Casio Casiotone Views
These first keyboards used a sound synthesis technique known as Vowel-Consonant synthesis to approximate the sounds of other instruments (albeit not very accurately). Most Casiotone keyboards were small, with miniature keys designed for children's fingers, and were not intended for use by professional musicians; they usually contained a rhythm generator, with several user-selectable rhythm patterns, and often the means to automatically play accompaniments. While the name Casiotone disappeared from Casio's new keyboard catalog when more accurate synthesis technologies became prevalent, their low cost and abundance resulted in their being widely used by garage rock bands.
Later models in the PT series of keyboards, such as the PT-80, were no longer marketed under the Casiotone name. Some models included a cartridge bay to accept Casio ROM Packs which contained sheet music in a digital format. The keyboards could play the notes automatically, or illuminate LED's above each key to teach the user how to play the song.
Casio Casiotone Images
