Acoustic piano virtual instrument created by an electric piano brand
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Rhodes is synonymous with electric pianos. It created an unrivaled sound in jazz, funk, and soul music in the 70s, and is still a sought-after instrument by numerous producers and performers.
As far as I know, Rhodes is not a company that manufactured acoustic pianos. Interestingly, Rhodes has released an acoustic piano-centric sample library called ‘Pianology’.
Rhodes Pianology contains the sounds of three pianos. These are a Japanese upright piano with a bright and delicate tone, an American grand piano with rich harmonics and a wide dynamic range, and a Japanese electric grand piano that represents pop and rock music of the 80s. Just looking at the product description, it is assumed that they are inspired by the Yamaha U series, Steinway Model D, and Yamaha CP electric grand pianos, respectively.
Convenient yet effective interface
Pianology resembles Anthology in appearance. However, while Anthology was considered a lightweight version (capacity of 2.7GB) of Rhodes’ flagship product, V8, Pianology is a piano virtual instrument that provides sophisticated quality with a much higher capacity (14GB).
I wonder if it could have given users more visual confidence if it had been made with a more sophisticated design, but Rhodes seems to be sticking to a consistent interface design starting from the Anthology. (Rhodes Wurli virtual instrument review) Rather, there is a risk that complex new visual effects may hinder user convenience.
Next to the piano image on the left are global controls such as Timbre Shift, Global Tune, Mechanical Noise (pedal noise), and Lid Position (grand piano only).
In particular, Timbre Shift is a feature that was impressive in Anthology, and is still effective in Pianology. With just this knob, you can transform a bright grand piano into a dark, moody tone, or an upright into a felt piano sound.
Rhodes’ signature effects
Pianology is an acoustic piano library, but since it was made by Rhodes, I thought it would add something special.
Effects such as Preamp (Volume, Drive), 3-band EQ, Compressor, Chorus, Phaser, Delay, and Tremolo on the main control panel are the same effects that continued in previous Rhodes software. Applying these special effects to an acoustic piano is a unique experience.
Also included are the Rhodes V8 Pro’s amp models (Suitcase, Duo, L5, JC) and microphone selection (Cardioid, Dynamic).
Velocity curve and velocity depth adjustments are one of the features I really like in Rhodes virtual instrument products. MIDI recordings tend to sound different depending on different players, different controllers, and different virtual instruments. In this case, you can create a touch response and dynamics that suit your taste by setting the velocity.
The sound is great, but needs some direction.
I really liked the quality of the piano sound itself. It’s natural and sophisticated, but without any unnecessary modifications. It has a moderate simplicity, so it is good for adding effects and blends well with other instruments in the mix.
The effect of opening and closing the grand piano’s lid is also very natural. Rather than just giving an unnatural difference in EQ, it gives the impression that different piano recording settings were actually applied.
One thing that is disappointing is that it feels like the effects section and amp/microphone settings that are characteristic of Rhodes are not highlighted well in the plug-in. In this case, presets are a means of effectively presenting what the manufacturer is aiming for.
There are still a few built-in presets, but it would be nice to have more presets to demonstrate the variety of possible combinations of Rhodes effects. Ultimately, for users to understand the identity of an instrument, audible presets are more effective than convenient knobs.
Release information
The regular price of Rhodes Pianology is $149.95 (about KRW 210,000), and it will be sold at a launch discount price of $104.95 (about KRW 150,000) until April 7. A 14-day free trial is also available.
