Electric Keys

[fraz]

Hi,

Is Electric Keys still available? - or discontinued? - Has it been rebadged into Mach 5 or anything else if it has been discountiued? - 64 bit? - Any info? - Thanks

[bayswater]

Seems to be:

http://www.motu.com/products/software/electrickeys
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ElectricKeys
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5 ... ntage.html
http://www.amazon.com/MOTU-Electric-Key ... B000TCQQ3E

[fraz]

Hi,

I wasn't sure myself - Sometimes it could be an old webpage - I did check two shops in UK online and it seemed to be available - Also Amazon had it and was available with a bigger price difference - It doesn't seem to be available on the software page of MOTU but I did find updates for the software -

Mach Five 3 is out and I'm wandering if Electric Keys has been implemented within this? -

Is doesn't seem to be available on the online shop - but available through their distributors - I got an Amazon NEW version! - Cheaper but not cheap!

[bayswater]

Sweetwater ships to Canada, and so does B&H. B&H also looks after all the customs, import duties and other idiocies under so called free trade agreements. I'm assume they'll ship to the UK too.

And I think I've seen these guys advertising in England. They show UK pricing. http://www.thomann.de/gb/motu_electric_keys.htm

[fraz]

Thanks Bayswater - MOTU has a UK distributor that I got Mach Five 3 Update from and they also sell Electric keys but it sells for £250 which is expensive. Amazon had it on for around £180 which is still alot but much better than £250 so I've gone for that - Now that is sorted out a question on Electric Keys -

How does it compare to the likes of Applied Acoustics Lounge Lizard and NI Elektrik Piano? - Similar / samey-samey or definitely a little different?

I've got a number of the UVI titles which uses the same engine so is one of the most liked sofware I've got so I'd expect no different from Electric Keys!

[bayswater]

I had NI Electrik Piano for a while, but it seemed a bit bland, I don't know about the UVI samples, but I expect the MachFive V3 Electric Piano is from UVI. I find that usable. But the one I always liked best is the tine samples from my old Kurzweil 2000. I pitched shifted those down a 5th and still use them resampled in MachFive and EXS 24 quite often.

[fraz]

I don't have a Kurzweil 2000 but I do have a Yamaha EX5R which is apparently good for the electric piano. If the NI is bland then it should be a treat to have MOTU Electric Piano - And btw it arrived today, quick delivery and I got it cheaper than elsewhere, brand new in a box!

[mhschmieder]

I recently bought the new UVI electric keys library, which I have sort of wondered whether it is similar or the same as the neglected (canceled?) MOTU product.

NI's Elektrik Keys was rightfully canceled when Scarbee products got pulled in as NI-marketed products. Much more organic, and better sampled.

I used Elektrik when it first came out, having nothing else at the time. Poor recording techniques were used; many incorrect samples, etc. At the time, however, it was better than most of what was out there in the computer world (but not hardware solutions such as Yamaha's often hybrid and/or FM-based examples of e-pianos).

My favorite Rhodes library remains the one from Gospel Musicians, which by now is the most extensive, the deepest, the most organic, and the most flexible. I forget which other e-pianos it covers; I'm rather tired after an all-day bass guitar session.

Arturia's modeled Wurly is fun but not as "exact" as a sample library. Many other solutions. Clavinets are a bit harder than the other e-pianos. Soniccouture's new library is now my go-to for that.

You must REALLY be behind of Kontakt/Komplete updates/upgrades to still be talking about NI Elektrik! You would have Scarbee otherwise, and probably fairly satisfied overall. But by now, Scarbee has been leapfrogged by several others, including the new UVI offering and MAYBE this older MOTU Electric Keys library (the only one I don't own).