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Originally Posted by Infa  Cool, thanks for the input and info soultrane.
Now upon looking around more, I seen and read that the Rhodes Mark V is simply the best Rhodes made ever... Is this just a opinion ? Or more of a actual truth ?
I heard on that one they brought the wooden keys back, and supposedly a design that ended up bringing back a more "bell like tone" out of it.
As you said, yes apparently they are very hard to find. BUT what I am asking is, if you did find one, and had a choice of a Rhodes Mark I early rev, vs a Rhodes Mark V, which would you choose ? Which should we ALL choose ?
Summary, and straight question for all: Is the Rhodes Mark V really the best Rhodes piano made ?
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Next question... as good as alot of these "Soft Synths" are getting. Is there a soft synth rhodes plug in that is simply dead on imitating the Rhodes Pianos to a tee ? Or at least "good enough" should I say even for a purist ? Also, it seems like if there were one "good enough", it would even be better because it could have all the Rhodes Piano's in one plug in. Or at least the best most popular ones packed all into one plug in ? If so, what is the best plug in soft synth for Rhodes Keys ?
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Last question.... I also have stumbled across a new looking Rhodes Site. Looks like the official Rhodes Piano Music Cooperation site. Rhodes Mark 7 - Rhodes Piano - Rhodes Music Corporation
Now how about one of them Rhodes ? Are they good ? What do they sound like ? Would it be best to buy one of those ?
Summary: Out of the three major questions above, what is the best route to take ?
1 - Buy a original older one ? If so, which one ? Is the Mark V the best ?
2- Buy a Soft Synth Rhodes Keys plug In ? If so which one is the best ?
3 - Buy a newly manufactured one from Rhodes Music Corp ? If so which one is the best ?
THANKS !!! |
the idea that the mark 5 is the "best" rhodes piano around is not really confirmable. i'm sure the few mark 5 owners think theirs is the best. some people think the bell like tone is too pronounced in it, moving it closer to dx7 "crystal piano" type sound... which is not what many people are after.
for what its worth, whenever i play a rhodes simulation that has a mark 1, mark 2, and mark 5 on it, the mark 5 sample is always the one i like the LEAST.
its kind of like steinway pianos, in a way. some say the new ones are junk, some say the new ones are the best ever, some say the ones during the cbs era were the worst, but vladamir horowitz, who could have had any piano he wanted, had a model d from the cbs era.
so, you might find a really tasty mark 1, mark 2, or mark 5. the trick is to be able to play it for yourself before buying it.
as far as the simulators... i have never found one that i liked... or, more to the point, i never heard one that sounded much like a rhodes...
this includes the evp plug in in logic, the lounge lizard, clavia nord electro, etc...
think of it like this; suppose someone came up with a dead on telecaster emulation for your computer....
it mght sound like a telecaster, but would you actually PLAY it, with a mouse or some midi keyboard, like a real telecaster was meant to be played?
if you want a telecaster, get a telecaster.
same with a rhodes... part of what makes a rhodes great are the imperfections within the rhodes... the key letup being picked up by the amp, etc...
and of course, the action on a rhodes is why you play the rhodes the way you play it... its sloppy and imprecise, the exact opposite of, say, a motif or a nord stage...
there's nothing "computer" or "virtual" about a rhodes...
is as real as it gets.
as for the new rhodes, i know some of the guys behind that effort, and they've had it in their minds to produce a new rhodes since before i met them, over 10 years ago.
three years ago at namm, they showed some old pianos in new cases, and they keep "getting closer" to actually doing it.
of course, that was before all the credit for business development dried up.. i guess what i'm saying is, if you want the classic rhodes sound, don't wait for the mark 7, don't worry about a mark 5, just search craigs list and find some old lady who's got a mark 1 or mark 2 that her husband left her thats in good condition, grab it, love it, and pass it on to your kids.