Casio VL-Tone improvisation by Raymond Castile

Published on Aug 25, 2017 raycastile

"My very first electronic instrument was a Casio VL-Tone (or Casio VL-1, both names are on the instrument). I was just a little kid and already in love with Vangelis, Wendy Carlos, John Carpenter and other synth players. So my parents bought me this little toy synth, either for my birthday or Christmas. I played with that thing night and day. I made avant-garde tape recordings, thinking I was Vangelis recording Beaubourg. That was the only electronic instrument I had until I turned 16, when my grandmother bought me an organ.

The Casio VL-Tone in this video is the very same one from my childhood. I dug it up last night to see if it still works. Yes it does. I plugged it into my mixer, added some effects, and was surprised at how good it sounded. So tonight I recorded this.

The only two instruments are the Roland Juno 60 providing the arpeggio and the Casio VL-Tone providing the lead. I've got some Lexicon and Valhalla effects to fill out the sound and add some texture.

I doubt I will use the VL-Tone again for a recording like this, but it was fun to do this time."