Vintage electric pianos such as the Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer are the most popular keyboard sounds of the ’60s and ’70s. If you don’t have one of these wonderful vintage instruments, why not play an electric piano VST instead? Available as plug-ins, a sampling library, and an app for tablets and smartphones, these cool sounds are ready to go.
Hand on heart, only a real Rhodes is a real Rhodes. But even vintage connoisseurs appreciate the sound quality and flexibility that digital simulations offer, whether live on stage or in music production. Thanks to the ongoing development of piano sampling and physical modeling, today’s electric piano VSTs reproduce the sound of the original vintage instruments with amazing authenticity.
In the following sections, you will learn what to look for in an electric piano VST. You can also jump straight to the list of the best vintage electric piano VSTs.
Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer – these are the vintage electric pianos with absolute cult status. No wonder most electric piano VSTs are dedicated to these two classics. Although both electric pianos work electromechanically, there are big differences in the way they produce sound: In both cases, pickups convert the mechanical vibration of the reeds into electrical vibrations. However, the Rhodes uses a tuning fork-like construction consisting of a tine and a tone bar, while the Wurlitzer uses short metal reeds. This results in the very different sounds of the two electric pianos.
The Vibrant electric piano suite for Steinberg’s HALion software sampler has just been released. With a variety of vintage electronic piano sounds, you have everything you need to create smooth, funky soul grooves in a single library: Rhodes Stage Piano, Rhodes Suitcase, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, and Clavinet D6.
Physical modeling means that the sounds are not read from memory, but synthesized in real time based on algorithmic models. As with acoustic digital pianos, physical modeling instruments have a reputation for sounding synthetic.
Which technique is best? That depends on your preferences. All of the software instruments recommended here deliver great sounds in professional quality. In general, however, you can choose based on these preferences:
First and foremost, uniqueness. After all, two electric pianos never sound the same, even if they are from the same series. While there are certain established sound ideals, such as the Fender Rhodes Suitcase or the more rock-sounding Wurlitzer, each electric piano has its own unique characteristics and quirks in sound and playability.
Manufacturing tolerances and wear and tear give each instrument a distinctive sound. After all, these are mechanical instruments that have been around for decades and hence have very individual quirks. While this can be charming, it is much more enjoyable to play a well-tuned and well-maintained electric piano.
An outstanding example of a perfectly tuned electric piano is the Scarbee Classic EP-88s – an 88 Fender Rhodes Mark I sampled with fantastic detail. Probably the best electric piano VST ever released. A smaller version called the Scarbee EP-88M is available as an expansion for the Korg Module Pro iOS app.
Not only the sound quality of the Scarbee EP-88 is impressive. The piano sampling, in particular, takes into account a wide range of expressive possibilities related to the sustain pedal and damper behavior. In addition to the Scarbee EP-88s, Modartt Pianoteq’s electric pianos also accurately simulate articulation features such as the key-off effect and damper resonances.
The Rhodes sound comes in many variations, including the extremely mellow and slightly woody sound of the earlier Mark I models. Meanwhile, the Mark Two is capable of producing a really wiry sound with a lively attack. Then there are the aggressively distorted Rhodes sounds, as well as its brilliant bell-like variations.
The wide variety of Rhodes sounds comes from the ability to tune the piano with relatively simple means. When you open the lid, the entire sound generation is right in front of you. Simply adjust the angle of the tines and the distance between the pickups to find your own unique sound. However, tuning the entire piano quickly turns into a test of patience.
Today’s physical modeling instruments are just great, and basically the alternative for anyone who values individual sound. A physical modeling electric piano simulates the adjustment of pickups, tines, reeds, and dampers. While this is much easier to achieve than on a real vintage Rhodes, it results in these instruments lacking some of the individual touch. Only a few physically modeling VSTs offer the possibility of voicing each note individually, as Modartt Pianoteq does.
The AAS Lounge Lizard EP-4 doesn’t let you edit single notes, but you can still make extensive changes to the reed and pin models to create amazingly realistic-sounding electric pianos.
You actually don’t want a keyboard with an authentic feel, as vintage keyboards are anything but high quality. Nonetheless, a somewhat similar keyboard is much better than an ordinary one: A MIDI keyboard with lightly weighted piano keys should do the trick. Since vintage keyboards do not have weighted keys, there is no need for a graded hammer-action keyboard.
Vintage electric piano libraries have been optimally voiced for sampling, resulting in the most consistent electric piano sound possible. While you can find such high-quality electric pianos in good studios, the reality in many rehearsal rooms is quite different. Rhodes & Wurlitzer rarely sound perfectly balanced, and this is what makes vintage instruments so appealing.
The EP-73 Deconstructed by Soniccouture is a good example of how different a Fender Rhodes can sound. This library is all about the mechanical sounds that Rhodes produces. In addition to the line out, condenser and contact microphones were used to record the electric piano. As a result, it is very interesting to experiment with the sound components. The EP-73 Deconstructed can sound extremely bell-like, but also totally broken – a great variation if you already have an optimally intoned Rhodes sound.
Another recommendation is Soniccouture’s Broken Wurly. A bit clattery, but great for rock-playing styles.
The peculiarities of original electro-mechanical pianos can certainly have their appeal. But if you want sounds you can rely on live or in the studio, retro electric pianos or electric piano VSTs are a good solution. Here are our recommendations:
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