Hi,
I just tried the Lounge Lizard and I am quite impressed with the playability - it's inspiring to play in terms of sparking off ideas - good presets.

How does this compare to hardware emulations - does the hardware sound bigger, fuller etc

Thanks

It's been a number of years since I had my hands on an actual Rhodes, but I have Lounge Lizard, and I love it. Sounds (and feels) pretty darned authentic to me! Maybe some golden-eared types could hear a minute difference between LL and the real deal, but I'm betting that properly processed and mixed, not many could hear any difference (and those that could will find something else to gripe about if you are using real electric pianos anyway...)

superb

It's not the accuracy in sound I would query but the fact that it's software, which I always find a bit sterile next to my hardware synths.

What is this "hardware synth Rhodes" of which you speak?

For me, no two Rhodes ever sound alike and I for one, don't miss using a screwdriver to adjust the hammers/tines... although it's sort of cool that Lounge Lizard even lets you do THAT if you want. I also used to spend inordinate amounts of time, working with compression and eq to get a session Rhodes in the neighborhood of a "place" in an emerging tracking session or mix. I REALLY hated that. LL greatly reduces those steps... for me anyway.

As far as real Rhodes, by the time the late 70s came around, there were soooooo many shops out there that would hotrod your Rhodes for all these strange distinctive sound variations.....really expensive back then too......... now you have it all in LL.

My vote is for Lounge Lizard for the sound range to tweak in on different Rhodes models....and of course without the weight.

A hardware synth Rhodes? To me, that would be routing Lounge Lizard out your computer d/a and... into an amp. Which wouldn't really accomplish anything of importance for me.

I don't have version 4, but it looks pretty cool.

What I meant by 'hardware' is something like the korg SV1 or the Clavia keyboards/synths, anything that recreates the sound of a Rhodes or Wurley. Even some of the cheaper Roland keyboards.

A computer is a computer. Most modern keyboards are a computer. The quality of sound output from a computer or a keyboard will be primarily determined by the software that is running on it, and secondarily by the quality of the DAC, output stage electronics, and the like. The first of these (the software) is by far the most important.

Many modern keyboards run sample playback engines (in this case, Rhodes samples recorded at different dynamic levels would be switched between or crossfaded between). Others use classic synthesis (like subtractive or FM), often mixed with sampled waveforms. Still others run physical modeling algorithms (similar to Lounge Lizard).

None of the many modern keyboards I have played sound particularly bigger or fuller than the many diverse sounds that you can coax from Lounge Lizard. In the case of modern keyboards recreating the Rhodes sound, it is a fallacy that hardware sounds bigger than software (as it's really all software).

In fact, Lounge Lizard or some of the better modern keyboards might sit in a particular mix more convincingly than a particular real Rhodes (and I've had a real Rhodes for 30+ years, and have played and/or serviced many others). I totally agree with thenoodle that every real Rhodes sounds and feels different (I work in some studios with more than one Rhodes for that reason).

So, in the end, it all comes down to a matter of taste. If you find a software emulation that speaks to you, great. If you find a modern keyboard that feels organic to you, great. And, if you decide that you connect best with a real Rhodes, great. Personally, I benefit from all three approaches in different circumstances.

Enjoy your Rhodes journey.

Thanks, That's a great post and I agree.
In the end I was about to buy Lounge Lizard, on their promotion period, but after comparing with the EP sounds in my Yamaha SY85 I realised that the hardware had more depth and warmth to the sound - I don't know really how to describe it but it just sounded more interesting and pleasing, that's not to say the Lounge Lizard doesn't sound really good in its own way.
I didn't mention that I have a hardware synth earlier as I was more interested in modern hardware EP emulations/samples - I guessed that things had moved on in 20 years but maybe not so much ?

I have LL4 & I have. Korg SV-1. They are both great! I have a writing template set up in PTHD with the SV-1 as an audio track, while triggering the LL4 to capture midi. I will blend the two! Grab the LL4 while it's on sale, you won't regret it.

8-)
KK

As with all PM, the weakness lies in the hammer noise generator. Because of that samples sound better.

I've actually just tried there Chromaphone and it sounds fantastic. It produces a wider ranger of sounds including great EP's and also has a longer release time lacking in the LL.

This is the best Rhodes I'm aware of:

http://www.sampletekk.com/proddetail...VER-030-FORMAT

Has anyone noticed a subtile click when releasing a note in LL4? I don't know version 3 but I'm looking for a good Rhodes emu and like Lounge Lizard for is UI and tweaking abilities but somehow I can't figure out, what causes these click sounds. Sounds similar to the crackeling of a vinyl track, but higher frequency. I was testing that VST at the studio of a guy who bought one of my romplers. He is amazed by it and I'm too. He never noticed before I pointed that out but I hear this very clearly and can't ignore it.

I prefer LL to all other Rhodes emulations.

Basically I do, too!
The concept of a physically modelled rhodes emu taking not much disc space is great! The tweaking possibilities are great. The tone is very realistic, yet clean.

It's only this clicking noise that boggles me.