Stef Animal Unveils 'The Casio CA-100 Simulator'

Providing a timely distraction from watching the entire music world melt down about a credit card / NFT scam, Ōtepoti electronic innovator Stef Animal has unveiled her fun new creation The Casio CA-100 Simulator over on the Pyramid Club's recently revamped website. Described as "a ‘fan-fiction’ software version of the mediocre Casio ToneBank CA-100 keyboard from 1990," the interactive project does indeed replicate the pokey sounds of the op shop find in all of its charming glory. Allowing users to sequence on the fly, the drum machine might be the real star of the show, featuring a quite usable and crunchy snare (?) sound, plus some spacey party-starting toms. The keyboard sounds can be changed around while the percussion does its thing and octave can be shifted too. I particularly like the celestial Voice and thunking Bass sounds, and just discovered the all-important Fuzz button. Here's what I cooked up in five minutes.

To play around and learn more about the project, head over to the Pyramid Club site HERE, featuring a wealth of resources — including info about experimental artist Tash van Schaardenburg's (Citacsy) work Civil Twilight, created during their two week residency project and happening tonight from 8.30pm.

Pyramid Club are encouraging users to send in their tunes: "We, at Pyramid Club, would love to hear the music that you make using this incredible machine. If you produce a track made solely with the sounds from the Casio CA-100 Simulator (you can multi-track and process if you wish; we'll even accept some vocals) we will start a soundcloud playlist here. And if we get enough submissions we will put it up on Bandcamp! Set yourself to celebrating the palette of the Casio CA-100 Simulator now!! (send your tunes to info@pyramidclub.org.nz with the subject heading: This One is a Banger)."