Soniccouture releases new 88-key Rhodes Stage (1976)

[BobK]

I couldn't resist picking up Canterbury Suitcase - I have a weakness for Rhodes VIs, even though I mostly play acoustic piano.

The Rhodes grabbed me from the moment I played a Suitcase in high school jazz band in the late 70s. I've had a Mark II Stage since late in high school, but rarely set it up due to space limitations.

I think the Canterbury is great, but I don't think it trounces all the others. I still think Scarbee's Mark I (released by Native Instruments) still sounds and feels great. The Keyscape Rhodeses are great too. (And I'll probably pick up the newer Scarbee EP-88s at some point.)

Otherwise, the only thing I'd still like in my Rhodes collection is Chick Corea's Mark V. I hope that library is released in a VI before too long. It's available only in Yamaha's hardware instruments, AFAIK.

[mhschmieder]

Bob, I get pretty close to Chick's sound with Soniccouture, but also with the Mark V in UVI's Tines Anthology.

Last year, I did two distinct covers of "Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy". One is all-acoustic with a horn section, and the other is electric. I used UVI Tines at first, then switched to Soniccouture, but it was a close battle on that one.

One of my originals is in a Chick vein, and it benefits from the crisp articulateness of Soniccouture.