The new Yamaha Reface CP vs Wurlitzer and Fender Rhodes
Putting the new Yamaha Reface CP electric piano mini keyboard, head-to-head against a vintage Wurlitzer electric piano and a Fender Rhodes.
Sounds of the Rhodes Chroma Polaris
Description:
From 1984, a rare bird, the Chroma Polaris! This instrument sits right on the cusp of the digital era, a hybrid with some fun quirks. I wanted to show off its majestic side, while allowing its dread-like hair to shine. A light, bouncy track for a glittering summer afternoon.
About the machine:
The Chroma Polaris was the second synthesizer made by Fender/Rhodes after they took over ARP, following their classic Rhodes Chroma. It has a classic analog ARP-like sound, kind-of tinny but also fat. Sounds can be layered up to 6 voices. It has typical analog synth controls including a cool ‘sweep’ knob for sweeping through the LFO or analog filter cutoff parameters. It also has a simple real-time sequencer and 132 memory patches.
There’s also a nice and colorful layout with sliders similar to Roland Juno synths, membrane push-buttons and a large velocity sensitive 61-note keyboard making the Chroma Polaris a very nice synth. Fully MIDI-equipped, the Polaris will transmit and receive all its edit controls through MIDI as well as the ability to play up to three patches at once. Unfortunately they are rare and usually hard to find.
Fender Rhodes: Forgotten sounds of yesteryear
Improvisation with Rhodes SeventyThree Mark I, ARP Omni-2, and Roland SH-1000.
Effect: Eventide H3000-D/SE patch 155 “ANALOG DELAYS2”.
The Fender Rhodes product line evolved quickly as the 1970’s began. The 73-key Electric Piano was renamed the Fender Rhodes Suitcase Piano in 1969, featuring a black harp cover and a stereo 80W amp, and by 1970 the Fender Rhodes Mark I Stage Piano was available. The Stage Piano was the piano top from the Suitcase model, modified for use with an external guitar or bass amplifier. The Stage model featured detachable legs (parts from a Fender pedal steel guitar), a sustain pedal and pushrod (part of a Rogers hi-hat stand), and a simplified front panel with only volume and bass EQ controls. Internally, the Stage Piano was nearly identical to the Suitcase model.
Major changes were made to the piano action between 1969 and 1971. Around 1970, the wooden teardrop piano hammers used in previous models were replaced with hybrid wood-plastic hammers. These new hammers were designed with replaceable tips, because the teardrop hammers were prone to developing grooves over time and were difficult to repair. Originally the tips were made of felt-covered wood and glued into a slot in the hammer head. In early 1971 the factory switched to using Neoprene (rubber) tips, which were proven to be more durable.
The tone generators were also greatly improved during this time. The tonebars were redesigned to be thinner and lighter, with the lower octaves having a 90-degree twist in the middle. This helped to both reduce the weight of the piano and improve tone quality overall. Additionally, the tines were tapered using a “centerless grinding process”, making them hundreds of times more durable than the original Raymac tines. These tines produced a more stable sound while retaining much of the bell-tone that characterized the Rhodes. But the biggest accomplishment was the introduction of full-size, 88-key pianos in 1972. The Rhodes engineers had finally found ways to stabilize the tone and pitch of keys in the extreme registers of the piano, with the lowest bass notes not needing tonebars and the highest notes requiring wood-core hammer tips.
The Celebes Sea (featuring vintage analogue keys)
Original music featuring ARP2600, Moog Voyager, Mellotron, D6 Clavinet, Nord Electro 3 and Fender Rhodes
Free Fender Rhodes Ableton Live Instrument Pack
Free Ableton Live Pack #70: Rusty Fender Rhodes Pack by AfroDJMac and Robert Chambers. This free Ableton Live Instrument Rack was created with samples from a Fender Rhodes electric piano.
Free Download @ http://bit.ly/freesynth70
Robert Chambers: http://soundcloud.com/robertchambers
Weekend synth jam – featuring Fender and Moog
Background information from Rheyne:
Download or stream the audio at SoundCloud: http://snd.sc/JOvWMs
A live looping improv jam with a Fender Rhodes, Moog Prodigy, and an Akai MPD26 controlling a custom kit in NI’s Kontakt. An iPod Touch is controlling the reverb mix on the Rhodes through Lemur, and the first loop from the Rhodes is recorded in Ableton’s looper controlled by a MIDI Fighter 3D. A Novation Launchpad is controlling the recording and playback of loops in Ableton Live. An MXR Wylde Overdrive is connected to the Rhodes. All audio is passed through a PreSonus 1818VSL connected to a Macbook Pro running Ableton Live.
All loops are recorded live.
Space music: The Aristocratic Mouse
A 1960s Space-Age/Lounge style song with Yamaha YPT-400, Moog Memorymoog, Synthesizers.com modular and Fender Stratocaster.
Tubular Bells by the Brooklyn Organ Synth Orchestra
Lots of goodies in this one…you know what I mean when you watch it 
Filmed and Directed by Amy Hobby.
Edited by Tony Zajkowski.
Over 20 different NYC female keyboardists playing vintage keyboards at Joe McGinty’s Carousel Studio in Brooklyn, NY.
Available on iTunes!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tubular-bells/id398862997
Featuring:
Kaia Wong (Mixel Pixel)
Kelly Rae Kerwin (Private Income)
Natasha Bartolf
Joanna Choy (Spray Paint Star)
Amy Merril (Mia Riddle)
Greta Gertler (The Universal Thump)
Supercute!
Anna Copa Cabanna
Rolyn Hu (True Primes)
Sondra Sun-Odeon (Silver Summit)
Michi Turner (Crash Diet Crew)
Katia Floreska (The Tall Pines)
Natalie Weiss (Unicornicopia, Camp Wanatachi)
Wendy Ip
Alice Cohen
Yvette Perez
Kelly Vaughn-Kauffman (Winstron Troy)
Yvette Perez (H*E*R)
Hula Hoop Harlot Melissa-Anne
Alix Brown (Golden Triangle)
Leah Cary (Girl Crisis)
Caitlin Jemison (Queen Of Sibyls)
Instruments featured:
Hammond M3 Organ
Fender Rhodes
Oberheim Xpander
Dave Smith Instruments Poly Evolver Keyboard
Steinway Upright Grand Piano
RMI Keyboard Computer
Jenco Celeste
Baldwin Electric Harpsichord
Bebot
Magical Musical Thing
Thingamagoop
Hohner Clavinet D6
Casio CZ-101
Wurlitzer Electric Piano
Conn Electric Band
ARP 2600
ARP Omni
Suzuki Omnichord
Yamaha CS-01
Yamaha TX802
Vox Continental
Fender Starmaster
Farfisa Combo Compact
Buzzing Bee
Optigan
Stylophone
Toy Piano
360 Systems Digital Keyboard
Hammond Synthesizer
Gibson Clavioline
Moog Little Phatty
MiniMoog
Mellotron
Mass-Rowe Vibrachime
AmpliTube Fender apps for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad are now available for download
IK Multimedia has announced that its AmpliTube Fender apps for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad are now available for download from the iTunes App store.
Designed and developed in close cooperation with Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, AmpliTube Fender™ is a full featured recording studio, guitar amp and FX rig offering the legendary Fender™ tone.
AmpliTube Fender features
- Real time guitar mobile multiFX + recording and practicing app.
- Full rig with 3 stompboxes (iPhone)/4 (iPad) + amp with effects + cabinet + mic.
- 6 Fender™ Stomps — Fender™ Phaser, Fender™ Blender™, Tape Delay, Overdrive, Compressor (by registering) and Noise Filter.
- 5 Fender™ Amps with matching Cabinets — ’65 Deluxe Reverb™, ’65 Twin Reverb™, ’59 Bassman™ LTD, Super-Sonic™ and Pro Junior™.
- 2 Microphone models, dynamic and condenser.
- Single track recorder (with re-amping) expandable to full 4 track (iPhone)/8 track (iPad) recording studio with master effects through in-app purchase.
- Import and play up to 50 songs/backing tracks directly from your iPod library on your device or from your computer.
- Ultra-realistic tones derived from the AmpliTube Fender Mac/PC studio.
- Slow down or speed up the tempo (-50% to +200%) of imported songswithout affecting their pitch.
- 36 presets can be saved/named/recalled on the fly.
- Includes tuner and metronome.
- Low-latency for real time playing.
- FREE version also available – can be expanded by individual gear model purchases, or bundle purchase via the in-app purchase feature.
- Can be incorporated into the AmpliTube 2 for iPhone/iPad app via in-app purchase.
The AmpliTube Fender apps for iPhone and iPad are currently available from the iTunes App Store, and cost $14.99 USD / 11.99 EUR each. Free versions are also available for iPhone and iPad, both expandable with the individual amps and effects a-la-carte through in-app purchases.
The 4-track recorder and 8-track recorder with master effects’ sections on the iPhone and iPad cost $9.99 USD / 7.99 EUR and $14.99 USD / 11.99 EUR respectively as in-app purchases. AmpliTube 2 for iPhone/iPad users are able to add AmpliTube Fender™ stomp box and amplifier models as individual in-app purchases for only $4.99 USD / 3.99 EUR per amp, $2.99 USD / 2.39 EUR per stomp box, or $14.99 USD / 11.99 EUR for the entire collection of models.
More information: IK Multimedia
Fender on the iPad – it’s here
After a number of other cool releases for the iPad, e.g. iMS20, here’s another one from Fender this time
IK Multimedia introduces AmpliTube® Fender™ for iPhone®, iPod touch and iPad: full featured tone guitar rig apps with built-in recording studios offering the legendary Fender tone designed and developed in close cooperation with Fender.
The AmpliTube Fender™ app, at its core, is all about pure Fender® tone. It was developed with careful guidance and critical tone testing from the tone gurus at Fender® to ensure the authenticity of the sound. Derived from the award-winning desktop version of AmpliTube Fender™, the app offers 5 Fender® amp models — the ’65 Deluxe Reverb®, the Super-Sonic™, the ’65 Twin Reverb®, the ’59 Bassman® LTD and the Pro Junior™, and 6 Fender® stompbox models — Tape Delay, Compressor, the Blender™, Phaser, Overdrive and Noise Filter.
AmpliTube Fender™ features:
• Real time guitar and bass mobile multiFX + recording app
• Full rig with 3 stompboxes (iPhone)/4 (iPad) + amp with effects + cabinet + mic
• 6 Fender® Stomps — Fender® Phaser, Fender® Blender™, Tape Delay, Overdrive, Compressor (by registering) and Noise Filter
• 5 Fender® Amps with matching Cabinets — ’65 Deluxe Reverb®, ’65 Twin Reverb®, ’59 Bassman® LTD, Super-Sonic™ and Pro Junior™
• 2 Mic models, dynamic and condenser
• Single track recorder (with re-amping) expandable to full 4 tracks (iPhone)/8 tracks (iPad) recording studio with master effects through in-app purchase
• Import and play up to 50 songs/backing tracks directly from your iPod library on your device or from your computer
• Ultra-realistic tones derived from the AmpliTube Fender™ Mac/PC studio
• Slow down or speed up to tempo (-50% to +200%) of imported songs without affecting their pitch
• 36 presets can be saved/named/recalled on the fly
• Includes tuner/metronome
• Low-latency for real time playing
• FREE version also available – can be expanded by individual gear model purchases, or bundle purchase via the in-app purchase feature
• Can be incorporated into the AmpliTube 2 for iPhone/iPad app via in-app purchase
Pricing and availability:
The AmpliTube Fender apps for iPhone and iPad costs $14.99/ €11.99 each and will soon be available on the iTunes app store. A free version will also be available and will be expandable with individual amps and effects a-la-carte through in-app purchases. The 4 –Track recorder and 8-Track recorder with master effects section on iPhone and iPad cost $9.99/ €7.99 and $14.99/ €11.99 respectively as an inapp purchase.
AmpliTube 2 for iPhone or iPad users will be able to add AmpliTube Fender stomp box and amplifier models as individual in-app purchases for only $4.99/ €3.99 per amp, $2.99/ €2.39 per stomp box, or $14.99/ €11.99 for the entire bundle.
Available soon from the App Store. More info at http://www.ikmultimedia.com/…
DATAMASKIN
