Lounge Lizard Session

I got my LL Session by going to the German magazine Keys web site and ordering the magazine that has this as a cover item. The mag is from 2006, but as of 8/2007 it can still be ordered. I used an on line translator and figured out which magazine I needed and how to download it. Ordering the magazine with disc and postage to the US from Germany was still less than $25US! I had it in less than 1 week too. That's German Technology at work. Anyway you can get the $99 version for $25 AND you can upgrade from there to the full version (a $250 value) for another $150. So, for a total of about $175 you can get the full version Lounge Lizard. Should you so desire.

As for the LL Session product, I can't say enough about it. I use it every day. I use it on my Mac and PC. I use it as a VST, AU, DXI and stand alone. It's ROCK solid, never crashes and sounds great. This has 3 Rhodes pianos and 1 Wurlitzer piano. It's got a few nice simple effects, that sound great and add to the authenticity of the sound. You can get all those cool classic electric piano sounds. It's got a great feel. I play it with my Kurzweil SP76 keyboard and it feels like a Rhodes or Wurly. Only Better.

If you've ever really played any number of Rhodes or Wurlies you know that they're inconsistent in their feel and volume across the keyboard. There was always that one key that would resonate more than the others. Or if you would get the bottom end nice, the top and middle would just be mud. If you got the top and middle nice, the bottom would just be wimpy. This one is not that way at all. All of 4 of the piano sounds have a great bottom end (I play a lot keyboard bass) when I play hard on the bottom, but still have a nice clear sound when I play softer chords.

The middle and upper registers have a nice even feel and sound. If you get on it a bit, you get that old electric piano grit. I swear I can feel a string or a tone bar vibrate.

The 3 Rhodes sounds are all just enough different that they're each usable. The Wurly is a classic. It's SuperTramp revisited. I spend all my time going between the sounds saying, "No, I think I like this one the best".

I just love the feel of this. It's got that character and variety that electric pianos have without the mechanical problems of tuning and volume and timbre inconsistencies. I hate to say it, but just the Session version alone is about all the electric piano sounds most people will need. I don't know if I'll upgrade to the full version or not. I love this thing!!