Who has the best Rhodes sound ?

Rocness · Post by **Rocness** » Sat Dec 25, 2010 4:55 pm

Hi , just wanted to know what keyboard you feel has the best rhodes sound ?

between :

Korg Oasys , Yamaha Cp series, Korg sv1 , Nord, Kurzweil or others .
With sound quality, effects (tremolo flanger delay etc..) and ease of use as top priority .

Thanks

peter m. mahr · Post by **peter m. mahr** » Sat Dec 25, 2010 5:54 pm

Hi Rocness,

this is a topic I am interested in for quite a while, too. And I have played and tested most of the candidates on your list. But before I go into more details I would like to know what is your definition of the best "Rhodes sound" as there were different models with quite different character.

But in a way to answer your question already - my favourite is Yamaha's CP1, Rhodes 75 with Tremolo. Meanwhile I have a dozen of own programmed sounds, some unusually ones in which I combined different Rhodes models, one with a Phaser, the other with no EFX at all and used the velocity "switch" - amazing sounds with great dynamics!

The CP1 has one of the best keyboards I have ever played and its sounds are not as dark as the ones in the Nord. The latter is not bad either, but as mentioned, I found it "dark" and "dull" in comparison to the CP1.

Did not have the chance to check the SV1 in detail and with owning an OASYS and its "history" I was not in the mood to invest in another Korg instrument.. a decision I did not regret so far. To be fair - but it seems that there are quite a lot of people using the SV1 for good reasons. It is not as heavy but as easy to use as the CP1. I like OASYS' Rhodes sounds and my favourite Programs benefit for sure from the internal EFX. Maybe someone can tell if the SV1 uses the same EFX algorithms as the OASYS.

Waldorf are working on their "Rhodes" - probably worth to be considered and waited for, too. Finally, I owned the Mark 7 for some time and the real instrument still - not really surprising - sounds the best. But as I only had bad luck with it, I decided to send the lemon back. It was the right decision and quite easy to make as the CP1 and its "modelling" is an excellent substitute which also offers excellent acoustic Pianos.... I would definitely go for the CP again, but maybe for the CP5 in case it really sounds exactly the same AND has the same keyboard.

Peter

ozy · Post by **ozy** » Sat Dec 25, 2010 7:17 pm

I asked the same question a few months ago, spent the late summer and autumn on it, bought and sold some instruments, and here's my humble opinion:

oasys: good, but not suitable as a stage piano, and of course hugely expensive if one needs just a stage piano+masterkeyboard.

Time devoted to test: a few days.

m3: lame, better with irishacts samples (I created my programs based on the them: all variations of wha, phaser, fuzzer, ring modulator, etc).

Time devoted to test: months, currently use it, but not for rhodes.

kurzweil pc3: my final choice, I bought it just for the rhodes and the masterkeyboard features.

Most playable,efects are easily accessible (pedals, sliders, the works)

I am getting to use just TWO presets, with effects switchable on/off and working on the same "clean" sound, like on a real rhodes. I mean that as a hugely positive note.

Time devoted to test: a few weeks.

korg sv1: no. the effetcs are bad, the samples are average.

Did I say "samples"? I think I did. Did I hear "physical modeling"? Come on... pulleeeeze. Nice samples. Average.

Time devoted to test: two hours, also because editing and creation of my own programs was not possible.

roland fantom : very good when using the srx-12 expansion. Very nice 4-layer sampling, very good phaser, not so excellent wha-wha is the only bad note (but killer ring modulator). It's also the cheaper option for professional sound.

The srx-12 is necessary, by the way, resident sounds don't match it.

another possibility I extensively tested: same srx-12, but with a plain xv5080. Cheaper than the fantom xr solution, couldn't tell substantial differences in sound.

Time devoted to test: two months (fantom and xv5080 side by side)

I couldn't test myself, but had good references: gem rp-x: impossibily cheap (400 bucks), have been told that it is a bit "peculiar", and since I needed fat, '70s jazz sounds, it didn't seem a viable option.

motif: hu. As good as the m3 (not too much, then), albeit I didn't test it for months as I did for the M3.

nord stage ex: sorry, the keyboard put me off, and there was no expander option, so I probably didn't give it a fair chance.

Time devoted to test: one hour. I ddin't "feel" the keys and the interface.

The sound is in the same league as the kurzweil and the srx-12, though. Pity I really coudln't play it.

This may be heavily subjective, so I'd recommend that you ty it along with the kurzweil and the roland srx-12.

Sina172 · Post by **Sina172** » Sat Dec 25, 2010 8:49 pm

Rocness · Post by **Rocness** » Sat Dec 25, 2010 11:35 pm

@ Peter : Thank you Peter ,I had my eye on the CP1 as well , will give it a listen .

@ Ozy : Thanks Ozy I keep hearing good thing about the kurzweil pc3 .

@ Sina : Yes ,I also love Oasys but combi mode is frustrating copying efx's
for every single sound. So I mostly use Oasys in program mode.
So out of all the keyboards you just talked about, which do
you feel have the best Rhodes (only) sound ?
(sound quality, efx ,ease of use)

Thanks guys for all your great information, more please

Sina172 · Post by **Sina172** » Sat Dec 25, 2010 11:46 pm

McHale · Post by **McHale** » Sat Dec 25, 2010 11:46 pm

If the Rhodes sound is that important to you, I'd pick up a new Rhodes:

http://www.rhodespiano.com/rhodes_products.htm

or pick up a used one pretty cheap. I have a Fender Rhodes Seventy Three (suitcase) that I never use anymore. It's sitting in my garage collecting dust.

Rocness · Post by **Rocness** » Sat Dec 25, 2010 11:56 pm

McHale wrote:If the Rhodes sound is that important to you, I'd pick up a new Rhodes:

http://www.rhodespiano.com/rhodes_products.htm

or pick up a used one pretty cheap. I have a Fender Rhodes Seventy Three (suitcase) that I never use anymore. It's sitting in my garage collecting dust.

Great Ideal but I would like to trigger it with karma via midi and this is not possible with the new rhodes because it's midi is not made for incomming midi notes.

Rocness · Post by **Rocness** » Sun Dec 26, 2010 12:02 am

Sina172 wrote:
Rocness wrote:@ Sina

So out of all the keyboards you just talked about, which do you feel have the best Rhodes ? (sound quality, efx ,ease of use).

Thanks guys for all your great information, more please
For me the answer couldn't be more clear: OASYS wins hands down.

And I LOVE the EFX the way it is on the OASYS. I LOVE the flexibility! I mean, my GOD! 12 Insert Effects?! Are you kidding me?! That STILL blows me away after 3 years! I LOVE IT! I have NEVER ran out of effects as a result, too! The per track EQ is a godsend because I don't have to share a 7-band EQ anymore like I did with my Triton. It truly is THE BEST Keyboard I have EVER owned!

It's times like these that I fall in love with it time and time again.

Sina

Sina
I have The Oasys doing so many other things that I wanted something just for Rhodes sounds only , that's how important it is to me but you have inspired me to play Oasys Rhodes more.
Thanks

McHale · Post by **McHale** » Sun Dec 26, 2010 12:09 am

Rocness wrote:Great Ideal but I would like to trigger it with karma via midi and this is not possible with the new rhodes because it's midi is not made for incomming midi notes.

huh?

http://www.rhodespiano.com/midi.htm

• MIDI
The good old standard MIDI in, out and thru. MIDI in can be mixed to both MIDI out and USB, while data received from USB can be transmitted to MIDI out - probably the heaviest USB MIDI interface in the world!

I'm not seeing that it can't handle standard midi in note data.

ryan42 · Post by **ryan42** » Sun Dec 26, 2010 3:56 am

Combi INT-A 42 is awesome.

Rocness · Post by **Rocness** » Sun Dec 26, 2010 4:40 am

ryan42 wrote:Combi INT-A 42 is awesome.

Thanks , going to check it out. ASAP

Rocness · Post by **Rocness** » Sun Dec 26, 2010 4:44 am

McHale wrote:
Rocness wrote:Great Ideal but I would like to trigger it with karma via midi and this is not possible with the new rhodes because it's midi is not made for incomming midi notes.
huh?

http://www.rhodespiano.com/midi.htm

• MIDI
The good old standard MIDI in, out and thru. MIDI in can be mixed to both MIDI out and USB, while data received from USB can be transmitted to MIDI out - probably the heaviest USB MIDI interface in the world!
I'm not seeing that it can't handle standard midi in note data.

The Rhodes Piano is a mechanical device so I don't see how it could be triggered by midi. Would be a dream come true if it could but I don't think this is possible.

peter m. mahr · Post by **peter m. mahr** » Sun Dec 26, 2010 6:23 am

McHale wrote:
Rocness wrote:Great Ideal but I would like to trigger it with karma via midi and this is not possible with the new rhodes because it's midi is not made for incomming midi notes.
huh?

http://www.rhodespiano.com/midi.htm

• MIDI
The good old standard MIDI in, out and thru. MIDI in can be mixed to both MIDI out and USB, while data received from USB can be transmitted to MIDI out - probably the heaviest USB MIDI interface in the world!
I'm not seeing that it can't handle standard midi in note data.

It transmits Midi data (even polyphonic aftertouch) but it cannot handle incoming Midi data.

peter m. mahr · Post by **peter m. mahr** » Sun Dec 26, 2010 7:29 am

Rocness wrote: Yes ,I also love Oasys but combi mode is frustrating copying efx's for every single sound. So I mostly use Oasys in program mode.

You are really missing a lot Rocness if you do not use the Combinations. Some of my best E-Pianos only work because they are combined, several programs plus their EFX. Copying EFX is convenient by just choosing the command from the pull down menu and copying to the right slot. Twelve insert EFX is a lot and so far I never needed more. Hope to have time within the next weeks to record some of them and prove the power of Combination mode.

Sina172 wrote: It truly is THE BEST Keyboard I have EVER owned!

It's times like these that I fall in love with it time and time again.

Sina

Agreed!

Peter