Rhodes VST vs Rhodes Piano | Blind Test with Steve Levine

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In this video, the first official Plugin Boutique Blind Test, record producer Steve Levine puts his extensive knowledge to the test and sess if his keen ear can distinguish the first official Rhodes VST the V8 from the real Rhodes piano it's base on, the MK8.
Steve Levine is a well established English record producer with credits from the Beach Boys to Culture Club and many more. He is also the proud owner of a MK8 piano, so we thought there was no one better to put to the Plugin Boutique Blind Test!
If you want, you can download and try out the Rhodes V8 by using the link above. You can even try to win the on-going contest which would not only give you a copy of the V8 Pro, but also a MK8 piano!!
What a wonderful time to be alive!!
A Joshua Casper Film
#pluginboutique
#rhodes
#musicproduction

[@marcusherbold993]

Rhodes making a plug-in is incredible!!!! You know it’s gonna be 🔥🔥🔥

[@PluginBoutiqueOfficial]

💯

[@saren6538]

Apparently it’s not a good listening to various reviews

[@keithrichards4296]

Sample #1: 🌟🌟💖🏆💥💯😎 Sample #2: 💩 "Oh, sample #2 is the real deal, amazing"

[@adwind3055]

Having the V8 on trial for 9 days, now, I have to say it really is magnificent. This is a must have. Absolutely.

[@jegl1012]

The audience will not care as long as the song and the playing is good. Amazing plug-in.

[@etpslick100]

For those who can’t afford the MK8 or get an access to one; this plug-in is a great alternative. There are lots of great Rhodes plugins out there; this one is up there. I would definitely add one to my collection! Love the V8!😌🎶🎹❤️👍🏾

[@RenevolutionAccount]

Steve Levine 😍❤🙏🏾 Culture Club "Time" + "Do you really want to hurt me" BRILLIANT !! one of my producer heroes ❤

[@PluginBoutiqueOfficial]

Steve is a legend and a pleasure to work with. A real pro!!! - JC

[@xonnathagreat7644]

Fantastic demonstration! I'm lovin' the V8 free trial right now! Just finished the instrumentation for my "Missing Keys" entry. Mixing it down right now.

[@patekswiss9521]

So this music professional in a blind test did no better than chance at identifying the hardware vs. the samples. On the one hand, it is great that Rhodes has the balls to do this, because most audio manufacturers - particularly the "high end" home audio snobs - violently reject blind comparison testing simply, I suspect, because they know they would get results like these. On the other hand, as a purchaser of a MKVIII 75AE ... well, lets just say I'm having a moment.

[@mechasartre3694]

The real thing sounded just slightly better every time to my ears. That said, the real advantage of the real thing is that you can feel what you’re playing more and over time your piano isn’t going to sound exactly like anyone else’s.

[@TimWrightDJ]

I thought the real Rhodes sounded massively better on every track, listening on Yamaha HS7s. I listened to the second two blindly and still preferred the real one each time (I thought the fourth was the software I preferred, but it turned out to be the real thing anyway). I'm not convinced this isn't a paid advert from Fender to sell their plugin to those who can't afford the real thing. I'll stick to my Yamaha Reface CP or, for software, the Scarbee Kontakt instrument.

[@OmShira]

I am surprised he messed up with the first 2. The big difference between the real Rhodes and VST (i have a mark II 73) has always been the subtle dissonace between the tones. Every chord has its own rhythm of friction!

[@Bronwyn031]

Sold! When seasoned ears can't tell the difference, you've convinced me.

[@qlyde]

Love this! Great job everyone 👏

[@Alnilam1973]

In most cases I seem to prefer the plugins sounds but the panning on some of the plugin patches seems more extreme and less smooth but I can live with that :)

[@vidacafre]

The distortions in the plug in it’s kind of a give away

[@okaybenji]

IMO if you're going to be applying dramatic effects (strong distortion or tremolo) like the latter 3 examples you're probably good either way. But I've listened many times to the dry sound (example no. 1), and every time I come away feeling the real deal blows the VST out of the water. Steve Levine's dead right of course that there's a big difference in the bass. Real Rhodes has such a smooth warmth, thickness, and feeling of taking up three dimensional space. VST bass is thin and crunchy by comparison. Real Rhodes also has a beautiful, sparkling presence in the top notes in the last example which the plug-in didn't seem to manage to replicate. Really enjoyed the video and Steve's thoughts. Would love to have one of these MK8's 🤤 but I would be happy to make use of the plug-in, too.

[@okaybenji]

Great playing BTW!

[@Blenderrhodes]

Totally agree, the dry real Rhodes example is so much beefier and more rich than the VST. It's not even close. Doesn't mean the plug-in's not great, but it does make me question whether Steve may have damaged his hearing over the years in the biz.

[@okaybenji]

@@Blenderrhodes Think that’s pretty unfair tbh. Like I said, he correctly identified the difference in the bass and just had a different preference vs. us. Also remember we had the benefit of knowing which was real while listening, which I promise has a very real effect on how we perceive what we are hearing.

[@cgmagik9837]

Totally agree! The first example, the real Rhodes sounds WAY better.

[@LunicussOfficial]

The difference here is pretty obviously due to performance. The velocities are way off. The low end is different sure, but the high end bite on the plugin take is louder too. This makes sense, as midi keyboards tend to be far lighter than real rhodes. I suspect that if they adjusted the velocity of the after the take it would be much more similar. Fundamentally, they constructed the plugin by sampling a vast multitude of different velocities from the real thing and there's no difference between a note taken from the MK8 output during the sampling process and during a performance. If they had taken the time to go through and adjust all the velocities in the midi take to match the real keyboard I doubt you would hear any difference.

[@user-we2bk6qb3n]

Can one get the plug in with warmer sounding early 70s tines? The upper end on the mk8 is harsh and plinky.

[@FlowJunkee65]

I absolutely love my Rhodes V8 Pro plugin! There's a distinct veja vu for me when playing this plugin, as the former owner of multiple Rhodes e-pianos since the mid-1970s. Excellent tweakability and effects, too.

[@propermint1]

For me the giveaway is the clipping you can hear when you press keys simultaneously on the plugin. But given this fella could not spot the difference - you've done a good job lol

[@jackiegillings6030]

it has that nice gritty rubbery striking sound on the lower end...sounds fantastic all around also...brett g

[@mataya909]

Real thing sounded better. Can't really believe how this guy couldn't hear it. I'll choose vst always because it's way cheaper, but real thing sounds right here.

[@sophiarodriguez1861]

LOVE IT!!! amazing pianist! Love the head to head comparison! I prefer the Rhodes on all tracks (compares to the plugin)

[@jknorratl]

Actually the low end was the giveaway that it was a sample as the low end having true pick ups has alot of nuances that the sample misses out on. I was exactly the opposite on most of his guesses. Although adding the effects makes it harder to identify.

[@KarlMiller-DjKarl]

Yeah I really like the V8 plugin... The only thing I disliked was my pitch bender would not seem to function with it as is the case with some plugins... Otherwise... ☮🔥🎹

[@spark_1098]

Wonderfull sound💪

[@PluginBoutiqueOfficial]

🙌

[@DrGasne]

ha ha ha ! excellent way to wait for the download of my 20 Gb plugin ^^

[@joelj7279]

Where was the drawing/competition announcement if you guessed right?

[@PluginBoutiqueOfficial]

We will be picking 2 winners here on KZbin and 2 from our Instagram in the coming days. We will respond to them on their comment :) - JC

[@joelj7279]

@@PluginBoutiqueOfficial ok thanks

[@kaiwollek7976]

So... did you pick any winner? ;)

[@PAL-MUSIC-1]

So... did you pick a winner? I haven't seen anything?

[@jounihelminen6025]

Hard to tell them apart with so many fx - a bit easier without! Generally less variation in dynamics in sampled instruments

[@mauricioalchundiasegovia8355]

nice

[@Blender_and_Chirp]

Playing one note at a time and letting it ring from each octave is best test. Chords and effects make it much harder to tell.

[@atlanticusjazz]

Which senheisser headphones are they Steve?

[@MacXpert74]

That's the HD800.

[@MacXpert74]

I think the biggest difference is in the dynamics and additional mechanical keyboard noises I can hear in the real instrument vs the VST. The VST is not bad, but does sound more 'flat' or 'one dimensional' compared to the real instrument.

[@brunomaiamusic]

I love the sound of V8. But my difficulty is to understand the marketing behind it. Obviously iV8 is available to a massive consumer group, while MK8 is not only prohibitive to most consumers but also the factory back order list waiting time would have MK9 listed before one could grasp hands on the MK8 delivery. But what this proves is that on recording it wouldn’t make a difference having the VST version. In fact it may even sound better on ‘tape’.

[@mechasartre3694]

It really is boutique product made to mad exacting standards. I’ve played one and they’re incredible. I could never afford one but I totally understand that the materials and expertise required would make if so expensive. Hopefully they create a cheaper alternative model at some point, I don’t want a Ferrari, I can settle for a nice Mercedes. I’ll be buying a mk2 most likely.

[@PhotographicVignettes]

The plugin sounds a bit harsh and thin on some of the examples. Other times it's a perfect match. When there is a difference, the real thing has more depth and is a bit more silky smooth.

[@be_sincere]

for me 1st (real thing) was better than 2nd (vst). interesting video anyway, ty Steve Levine and plugin boutique.

[@PluginBoutiqueOfficial]

Which example?

[@be_sincere]

@@PluginBoutiqueOfficial 1st example. ty for great videos

[@relaxmax6808]

It is strange , it seems there s more saturation on the plugin preset here at home when i listen to the demo . The first one.

[@who_is_dis]

Anyone care to weigh in on how it compares to the Keyscape Rhodes? Those are the best i've heard so far.

[@who_is_dis]

@@imKhokie LOL I have Keyscape and compared the demo of this and you’ve got it backwards. This plug-in ain’t bad but it sounds cheap and kind of 2 dimensional compared to the Rhodes and electric pianos on Keyscape. I’ve not heard of Hammer and Waves electric, I’ll look them up

[@googledriver8795]

Nothing beats a an original Mk1 or MK II with a stack of vintage peddles..

[@kaybhee6]

kawai vrc 1 needed huh

[@radialmonster]

I wanted to see his reaction he was told the results of his guesses

[@bertramhansen6700]

I think that 1.b is the real piano because of the low-end😁

[@_SjB_]

I think Steve needs some new headphones 😂 I am playing around with the demo though and have to admit it sounds really good..

[@PluginBoutiqueOfficial]

I would LOVE Steve's headphones and, yes, the VST sounds great :) - JC

[@fatg_world4605]

@@PluginBoutiqueOfficial Does anybody know the reference of those headphones maybe ?

[@MacXpert74]

​@@fatg_world4605The headphone he's using is the Sennheiser HD800.

[@jacey714]

Am I the only one that can hear a world of difference? You can hear the mallet hits on the high notes much more than the VST and overall the real one sounds much fuller~ Plus the real one has way more dynamics...

[@MacXpert74]

That's exactly what I was hearing too. The real instrument has a much wider dynamic range and has subtle mechanical noises in the sound that aren't faithfully replicated in the VST. The VST sounds okay and would be fine in a mix with other instruments. But playing it standalone you do hear it sounds more flat and has a less lively sound to it. It lacks some of that real Rhodes flavor. But then again the price difference compared to owning a real Rhodes is huge, so I can see how this is still an attractive alternative.

[@CKVideoGames]

the dynamics curve on the V8 was way off, that was the give away for me every time

[@burns46824]

WTF the real one sounds way better haha

[@PlugInGuruVideo]

The difference is immediately easy to discern if you've worked with samples so I'm surprised he didn't pick up the consistency in examples 1 and 2 that samples give you that the real physical instrument doesn't. I'd take the real thing any day but the plug-in sounds very nice. There is very stiff competition from other plug-ins so if you already own Keyscape or NI/Arturia variations you might want to compare....

[@willness9257]

they should have asked you if you have such golden ears!

[@Bashanvibe]

I can’t wait to buy this I think I’m gonna have to retire Lounge Lizard

[@veejay3626]

Thomas j attends ton morceau..dixit Pierre 😂😂😂

[@KeyfloMusic]

The plugin sounds nothing like the real thing, even with the FX. But hey, you have to sell a product.

[@MellowXBrew]

Yo the low end and low end resonance on each note is a dead giveaway. SoundID through ATH-M40 headphones as my ref. Those look like the 800's he's wearing in which I never cared for the low end of those out the box.

[@ReggieMay]

I'd prefer a more scientific approach, "apples to apples" if you will. A panel of pros, engineers, producers, and musicians, experienced with both studio and stage. Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, and the like, those who have played Rhodes from the old Fender days to today. One guy (no matter his impressive credentials) is too subjective to me. A fine keyboardist to play the song, factory guys to set up and match the two sources, clean to clean with no panning, phase, distortion or other effects. You can even have the MIDI output from a single Rhodes to trigger the VSTi. I _did_ see something about a MIDI output MK8, if I'm not mistaken? Anyway, that's my tuppence. I hope you do the ultimate double-blind test, to show the world what you've been up to.

Affire 4 it`s Better!

[@StereoAnthony]

Very interesting. The plugin sounds very much up front, and in your face, with what seemed like an upper mid bump. Not terribly pleasant to me. The real thing sounded alot more 3D and natural across the frequencies.

[@firehandszarb]

they actually sound quite different. Not even saying one is better than the other. That we are even having to think about the differences in sound says that they are both very good musical instruments. Like comparing saxophones, both good, just a decision of which one you like more, even though just as many would like the other one.

[@ChatGPT5.]

В таких сравнениях нужна съёмка одним кадром, без монтажа. Монтаж подразумевает возможность манипуляций.

[@trocchiettoski]

this person had a fairlight!!!!

[@billjacobs5577]

I've compared the Rhodes VST with Lounge Lizard, Pianoteq, and Arturia. Lounge Lizard is still my favorite... It's just enjoyable to play, and has better presets and sound for classic rock, like Riders on the Storm. Still, the new Rhodes VST has its strengths and sounds great.

[@Chosenone429]

The real one is killing the plugin

[@DubsMood]

I really dont know what he's listening for. You totally can hear how much more dynamics there are in the low end register in the first example. Thats the reals givaway regarding rhodes/wurlitzers. The sounds of these epianos differs vastly regarding the way how hard you hit it,- you just cant paint a realistic image of those instruments with just 4 velocity layers...

[@richardemerson8075]

The Rhodes V8 plugins claim to have a lot more than 4 layers.

[@dnch]

yeah not really impressed, sounds like arturia plugin

[@chaohu3530]

keyscape is better..

[@kaiwollek7976]

i think the first example is in switched order compared to the instagram example. got 4/4 right, but i have to admit it completely felt like guessing :D