Neo-Soul Keys Studio

[Josh Paxton]

I haven't used LL or Mainstage FX, but the built-in ones are pretty nice. The one disappointment is that the wah doesn't include an envelope follower/auto-wah option.

 

I got the missing sample issues resolved; turns out some of the files had failed to extract. One other issue is that it won't work with the current version of GarageBand, but I'm told they have an update coming next week that will address this.

[burningbusch]

VKFXs are the only software suite I've found that attempts to simulate keyboard-specific effects and preamps as found on the Rhodes, etc. Sure you can find a Bi-phase emulation out there, but most pedal FXs are guitar oriented.

 

Busch.

[Mark Schmieder]

Wow, this is HUGE. It's been a long time since I've purchases something where the RAR takes this long to unpack. I'm hoping it finishes soon so that I can try it out, as we lose an hour tonight as it is.

 

I'm especially excited to try the Clavinet and the Rhodes V as I use the latter a lot for jazz and as I keep switching my Clavinet source but haven't found the Holy Grail yet.

[Mark Schmieder]

The RAR is unpacked now, but the installer then failed, even running it twice. Not a space issue as I have almost 60 GB free on my SSD system drive. Nor did it ask for authorization etc.; that happens on first launch.

[Mark Schmieder]

Hmm, the error message seems to have been a red herring, as it actually did install correctly, runs, and authorizes.

 

Nice GUI design; very intuitive and easy to find features and settings.

 

Also, it seems to load large sample sets more quickly than either Kontakt or UVI Falcon.

[Mark Schmieder]

This is just a first impression, and bear in mind that I am the most time-crunched that I've been since I was in the Navy, so others on this forum may have more time to port their old sounds than I do.

 

Basically, I will only be using this new version for the Wurlie 300, which is an interesting keyboard that sounds almost like a hybrid between a 200A, a Clavinet, and a Rhodes Mark V. I quite like it, and even find it appropriate for jazz.

 

I primarily use the DB setting for in-phase clavinet sounds, and that combination is not available in Neo-Soul Keys Studio, unfortunately. Regardless, the Soniccouture library is WAY deeper in its sampling and its coverage. But that's to be expected of a dedicated library vs. a suite.

 

As for the existing material, after two hours of playing with the new version (about half an hour of which was dedicated to Clavinet, Rhodes Mark V, and Wurly), I was unable to get close enough to my two dozen or so sounds from the old UVI version (which I had already ported from the Kontakt version), and likewise I couldn't find or tweak any presets (at top-level or instrument-level) to get me into my preferred territory.

 

I guess I'm unusual in that I prefer clean e-piano sounds. I also like dedicated controls that match the originals, vs. weirdly-named stuff that seems gimmicky in my mind. This new version sounds like a synth to me, which doesn't make it useless but means I don't find it a replacement for the old version. Even with everything set to dry, the raw recordings don't sound as detailed to me as what's in some dedicated libraries (e.g. Soniccouture's) and the recent UVI Tines Anthology (which I love).

 

I tried soloing, comping, and playing and listening alone and in a mix context. The new version got buried no matter what I did. But I tend to have dense arrangements, with lots of orchestral and ethnic instruments -- I rarely feature e-pianos as a solo/lead instrument.

 

Overall, I'm just not finding any equivalency with the old product, other than similarities in the GUI look and design. The controls, ranges, and references are quite different, making it quite time-consuming to try to match older settings, and none of the starting points or presets are remotely the same so that further slows down the port of old settings.

 

For new customers, none of this will matter, and maybe also not for people who tend to always grow their own settings as I do (for this sort of stuff at least).

 

As it's clear that it would take a lot of time to port my old work, and not clear I could even then get similar or better results, I can't afford any more time with that effort, but I will certainly give this new version a try on the Wurly 300 now and then, just as I use UVI Tines Anthology a lot especially for its Rhodes V.

 

Please do not take this as a dissing of the product. My perspective is 100% from the point of view of someone who has almost no unscheduled time, and who's been around the block enough to no longer have patience for sea changes that require complete re-do's of templates.

[vanderSchoot]

I guess I'm unusual in that I prefer clean e-piano sounds. I also like dedicated controls that match the originals, vs. weirdly-named stuff that seems gimmicky in my mind. This new version sounds like a synth to me, which doesn't make it useless but means I don't find it a replacement for the old version. Even with everything set to dry, the raw recordings don't sound as detailed to me as what's in some dedicated libraries (e.g. Soniccouture's) and the recent UVI Tines Anthology (which I love).

 

I tried soloing, comping, and playing and listening alone and in a mix context. The new version got buried no matter what I did. But I tend to have dense arrangements, with lots of orchestral and ethnic instruments -- I rarely feature e-pianos as a solo/lead instrument.

 

Wow detailed observations, thanks !!(your whole post that is.....)

 

 

The Neosoul clav is simply to out of tune to be of any use for me.

The Wurli is starting to annoy me too, because some chords are really badly tuned too !

 

The default clean suitcase is what i was after all my life.

I do not care for tremelo, chorus, delay, wah,phase or spring reverb on a Rhodes sound,.....i want a very playable, clean but dirty and organic barking Rhodes that is perfect without any effect.

 

To me this Neosoul studio keys suitcase provides me with that sound in abbundance.

I know the original Scarbee and it is really nothing like this.

The new Scarbee Mark 1 sounds very, very good for that specific Rhodes character it wants to emulate (extremely clean recordings)...,but i'm not really after.

 

I still have Acousticsamples wurli on my list, because it sounds perfect in every possible soundexample i've came accross online.

Keyscape sounds good but not something i really really want like i do with acousticsamples.

 

Soniccouture looks promising with their broken wurli and Rhodes, but i own the Hammersmith pro, but i am using the Garritan CFX all the time, because the Hammersmith has it's limitations in the most important middle registers.

 

So if you know a better sounding suitcase than NEO with a barking and organic character (and not similar to the new Scarbee Rhodes), i like to hear your choice !!!

[mate stubb]

i want a very playable, clean but dirty and organic barking Rhodes

 

LOL. Sig-worthy.

[vanderSchoot]

i want a very playable, clean but dirty and organic barking Rhodes

 

LOL. Sig-worthy.

yeah,......had to read it twice to see what you mean

My personal meaning of ''clean'' in this specific context = correct tuning and velocity switching.....''pure''

 

I truly hate detuned hardware and software renderings which don't add to realism at all.(now i am pianotuner in daily life....)

 

Even the Hammersmith (which has microtuning....luckily) has a default pianosound that isn't tuned by a very good tuner or tuning algorithm.

The neo has a clav which is unplayable because of it's tuning and to a lesser extent the wurli.

When Jim A. and i pointed out that the lower octaves of the Gemini clavs were extremely off, Guido said his clav was supposed to sound like that intentionally and he probably thought the remarks were ''exagerated''.

 

The same goes for annoying velocity jumps, becuase of an extremely uneven voiced instrument.

 

I didn't mean clean in what Scarbee did, to remove all the dirt/noise from the samples....some dirt can be a very attractive thing .

 

 

[Gospel Musicians]

Hmm, the error message seems to have been a red herring, as it actually did install correctly, runs, and authorizes.

 

Nice GUI design; very intuitive and easy to find features and settings.

 

Also, it seems to load large sample sets more quickly than either Kontakt or UVI Falcon.

 

Hey Mark....Appreciate so much your feedback. You got us over here very curious about the Preset matching with the UVI version. We would love for you to send us some of your custom presets, so we can load it up in the old version. This way we will get a chance to hear your "ear."

 

We had a customer have the same issues as you and with some minor tweaking of the Color mod and some other stuff, we got close.

 

PS: You are the first to notice and appreciate the loading times. It's pretty remarkable that a new engine comes out that has such god streaming

[Mark Schmieder]

I'll try the colour mod soon to see if that helps; thought I played with it but maybe not.

 

Might be awhile; am working 16 hours at my day job, dealing with many deaths of band leaders and close friends, and my non-gigging music time right now is prioritized to a local metal band that I am recording and producing.

[hardware]

Just downloaded most recent version.

Pretty impressive.

Mod/Color really stands out on the presets where dual EPs are used.

EX5 Suitcase especially.

Trying to knock down some of the excessive sustain at harder velocities in upper octave of an 88, but they sound so good in the midrange I can play lower velocity up high.

I tend to play too hard up top.

 

Nice update Jamal.

[Geoff Grace]

It's pretty remarkable that a new engine comes out that has such god streaming

I'll say! That's quite a feature indeed! (Nice typo. )

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[rickzjamm]

Being Gospel Musician I figured the typo was deliberate.

[Mark Schmieder]

I meant to comment on that typo myself, but was too tired. :-) I thought maybe the auto-correct engine had done it after seeing the username.