You are correct that in the context of an ADSR envelope, sustain would normally relate to when a key is held down. However, many Casios have a button marked "sustain", though that function (in Casio world) actually adds "release" to the volume envelope that allows the sound to fade out over time when a key is released rather than cutting off instantly. That's what I was referring to, so I blame Casio for incorrect terminology on their keyboards!
My number on the mainboard is 80 1017 so another reason to believe it was indeed already manufactured in 1980. The selector switch for the tones is broken. I doubt if it can be repaired and I haven't found a 4 position switch with the same dimensions yet. Perhaps I'll put a different switch on the bottom of the unit so it still looks original.
I read an article about the CASIO M-10 in an old computer magazine, which made me nostalgic, so I did a search. Then I found this video. The PC magazine is "Monthly I/O January 1981". In the article, Casiotone MT-30 / M-10 / 410 are introduced as new products. It seems that they were available in Japan in January 1981. We hope this will be helpful for your research.
I'm away from home (yet again!) so can't check my M10 right now. However, the M10 is mono only, and from memory the "output" socket is also mono (I don't think I ever used it with headphones, I always connected it to an audio interface using a mono (TS) cable). The M10 most likely uses a TS (Tip Sleeve) socket, and stereo headphones use TRS (Tip Ring Sleeve) connections. Hence when using stereo headphones it will only produce sound via one side, as it is only able to make contact with the Tip and Sleeve of your headphone jack. To make it work with your stereo headphones, you'll need to get a mono to stereo adapter plug (TS to TRS). Alternatively, if you have a sound interface, simply connect the M10 to that via a mono cable and use the headphone connector on your sound interface. Hope that helps!
Agreed, it was quite good for 1980 but hopelessly outdated now. Even the MT30 that came out barely a year later in 1981 is superior to it in all respects. The M10's Organ tone is easily its best tone, and Casios/ Casiotones have always had good organ sounds. But don't forget that with effects, the other tones can shine too, and the M10 Flute preset made it onto a hit Human League record playing the lead melody!
Hey I bought an M-10 and now the signal is acting really weird when I try to switch instruments. Let's say I turn it on and it's playing in the flute sound. When I try to adjust the instrument, the keyboard starts glitching and making quiet, weird sounds, and switching back and forth between instruments on its own. Do you know if something might be wrong or if the batteries are just dying?
It could be many things, though being a relatively simple keyboard it shouldn't be too hard to locate the problem. First thing would be to check it with new/ fresh batteries, as glitchy behaviour can often be caused be low batteries. If you have the correct power supply, you could also try running it off that (7.5 volts center negative IIRC). If it still plays up after all that, I'd suspect the tone selector switch might have dirty/ oxidized contacts causing poor connections when you switch tones. You could try squirting some switch cleaner into the switch, though a proper cleaning would require disassembly of the M10 to get to the actual switch contacts and the circuit board. Hope this helps!
Intriguing video. Two remarks: 1) BB King did not play a 335 but a 345 with rthe Vartitone switch (that can be seen in the picture in the video), 2) the (impressive) tones come from the line output into decent equipment. I'm sure when you play the M10 on its own the sound coming from the speaker wil be much thinner. Looking forward to part 2. BTW I came here because this week Stewart Copeland of the Police told Rick Beato Sting used a small Casio keyboard as inspiration for Spirits in the material world. Website MusicRadar had determined it must have been an M10. After seeing your video I think they are wrong for several reasons (quiz: which ones?).
Thanks for heads up on BB King's guitar! I'm not as clued up on guitars as a I am on keyboards, and have probably incorrectly called many a 345/ 355 model a 335 over the years! And yes, the M10 dry tones, especially through the built in speaker, don't sound anything special. Effects can totally bring them alive, and many a time a famous recording has been found to have used some very primitive keyboards though effects to really beef them up (OMD's "Enola Gay" lead melody is a good example, coming from a primitive Korg Micro Preset famously purchased from a home catalogue by Paul Humphrey's mother!) Also agree that it was unlikely to be an M10 that Sting had, as in the interview Stewart was describing the built in Casio rhythms and the M10 has none! To be fair to Music Radar, some of the confusion came from the Rick Beato #shorts video with Stewart as it showed pictures of the M10. Kind of weird they did that as Stewart never mentioned the model name of the Casio in the interview itself. My suspicion is that Sting had an MT40, and if you check out my latest #shorts video I explain why that's most probably the model that was being used. Hope you also enjoy part 2 of my Casiotone M-10 Review & History! :-)
@@CasioChaosTheory Thx for the reply. I've seen that video where Paul Humphrey demonstrates how cumbersome playing that Korg on Enola Gay was, switching the octaves etc. 😉 I'll check you short on Sting.
Bought one of these in '83 for $99.99 and had it for 10 years but started having to constantly spray contact cleaner in the switches to keep them working, eventually gave it to the Salvation Army, I never considered it to be a serious musical instrument, really just a toy.
I agree, it's a very limited keyboard as standard. My main reason for buying it was that being a big Human League fan, I was intrigued to see where it might've been used on Dare. What is weird is that the M10's hardware is capable of so much more, and when modified it really unlocks a considerably more powerful and flexible keyboard. I covered the details of this in Part 2, so feel free to have a watch to see what the M10 has hiding inside!
That opening sequence in the Ad is absolutely incredible & adoreable. Great work! Miracles never cease!
Agreed I instantly gave it a thumbs up
Thank you! It was quite a lot of work to put together, mostly because Jersey the dog wouldn't sit still for very long!
Hello.
There is a video where Tony Banks (Genesis) plays the M10 and also has it in the dressing room. And in another video Sting has it (The Police)
Wow, I didn't know that! I wish I could find those videos!
18:11
Sustain is how long a sound keeps playing when you keep a key pressed. What you probably meant to say is that it has no release.
You are correct that in the context of an ADSR envelope, sustain would normally relate to when a key is held down. However, many Casios have a button marked "sustain", though that function (in Casio world) actually adds "release" to the volume envelope that allows the sound to fade out over time when a key is released rather than cutting off instantly. That's what I was referring to, so I blame Casio for incorrect terminology on their keyboards!
You just sold me on one of these. Thanks a lot
Enjoy!
I'm glad to say I own one of these, definitely very handy and fun to jam with.
My number on the mainboard is 80 1017 so another reason to believe it was indeed already manufactured in 1980.
The selector switch for the tones is broken. I doubt if it can be repaired and I haven't found a 4 position switch with the same dimensions yet. Perhaps I'll put a different switch on the bottom of the unit so it still looks original.
I have the same problem on mine. seems to be a common point of failure on this unit )~:
I read an article about the CASIO M-10 in an old computer magazine, which made me nostalgic, so I did a search.
Then I found this video.
The PC magazine is "Monthly I/O January 1981".
In the article, Casiotone MT-30 / M-10 / 410 are introduced as new products.
It seems that they were available in Japan in January 1981.
We hope this will be helpful for your research.
Thank you so much for that useful information!
Hey, my M-10 just came. Is audio supposed to only come out of one ear when headphones are plugged in? Any advice? 😊
I'm away from home (yet again!) so can't check my M10 right now. However, the M10 is mono only, and from memory the "output" socket is also mono (I don't think I ever used it with headphones, I always connected it to an audio interface using a mono (TS) cable).
The M10 most likely uses a TS (Tip Sleeve) socket, and stereo headphones use TRS (Tip Ring Sleeve) connections. Hence when using stereo headphones it will only produce sound via one side, as it is only able to make contact with the Tip and Sleeve of your headphone jack.
To make it work with your stereo headphones, you'll need to get a mono to stereo adapter plug (TS to TRS). Alternatively, if you have a sound interface, simply connect the M10 to that via a mono cable and use the headphone connector on your sound interface.
Hope that helps!
Nice sounds, may have to call RSPCA to protect the dog though :)
The only thing Miss Jersey needs protection from is too much love and being spoilt when we dog sit her!
Not a bad little mini keyboard for something that came out in 1980. I don't really love the sounds, except for that organ sound, which is awesome!
Agreed, it was quite good for 1980 but hopelessly outdated now. Even the MT30 that came out barely a year later in 1981 is superior to it in all respects. The M10's Organ tone is easily its best tone, and Casios/ Casiotones have always had good organ sounds. But don't forget that with effects, the other tones can shine too, and the M10 Flute preset made it onto a hit Human League record playing the lead melody!
Hey I bought an M-10 and now the signal is acting really weird when I try to switch instruments. Let's say I turn it on and it's playing in the flute sound. When I try to adjust the instrument, the keyboard starts glitching and making quiet, weird sounds, and switching back and forth between instruments on its own. Do you know if something might be wrong or if the batteries are just dying?
It could be many things, though being a relatively simple keyboard it shouldn't be too hard to locate the problem. First thing would be to check it with new/ fresh batteries, as glitchy behaviour can often be caused be low batteries. If you have the correct power supply, you could also try running it off that (7.5 volts center negative IIRC). If it still plays up after all that, I'd suspect the tone selector switch might have dirty/ oxidized contacts causing poor connections when you switch tones. You could try squirting some switch cleaner into the switch, though a proper cleaning would require disassembly of the M10 to get to the actual switch contacts and the circuit board.
Hope this helps!
@@CasioChaosTheory Batteries!
Intriguing video. Two remarks: 1) BB King did not play a 335 but a 345 with rthe Vartitone switch (that can be seen in the picture in the video), 2) the (impressive) tones come from the line output into decent equipment. I'm sure when you play the M10 on its own the sound coming from the speaker wil be much thinner. Looking forward to part 2. BTW I came here because this week Stewart Copeland of the Police told Rick Beato Sting used a small Casio keyboard as inspiration for Spirits in the material world. Website MusicRadar had determined it must have been an M10. After seeing your video I think they are wrong for several reasons (quiz: which ones?).
Thanks for heads up on BB King's guitar! I'm not as clued up on guitars as a I am on keyboards, and have probably incorrectly called many a 345/ 355 model a 335 over the years! And yes, the M10 dry tones, especially through the built in speaker, don't sound anything special. Effects can totally bring them alive, and many a time a famous recording has been found to have used some very primitive keyboards though effects to really beef them up (OMD's "Enola Gay" lead melody is a good example, coming from a primitive Korg Micro Preset famously purchased from a home catalogue by Paul Humphrey's mother!) Also agree that it was unlikely to be an M10 that Sting had, as in the interview Stewart was describing the built in Casio rhythms and the M10 has none! To be fair to Music Radar, some of the confusion came from the Rick Beato #shorts video with Stewart as it showed pictures of the M10. Kind of weird they did that as Stewart never mentioned the model name of the Casio in the interview itself. My suspicion is that Sting had an MT40, and if you check out my latest #shorts video I explain why that's most probably the model that was being used. Hope you also enjoy part 2 of my Casiotone M-10 Review & History! :-)
@@CasioChaosTheory Thx for the reply. I've seen that video where Paul Humphrey demonstrates how cumbersome playing that Korg on Enola Gay was, switching the octaves etc. 😉 I'll check you short on Sting.
Bought one of these in '83 for $99.99 and had it for 10 years but started having to constantly spray contact cleaner in the switches to keep them working, eventually gave it to the Salvation Army, I never considered it to be a serious musical instrument, really just a toy.
I agree, it's a very limited keyboard as standard. My main reason for buying it was that being a big Human League fan, I was intrigued to see where it might've been used on Dare.
What is weird is that the M10's hardware is capable of so much more, and when modified it really unlocks a considerably more powerful and flexible keyboard. I covered the details of this in Part 2, so feel free to have a watch to see what the M10 has hiding inside!
what a crazy intro
It was fun to make, though it took a lot of work!
Keep it dark (Genesis) Official video
Thank you!