Zanzithophone
Encyclopedia
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, formerly produced by Casio
Casio
is a multinational electronic devices manufacturing company founded in 1946, with its headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Casio is best known for its electronic products, such as calculators, audio equipment, PDAs, cameras, musical instruments, and watches...
as the Casio DH-100 (silver) or DH-200 (black). It produces a piercing, unearthly nasal tone. This instrument is most notably used by The Elephant 6 Recording Company based in Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
. It looks like a whitish clarinet/saxophone hybrid, and can be played as such. Alternatively, it can be played with the "Casio system" which alters the fingering and allows for up to 4 octaves to be played.
The MIDI OUT capability of the instrument means that it can be used to play sounds from any other MIDI instrument such as a synthesizer. This, and its low price (it was initially marketed as a toy) increased its appeal to the budget-minded musicians.
The instruments are prone to developing a squeal. This is because of a capacitor deteriorating; it can be fixed by replacing the capacitor.