Instrument Review - Casio DH-100

Casio will always have a special place in my heart. Their synthesizers always seemed to straddle the categorization between toy and professional instrument. The Casio DH-100 is no exception. Casio's wind synthesizer looks like a toy, sounds like a toy, and sometimes feels like a toy... But it is elevated by some really basic features and is surprisingly a very capable device.

Build 

What can I say? The plastic looks like the typical cheap plastic used on the Casio synths of that era Soni wouldn't want to drop this device but apart from that the thing feels well built. 

First, the keys are metal and playing it feels natural to a wind musician, with all plugs and buttons feel secure and functional. My only complaint would be that the keys can be very sensitive and if operating without the breath control you can have some moments where you accidentally sound a different note as you change fingering.

The battery compartment door doubles as a thumb rest and neck strap holder and there is no reason for concern that either would snap off like a cheap knife from its handle - both are part of a solid piece of metal providing stability and giving the instrument some added weight. 

There are some electronic issues that arise with these synthesizers that I will address later but I wouldn't fault the device for that and it is really an easy fix for anyone with even a basic knowledge of electronics and soldering.

Cosmetics

This device looks like a toy. While synthesizers like the Lyricon, which came out a decade earlier, closely emulated the appearance of a flute, and other Japanese wind synthesizers had more angular and futuristic appearances, the DH-100 looks like a toy. The device is simple looking (especially the key layout) and while it features its own sound output unlike it's competition, it accomplishes this by giving this a saxophone-like shape and placing a speaker in the bell.

Sound

The sound of the DH-100 is very simple. With only a few tones, they are of the generic 80s variety, like what you would find on some of their cheaper square wave synthesizer offerings. The portamento is a nice touch and easy to implement, with pressing the narrow key with your knuckle as you play and feels completely natural. 

The breath control uses a rudimentary method of providing some dynamic playing by first sensing the tone-on velocity and then if the note is sustained, the aftertouch value is changed. It gets the job done.

What makes this device interesting is the MIDI out so that you can use this to control whatever you want. I have heard this play with some synthesizers that have some excellent wind sounds and with various effects this seemingly simple device can be a pretty expressive controller that givers non-keyboard players accessibility to the sounds of a synthesizer at a value price.

Features

This synth doesn't have much features. It has 6 tones that sound very close, portamento, volume, transpose, breath control, MIDI out, and audio out (as well as a speaker). Casio also provides for a couple different fingering methods - one a simple recorder style of playing and another that uses various fingerings that help provide for a greater octave range, but with added playing complexity.

Overall

I think that taking into consideration everything about this synthesizer, from its lack of advanced features and simplistic appearance to it's surprising functionality and ease of use, this can be a beast in the right hands. Considering wind controllers are still rather expensive, this 30+-year old synth and controller gives you some bang for your buck.

Issues

If you Google the Casio DH-100 you may see websites and forums detailing a "squeal" due to the result of a dried or leaky capacitor. My DH-100 had this issue. The "squeal" sounded like a sustained digital hiss and squeak, with the faint sound of the note as each key is depressed. 

After a quick search online, I had ordered a replacement capacitor - 33 uf 6.3v (I believe you can go higher on some of the values but the closest value I had found was a 16v capacitor). 

I removed all the screws carefully, as with old plastic sometimes the housing for each screw can break. As others noted, there is also a screw in the battery compartment. 

Once open the synth separates with a ribbon cable attaching the PCB for the keys to the main PCB. There in a spot labeled C39 was the offending capacitor. I had pulled the capacitor gently from the board using tweezers and then unsoldered the legs.

Located just off to the side of the capacitor are two holes. You can see the traces lead to the capacitor. Making sure the polarity is the same (there is a plus sign in a circle on the positive end).

Place the new capacitor in the holes, solder it into place, and then clip the legs. 

You should be done with the repair and after assembly the synth should be good to go sans squeal.

Hear are some pictures of the process:

Now after I had fixed this the squeal was gone and the synth played... But very softly and the breath control did not seem operational. This may be a result of low batteries, as I had later discovered from the manual that low batteries can result in a dim power light, low volume, and "malfunctions."

Instrument Review - Fisher SC-310 (with SCK-30) a.k.a. Sanyo KBX-7

As a child who grew up in the eighties there were two main electronics that I had in my bedroom - a keyboard and a stereo cassette deck a.k.a. a "boom box."  The keyboard I had in question was a Casio PT-87.  As for the boom box, I couldn't tell you what I had.  It most likely was a hand me down from my brothers as they upgraded their equipment but there is one thing I can tell you - I used those two things almost daily, sometimes in conjunction so it is only logical for electronics companies of that era to combine the two and make the ultimate device in home recording and playing - a stereo deck with a built in musical keyboard.

I have found three different examples online of this amazing yet forgotten piece of synthesizer (and stereo) history - the Casio KX-101, Casio CK-200 & CK-500, Sharp MR-990, and the Fisher SC-310 (with SCK-30 stereo music composer).

Casio KX-101

Casio CK-200

Casio CK-500

Sharp MR-990

Fisher SC-310

All of these keyboards each have some distinctions in sound (although not much being that they are early-to-mid eighties square wave synths) and they have some varying features, although very little information can be found about these suckers.  The Casio KX-101 comes with a keyboard attached to the bottom and provides for 4-note polyphony, some rhythms, arpeggios, and chords.  From my understanding, the Casio keyboards also allow for the playing to be recorded onto the internal cassette deck (although I have read on some websites that this is not true).  I am uncertain about the Sharp mode but will be reviewing the Fisher SCK-30 because that is the only keyboard currently in my possession, however I will not be able to review the cassette deck features because I have only acquired the keyboard.  

Build

Unlike the Casios, the Fisher keyboard is detachable, which is nice.  For a small generic keyboard it feels relatively solid and possesses a decent weight (especially with the 5 AA batteries added).  The mini-keys sit close but feel responsive to the touch, the sliders feel firm, and the buttons on par with any other kind of toy keyboard of that time.

Cosmetics

This thing definitely has the aesthetics from a nineteen eighties stereo company.  The glossy black plastic that covers the top is definitely a change from the drab gray boxes Casio was dropping on the market (whatever happened to those cream-colored or wood-grain Casiotones?)  The features are clearly labeled and the LCD display is nice enough to even display a staff so that you know what note you are playing and where it is located.  My only complaint is that on the far left of the keyboard are nine bullet points describing the features of the keyboard.  I could understand if Fisher decided to eternally emblazon onto the face of their keyboard directions, being that they were not known for making keyboards and the memory play features of these early keyboards can be somewhat confusing, being that they require a sequence of buttons pressed, but bullet points that could be best left for the back of a box or a magazine advertisement?

Sound 

The sounds of the voices are that of an inexpensive analog toy keyboard but are slightly different than some of the other keyboards like this out there and considering some of the features, these sounds can be welcomed into one's synthesizer orchestra.  I wouldn't be surprised if under the hood this thing had some early Casio or Yamaha circuitry.  While they may not be the first chair, they definitely can provide some dynamics or accents to a song.  The rhythms are especially nice - particularly the several rhythms with added arpeggios.  As a fan of vintage rhythm machines, I find these numerous rhythms to be fun and enjoyable and after several minutes of playing around with the features I came up with several ideas for some songs (I had to stop myself being that I have countless unfinished projects already).

Features

This is where this keyboard shines.  While this instrument is monophonic with sounds that sometimes make a Casio VL-1 sound warm, it comes with 8 preset voices, 18 different rhythms, chord function (in a typical organ set up and not integrated into the keyboard like later home keyboards), and when the chord buttons are played along with a rhythm you get kind of a walking bass.  Personally I like the chord section resembling that of an organ versus occupying an octave on the lower end of the keyboard.  For an individual like myself who is not a trained pianist, having these non-conventional setups helps facilitate the creation of music in an easy and recognizable way.  While there is no fill option for the rhythms, it is easy to change rhythms mid-song to provide for some variation.  I also thought it interesting that one of the rhythm options is "enka," which presumably references the Japanese musical style, although I am not sure.  I was just surprised to see this option as I have never seen it appear on any other keyboard in my possession.

There are sliders for master volume, rhythm, and chord, transpose and tempo buttons, and perhaps the most interesting aspect of this keyboard - memory recording which allows for the playing of up to 508 notes into 8 different sections that can be stored on a cassette loaded into the accompanying stereo.  It is also believed that you can record your playing directly onto the cassette.

While not a part of the stereo, the keyboard only has a left and right RCA jack and no plug for external power.  While there is a battery compartment for 5 AA batteries, it appears this is because the keyboard is intended to be used in conjunction with the stereo.  From researching, it appears that when docked into the stereo the keyboard consumes less of the batteries and has a longer life but it I am uncertain if the batteries are required while docked.  While this is unfortunate, having the keyboard detachable is a positive, being that should the stereo component die you do not also lose an instrument and modifying the keyboard for external power or expanded audio out features would not be terribly difficult to perform and would be possible by a novice technician.

Overall

Overall I think this keyboard is a must have for any collector.  Personally I would choose this one over the Casios (although the KX-101 would make an excellent shelf piece since the keyboard is forward facing).  The sounds may not make this as desirable to some but the features packed into this small keyboard are a plus.  It may not be a centerpiece of a band but it can definitely provide for some interesting music or some level of variation should one choose to utilize the rhythms and while the audio output options are limited, having RCA outs does provide for a nice clean sound.  The portability is a positive for this keyboard.  While the battery life could pose a nuisance, as mentioned above it could be easy to modify, and even not, I do not see this keyboard being used to draft a symphonic masterpiece.  Intermittent use may prove the battery issue a non-issue.

Looking at just the SCK-30, I would recommend if you can find this at a low price (somewhere under the $30 range), or with the SC-310, possibly somewhere under $100.  Since this is not a Casio, you may be able to find this relatively cheap (I got my keyboard $20).  Personally, I love the forward facing KX-101 with all of its buttons, dials, and sliders.  A close second in aesthetics would be the Sharp with the retractable keyboard (those buttons and sliders again do it for me).  The problem is that those keyboards, while similar, tend to go for much more.  The Fisher can get you into the ballpark for a fraction of the price.

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