Comparison: Spectrasonics Keyscape vs 1972 Fender Rhodes, Neo Soul Keys, & Tines Anthology

[@Kannwal_Siingh]

I don't Know how many times i said this before .But seriously watching your videos gives me warm and positive feeling All i wanna say is please never stop doing these videos .Kudos

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for the support, I really appreciate it!

[@Boissinova]

Yeah this is hella useful. Thank you.

[@Andronicus2007]

Keyscape is an excellent sampled Rhodes, but the real thing just sounds so much better imo!

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@jgooch99]

All of them sound great! I believe those who take the time to program their virtual instruments and channel strips can get a very realistic-sounding instrument that is portable. I love real instruments but having a great portable sound can be a life saver!

[@SoundsAndGear]

No doubt fam, you most definitely can get an amazing sound with the software that is available today.

[@Kolinu2]

Thanks for doing this, love the Rhodes sound. Just shows how good Tines Anthology, Keyscape and Neo Soul really are, plus they're a lot lighter to carry around :).

[@SoundsAndGear]

Really good sounding libraries, there is a reason these 3 are in my setup ;)

[@Kolinu2]

Yes, it was through your review that I discovered and just recently bought Neo Soul and prior to that Soniccouture's version of the Rhodes - EP73 Deconstructed.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yep, that one is great too man smh!

[@nicebluejay]

hell yeah, i hated carrying my rhodes around, it was a fecking tank!! watch out for your toes

[@indiefilmcomposer]

around 10 minutes and after I can hear how the real rhodes has slight tuning and other imperfections that dynamically change with the amount of pressure you apply, with the VST versions some of that reaction is happening but not as much in terms of natural variation of the imperfections ....it’s subtle but it’s the magic of the real instrument ......Keyscape sounds great though .....i use and rely on a lot of VSTs...

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yeah, the imperfections are what make it shine. My Rhodes isn't in pristine condition and I still love it!

[@brianbrill]

Hard to say which sounds best, but to my ears, Tines definitely sounds closest to your Rhodes.

[@SoundsAndGear]

It's interesting, it is a very personal thing as usual when it comes to sound. I thought this would be a fun thing to show as this is how I nerd out and test things personally lol. Thanks for watching.

[@GR-M3]

Same here - for me Tines sounds closest to the real Rhodes

[@WillsJazzLoft]

The name Tines Anthology was conceived because the emulation was rooted in a design factor of the Fender Rhodes. A hammer struck a metal tine that was attached to an electroacoustic pickup; this was the design on all 73/88 keys. And to this day the name Rhodes is still trademarked. So competing manufacturers have to use a nomenclature such as ' Tines Anthology ' to keep their respective products legal

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yep

[@Jamminn555]

St. Joe, super cool video, man. Thanks so much for posting this and ALL of the great videos you do.

[@SoundsAndGear]

+Benjamin Bidlack thanks for watching!

[@leepride7978]

I ain't gone lie. You were saying the same thing in your intro and you started playing the same note over and over. I looked away and and when I looked back, I saw you were on Keyscapes. I didn't even know you switched. Likes!

[@SoundsAndGear]

Hahahaha, thanks for watching!

[@lundsweden]

I love your Rhodes, however how much does it weigh, lol? I'm thinking about 200kg? I still remember being on the bottom going up stairs moving my Yamaha CP80m! (electro-acoustic piano) I think a Rhodes would weigh about the same!

[@SoundsAndGear]

HAHAHA, I don't know exactly how much, but it's not light lol.

[@proverbalizer]

not too familiar with the other two, but the good thing about Keyscape is you can customize the velocity curve to work well with your particular midi keyboard so if you play around with that you could get the responsiveness to match even better with the keys on your real Rhodes.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yeah it is pretty flexible

[@sergioflores5565]

Keyscape is awesome, however, one "problem" is that they perfectly restored and tuned the instruments before recording them. This means much more ease of use when wanting a generalized, good sounding Rhodes in a mix. However, it also means less character than in your typical, used instrument, where every note has its own quirks and life. I wish they would have included one "imperfect" model with slight detuning throughout the notes for use in more retro-flavored tracks.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yeah I can agree with that. My Rhodes is far from perfect, but I love it!

[@sergioflores5565]

@@SoundsAndGear I can imagine you do. Each instrument is unique because of its imperfections. My 1976 Suitcase is my most beloved instrument, even though I use my other hardware much more often these days.

[@SoundsAndGear]

@@sergioflores5565 Agreed!

[@michaelbariso3192]

Awesome video thanks! Purchased both the Stage 73 and suitcase models new and loved them both even with the tuning imperfections in the midsection-mostly from users like me aligning the tines to close to the pickup to obtain a less muddy and funky sound, which is probably why we all over used the chorus effects to hide the imperfections? Is there anyway to use these software rendering programs without the noticeable delay-legacy problems, maybe a state hard drive? Thanks in advance.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching, I'm sure an SSD would help

[@ignatius3079]

I would say that Keyescape sounds the closets however because the sample come with the rel noise set a little bit high, it would have been hard to hear the bite through the mechanical noise.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@clayton_jansen]

It's like you said man. It's all out of the box. Anything can be tweaked. I prefer Keyscape's tone however. And if you use the keyscape library inside Omnisphere , you can totally manipulate the sound. Great job on the vid Joe.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Cool, thanks for watching. It's definitely a powerful instrument, super flexible as well.

[@shatteredsquare]

Do you mean omnisphere can play all the keyscape libraries?? And use all the synth power with the keyscape samples??

[@jefferydelmar]

Fantastic video and great channel! Subscribed and loving the content. Thanks for all the hard work you put into it.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@machettman]

the response has more to do with your hardware latency than the actual plugin. from what i heard the real rodes keyboard just sounds a bit more muffled and not as bright. im sure adjusting the Timbre knob counterclockwise can correct that if its what you want. its close enough. anything else can be corrected in the mix

[@SoundsAndGear]

Nothing like playing the real thing, but for most it doesn't matter. Plenty of great software options! Thanks for watching.

[@jamesmmusic5806]

Have you tried the EZKeys one?

[@SoundsAndGear]

I may have tried the demo years ago, but I haven't spent any time with it extensively.

[@IDONTPLAYENT]

I was thinking about getting a SV1 next next week and came across this video. I wonder how intense and resource hungry these plugs are. Im using a MacBook and Ableton but I think the Korg would be my best bet. Im using Kontac scarbee now and usually have to freeze or bounce tracks. Have you tried a Korg SV1??

[@SoundsAndGear]

I haven't tried it but if I'm not mistaken my bro @bboytechreport was going to get that one before he got a real Rhodes. He said it was the best keyboard he had tried.

[@hokanu93]

neosoul keys + vkfx give me the best feeling..lounge lizard was deceptive for me. thanks for this video !

[@SoundsAndGear]

Nice, thanks for watching! Jamal has a new Neo Soul Keys Studio coming out, it includes the VFX in the instrument!

[@IDONTPLAYENT]

What up bro. I went to the GC and tried the Korg SV1 again and I decided on Keyscape. So my question is would this work better with a weighted midi controller? And if so any recommendations?? Thanks again for all the vids

[@SoundsAndGear]

I think, depending on how you play, a weighted keyboard would be good. However, that will vary greatly based on your own desires in terms of feel. For example, I have the Arturia Keylab 88 and the NI, I prefer the feel of the NI yet the Arturia has a heavier action. Some may prefer the heavier action though. I know many love the Roland 88 key controllers too.

[@kicksncapz]

There's a slight clicking on the first soft sythn but your actual rodes doesn't have the clicking, the 2nd Rhodes soft synth was the best copy of your instrument

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@tokyochillhop8978]

I heard that AAS Lounge Lizard EP 4 is also dope!

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yeah, I've messed with it before, it's cool.

[@tokyochillhop8978]

What's attractive about it is the fact that the software engineers used physical modeling instead of HD samples........faster load times and I imagine less taxing on the CPU when running multiple sessions simultaneously.

[@SoundsAndGear]

There are many folks that love it, just not my thing personally.

[@franciscomoralesmusic]

I think Lounge Lizard is think, I don't know how people doesn't heart it?

[@pedroneves9351]

You can't achieve for example dilla sound and Jill Scott etc with keyscape ,ok you can but no so close like with neo soul ... If you want a library more lighter to layer for example maybe I choose keyscape

[@SoundsAndGear]

You most certainly can. Again, this is just straight out of the box. They have multiple models, and plenty of ways to tweak the sound, trust me...it sounds incredible.

[@peterpedant]

Can keyscape be used as a stand alone without DAW?

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yeah, all of their plugins have a standalone mode now so you can just open it directly on your computer without opening a host or daw first.

[@ByrowNeius]

Everyone here sound good in 2016. It all comes down to the individuals skills and ability to make a cheap Casio to the most expensive Nord sound good. Keyscape is winning for me; I love it.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching fam!

[@keyboardtek]

The reason there are so may Rhodes piano samples is that simply adjusting the angle of the tonebars and pickups can change the tone and dynamic response of a real Rhodes. As a keyboard technician, I owned three Rhodes pianos in my life. The challenge was to adjust the tone and pickups to get the smoothest transition in tone at each area where the hammer tips change density. When a Rhodes comes into my shop, I always ask the customer if he has $1000 to spend, because they are almost always beat up and are labor intensive to get into good shape. I use synth and VST Rhodes in all of my recordings as it is so much easier to find the particular Rhodes sound appropriate for the style of music your are playing.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Indeed, thanks for the comment.

[@dynoroad]

Is it just me or do those VSTs suffer from bad velocity switching?

[@SoundsAndGear]

Could be a combination of the library and the keyboard settings, most of the let you set it up to your specific keyboard.

[@dynoroad]

@@SoundsAndGear I think I heard it most with keyscape, which seemed to jump to the "bark" sound really quickly, but perhaps you just played it that way?

[@SoundsAndGear]

@@dynoroad I was specifically seeing if I could trigger that "bark" sound in the plugins for sure.

[@dynoroad]

@@SoundsAndGear Thanks for the clarification!

[@SoundsAndGear]

@@dynoroad no problem!

[@BrazenNL]

I'm not sure why people compare something to a Rhodes, since every Rhodes sounds different.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yep, they sure do! That's what makes it such an awesome instrument in my opinion :)

[@nicebluejay]

yup i used to have one and it was quite a bit brighter overall

[@MrVinylistic]

Great review and nice comparison! Many thanks mate!

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching.

[@johnnyparker2128]

Next tax return is a full refurb Fender Rhodes from the Chicago Electric Piano Company. Until then, I love Neo Soul Keys.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Oh man! They do good work, I know you're gonna love that thing!

[@colinfarel]

I went with Gospel musician keysoul. It sounds good to me, within my budget, and to be honest, I can listen to a beautiful classical recording played by 2 violinists , one with a $18,000 Stradivarius the other with a Cremona SV700 violin, both excellent players, I can’t tell you which one sounds like $18,000 and which one sounds like an $800 violin. No two Rhodes sounds exactly alike. We get what sounds nice to us and get what we can afford to bring pleasant and satisfying results.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Totally agree! Whatever sounds good to you and is fun to play for you is what is good! Neo Soul Keys is a great choice for sure!

[@yahav1324]

Hey man , Great review ! could you tell me what is that big hammer-action keyboard controller your using there ??

[@SoundsAndGear]

Not sure how I missed this, but it was the NI Komplete Kontrol S88 I believe.

[@uglukman]

Have you tested Pianoteq Electric Pianos? I think it is great.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yeah, I like their regular piano but do not prefer their EP

[@4iamu]

St. Joe. thanks for making this vid. I was just watching a video review on the Yamaha CP Reface. Was thinking about snagging one, but after watching this, I'm not sure if I want to invest four bones in another mini key hardware synth. But, I hear that unit is very tweak able and quite user friendly. Any thoughts?

[@SoundsAndGear]

I haven't messed with it so I can't say, not really the sound I go for personally but I know folks seem to dig it.

[@URAZKIVANER]

Bro this video is a gem for an unbiased review. As an Audiophile jazz musician let me tell you this first. Your Rhodes is beautiful but it is out of tune especially the first note that you were comparing gave it away when you played it side by side. It is flat. Anyways... Keyscape adds too much bass to the flat sound of rhodes and that's why some of the blindfold testers seem to like it more which is a manipulative approach to sample creation IMHO. We can hear it much more clear in your video thanks to you. And NSK is a spectacular value compared to what it offers. Almost like a super high detailed simulation with all that key effects that you can manipulate to get the most realistic sound from. And it is better than what keyscape offers regarding the flat sound of a real rhodes piano.. Appreciate the effort you have put in to this video bro ... Cheers !!!!

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks! Yeah, I've never had it professionally tuned, I continue to tune it as I go. Even still, I dig it LOL.

[@mac0285]

Thanks for the comparison! Have you tried e-instruments Session Keys Electric S or Electric R?

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching, I haven't tried that one yet.

[@ellrucker494]

I get what you were trying to say .keyscape is def the one closest to your keyboard. Neo soul is there but guess you cant really get that bite from it . maybe because it's been ran through tubes giving it more of a creamier sound. Have you checked out premier sounds 96k Rhodes? Anyway great through review.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching fam. Yeah, there are just some sublte things that I think Keyscape has, very subtle differences. Those two are still the best I've used, edge to Keyscape for realizm but Neo Soul captures a sound and feel that hadn't been captured before it was available. I'm not familiar with the other one you mentioned.

[@kylekim2356]

Just a quick question, I see that you have a digital clock - how does it affect your sound?

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching! I don't have a dedicated clock device just whatever is on the audio interface.

[@lugerard]

Hi St. Joe, you never talk about your workstation desk. 😊 I'm planning to get one. What's your desk brand? Thanks!

[@SoundsAndGear]

It's a custom desk I had made from azstudioworkstations.com, maybe I'll do a video on it in the future :)

[@Russplight]

Yeah, dope comparison! Very interesting to watch.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for checkign fam!

[@catboyzee]

Keyscape is a sick program. So many options, and they're all musical. Respect...

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yes indeed!

[@Randallkoller]

An interface with good D/A and reamping or better yet send the keys out to a decent mic'd up amp is about the only way to get a convincing Rhodes sound with bite, dynamics and a convincing bark, and then there are amateurs

[@SoundsAndGear]

Assuming that's the sound you want....thanks for watching.

[@passingpoor]

do you ever wear formal attire in the studio

[@SoundsAndGear]

No, why would I?

[@Barney-ii1no]

does he need to wear a suit and tie ?

[@BlackenedNL]

I need Keyscape bad!!!

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching fam!

[@PlayaflyJoe27]

Shit mad expensive but it's worth every penny!

[@sibusisothabo6429]

Where or how do I get KEYSCAPE?

[@SoundsAndGear]

You can buy it from Spectrasonics www.spectrasonics.net//products/keyscape/index.php or any shop that sells their plugins.

[@ByrowNeius]

Somebody play " Roads less traveled" by rip Joe Sample.

[@SoundsAndGear]

I know I can't play it LOL

[@busywl69]

neo soul keys is the one to get. wow.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watcing, NSK is dope!

[@edunabie]

I can't call it (sound wise), but i do have keyscape and know how playable and natural it is. i love it

[@SoundsAndGear]

Word, thanks for watching!

[@dardav2000]

I love the Keyscape but I think your Rhodes sounds warmer , don't you think so ? Thank you for your vid .

[@SoundsAndGear]

I prefer my Rhodes, but Keyscape does sound good. Thanks for watching!

[@brucermorgan]

Your video is helpful..I love playing the Rhodes ,I am looking for comparisons on digital "acoustic" piano sounds starting with the Korg m1 in 1988 up till now .

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching! I'm not as passionate about the piano as I am the Rhodes, but I'm sure there is someone out there that has done it :)

[@jonathanfrieze8497]

I have the Roland rd-150 from I guess the late 80s and it does it pretty incredible for it's time digital comparison I love it best 80$ I ever I spent except my black Wurlitzer 200 that I picked up for 75$ back in o4 at an antique store crazy how much this stuffs gone up in value love the vintage gear but taking out and gigging with you don't want to take that out the Roland those are so portable I wish I had a newer top of the line gigging keyboard I love the new korg stuff like the miniloque

[@Tatsumaru269]

Whats with the reverb on the last one? O.o

[@SoundsAndGear]

Don't know lol

[@olas591]

Does this work on Pro tools 2019?

[@SoundsAndGear]

Which one? Not sure which of these are AAX format.

[@planetrift]

Thanks for this.. It is always interesting to hear the difference between the real instrument, and samples. Even though you keep saying your original instrument needs more work, I think those differences give character to the instrument :)

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks man! I LOVE my Rhodes, and the character of it. Doesn't sound like anyone else lol.

[@swiftmello123]

Extremely close in comparison just the actual Rhodes has a louder transient clipping SOUND upon initiate key hit and more bite at the end of a harder stroke. Sounds excellent love it. Keyscape is awesome though really a must have at the price no doubt.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@pianosteel]

Interesting comparison and have wondered about the authenticity of some these patches. There is a neat distortion on the Rhodes that happens when keys are played at higher velocity....what you call muddy 'growl'. The absence of that sound always makes synthesized versions sound wimpy but I agree the Neo Soul sounds pretty good and probably about as good as it will get. Another parameter which you can adjust on the real instrument is tuning - pure equal temperament vs slightly stretched. This is much more subtle than on a piano where the steel strings produce a lot of inharmonicity. That could be another interesting sound test. Thanks for this....

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching man!

[@MSXIISound]

Excellent vid broham! Still nothing like the real thing though. Neo Soul is INCREDIBLE and Keyscape looks to be the same. Keep up the great work man!

[@SoundsAndGear]

No doubt bro, those two are definitely at the top of the list!

[@percyvolnar8010]

Your rhodes needs more regulation. Its got that George Duke flavor tho. Also, having the top on your rhodes actually changes the sound. Look up the 'Herbie Hancock' rhodes mod. Its what he did to his rhodes to get it to sound as dreamy as it does. Shout out to Uncle Herbs!

[@SoundsAndGear]

I enjoy my Rhodes, of course it could always be serviced but I enjoy the imperfections.

[@kylekim2356]

I love neosoul keys!

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yeah, it's a great plugin!

[@fundorinlive]

Waht about Lounge Lizard?

[@SoundsAndGear]

What about it? :)

[@fundorinlive]

SoundsAndGear.com what do you think about it, compared to this libraries and the real Rhodes?

[@SoundsAndGear]

I do not use it personally, tried it a few times, but what you see here is what I use, with Keyscape being the newest :)

[@doctorfunkenstein6652]

It's funny, back in the day, everyone wanted to get rid of all the squeaks and noises, or exploit them (i.e. dyno modification by taking off the soft tips), now everyone wants the imperfections so they feel like the originals.

[@doctorfunkenstein6652]

And I'm not saying that's a bad thing, by the way. A bare Rhodes, or especially a Clavinet, just doesn't sound right. I love your breakdown of these plugins and they're good plugins. And don't say you're not being super scientific because you are! You're doing tests by means of trial and error to come to a conclusion about how each one sounds, testing each and every little crack on it with your senses to listen for imperfections. Personally, I'm a huge fan of my plugin Rhodes over my actual Rhodes because it's more diverse. I can't do much to a '78 growler suitcase to make it sound like a stage, but I can do both with my Lounge Lizard (which has been my favorite so far because it's physically modeled after sampling for an extra bit of randomness to it).

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching! That's how it goes right? LOL hahaha, same with all the imperfections of old samplers, tape, etc. The stuff we wanted to get rid of is the stuff that makes the things memorable.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Man you know I do still use plugin Rhodes for the same reasons you mention, a good one can be more flexible with the sound options. I love my Rhodes though, and often use it with the iPad acting as an FX box, so I can dial up all types of amp and fx models and run it through there. Either way, I'm glad I have one and very glad that developers keep making great software versions too!

[@TallSomeone]

You have to equivilate velocity or it isn't a good comparison.

[@SoundsAndGear]

A "good" comparison is subjective, as I said, this isn't scientific, it's purely me sharing something I do all the time when checking out new sounds. Thanks for watching.

[@TallSomeone]

I didn't mean to attack. I've just done it all with such enjoyment and found that the velocity parameter is so, so important, yet so, so hard to equalize. Big fun!

[@SoundsAndGear]

Didn't take it as an attack, all good. There are many variables if you want to really get into the details. I like to just play it as is and see how it stacks up lol.

[@TallSomeone]

Yeah, but the very first thing that's critical is whether the force on the key plays the same sample range (dynamics-wise). No biggie. I'll tell you why it's in my head recently: I just was at Music Go Round near Boston and saw a Yamaha KX88 board for $150. They told me it doesn't work well, but only in terms of buttons not changing when hit. I grabbed that monster and opened her up at home and cleaned contacts and re-seated cables and so on, and now it's like new, functionally. But then you start playing and feeling the keys and noticing how Keyscape and all respond. I found that it only sends velocity from 20 or so to about 90 -- and 90 is only coming when I BANG on the keys. I did some reading and found that this is pretty much par for the course. BUT, the luxury is the velocity control that our new softwares are giving us on the input side. Keyscape's SETTINGS page has that nice customizable velocity functionality there on the bottom right. So although it lets me input a higher slope on the curve and a lower zero point, I realize that the sample-layer-based sounds are so, so dependent on subtle velocity adjustments that it motivates my thoughts on it coincidentally with your fine video.

[@SoundsAndGear]

I hear ya, for me honestly I prefer to use my Rhodes over anything but I do like the velocity setting of Keyscape, I set it up with my NI S88 and it definitely makes a difference when you set it up with your specific controller.

[@DoctorJezz]

I don't get the whining, this is exactly the kind of note for note comparison I want from a man who owns them all, and we all know you can play man - it's ridiculous. Good work! Peace.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching fam!

[@shookstylez]

man, i think i prefer the sound of the keyscape rhodes over your real rhodes !

[@SoundsAndGear]

Nothing wrong with that man, preferences are personal, just wanted to show how good it sounded! Thanks for watching.

[@myyoutubeprofile-c3u]

Are you serious? haha

[@Grayham4]

Andrew Apte well, their Rhodes is perfectly repaired and tuned

[@eightyeightkeys771]

The plugins are cool but actual Rhodes all have their own unique character like you said. Even the keys that always go slightly out of key is what made each Rhodes its own keyboard. Plus the touch responses are all unique. Lucky you to have an actual 1972 Rhodes that is still playable. I am jealous..SMILE

[@SoundsAndGear]

Totally agree! Love the Rhodes

[@Coolwatercorey]

Great comparison bro! I was comparing the same Keys you were with Waves new Electric 200 & It sounds EXACTLY! Like your acoustic Rhodes. beating even the spectrasonics. Its the ready made preset called "feelings" try the demo man I kid you not.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching fam! The Waves is based on a Wurlitzer they have a bit different sound compared to the Rhodes generally, a bit more bite in my opinion. Bboth are nice EPs though!

[@WARDISWARD]

also , the rhodes on the integra 7 sounds great ..and of course a lot of other great instruments

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yeah for sure.

[@AlexK-pd7nk]

wow u can hear the squareness in keyscape in comparison to the analog rhodes big time

[@AlexK-pd7nk]

yet keyscape has some important high frequencies boosted

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching, Keyscape is a nice one for sure, all depends on your tastes.

[@Max333A]

Man, you did the great demo! Thank you very much! P.S. "Neo Soul Keys" is really powerful emulation!

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching! And yes it is!

[@gertzpalma]

THANKS!

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@bairahrecordings]

Well, I like the real Rhodes for its characters,but for VST instruments I would give the edge to Keyscape because its new and Eric Persing of Spectrasonics take the time to put in as much realism in there products as they can,not saying that Jamal Hartwell of Gospel Musicians don't do the samething, but Neo-Soul Keys has been out a minute and Keyscape is a newer product.

[@SoundsAndGear]

I don't think the fact that it is newer automatically means better. By that judgement then Keyscape would be "older" since they said it's been in the works for the last 10 years lol. I think NS and KS are the two best options out personally, which one is preferred will be a matter of choice. I do think Jamal has presets that sound closer to a specific style, Neo Soul, which many may prefer. I think Keyscape has a slight edge in some areas due to the response and some subtle tweaks.

[@Bashanvibe]

Very good comparison

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching fam!

[@nicebluejay]

hmm i think the tines anthology sounds the "closest" to your particular rhodes

[@nicebluejay]

i think i will go for this one....spectrasonics is just too expensive!

[@SoundsAndGear]

I really like the sound of Tines Anthology as well. I think all of them sound good actually, and each has their own vibe.

[@SoundsAndGear]

UVI makes great sounds for sure!

[@elvinlewis4233]

I think they're all on point. Only a Connoisseur would be able to detect the difference in sound, and in my opinion, would likely fail a blind test. I did purchase Keyscape..

[@SoundsAndGear]

I hear ya, they all do sound awesome!

[@levitarj2201]

Hi, vsti has another concept and brings people instruments that have already been out of line or new timbrews, I think important what the spectrasonics and other companies do, real instrument is different so make comparisons for me's what is valid to certify the spectrasonics that makes An excellent job, come other vstis and comparisons are waste of time

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yeah they definitely did a great job. Thanks for watching.

[@superpopi2000]

Is better than Nord, the Keyscape, but never has been like the real fucking Rhodes. Its amazing !

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@sheffsteel7]

superpopi2000 has

[@KarlGeorges]

Tines the closest to the original. Keyscape a disappointment imo, but well, that vst has a great cp70

[@SoundsAndGear]

+Karl Georges thanks for watching!

[@instrumentalistjade8367]

Good demo... all i know is the song of barry manilow “Somewhere down the rhode”

[@SoundsAndGear]

Lol, thanks for watching.

[@lovonzowilliams9984]

Sorry but Applied Acoustics Systems Lounge Lizard EP-4 is still my go to after comparing most others it seems closer to your real rhodes to me. However good vid!!! keep up the good work!!

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching. No need to apologize to me, that's your personal opinion of course :) I don't quite agree but I know it's a good plugin, many love it, just not what I'm looking for personally.

[@CMane]

Lovonzo Williams I've played the Lounge Lizard for years... EP3, now 4. There's still something I don't get from it as it relates to a real Rhodes. I had to tweak it a bunch and save the patches. Still not quite 'there' but, gets the job done for the application.

[@Barney-ii1no]

Its all personal opinion but i dont even think Lounge Lizard is in the top 5

[@geoffk777]

Neo Soul Keys was my go-to Rhodes sound--until Keyscape. The Keyscape Stage 73 that he plays here is Ok, but the LA Custom Rhodes and some of the other sounds in Keyscape are just unbelievable. It's actually better than a real one in response, sound, tweakability and action. Neo Soul Keys still sounds good, but it's kind of vanilla and lacks the sparkle of Keyscape. On the downside, Keyscape is a resource hog, and you need a pretty hefty PC to use it well. Plus the 70Gb of disk space...

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yeah, there are some GREAT instruments in here. I just tried to show out of the box in this video, but man, Keyscape is nice. It does take some space/memory though lol.

[@GospelMusicians]

Did you try the new Neo-Soul Keys® Studio with the VKFX built in?

[@ijbeats]

Nice

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching.

[@jamesr141]

Shout out to the O.G. plugin and hardware reviewer. St Joe is peerless.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@jamesr141]

@@SoundsAndGear Always, bro.

[@mj_ruke]

Can you play me a Rhodes on keyscape?

[@SoundsAndGear]

not sure what you're asking

[@mj_ruke]

@@SoundsAndGear meaning can you record you play E major F# major G# minor on keyscape Rhodes.

[@SoundsAndGear]

@@mj_ruke no

[@mj_ruke]

@@SoundsAndGear why not

[@SoundsAndGear]

Not interested

[@minoanlight4545]

Dynamics. It is what keeps real Rhodes above software clones and emulators.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Word, thanks for watching!

[@Barney-ii1no]

Minoan i take it you have not tried keyscape for yourself?

[@minoanlight4545]

Barney I take it you haven't tried real, properly restored and working Rhodes yourself? Do not take me as someone who doesn't know what the heck is she talking about, I own both, and I would never, ever trade my Rhodes for anything. I do like to take VSTs to gigs, but Rhodes is the #1 for me for eternities.

[@en3525]

didn't know michael b. jordan was a music producer. Loved you in black panther dude!

[@en3525]

also, subscribed

[@SoundsAndGear]

Lol, I don't get confused for him but thanks for watching lol.

[@en3525]

@@SoundsAndGear wasn't referencing you appearence but your voice, see some interview s done by him, you'll get it. Ur Channel is amazing btw, keep up😁

[@SoundsAndGear]

Hahahaha, lemme get some voice work then hahahaha

[@clubnavee]

Spectrasonics has spoken deeply about their 10 year modeling process and displays an excellent look into the product with examples played by serious musicians in the business who give it thumbs up, not only because they are paid to promote, but if one listens to the playing it speaks for itself...and they too concur that the modeling and sound characteristics to the actual units are great...and I purchased it because the sales pitch was excellent. Glad I went to them first...this comparison thing is giving it no justice! It is not so much about being a great player than it is basing the comparison on something velocity-based and consistent (such as a MIDI file) Even if it is a MIDI recording of you striking single keys and velocities...when comparing it to another, at least it is the SAME rather moving all over the note spectrum with random velocities that are not EXACTLY the same between each unit. Next time use MIDI...you can browse the net and find a FREE solo piano-based MIDI file to use. No pun intended by any of it because regardless of the playing: sounds, virtual instruments and sample bundles sell themselves--as the user kind of already has an idea (or will surely find one) about what they wish to do with them. I.e.Trap, EDM, etc. but a good demo does help (AND increase sales) along the way where applicable.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching. I don't use MIDI files, that's not how I demo products or use them. My videos are for those who like to explore products the way that I do. I do things the way I actually do them and make videos for those who enjoy that :)

[@Bluuplanet]

I bet if you had 4 real Fender Rhodes and one Keyscape, all 5 would sound unique... and if any two of them sounded exactly the same, one would be just as likely be the Keyscape as likely as one of the other Rhodes. Now, if you compared keyscape with a real piano, that would be a different story. To get that to sound comparable, you'd have to have someone play a mic'd piano in a separate soundproof room and listen to it over the same sound system as the keyscape.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yep, each Rhodes sounds unique for sure.

[@mateomaderas5504]

Tines has the best tone. Unfortunately all the digital keys have some nasty high frequency, 'glitchy' sounding overtones.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@WARDISWARD]

Sampling these kind of instrument is great and all . But , the time is here where modelling is suprpaaing sampling . Have a look at ' pianoteq' which does acoustic piano modelling and also electro acoustic etc....no samples ..pure math/calculus . Yes it's consumes more cpu , but sounds ace and has a lot more control over individual parameters

[@SoundsAndGear]

I've been a fan of Pianoteq for a while, specifically the acoustic piano. I have the Rhodes, but I do not like it as much as the acoustic.

Your FENDER RHODES has better sound!!

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@CheyneyJr]

The real fender rhodes wins nothing compares to it. I think keyscape is the only one that came close.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@bairahrecordings]

I knew it was coming.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching.

[@PrettyLady7282]

👍, thanks!

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@IDONTPLAYENT]

Thanks bro

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@freebreeze9042]

Loving a Rhodes is to restore a Rhodes.

[@SoundsAndGear]

LOL, I hear ya.

[@horowizard]

The actual Rhodes has so much more depth, as if you could reach out and touch the sound. The Keyscape version seems more like a snapshot. The Keyscape sounds flat and the Rhodes is almost 3D, if that makes any sense. It's like comparing fresh food with frozen. If I could tell the obvious difference with little computer speakers, imagine what it's like being there with a system that is full range.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching! Trust me, this is just the default patch, there are some patches in the Keyscape library that really do sound authentic. However, I still prefer the real one any day, but Keyscape is quite good imo.

[@horowizard]

There is nothing like the tactile sensation of pressing a key, sending a hammer into motion that strikes the element that creates your tone. How can you compare a computer executing a sequence of numbers to that?

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yes, I love it!

[@angelcanobeats]

MKI win on this in my opinion.

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@pedroneves9351]

Its not right this compsrasion ,spectrasonics stage its not the same model that you have probably ,are several moments of the mark one ,neo soul keys are other Concept ,its a library to use in a specific style nonetheless is the more complete because have a lot of features to tweak more than keyscape , All the libraries are different and with different concepts ,neo soul can't be compare to keyscape .different concepts .and the presets we can't compare in this way you have to tweak to achieve the sound that you want if you want smiliar to you re Rhodes not playing presets from other keyboard and sample ideas

[@SoundsAndGear]

Once again, this is not a scientific experiment, if you can't enjoy it for what it is then I'm sorry. I'm just sharing something I found to be pretty cool. I also said I wanted to show how they sound "out of the box" , with no tweaking. I was not trying to match them at all. You be the judge on which one you like. Neo Soul and Keyscape are the two best options out imo, I can tweak either one, but Keyscape has some responses and subtleties that sound more realistic to me in certain cases. And I've been a fan of Neo Soul Keys from the very first version.

[@d.1565]

lol I smell fake profile by butthurt developer. Keyscape was over-hyped and didn't deliver

[@planetrift]

@D. Corso: Most users would disagree.

[@pedroneves9351]

PlanetRift and why ?

[@pedroneves9351]

D. Corso lol i dont have video here if you want you can check me on face

[@JohnFraserFindlay]

the Keyscape sounds 'gagged'

[@SoundsAndGear]

Thanks for watching.

[@alexandersorbas1881]

Imagine you could play some chords ;)

[@SoundsAndGear]

Yeah! Imagine you could record your own videos ;)

[@alexandersorbas1881]

@@SoundsAndGear scaler 2.2 👍