The Fender Rhodes piano has got to be one of the most emulated instruments in music software history, but Waves thinks it has something to add to this crowded plugin party. With Electric 88 Piano, the company's USP is that it's produced a 'road-worn' instrument that celebrates imperfection.
In order to preserve the piano's character, the sampling process was designed to capture the "non-linearity of the individual keys". During the process, each key was played multiple times by hand, the theory being that this gives Electric 88 a more human feel.
You can tweak the sound using the Mix section, which enables you to control the level of the internal dynamics, tines and key-up sound. The Formant control shifts the samples upwards or downwards to add a further tonal dimension.
Supplied effects include tremolo, autopan, phaser, chorus and reverb, and there are also bass, mid and treble controls. A compressor and an amp are included, too.
Find out more and download a demo on the Waves website. Electric 88 Piano is currently on sale for $39, having a regular price of $69. It can be used both as a plugin and standalone on PC and Mac.
