Casio CSM-1
Digital Sound Module

fEATURES

  • small and light; desktop format, not quite the standard 19" rack.
  • includes basic MIDI and a drum machine; no FX, but utilizes (common in Casio and Yamaha lower-end models of the '80s) clever envelope programming to simulate reverb and delay.
  • works on batteries and DC 9V current.
  • a fun, if a bit limited by today's standards, digital module.
  • Besides master, separate volume sliders for ch2, ch3, ch4/rhythm
     
Casio CSM-1 audio demos in mp3


The Sounds

 

Let's listen to the well-programmed DEMO SONG - "Night Birds", by the British group Shakatak (thank you Vincent de Mulder for the tip ;-) ) - showcasing the best sounds of this module.  Melodically, I really like this song, especially from 1:06 to 1:20 and similar, where the classic "Autumn Leaves" harmonic progression is employed to great effect.  The piano is realistic enough - for a module of this era.  And the crowd really liked the performers!  :-)


 

Stream all tone demos below

Tone name with audio demo My comments
Piano The tone of this piano is surprisingly good - obviously originally sampled from a nice grand.  In spite of the technology of the time, lack of keyboard velocity, limited bit resolution and ultimately the shortness of the multi-samples, this piano is pleasant to the ear.  As you can hear from my demo, good for different styles, from ballad to boogie-woogie (just watch that polyphony!)
Harpsichord Adequate for classical and the "Odd Couple" song :-)
Vib Nice vibraphone - a jazzy and dreamy sound.
Organ1 Honest attempt at reproducing the sound of an electro-magnetic organ with percussion.
Organ2 A full pipe organ.  This is not a bad sound, and would benefit from a (real) church reverb.  The envelope that simulates reverb does help, however.
Brass Ens Very synthetic - but that's the beauty of it.
Flute Well sampled (or synthesized??) - good honest flute sound.
Chorus An early-sampler-style choir sound.  It doesn't quite sound like a choir, but as a haunting pad is perfect.
Jazz Guitar For some reason, the "jazz guitar" always sounds good, in any synthesizer.  Nice in this little module too.
Bells Nice bell sound with cool "delay" effect in stereo.  Roland would call this effect "Chase".
Clavi1 Not realistic, but the typical Hohner Clavinet "quack" is there.
Metallic Sound Classic digital metallic sound.
Synth-Ens Another classic digital sound - very '80s.
Percussion A full drum/percussion setup.  The raw quality of the low sampling rate actually adds character to drum sounds.
SE1 Actually these Special Effect sounds are pretty awesome!
Honky-Tonk Piano A slightly detuned (or chorused, or doubled?) variation from the grand piano sound.  Nice for those "The Sting" moments.  Scott Joplin would like it.
E Piano The quintessential '80s Yamaha DX7 FM style electric piano.
Marimba Short sample but the character of this instrument is there.
Organ3 After the Hammond-style and the church organs, we have the "calliope" organ, aka "steam organ", aka "harmonium" etc.  Nice "sad" quality.
Accordion Nice accordion!
Strings Typical early digital/FM'ish strings similar to the Yamaha DX/TX and Casio CZ/VZ synths.
Oboe OK.
Synth1 Nice square/triangular waveform synth sound, 'a la Oberheim 4-Voice, as famously used by Lyle Mays of the Pat Metheny band.
Harp Digital sounding but pleasant.
Synth2 Cool sound!  Early digital synth sound - kind of a cross between a synth and an organ - but this would be still great (and actual) for dance styles.
Clavi2 A variation from Clavi1.  This sounds a bit closer to the real "king of funk" instrument.
Fantasy During the 1980s Casio always included a sound by the name "Fantasy" in their lower-end model sound sets (and Yamaha too...).  This variation of the "Fantasy" theme is characterized by an upward rise in pitch at the beginning of the envelope.
Miracle Interesting "moving-vector" type of synth pad.
Bass This preset is actually built on two multisamples that share the 61 keys:  a (great sounding) jazzy contrabass on the left, and an FM'ish fingered bass (which I suspect is made from the E Piano waveform and something else) on the right.
SE2 More Special Effects :-)


The Drum Machine

 

Stream all rhythm patterns below

Rhythm name with  audio demo My comments
Rock1 Standard rock pattern, with "power" gate-reverb on snare.
8 Beat1 This type of rhythm was -oh- so popular during the '80s.
16 Beat1 Awesome!  A groovy bongo-driven beat.
Disco1 A typical home-keyboard disco beat + percussion.
Pops1 A '60s groove, with nice ride cymbal driving the beat.
Slow Rock1 Standard rhythm - useful for blues as well.
Swing Nice jazzy feel.
Samba Well-programmed samba pattern.  Too bad there are no Cuica samples in ROM...
Bossa Nova Lots of percussion
Waltz Welcome to Vienna.  Nice..
Rock2 Variation of Rock1.  With choked-cymbal effects.
8 Beat2 Useful straight-ahead rock rhythm.
16 Beat2 Fusion-like.
Disco2 Ubiquitous '80s rhythm.  But the open hat here sounds more like a China cymbal than a hat.
Pops2 Another '60s rhythm.  Cool.
Slow Rock2 Realistic and very useful slow pattern.  The side stick sounds great and confers realism to the drum track.  With a bit of claves.
Reggae Great, busy Rasta rhythm.
Tango This will go perfectly with the accordion sound above.
Beguine Again, a realistic rhythm, thanks to the good programming and the awesome side stick sound.
March Nice military beat.  Great bass drum.


 

Casio CSM-1 Tone List

 

PROG CHANGE NOTE NUMBER TONE NAME PROG CHANGE NOTE NUMBER TONE NAME PROG CHANGE NOTE NUMBER TONE NAME PROG CHANGE NOTE NUMBER TONE NAME
0 36-96 PIANO 13 55 CRASH CYMBAL 2 13 80 COMPUTER GAME SOUND2 14 81 ROBOT VOICES B
1 36-96 HARPSICHORD 13 56 SYNTH-CYMBAL 2 13 81 TIMBALE (MIX) 14 83 ROBOT VOICES (MIX)
2 36-96 VIB 13 57 CRASH CYMBAL 3 13 82 COMPUTER GAME SOUND3 15 36-96 HONKY-TONK PIANO
3 36-96 ORGAN 1 13 58 SYNTH-CYMBAL 3 13 83 HI AGOGO 16 36-96 E PIANO
4 36-96 ORGAN 2 13 59 CRASH CYMBAL(MIX) 13 84 LOW AGOGO 17 36-96 MARIMBA
5 36-96 BRASS ENS 13 60 RIDE CYMBAL 1 13 86 HI CONGA (MUTE) 18 36-96 ORGAN 3
6 36-96 FLUTE 13 61 GONG 1 13 88 HI CONGA 19 36-96 ACCORDION
7 36-96 CHORUS 13 62 RIDE CYMBAL 2 13 89 MID CONGA 20 36-96 STRINGS
8 36-96 JAZZ GUITAR 13 63 GONG 2 13 91 LOW CONGA 21 36-96 OBOE
9 36-96 BELLS 13 64 TOM 1 13 93 CONGA (MIX) 22 36-96 SYNTH 1
10 36-96 CLAVI 1 13 65 TOM 2 13 95 HI CLAVE 23 36-96 HARP
11 36-96 METALLIC SOUND 13 66 SYNTH-TOM 1 13 96 LOW CLAVE 24 36-96 SYNTH 2
12 36-96 SYNTH ENS 13 67 TOM 3 14 36,38,40 CUCKOO 1-3 25 36-96 CLAVI 2
13 36 BASS DRUM 1 13 68 SYNTH-TOM 2 14 41 CUCKOO & SMALL BIRDS 26 36-96 FANTASY
13 38 BASS DRUM 2 13 69 TOM 4 14 43,45,47 SMALL BIRDS 1-3 27 36-96 MIRACLE
13 40 SNARE DRUM 1 13 70 SYNTH-TOM 3 14 37,39,42,44,46 STREAM 1-5 28 36-59 WOOD BASS
13 41 SNARE DRUM 2 13 71 TOM (MIX) 14 48,50,52,53,55,57,59 WAVES 1-7 28 60-96 SLAP BASS
13 43 GATED SNARE DRUM 13 72 COWBELL 1 14 49,51,54,56,58 SEA GULLS 1-5 29 36-47 RAIN 1-12
13 45 RIM SHOT 13 73 TRIANGLE (OPEN) 14 60,62,64,65,67,69,71 CAR HORNS 1-7 29 48,50,52,53,55,57,59 FROGS 1-7
13 47 CLOSED HI HAT 1 13 74 COWBELL 2 14 61,63,66,68,70 TRAFFIC 1-5 29 49,51,54,56 INSECTS A 1-4
13 48 CLOSED HI HAT 2 13 75 TRIANGLE (MUTE) 14 72,74 LASER BEAMS A 1,2 29 58 INSECTS B
13 50 OPEN HI HAT 1 13 76 HI TIMBALE (MUTE) 14 73,75 SPACE SHIP ENGINES 1,2 29 60,62,64,65,67,69,71 APPLAUSE 1-7
13 52 OPEN HI HAT 2 13 77 HI TIMBALE 14 76,77 LASER BEAMS B 1,2 29 61,63,66,68,70 WHISTLES 1-5
13 53 CRASH CYMBAL 1 13 78 COMPUTER GAME SOUND1 14 78,80,82 EXPLOSIONS 1-3 29 72,74,76,77,79,81,83,84 GUNSHOTS 1-8
13 54 SYNTH-CYMBAL 1 13 79 LOW TIMBALE 14 79,84 ROBOT VOICES A 1,2 29 73,75,78,80,82 GALLOPING HORSES 1-5

 

Manual

 

Additional Casio CSM-1 pictures

           

 

Year of release: 198x
Polyphony: 12 voices
Responds to velocity: no
Sound generation method: pcm sampled
MIDI: In, Out, Thru
Sound expansion capabilities: No
Misc: drum machine; stereo outs 
Multitimbral: 4-part
Effects: no

 

Links

 

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