Rhodes Satellite Sound

[dawman]

Using Silentway Suites' incredible audiorate EG's and LFOs I finally figured out the old sound I loved so much.
The Pan on a Fender Rhodes sample library is weak, using DSP tricks I got close, but I made a patch in Modular using RoyT's Pan2Pan stereo Panning module. As a modulator I kept messing around with the LFOs, tried the Step LFO, but finally hit paydirt with a retriggered Squarewave.
After all these years I can get really Wuelitzer 200A Vibrato and Rhodes Satellite Panning.
It really makes the samples sound so much better.

Just another shameless bump for Silentway.
But I use Reaper and Silentway/Kontakt/Pianoteq 4 and don't sequence anything, just host everything and Scope can have so many advantages using Silentway.

MCCYs QuadFilter w/ built in niceboy stuff accepts audio as a modulator via the Sidechain inputs.
And a Quad Filter Sweep using Silentway is as good as it gets in Scope.
Also BC Modulars Stereo Filters are beautifully swept.

If you don't have Silentway Suite, you really should break down and get it for 59 bucks.
I haven't even tried the synths or other sidechained plugs like Compressors, have no idea what they can do with an EG or Step LFO/LFO, but I am sure it's unique.

[dante]

Silentway is good - but as far as virtual pianos go - what about synthogy - anyone tried these - 4 different sets ranging from about $200 - $400 ?

http://www.synthogy.com/products.html

And if you combine the Italian Grand and the American Concert D - do you get a Mafia gangster bar sound like from the Sopranos ?

[Mr Arkadin]

Ah, Synthogy. How I despise them. See my glowing review on Amazon. Here's why I hate them:

1. When I originally bought Ivory it was C/R. That's what I wanted. Sometime later I got an email saying users had requested an iLok (Really? That was the number one customer request? Funny I don't remember receiving the survey). So if I ever wanted to update it I would have to purchase and use an iLok. If it had been iLok from the beginning I would not have purchased it.

2. The UELA does not allow reselling, even though Synthogy have broken their part of the deal by changing an important feature: the security method. So I couldn't even make up a bit of the money I spent on this. This is why I diss them at every opportunity because that was quite a bunch of notes I spent on it.

3. What are now separate products were originally sold as cheaper expansions to Ivory, much like when you buy BFD2 and then buy expansion packs, you do not buy BFD2 every time. Synthogy changed their product line to make more money as you are now buying the full Ivory engine every time you want a different piano. I don't like money grabbers taking the piss out of me.

So this year I sent one final email explaining all this and that I would like to sell it. They of course said I couldn't. I have since put the packaging in recycling and the DVDs (sadly) in the regular rubbish as these cannot be recycled and so will probably end up in landfill in China.

[dawman]

Get PianoTeq 4.1 and see what you think.
The Upright and 200A are uncomparable to samples, and yes that never heard of sostenuto and even ethereal harmonic pedal are available.
You just make it sound the way you want it is like the STW Plate-X, so many ways to alter the sound, and every note can be differnet, no global jive.

What I like best is the way a PhysMod can make your samples less fatiguing as it has character, no static at all.....(Steeley Dan)

[dante]

ok good enuff - Ill get pteq and steer clear of synthotoy

thanks fo the warnings !

[Mr Arkadin]

Yes PT4 is definitely on my list - just the cheap one though as I'm not going to tweak like a twat all my life. Pianos are supposed to be plug 'n' play ffs! That's probably why I still like my old Kurzweil MicroPiano module.

[dawman]

Yeah but the tuning is crucial and so are the mic positions, they really make all the difference.
Otherwise it's just another Piano w/ the pedals that sample developers can't figure out yet.
The EQs are actually pretty good, but the other effects are typical vanilla, cut with Manitol.

[garyb]

the middle priced option is a good compromise...

[Mr Arkadin]

That's what I was just thinking - don't really need a €400 piano, there is plenty tweaking plus mic model selection in the Standard.

But Jimmy, the reverb has the word 'convolution' in its name, it must be good.

[dawman]

Pah-Leeze.
I have a friend who has 8 different Native Reverbs and all of them are tailmakers. Some are algorhitmic, some Convolution but at the end of the day they only respond to a sound and create a space post audio.
It's a design choice, one I am sure is financial.

The Lexicon 224 by UAD and our very own STW Plate X are as good as soft verbs get.
They actually wrap around the audio and the wetness can "push" the image further back in the stereo image.
Hardware does this even better and the only conclusion I can draw is that on the hardware it is an optimized design specifically made for the sole purpose of re creating space, not making tails. The difference too is that the hardware designs have their own RAM and I suppose there is miniscule nanoseconds when the audio is presented.
On the Mac and PC, this must take longer, and on DSP systems, they seem to be a step in between native and hardware.
Good enough for me.
Plus I really like the Plate X, Chorus-Delay, and even the Inverse X, especially on Horn sections where the effect is needed but must abrubtly end like a gate.
But Kontakt and PianoTeq and Breverb and 50 other verbs all sound the same to me.....
Giant creators of mud sloshing through sewers..

[Mr Arkadin]

When using Kontakt or any VSTi with effects I always disable the reverb and add a Scope one too.

[dawman]

Yes, on recording I still love the PCM70 as it is a gem, but live the STW FX are just perfect as I can tweak them like hardware.
I sometimes play a room where the props are huge so they have massive curtains that soak up sound.
Carpeted floors need more reverb than wooden stages.
They're just great, but I would love a UAD w/ realtime FX as I have heard them for the last couple of years at the Big House and they are really top shelf.

Martin is the man though here, I doubt anyone even wants to try and develope verbs as they take a long time, and the shoes to fill are pretty big.

Anyways live the Silentway LFO for the Rhodes and the STW Plate are so Herbie-ish.
Nothing like the Roland, Yamaha Romplers that are in every (yawn/yawn) room.

[dante]

He did great considering he didnt have the SIMD's that are in the new chip.