Instrument Review - Bontempi AZ-9000

The Bontempi AZ-9000 is an electronic keyboard dating back to the mid-eighties from Italian organ manufacturer Bontempi.  I could find little information regarding this instrument except a couple circuit bending videos and images of other models in the AZ series, which much like the X series featured similar looking keyboards but with diminishing features the lower the number of the keyboard.  Much like the X-451, I couldn't find much about this keyboard but was drawn to it because it seemed to be the top-of-the-line of that particular series and because of a few intriguing features that I had not really seen or that appeared to be uncommon in a synthesizer from that era.

Because I am not a trained pianist, have limited technical skill regarding the electronics, and am not the greatest reviewer in the world, I will attempt to offer a simple review of this synthesizer and hope that it helps build a better resource for these musical gems from the early days of home keyboarding.

Build

The build of this synthesizer seems to be quiet good.  Considering Bontempis are known for their cheap sounds similar to that of a Casio, I was assuming the worst when I got this thing.  When I received the package I was surprised by the weight of the keyboard and would probably place it upwards of ten to fifteen pounds.  Even the key construction surprised me - it had spring mechanisms much like the fellow Italian synth maker Siel.

The speakers were of good quality and there was foam surrounding the speakers inside which was nice because the keyboard could achieve rather loud sounds clearly and without causing any unnecessary sounds, such as rattling from the plastic like that experienced with the Seiko DS-202.  Even the buttons and sliders seem pretty sturdy.  The various buttons don't wiggle or move except in the direction they were intended to go, which is down.

There were some issues but I would attribute them mostly due to age.  For instance, a couple of the housings for the screws would break off at the base when attempting to unscrew and open the keyboard.  This is an easy enough fix and would probably require a bit of caution proceeding in the future.

Also, not quite sure if this is the norm of synthesizer and home keyboard construction of the early and mid eighties (all keyboards I have taken apart point to "no"), but I had noticed that the various boards run underneath the keyboard so to see the fully requires removal of the keyboard.  All other keyboards I have seen typically had any circuitry above the keyboard.

Cosmetic

The appearance of this keyboard is nothing special.  The casing is a kind of dark gray color.  The color-coded buttons are nicely arranged and easy to identify purpose and use and provide a kind of uniformity but they are not that stylistic, like say a futuristic and sleek Bontempi Prof organ.  

I have also noticed that other versions of this keyboard feature a different font.  While this one has strange (and kind of cheap-looking) block lettering that was undoubtedly chosen to push the digital nature of this keyboard, other versions had equally cheap-looking italics.

Sound

What can I say about the sound?

This is a keyboard from the eighties that promotes its use of PCM sounds.  While this presented the user with more "realistic" sounds and was a departure from analog, to someone who is using the keyboard after thirty years the sounds appear to be dated and when compared with PCM Casios or Yamahas, they kind of still sound more like their analog counterparts, and it might actually still be analog sounds since the only location that identifies as PCM is the rhythm section.  If you are a fan of that kind of sound, then you may not be totally displeased with this synthesizer.  In addition to to the "digital sampled" section that provides various instruments, the keyboard also offers a "digital synth" section that allows some parameters to be altered.

The keyboard also offers a nice assortment of chorus effects, such as "orchestra," "accomp," and "fast," as well as vibrato and sustain giving the limited number of voices some variance.

Along with the main sound there are also "accompaniment" and "bass" sounds that play with the rhythm and when compared to older (presumably) synths like the X-451 they were kind of underwhelming.

As for rhythm, it is your typical PCM fare.  The rhythms are punchy and not too overproduced like many Casio rhythms and I think play nicely with the various tones.  

Features

This is where the keyboard might be worth buying - the oddball features that Bontempi added.

For one, while this allows for a DC 12V input using a generic power supply, this keyboard also uses the same proprietary power supply found on other Bontempis, like the X-451.  There are either direct plug-in versions of this power supply or ones that are battery compartments.  Either way it is an interesting feature, but also somewhat redundant.

This keyboard is also MIDI compatible, with several buttons appearing to have multiple functions, although I am uncertain as to how the MIDI capabilities are activated or operated.  The words "MIDI mode" appear beneath a selector button but it is unclear just how this relates to the MIDI controls other than sharing the same color lettering.

In addition to the things like audio outputs and the ability to plug in foot pedals, the most interesting feature on this keyboard is the "digital synth" capabilities.  While these features are by no means a complex synthesis engine, they offer some versatility to an otherwise generic mid-eighties PCM keyboard.

The "digital synth" options allow for a user to select one of four envelopes, up to two of four different waves (2 square, 1 triangle, 1 sine), 4 different mixes of the waves (20/80, 40/60, 60/40, and 80/20), and the ability to select 2 different sounds to make a "custom program," which can also include the 16 different "digital sampled" orchestra sounds.  This may also provide for some prime circuit-bending opportunities being that these are functions that already exist that alter the sound (along with the various chorus effects).  While you may not get some fat bass sounds or sweeping pads from this basic synthesizer you might be able to get some nice accompaniment sounds or when processed some interesting leads.  I personally like this sound more-so than early Yamaha home keyboards, more particularly synths like the PSS-570, which offered a good amount of variation.  I find these Bontempi tones to be of a more personal nature.

Overall

Overall this is a nice basic keyboard with generic PCM rhythms.  It offers some interesting features that place it slightly above some of its competitors from the same time.  The most surprising aspect of this keyboard is the quality of the construction.  Considering the type of instrument and the reputation of the company as being cheap, I expected lightweight plastic, simple circuit boards, and poor key mechanisms, like the solid bendable plastic of some inexpensive Casio models.  

Instrument Review - Bontempi X-451

This review is on the classic Bontempi X-451!

Is this keyboard a classic?

Possibly not.  Little information is out there about this keyboard.  Actually, the only mention regarding this keyboard I can find is really other people looking for information regarding this keyboard.  The closest thing I got to finding out about this piece is from the Table Hooters website discussing the Bontempi Minstrel Beta.

The Minstrel Beta had many of the design features of the X-451 - pull-out handle, keyboard cover, detachable battery compartment*, and basically overall design.  I am not sure if this is normal but where the detachable compartment is on the Minstrel Beta, the X-451 has a strange detachable proprietary power supply that has a brown un-polarized two pronged plug coming out of the gray box.  I thought this was strange because the keyboard features a DC 12v input on the side that accepts a standard jack and no place for batteries anywhere, which leads me to believe the back power supply was an upgrade option at the time this thing was on the shelves.  Since this thing has a couple more voices and features, as well as a couple more octaves, it leads me to believe this was a kind of Minstrel Deluxe.

So, with that being said, let me get on with the description of the features, starting from right to left so that I may finish with perhaps my favorite feature of this keyboard.

So this keyboard has 10 voices: organ, brass, oboe, violin, piano, harpsichord, guitar, banjo, space, and vibes.

According to Table Hooters, the Minstrel Beta featured some complex analog multi-chip electronics and so when comparing this keyboard to other inexpensive brands at the time, like Casio, it comes to a surprise that Bontempi (which is kind of like the Italian equivalent of cheap Casio keyboards) has a somewhat warmer sound than what you might expect.  Piano through vibes are kind of standard fare and offer some nice sounds but I find the organ, brass, oboe, and violin to shine - especially in the lower registers where you can get some nice bass square waves.  The brass has that "brill" sound upon playing a note that quickly subsides that does not appear again until you lift up on all the keys and play again.  The Bontempi's brass has a tone slightly reminiscent of my Siel Orchestra - another Italian gem from the same era.

Each tone also has two parameters that can alter the sound - vibrato off and sustain.  Personally I find the envelope on the sustain to be quite long and can sometimes cause the sounds to become overwhelming but you can switch this function on and off while playing so that it is possible to get some nice effects from it.  The vibrato is pretty subtle and adds some nice variation to some of the voices.

Basically, while the sounds may seem dated, they have a nuance to them that differentiates them from a Casio or Yamaha of the time.  I find them to be more dimensional than an early Casio.

The rhythm section features 8 rhythms - waltz, tango, march, swing, slow rock, disco rock, bossanova, and samba.

The rhythms have that nice analog sound and are slightly different than the early arranger keyboards and rhythm machines of the era.  There is an "intro fill in" that offers an unimpressive fill, in my opinion, but can be used in the right circumstances.

There is also a "rhythm start" button and a "rhythm synchro."  having a rhythm button depressed the start would immediately play where as the synchro button activates the rhythm as you play a note on any of the keys below the split.  Hold down a key and the rhythm continues but if you strike a key quickly you can get a pretty nice drum hit with the note played allowing for some interesting arrangements.

The following section is where I believe this keyboard shines - the easy play buttons.

   

The first three buttons are "full keyboard," "free bass & chord," and "single finger chord."

"Full keyboard" allows for the playing of the voice on every key of the keyboard.

"Free bass & chord" seems to split the keyboard but it does not seem as though the notes played are bass notes but offer a different voice for accompaniment similar to that of the organ sound.

"Single finger chord" allows for the keys below the split to play chords much like the old chord organs Bontempi was known for and many of the early electronic pianos and organs used to help familiarize themselves with home audiences.

The next section features "arpeggio," "walking bass," "memory," and "single finger orchestra."

The "arpeggio" offers pleasant accompaniment.  The mix can be altered by both an "arpeggio volume" slider and a "balance" slider, with the latter making giving either the arpeggio or rhythm greater prevalence.  When the volume is lowered it still leaves the rhythm note playing.

"Memory" allows for you to press a key and keep the note playing until you press another note.

"Single finger orchestra" pretty much extends the "single finger chord" feature to the entire keyboard, seemingly playing the notes depressed on the left with each key on the right but allowing you to only play one key at a time.

I was not certain what the "walking bass" function did since the keyboard seemed to respond the same whether it was on or off.  It is possible that it provides a subtle difference in how the rhythm is played or sounded but my ears could not tell the difference.

The "easy play" features provide for great versatility and ease of use.  For instance, while the rhythm may be limited, one could use the synchro feature and depress or lift up on the keys at varying intervals to create a unique rhythm or sound, or switch from the various easy play modes to give variation to the notes played.  Also, if you become familiar with the rhythms, you can let go of the keys and switch notes starting the sequence of notes all over again.  This "feature" is kind of mentioned in the Minstrel Beta review and I suppose someone patient enough to deal with a limited arranger from the early 80s can take this keyboard the distance.

This keyboard features 1/4" aux out, expression pedal, and earphone outs on the right so it is possible to hook this up to external recording devices or amplifiers with ease.  I had found that the speaker on this keyboard was sufficient and achieved a good volume when pushed to the max.  No rattling or distortion like with the Seiko DS-202.  

The build on this keyboard appears to be pretty sturdy.  It definitely has a good weight and appears as though it can take a beating.  While my keyboard lacks the keyboard cover, I suppose having that shield in place can prolong the life of the keys.  The feel of the keys also is not that bad.  I have found that some of the keyboards with longer keys have a different feel depending on how far out the plastic comes from underneath.  For instance, in many Casio keyboards with full-sized keys, while the surface of the keys are full length, sometimes the keys hang out almost 1.5" from where they  meet the keyboard shell giving it a less natural feel.  Another nice feature is that the keyboard features note names on a sticker stretching the length of the instrument. 

Overall, I would think that if one was searching a Bontempi keyboard this one would be the way to go.  While they were known for cheap sounds, as keyboards moved away from analog and more towards PCM or sampled sounds, the unique sounds of the early synthesizers was lost and instruments started sounding exactly alike.  Just think of the countless small Casio keyboards from the 80s and 90s - you only need to find a select few to give you a full assortment of sounds from those manufacturers.  Bontempi was no different.  Their later keyboards seem standardized but the early ones had character, with the X-451 possessing all the positive qualities of the various Minstrel, MB, HB, and X models.  

I suppose this would be an interesting keyboard to circuit bend as well, seeing as though there are plenty of analog components and plenty of room for some well-placed modifications.  

Here is a preview of the sounds of the X-451 in a song I was working on: