Casio RZ1

4.5 (12)

1 Review

This product is Vintage or Discontinued

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Page last updated May 27, 2026

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Step into the world of vintage beats with the Casio RZ1, a classic drum machine that continues to captivate electronic musicians and producers alike. Known for its distinctive 8-bit sampling capabilities, the RZ1 offers a unique sound palette that stands out in any mix. This drum machine was one of the first to integrate sampling technology, allowing users to record and manipulate their own sounds—a feature that was groundbreaking at its release and remains highly sought after today.

The Casio RZ1 is equipped with 12 velocity-sensitive pads, providing tactile control over your rhythm compositions. With 12 built-in sounds, ranging from classic drum hits to quirky electronic tones, it offers a wide range of sonic possibilities. The sequencer allows you to create complex patterns, and with the ability to store up to 100 patterns, your creativity is the only limit. Its interface is straightforward, making it accessible for both beginners and seasoned producers looking to add a nostalgic touch to their tracks.

Key Features:

8-bit sampling capabilities for custom sound creation
12 velocity-sensitive pads for dynamic performance
12 built-in sounds with vintage electronic character
Onboard sequencer supporting up to 100 patterns
Easy-to-use interface suitable for all skill levels
Classic design with modern functionality for diverse music production

Videos

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AudioPilz

Bad Gear - Casio RZ1

AudioPilz

Casio RZ-1 - The sixty classic factory patterns

SynthMania

Under The Radar /w Sam Willis (R&S): Pt. 3 - Casio RZ-1

pointblank Music School

Casio RZ-1 Custom Firmware Demonstration

cellarseer

Casio RZ1 - Random/blind needle drop sampling

punkdISCO

Jamuary 2021 #8: Jam On! (Casio RZ-1)

Mo tone

Vintage Casio RZ-1 Drum Machine Sampler Unboxing!

Soultron

Reviews

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4.5 out of 5

Based on 1 Review and 12 Ratings

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1 star

nycsynth

186

over 5 years ago

Fun, low-fidelity sampling drum machine

The Casio RZ-1 is a low-fidelity sampling drum machine that came onto the scene in 1986. Its 12 PCM samples are more or less typical for the day, and it also offered the ability to sample up to four (very) short sounds. Boasting a number of level controls and individual outputs (not one for every sound, but close) the RZ-1 offers some flexibility, although there are only 12 sounds, and there are no other ways to modify them other than two tone controls that apply to the sample outputs.

Reportedly, the RZ-1 was used by early rap producers on a budget, including RZA from the Wu-tang clan. However, the RZ-1 is probably too limited for modern hip-hop production due to the extremely short duration of the samples. Even the producers of that era ditched cheap stuff as soon as they could in favor of SP-1200's.

As much as the author loves nostalgia, this item gets two stars. The sounds aren't great, and the samples are easily located for those interested. (In fact, the author has plans to create a sample bank for the MPC. Leave a note if interested!) Additionally, the build quality on Casio gear is pretty terrible, and this means that the RZ-1 won't hold up to much abuse.

The author recommends a more modern machine or a software sampler like those included in most DAWs these days. The reality is that DAW-based samples are easy to use, far more flexible in terms of tweaking, and any decent DAW includes a bit-crushing plug-in if you crave that lo-fi sound. A hardware alternative not far off the price range of a good RZ-1 would be a used Akai MPC-500, which lacks individual outputs but could be configured with RZ-1 samples (or anything else) and has far more sample memory.

References: https://equipboard.com/pros/rza/casio-rz1 https://www.akaipro.com/mpc500

Roles:

Music Producer Audio Engineer

Genres:

Electronic Rock Pop

Artist usage

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John Frusciante

Guitarist

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Verified via Photo

Posted by his Label "Acid Test" John Frusciante names various Instruments he used over time. One of those is the Casio RZ1

Daft Punk

Music Producer

Verified via Photo

A Casio RZ-1 can be seen in the corner of the picture, as well as heard in the track Burnin' off of their album Homework

The Chemical Brothers

Music Producer

The Chemical Brothers

Verified via Kreativsound

The Chemical Brothers' Tom Rowlands discusses using the Casio RZ1 drum machine in the studio while searching for unique sounds, as detailed in the Kreativ Sound feature.

Autechre

Music Producer

Verified via Soundonsound

In the list "SOME OF THE AUTECHRE HARDWARE" in their Sound on Sound interview it said that they use the Casio RZ1. They also added "That's really old school. The sampling quality is crap but it sounds awesome.".

RZA

Rapper, Music Producer

Wu-Tang Clan

Verified via YouTube

Rza talks about his production gear history in this video, mentioning this Casio at 3:55: "I also had a Casio rz1 that also sampled.."

De La Soul

Composer, Music Producer

Native Tongues Posse

Verified via the Guardian

In this 2014 interview, Posdnuos mentions the gear used for "3 Feet High And Rising". From the interview:

"We made the whole of 3 Feet High and Rising for $13,000, using just a Casio RZ-1 drum machine/sampler and another gadget called an Eventide harmonizer, which allowed us to match songs that had totally different pitches – we could put Daryl Hall's voice over a Sly and the Family Stone record. It was amazing."

Yukihiro Takahashi

Singer, Drummer

Yellow Magic Orchestra

Verified via 寄稿～40周年に寄せて | 電子楽器 | CASIO

(English translation) "When it comes to CASIO at this time, we cannot forget the name of Yukihiro Takahashi, a career drummer/vocalist for YMO and a symbolic artist of the era: in a tour article featured in the February 1986 issue, he reported the use of the special edition CZ-5000 (designed to hold sticks designed), as well as the Cosmo Synthesiser as a sound source for electronic drums, and the CASIO RZ-1 rhythm machine, which he himself provided samples for."

Black Milk

Rapper, Music Producer

Fat Ray & Black Milk

Verified via Engadget

In the second-to-last paragraph of his feature for engadget.com, Black speaks about the Casio RZ1: "I just bought this little drum machine, this little Casio RZ1. It's kind of some bulls***, but it gives you that 12-bit sound. So whatever you sample into it, it's going to put that 12-bit grit on it. "

Ian Pooley

Composer, Music Producer

Verified via Photo

Ian Pooley is seen using a Casio RZ1 drum machine in a recent photo posted on his Facebook page.

Kid Rock

Guitarist, Rapper

Various Artists for Children's Promise

Verified via Flickr

I had those little Synsonic Drums, a little Casio RZ1 with a sampler in it so small I could get like half an 808, or maybe an 808 snare.

Miguel Tapia

Drummer, Keyboardist

Los Prisioneros

Verified via Photo

En esta imagen se puede observar a Miguel Tapia ocupando la caja de ritmos Casio RZ 1 durante las grabaciones de "La Cultura De La Basura"

The 45 King

Music Producer, DJ

Zulu Nation

Verified via YouTube

At 2:09 Double J asks, "First off all, what's the first machine you've ever sampled on?" And he replies "I think I had a Casio or something... Casio RZ1