Back to Keyboards
Originally uploaded 03/04/2018. Last edited on 19/07/2023
Introduction
The Casio MT 600 was a small 8 note polyphonic keyboard aimed for use at home. It was released in 1987 by Casio for around roughly £99 (£264.74 with 2018 inflation*1).
Although the MT 600 is technically not a synthesizer, (as the pre-set patches cannot be edited or new ones cannot be created), it uses the same synthesis method as the Casio HT 700 (which is a programmable version of the MT 600), called ‘Spectrum Dynamic Synthesis’.
The MT 600 has 49 non-velocity sensitive mini keys. While this makes the keyboard smaller and more portable, it can make it difficult for people with large fingers to play. The keys are also fragile and can easily break if an impact occurs.
Although the MT 600 is technically not a synthesizer, (as the pre-set patches cannot be edited or new ones cannot be created), it uses the same synthesis method as the Casio HT 700 (which is a programmable version of the MT 600), called ‘Spectrum Dynamic Synthesis’.
The MT 600 has 49 non-velocity sensitive mini keys. While this makes the keyboard smaller and more portable, it can make it difficult for people with large fingers to play. The keys are also fragile and can easily break if an impact occurs.
Spectrum Dynamic Synthesis
The MT 600 uses Spectrum Dynamic Synthesis to generate the instrument sounds. This is similar to the traditional Subtractive Synthesis as it has a 4-stage envelope with Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release and an analogue voltage controlled low pass filter to shape the sound.
As the Casio MT 600 only has 2 voltage-controlled filters (one for the melody section and one for the auto accompaniment voices) hitting another note while playing an instrument with an envelope on the filter will cause it to re-trigger. This can be used to create some nice effects with the instruments.
The main difference between Spectrum Dynamic Synthesis and Subtractive Synthesis are the waveforms that can be produced.
With Spectrum Dynamic Synthesis, the harmonics of a waveform can change over time. Examples of some instruments on the MT 600 that has the harmonics changing over time are the ‘Synth Reed’ and ‘Miracle’ voices.
The envelope that controls the harmonic changes is fixed and cannot be edited at all on the MT-600.
As the Casio MT 600 only has 2 voltage-controlled filters (one for the melody section and one for the auto accompaniment voices) hitting another note while playing an instrument with an envelope on the filter will cause it to re-trigger. This can be used to create some nice effects with the instruments.
The main difference between Spectrum Dynamic Synthesis and Subtractive Synthesis are the waveforms that can be produced.
With Spectrum Dynamic Synthesis, the harmonics of a waveform can change over time. Examples of some instruments on the MT 600 that has the harmonics changing over time are the ‘Synth Reed’ and ‘Miracle’ voices.
The envelope that controls the harmonic changes is fixed and cannot be edited at all on the MT-600.
Voices
The Casio MT 600 features 40 pre-set voices that the user can play. These voices range from pianos, to organs to classic synthesizers. The pre-set voices are the same as the Casio HT-700 but arranged in a different order, but some voices sound slightly different on the MT-600. An additional 20 instruments can be accessed via MIDI, which are also used for the auto accompaniment styles. See the MIDI mode section for more details.
A built in stereo chorus helps to give the instruments a warm feel and it also makes the keyboard a stereo spread instrument. The stereo chorus has 3 settings that are dependent on the selected voice and cannot be changed.
Some of the instruments feature white noise such as the Piano 2 voice. Typhoon Sound and Explosion are other examples of instruments that use white noise and they both use the voltage-controlled filter to shape the sound.
The instruments can be selected by pushing the appropriate voice button on the keyboard. Above and below each voice button are the names of two voices, which are placed in 2 columns, A and B.
The columns can be selected by using the tone A & B buttons.
A built in stereo chorus helps to give the instruments a warm feel and it also makes the keyboard a stereo spread instrument. The stereo chorus has 3 settings that are dependent on the selected voice and cannot be changed.
Some of the instruments feature white noise such as the Piano 2 voice. Typhoon Sound and Explosion are other examples of instruments that use white noise and they both use the voltage-controlled filter to shape the sound.
The instruments can be selected by pushing the appropriate voice button on the keyboard. Above and below each voice button are the names of two voices, which are placed in 2 columns, A and B.
The columns can be selected by using the tone A & B buttons.
The ‘Tone B’ button selects the voice below the ‘A’ column. The ‘Select’ button selects the instruments highlighted in blue below the instrument button.
Switching off the ‘Select’ button selects the voices highlighted in white above the instrument button.
The ‘B’ and ‘Select’ buttons have a red LED over them to indicate if they have been enabled. The LED over the ‘B’ button will switch off when the ‘A’ button is pressed.
Switching off the ‘Select’ button selects the voices highlighted in white above the instrument button.
The ‘B’ and ‘Select’ buttons have a red LED over them to indicate if they have been enabled. The LED over the ‘B’ button will switch off when the ‘A’ button is pressed.
Auto accompaniment
The Casio MT 600 features an auto accompaniment system. This features a bass section, a chord section and a drum section.
There are 20 different accompaniment styles that can be selected to play along with. They are; Rock 1 & 2, 8 Beat 1 & 2, Disco 1 & 2, Funk, Pops, Swing, Shuffle, Slow Rock, Reggae, Samba, Salsa, Bossa Nova, Beguine, Waltz and March.
Like the voices, pressing the ‘Select’ button will select the styles highlighted in blue below the auto accompaniment buttons.
The drums samples that are used are similar to those used in the Casio RZ-1 drum machine. It is not possible to create custom drum patterns but you can cycle through the built in styles by sending ‘Patch Changes’ via MIDI.
There are 20 different accompaniment styles that can be selected to play along with. They are; Rock 1 & 2, 8 Beat 1 & 2, Disco 1 & 2, Funk, Pops, Swing, Shuffle, Slow Rock, Reggae, Samba, Salsa, Bossa Nova, Beguine, Waltz and March.
Like the voices, pressing the ‘Select’ button will select the styles highlighted in blue below the auto accompaniment buttons.
The drums samples that are used are similar to those used in the Casio RZ-1 drum machine. It is not possible to create custom drum patterns but you can cycle through the built in styles by sending ‘Patch Changes’ via MIDI.
Switching on the auto accompaniment system reduces the number of notes that can be played on the keyboard to 4 as some notes are used by the ‘Chord’ and ‘Bass’ parts.
Above the ‘Start/Stop’ button is a red LED that blinks in time of the rhythm. The tempo ∧ & ∨ buttons located to the right of the ‘Start/Stop’ button can adjust the rhythm speed and pressing them both will reset the speed to default.
Fill-ins can be inserted by pressing the ‘Synchro/Fill-in’ button while the auto accompaniment is playing. This also doubles as a ‘Synch Start’ button when the auto accompaniment is not currently playing. The tempo LED will light up red, and the auto accompaniment will automatically start when the user presses a key in the ‘Chord Section’ in the lower left part of the keyboard.
Like many of Casio’s home keyboards of the time, the MT-600 features the ‘Casio Chord System’. This enables users to easily play chords by simply pressing a single key in the chord section of the keyboard. It is also possible to play ‘Minor, Major 7th and Minor 7th’ chords by pressing 1, 2 and 3 keys to the right of the key the user pressed first in the chord section.
The key pressed furthest to the left of the chord section corresponds to the key that the auto accompaniment system plays to; so if the user presses the ‘C’ key, the auto accompaniment system will play in the key of C, and if the keys ‘C’ and the ‘D’ key next to it is pressed at the same time, the auto accompaniment will play in the key of C Minor etc.
This is activated by pressing the ‘On’ button in the ‘Casio Chord’ section. ‘Fingered’ mode allows the user to set the key of the auto accompaniment system by playing actual chords on the keys in the ‘Chord’ section, and it is activated by pressing the ‘Fingered’ button the ‘Casio Chord’ section.
Above the ‘Start/Stop’ button is a red LED that blinks in time of the rhythm. The tempo ∧ & ∨ buttons located to the right of the ‘Start/Stop’ button can adjust the rhythm speed and pressing them both will reset the speed to default.
Fill-ins can be inserted by pressing the ‘Synchro/Fill-in’ button while the auto accompaniment is playing. This also doubles as a ‘Synch Start’ button when the auto accompaniment is not currently playing. The tempo LED will light up red, and the auto accompaniment will automatically start when the user presses a key in the ‘Chord Section’ in the lower left part of the keyboard.
Like many of Casio’s home keyboards of the time, the MT-600 features the ‘Casio Chord System’. This enables users to easily play chords by simply pressing a single key in the chord section of the keyboard. It is also possible to play ‘Minor, Major 7th and Minor 7th’ chords by pressing 1, 2 and 3 keys to the right of the key the user pressed first in the chord section.
The key pressed furthest to the left of the chord section corresponds to the key that the auto accompaniment system plays to; so if the user presses the ‘C’ key, the auto accompaniment system will play in the key of C, and if the keys ‘C’ and the ‘D’ key next to it is pressed at the same time, the auto accompaniment will play in the key of C Minor etc.
This is activated by pressing the ‘On’ button in the ‘Casio Chord’ section. ‘Fingered’ mode allows the user to set the key of the auto accompaniment system by playing actual chords on the keys in the ‘Chord’ section, and it is activated by pressing the ‘Fingered’ button the ‘Casio Chord’ section.
Chord Operation Memory
The MT 600 also features some memory for recording chord changes. Chords can be recorded by pressing the tanned record button on the right hand side of the keyboard, and then playing chords in the ‘Chord’ section. The chord operation memory does not record the melody voices, just the chord changes.
Pitch Bend Wheel
The Pitch bend wheel was a rare thing for a keyboard of this type to include at the time. It is a large wheel that springs back into the centre when you let go, and it is used to either increase or decrease (bend) the pitch of the note that is currently being played.
The pitch bend wheel only affects the melody voices (the voices that the user can play by pressing the keys on the keyboard). It does not affect the auto accompaniment or bass voices, and the bend range is fixed to 2 semi-tones.
When being used as a MIDI controller, the MT 600 can also transmit pitch bend commands to other MIDI compatible devices on MIDI channel 1.
The pitch bend wheel only affects the melody voices (the voices that the user can play by pressing the keys on the keyboard). It does not affect the auto accompaniment or bass voices, and the bend range is fixed to 2 semi-tones.
When being used as a MIDI controller, the MT 600 can also transmit pitch bend commands to other MIDI compatible devices on MIDI channel 1.
Audio Outputs, Power and Tuning
The Casio MT 600 has two built in stereo speakers as well as an output jack for connecting headphones or external speakers. The amp in the MT 600 is quite powerful so the audio output can get really loud if the volume is turned all the way up while using headphones.
The MT 600 lacks a separate line out jacks for connecting to external amplifiers and mixers. This is most likely as the keyboard was aimed at home use. The headphone jack could be used for this purpose however, this will cut off the sound from the internal speakers.
The speaker grills that cover and protect the speakers can collect a lot of dust over time and they can be hard to clean.
The MT 600 can run on either 6 C sized batteries or a nine-volt DC power supply. To save battery power, the Casio MT 600 features an auto-power off function that shuts off the keyboard when it is left inactive for 5 minutes. The keyboard can be switched back on by moving the switch to the ‘Off’ position and then back to the ‘On’ position. Like the HT-700, it is not possible to turn this feature off.
On the back of the keyboard next to the output/headphone jack is a tuning control pot. This allows the user to fine tune the overall keyboard up or down by a semi-tone.
The MT 600 lacks a separate line out jacks for connecting to external amplifiers and mixers. This is most likely as the keyboard was aimed at home use. The headphone jack could be used for this purpose however, this will cut off the sound from the internal speakers.
The speaker grills that cover and protect the speakers can collect a lot of dust over time and they can be hard to clean.
The MT 600 can run on either 6 C sized batteries or a nine-volt DC power supply. To save battery power, the Casio MT 600 features an auto-power off function that shuts off the keyboard when it is left inactive for 5 minutes. The keyboard can be switched back on by moving the switch to the ‘Off’ position and then back to the ‘On’ position. Like the HT-700, it is not possible to turn this feature off.
On the back of the keyboard next to the output/headphone jack is a tuning control pot. This allows the user to fine tune the overall keyboard up or down by a semi-tone.
The MT 600 has 2 volume controls, one for adjusting the overall volume of the keyboard and one that adjusts the auto accompaniment voices, bass and drums.
Due to the way that it has been setup, it is not possible to make the auto accompaniment volume higher than the melody voices. This can cause a problem when sequencing the keyboard through MIDI as the melody voices can overpower the auto accompaniment voices.
Due to the way that it has been setup, it is not possible to make the auto accompaniment volume higher than the melody voices. This can cause a problem when sequencing the keyboard through MIDI as the melody voices can overpower the auto accompaniment voices.
MIDI
What is MIDI?
MIDI is a communications interface used by musical instruments to communicate with each other. MIDI stands for ‘Musical Instrument Digital Interface’ and it was introduced in 1983*2 . Examples of information that gets transmitted are, channel number (1-16), note number e.g. C1, velocity (how hard a key was pressed) and patch changes (voice) etc.
MIDI connectors use a standard 5-pin din connector.
The MT 600 features two MIDI ports; ‘MIDI In’ for receiving MIDI data from other devices and a ‘MIDI Out’ port for sending MIDI data from the MT 600 to other MIDI capable devices and Digital Audio Workstations (DAW).
MIDI is a communications interface used by musical instruments to communicate with each other. MIDI stands for ‘Musical Instrument Digital Interface’ and it was introduced in 1983*2 . Examples of information that gets transmitted are, channel number (1-16), note number e.g. C1, velocity (how hard a key was pressed) and patch changes (voice) etc.
MIDI connectors use a standard 5-pin din connector.
The MT 600 features two MIDI ports; ‘MIDI In’ for receiving MIDI data from other devices and a ‘MIDI Out’ port for sending MIDI data from the MT 600 to other MIDI capable devices and Digital Audio Workstations (DAW).
The user can access some extra features on the MT 600 through MIDI. If a MIDI controller is connected to the MT 600, an extra octave can be accessed above what is playable on the keyboard when played on the MIDI controller. Although the keyboard does not feature a sustain pedal input, it can respond to a sustain pedal connected to a MIDI controller that has one.
MIDI Modes
The Casio MT 600 has 3 basic MIDI modes.
MIDI Mode A: This sets the keyboard as a single 8 note polyphonic instrument that receives and transmits on MIDI channel 1. The keyboard can receive patch (voice) changes from 0-39 as well as pitch bend commands.
This mode is selected by connecting a MIDI device to the MIDI input port with the auto accompaniment system switched off.
MIDI Mode B: This splits the keyboard into a 3 part multi-timbre sound module. This consists of a 4 note section that receives on MIDI channel 1 and uses the standard melody voices, a 3 note polyphonic section that uses the accompaniment voices on MIDI channel 2, and a monophonic bass that receives on channel 3.
An additional 20 instruments can be accessed on channel 2, some of which are not used by the auto accompaniments. It is not possible to change the bass voice however. Both the chord and bass voices do not respond to pitch bend or velocity commands via MIDI.
This mode is accessed by connecting a MIDI device to the MT 600’s MIDI in port and selecting either ‘Fingered’ or ‘On’ in the Casio Chord System.
MIDI Mode C: This enables the MT-600 to be used as a 3 part backing sequencer for controlling external MIDI instruments. This mode is selected by connecting a MIDI device to the Casio MT 600’s MIDI output, setting the Casio Chord System to either ‘Fingered’ or ‘On’ then starting the auto accompaniment. The melody, chord and bass data is transmitted via midi (Channel 1 = melody voices, Channel 2 = Chord voices, Channel 3 = Bass data).
The MT 600 also transmits MIDI clock data. This enables the user to synchronise drum machines and other MIDI devices to the tempo speed of the MT 600.
Although the drums cannot be sequenced via MIDI, the user can cycle through the entire built in auto accompaniment styles by sending patch changes from 0-19 on channel 4. The MIDI clock is fixed to internal, so the drum patterns cannot be synchronized to an external sequencer.
Despite that the auto accompaniment and bass channels transmit velocity data, the MT-600 will not respond to it through MIDI on any channel. That and the fact that the auto accompaniment volume cannot be set higher than the melody voices can make it difficult to hear them when sequenced via MIDI. This problem can be overcome by recording each part individually, using a technique called ‘Overdubbing’.
MIDI Mode A: This sets the keyboard as a single 8 note polyphonic instrument that receives and transmits on MIDI channel 1. The keyboard can receive patch (voice) changes from 0-39 as well as pitch bend commands.
This mode is selected by connecting a MIDI device to the MIDI input port with the auto accompaniment system switched off.
MIDI Mode B: This splits the keyboard into a 3 part multi-timbre sound module. This consists of a 4 note section that receives on MIDI channel 1 and uses the standard melody voices, a 3 note polyphonic section that uses the accompaniment voices on MIDI channel 2, and a monophonic bass that receives on channel 3.
An additional 20 instruments can be accessed on channel 2, some of which are not used by the auto accompaniments. It is not possible to change the bass voice however. Both the chord and bass voices do not respond to pitch bend or velocity commands via MIDI.
This mode is accessed by connecting a MIDI device to the MT 600’s MIDI in port and selecting either ‘Fingered’ or ‘On’ in the Casio Chord System.
MIDI Mode C: This enables the MT-600 to be used as a 3 part backing sequencer for controlling external MIDI instruments. This mode is selected by connecting a MIDI device to the Casio MT 600’s MIDI output, setting the Casio Chord System to either ‘Fingered’ or ‘On’ then starting the auto accompaniment. The melody, chord and bass data is transmitted via midi (Channel 1 = melody voices, Channel 2 = Chord voices, Channel 3 = Bass data).
The MT 600 also transmits MIDI clock data. This enables the user to synchronise drum machines and other MIDI devices to the tempo speed of the MT 600.
Although the drums cannot be sequenced via MIDI, the user can cycle through the entire built in auto accompaniment styles by sending patch changes from 0-19 on channel 4. The MIDI clock is fixed to internal, so the drum patterns cannot be synchronized to an external sequencer.
Despite that the auto accompaniment and bass channels transmit velocity data, the MT-600 will not respond to it through MIDI on any channel. That and the fact that the auto accompaniment volume cannot be set higher than the melody voices can make it difficult to hear them when sequenced via MIDI. This problem can be overcome by recording each part individually, using a technique called ‘Overdubbing’.
Pros and Cons of the MT-600
Pros:
The MT 600 has a very warm and analogue feel to the sounds that it produces. The built in stereo chorus can make the voices sound wider and warmer.
The MT 600 has a nice sounding voltage controlled filter, which can help to shape the sounds it produces. A popular modification to the keyboard involves taking control of the filter and controlling it manually via pots.
As the MT 600 has only 2 voltage controlled filters, pressing down two notes on a voice that has an envelope attached to the filter causes it to re-trigger, which can be used to make some nice effects.
The pitch bend wheel feels nice and sturdy.
Many of the built in pre-set voices have that typical 80’s analogue synth sound.
Because the keyboard is small, it does not take up that much space in a studio and makes it very portable.
Cons:
Channels 2 and 3 do not respond to pitch bend data, and all channels do not respond to velocity data. Although the keyboard does not have velocity sensitive keys it would have been better if it responded to velocity commands via MIDI as it would eliminate the issue of the auto accompaniment voices being droned out by the melody voices. It would also allow the composer to add more expression to their music by making some parts louder than others.
It is not possible to edit the built in voices or to create new ones. The HT 700 offers this feature however.
The keyboard lacks both a line out and sustain pedal connector. The HT 700 has these features.
Drums cannot be sequenced via MIDI, and since the MT-600’s MIDI clock is fixed to internal it is not possible to synchronise the auto accompaniment styles to a DAW or an external sequencer. You can however, synchronise external drum machines and sequencers to the MT-600 as it outputs a MIDI clock signal.
The MT-600 has a fairly noisy audio output.
The MIDI channels that the keyboard transmits and respond to are fixed to MIDI channels 1,2,3 and 4. The HT-700 however allows you to change the channels it receives and transmits on.
It is not possible to change the transpose of the keyboard unlike the HT-700.
The MT 600 has a very warm and analogue feel to the sounds that it produces. The built in stereo chorus can make the voices sound wider and warmer.
The MT 600 has a nice sounding voltage controlled filter, which can help to shape the sounds it produces. A popular modification to the keyboard involves taking control of the filter and controlling it manually via pots.
As the MT 600 has only 2 voltage controlled filters, pressing down two notes on a voice that has an envelope attached to the filter causes it to re-trigger, which can be used to make some nice effects.
The pitch bend wheel feels nice and sturdy.
Many of the built in pre-set voices have that typical 80’s analogue synth sound.
Because the keyboard is small, it does not take up that much space in a studio and makes it very portable.
Cons:
Channels 2 and 3 do not respond to pitch bend data, and all channels do not respond to velocity data. Although the keyboard does not have velocity sensitive keys it would have been better if it responded to velocity commands via MIDI as it would eliminate the issue of the auto accompaniment voices being droned out by the melody voices. It would also allow the composer to add more expression to their music by making some parts louder than others.
It is not possible to edit the built in voices or to create new ones. The HT 700 offers this feature however.
The keyboard lacks both a line out and sustain pedal connector. The HT 700 has these features.
Drums cannot be sequenced via MIDI, and since the MT-600’s MIDI clock is fixed to internal it is not possible to synchronise the auto accompaniment styles to a DAW or an external sequencer. You can however, synchronise external drum machines and sequencers to the MT-600 as it outputs a MIDI clock signal.
The MT-600 has a fairly noisy audio output.
The MIDI channels that the keyboard transmits and respond to are fixed to MIDI channels 1,2,3 and 4. The HT-700 however allows you to change the channels it receives and transmits on.
It is not possible to change the transpose of the keyboard unlike the HT-700.
Conclusion
The Casio MT-600 is a nice keyboard to own if you like the sound of 80’s analogue synths. It has a decent amount of sounds to choose from and the MIDI features are fairly good although a little bit limited. It also fits in well with other synths.
I would have preferred if the keyboard would respond to velocity data via MIDI as it would add some more expression to the music. This keyboard is fairly rare these days as Casio no longer manufactures them, but if you look around you should be able to find one at a decent price.
If you like to create your own sounds and not be stuck with the pre-sets, the HT-700 maybe a better option, but for those who don’t like messing around with synth parameters and just want that vintage 80’s analogue sound, the MT-600 might be worth looking at.
© 2018 Stereo Ninja Music. All rights reserved.
If you would like to provide feedback on this post, feel free to use the contact form on the Contact page.
To read my review of the Casio HT-700, click here.
Disclaimer: If you see my keyboard images and blog posts on online auction sites, it’s most likely that the seller has taken my content without my permission. I am not affiliated with any of these sellers and I cannot be held responsible for the items they are selling.
I would have preferred if the keyboard would respond to velocity data via MIDI as it would add some more expression to the music. This keyboard is fairly rare these days as Casio no longer manufactures them, but if you look around you should be able to find one at a decent price.
If you like to create your own sounds and not be stuck with the pre-sets, the HT-700 maybe a better option, but for those who don’t like messing around with synth parameters and just want that vintage 80’s analogue sound, the MT-600 might be worth looking at.
© 2018 Stereo Ninja Music. All rights reserved.
If you would like to provide feedback on this post, feel free to use the contact form on the Contact page.
To read my review of the Casio HT-700, click here.
Disclaimer: If you see my keyboard images and blog posts on online auction sites, it’s most likely that the seller has taken my content without my permission. I am not affiliated with any of these sellers and I cannot be held responsible for the items they are selling.
References
*1 https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation
*2 http://www.midi.org/aboutmidi/tut_history.php
To hear some audio recordings of the MT-600's built in voices, click here.
*2 http://www.midi.org/aboutmidi/tut_history.php
To hear some audio recordings of the MT-600's built in voices, click here.
Click here to listen to a playlist of songs I've made with the Casio HT-700, the programmable version of the MT-600.