a very distinctive analogue sound which really sounds bigger when you use pedals/effects processors, and you can easily shape them to your tastes for use in recordings. And I'm not sure about you, but I have that "itchy" feeling every single time I see one of those cute small MT keyboards, haha! I try not to buy some of the very similar models (for example, MT-55, MT-88, MT-820, MT-28 and MT-105: they're all very, very similar, with only smaller differences in terms of rhythms, options like ROM pack and the 820 has stereo chorus), but sometimes it's difficult, hah. Also, they're usually cheap, so it's hard not to feel tempted.

[@kimthompson5871]

MitsuharuSan agree 100% . I also have the Yamaha pss 460 , 470 and 480 models that sound pretty good through effects

[@georgeudonte7810]

Can you transpose with this keyboard?

[@gearfacts]

No.

[@oscarmendez1063]

Suena igual al Mt 240. Las teclas de mi teclado estas destruidas pero aun funciona la targeta de sonidos.

[@gearfacts]

Tengo un par de teclados en la misma situación :)

[@jackcimino8822]

I dig its bell sound!

[@nixcanpor810]

harmonize works by pressing chord on the left, and melody on the right

[@gearfacts]

Yep

[@kxngrxse1562]

Can u power it with batteriea

[@gearfacts]

Yes

[@kyanperreira]

Would I be able to record on this? And how would I?

[@gearfacts]

I'm not sure, but here's the manual: www.manualslib.com/manual/993054/Casio-Casiotone-Ct-360.html

[@erincramer4382]

Are the keys weighted? I can't find that anywhere.

[@gearfacts]

No, sadly they aren't.

[@erincramer4382]

Thanks!

[@rogercleaves1327]

Very nice vid, but i don’t think this keyboard is 45 years old. I don’t think pcm based sounds were even invented back in 1973. I think this was released in 1986 or 1987.

[@gearfacts]

Yes that'd be true. Thanks for watching my videos :)

[@JustinLodes]

It was released in 87. I still have mine

[@ahmadsadi1]

Roger Cleaves Yes that’s right mine is 1987 and still in original box

[@BedrockEnderman]

I actually have a CT-370, and the condition it is in is HORRIBLE, but it still works. Unfortunately I don't know how to play it.

[@gearfacts]

haha yes that's my problem too, and I demonstrate them for a living! I really need to fix that... :/

[@MarcusTDM]

It’s about 30 years old not 45, but still a great keyboard.

[@gearfacts]

yep :) Gearfacts

[@bliss3174]

Are the keys velocity sensitive ? What are it’s Outputs?

[@gearfacts]

I think they were vel-sensitive but you might want to google that just to be sure. The outputs were absolutely minimal, I think I show them towards the end of the video :) #Gearfacts

[@robertgapatas]

Looks like the Roland keyboard.

[@slobodanpraljak4570]

Does it have headphone jack?

[@gearfacts]

Yep

[@iso-po]

Hi.

[@joeblow593]

Your right...the piano is very good. 45 years? I just read produced in the late 80s...synthmania. Oh yes..almost forgot..would sound better thru a pignose..haha!

[@gearfacts]

haha ohhh man believe it or not I've got a pignose on my ebay watchlist right now ...the time may yet come!

[@JustinLodes]

It was made in 87 so it’s 31 years old

[@gearfacts]

Jeez Rambo, i didn't know you had such sensibilties!

[@JustinLodes]

Gearfacts lol you said it was 35. Close but yeah it was made in 87. I still have mine. Almost got rid of it

[@m00nface34]

Actually it’s 33 years old

[@JustinLodes]

Pasqually are you sure? Because I got mine in 89. But I think unread somewhere it was made in 87

[@JustinLodes]

Pasqually oh wait lol didn’t know I made this post 2 years ago

[@johnathantyrer6077]

2nd keyboard I owned in 1987...let’s face it it’s sounds shit

[@gearfacts]

haha true but how can one not love it? Thanks for watching Gearfacts :)

[@brickcitybikeman3108]

No, that piano sound is mesmerizing

[@iso-po]

Im 9

[@gearfacts]

Hi there :) Do you have a question about keyboards?

[@_jackoneill_]

A Toy!

[@gearfacts]

Indeed! It's all about the fun :)