Acousticsamples releases the VTines, an Electric Piano model based on samples.

[thysm00]

Following the steps of our B-5 Organ, we released an Electric Piano instrument using modeling techniques and samples as the sound source.



The result allows for a very natural playability and sounds like a real Electric Piano with all its imperfections.

We used a 1978 Fender Rhodes Mark I, fully restored, for the recording.


Modeled Vibrato

The unique vibrato stereo panning was carefully measured on a suitcase amp and replicated. We added the possibility to sync it to the tempo of a sequencer and also to use it as mono as it was the case in pre-69 models.






Suitcase AMP

The stereo amps of Suitcase Electric Pianos have a very recognizable sound. We captured different microphone positions and distances to cover most of the real life recording placements.





FX Pedalboard

Electric pianos are often used with FX, so we created an FX panel with the most common ones, each of them is one of the very efficient and high quality FXs made by UVI.





Precise adjustments

Modeling also means customization. That is why you can alter the sound of the VTines like you would on a real electric piano and in a very easy way.

You can adjust many different parameters for each note, for all notes or using a mapper for each parameter.




Check out the video demo here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO78jg_TGhw

As well as the audio demos: https://soundcloud.com/acousticsamples/sets/vtines

The VTines is available at an introductory price of 79€ / $95 until after the Black Friday weekend, on November 25th.

https://www.acousticsamples.net/vtines

[Spitfire31]

Do I really need another Rhodes emulation?

That's the question I had to ask myself a couple of days ago, when out of the blue Arnaud Sicard of Acousticsamples launched his new Vtines.

I thought that with Skarbye's great Classic EP-88s and Soniccouture's Canterbury Suitcase, both sample based, and a number of lesser emulations, including Lounge Lizard (arguably more of a fun-to-play e-pianoish keyboard than an exact emulation) I was pretty well covered for Rhodes.

However, with the magnificent B-5 Organ as evidence of Arno's dedication and know-how, I decided to get VTines at the reasonable introduction price – and I'm happy that I did. It's a fabulous instrument – so physical!

I think that's the main difference between the huge sampled emus and VTines, which is modelled on the foundation of samples – I assume a process similar to what Samplemodeling/Audiomodeling are using for their string, brass and woodwind solo instruments. With samples providing the audio character, the modelling adds almost limitless tweaking options and also a negligible footprint – VTines weighs in at just around 90MB.

In spite of never having tickled the keys of a Rhodes piano IRL, with VTines I get the feel of an actual mechanical instrument, even while playing my travel companion, an IK iRig Keys Pro, balanced on my lap.

So my answer is yes – I did 'need' another Rhodes…

/Joachim

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Acousticsamples.

[rasmusklump]

Is the CPU consumption comparable to the B-5 ?
I love the sound but can't play it at low latencies in Cubase without crackle...

[Spitfire31]

Based on a thoroughly unscientific comparison, my impression is that VTines is a lot less CPU hungry than B-5.

Om my modest travel rig, a MacBook Air mid 2013 with a 1.7GHz i7 and 8GB RAM, running Sierra and only the built-in soundcard, I just checked out VTines in Live 10 (with a number of other programs running simultaneously, including Chrome…).

At 256 samples, according to Live, VTines took about 10 percent CPU while being played 'normally'. At 128 samples around 20 percent (with CC64 pedal down and playing cluster chords around 25 percent). At 64 samples, I could still play 'normally', but clusters with pedal down started to crackle a bit.

Just guessing, after having played B-5 in a similar way, I'd say the organ takes at least 10 percent more CPU.

/Joachim

[rasmusklump]

great, thanks

[electro]

Is the CPU consumption comparable to the B-5 ?
I love the sound but can't play it at low latencies in Cubase without crackle...

What is the lowest latency buffer these AS instruments can be played at?

[Spitfire31]

What is the lowest latency buffer these AS instruments can be played at?

How long is a piece of string?

The buffer size is, of course, heavily dependent on your machine specs, on your system, your audio driver, your DAW, how many simultaneous FX plugs you're running, etc, and so forth. So there's no meaningful answer.

That said, as I indicated in my post above, I successfully played VTines on my five years old, jack-of-all-trades MB Air travel laptop, with other programs running in the background, at a buffer of 64 samples. Though I got some crackles when using CC#64 for sustain, I don't think that would've happened with the machine cleaned up for music.

Also, I just noticed that VTines needs a lot less CPU juice than the completely modelled Pianoteq 6.

/J

[digitalboytn]

Do I really need another Rhodes emulation?

I thought that with Skarbye's great Classic EP-88s and Soniccouture's Canterbury Suitcase, both sample based, and a number of lesser emulations, including Lounge Lizard (arguably more of a fun-to-play e-pianoish keyboard than an exact emulation) I was pretty well covered for Rhodes.

/Joachim

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Acousticsamples.

It's a little disingenuous of you to describe AAS's Lounge Lizard as a "lesser emulation"...

It's the only one on the list that's physically modeled and as such,it's so much more than an emulation...

You can create your own electro piano without involving a single static sample...

It's load time is almost instantaneous and it's CPU hit is next to nothing...

It also sounds great

The good old Lounge Lizard is my pick of the litter

[rasmusklump]

The VTines are fantastic.

[Spitfire31]

It's a little disingenuous of you to describe AAS's Lounge Lizard as a "lesser emulation"...

It's the only one on the list that's physically modeled and as such,it's so much more than an emulation...

You can create your own electro piano without involving a single static sample...

It's load time is almost instantaneous and it's CPU hit is next to nothing...

It also sounds great

The good old Lounge Lizard is my pick of the litter

I agree that my choice of adjective was a bit hasty and inexact. What I meant was, LL isn't an exacting emulation of a particular electric piano and, as such, is a bit beside the sampled or sample modelled Rhodes clones.

In my view, VTines is special in that it has this very physical, mechanical feeling and even though its timbres are based on sampling, there's nothing static about it that I can hear.

But then, I agree wholeheartedly about Lounge Lizard. It's in fact a firm favourite of mine, for songwriting or just noodling, thanks to its immediacy and wide and pleasing palette of timbres evoking both Rhodes and Wurlies without aiming to carbon copy clone either of them. So, horses for courses, I'd say. And I always have LL at hand since version 1…

/Joachim