Rhodes emulations?

[Septic Underground]

Strange that the officially endorsed one isn't listed: https://rhodesmusic.com/rhodes-v8-plugin/
No experience with it, but maybe something to research on yourself.

[simon.a.billington]

Strange that the officially endorsed one isn't listed: https://rhodesmusic.com/rhodes-v8-plugin/
No experience with it, but maybe something to research on yourself.

I was actually going to say something similar. It's really good, though they stop short and stick to the features you can find on their actual Mk 8. This does include the customisable way you can have it setup, making the tone highly configurable.

All in all it's one of my favourite Rhodes emulations out there. If I want more flexible effects I can just tack on one of my kazillion plugins and take the sound anywhere I want it to go. So I don't see it as an issue.

The other one is by Waves, Electric 88. That one's good too, it sounds a little road worn which is just how I like them. The Formant control is really cool on that one too.

[BBFG#]

The Rhodes music emu is perhaps too exact... It brought back everything I hated about my old suitcase and stage pianos from the 60s/70s.
And it was a long love/hate relationship that went into the late 80s. It's also the one keyboard that kept me working and gave me the most cash flow through those decades.

I haven't seen any mention of the Arturia electrics here yet, so I think they're worth mentioning as well.

I have many of the ones already mentioned here, but my favorites are continually Pianoteq and Lounge Lizard. They're everything I loved about my old real electric without the hate. (Which was mainly weight, maintenance, and not the best playability.)

[Krakatau]

Adding Pianoteq and Scarbee to the list, but honestly, the standard is so high that at this point it's about subtle flavor rather than anything else.

indeed, I agree...

[funky lime]

another vote for Scarbee. The 88S is indeed nice, but Scarbee Vintage Keys (particularly the Mk1 and the wurli) have been my go-to for years. (i also like subtly layering some Una Corda or Noire underneath the rhodes, but mostly for a bit of felt/mechanical noises, not as much the actual piano tone)

Soniccouture makes some lovely keys, full of character. I'm not real into the Canterbury (tone is a bit too "strident" for my tastes), but it is a very solid library and if you like that sort of barking tone, it nails it. (the Scarbee Mk1 still barks a bit like that, but only at really high velocity). Broken Wurli and EP73 Deconstructed are gems.

interestingly, i like pianoteq's electric keys more than their acoustic piano stuff, but i've only tried a few.

[btfnk]

Strange that the officially endorsed one isn't listed

AFAIK, the only thing that the current Rhodes company has in common with the company that put out the most desired Mk1 and Mk2 models is the name. That name has been sold many times and the current holder has no lineage from the prior owners.

That said, when I demoed their V8 plugin it was buggy, but had a very good sound with more consistent dynamics than you usually get with other products. It was also vastly overpriced.

[SampleScience]

I made a free electric piano rompler a couple of years ago, it's not the best but it's certainly usable: https://www.samplescience.info/2021/01/four-ep.html

[electro]

UAD Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio
Acoustic Samples V-Tines

Those two have the sonic authenticity the modellers don't.

[A-Grade_Audio]

A bit off-topic, but the one Rhodes emulation I long to see is the Chroma:


That thing was an absolute beast!

....anyhow, I use AAS Lounge Lizard as it's more of a synthesis tool for strange pianos than a perfect emulation. Other emulations are better for authenticity.

[NikkiA]

UAD Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio
Acoustic Samples V-Tines

Those two have the sonic authenticity the modellers don't.

V-tines is a modeller though, probably the deepest given that you can even alter each tine's distance to the pickup.

[electro]

Spectral synthesis is sampling with less shortcomings.

UAD Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio
Acoustic Samples V-Tines

Those two have the sonic authenticity the modellers don't.

V-tines is a modeller though, probably the deepest given that you can even alter each tine's distance to the pickup.

[bermudagold]

Spectral synthesis is sampling with less shortcomings.

not at all imo...i have never heard additive synthesis (spectral synthesis) capture the full amount of timbre information of pcm sampling

vtines is a hybrid...using samples and synthesis in the falcon engine...probably in the same tradition of hardware workstations using samples for the attacks and synthesizing the rest of the envelope

[electro]

The file size is small

[bermudagold]

The file size is small

sure...that's one of the benefits...they say directly that it's hybrid on their site...i think they have gone hybrid overall for their instruments since they moved from kontakt to falcon

[dickiefunk]

I have the NI Scarbee and Pianoteq Rhodes and Pianoteq is my favourite.
I like the sound of V-Tines as well but am very happy with the Pianoteq Rhodes.