Ed Stanley Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 Haven’t landed or posted here for years. I’m not sure why but I’m here now to solicit opinions. I’m looking for a hardware Rhodes emulation and am not up to speed on what’s available that’s better than what I’ve got (Nord / Korg SV 1). I have a few real Rhodes’ but I refuse to drag them around anymore. Any suggestions will be appreciated. A guy was telling me about this Crumar Seventeen. Any thoughts on that? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenheeter Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 I have a Seventeen and it is a wonderful alternative to a Rhodes, which I gigged with for years. The new CFX acoustic piano is also very good. I find the action very good for emulating Rhodes. It also has a pretty vintage look about it. I bought the legs ( which are sold separately ) so it can be played without a keyboard stand. I like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonnor Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 I played an awesome Rhodes board at Gearfest a few years ago... @Dave Bryce help me out, was that the Seven? The touch and velocity response on this were so great I didn't want to stop playing it. Crumar Seven iirc. ~ vonnor Quote Gear: Hardware: Nord Stage3, Korg Kronos 2, Novation Summit Software: Cantabile 3, Halion Sonic 3 and assorted VST plug-ins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenheeter Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 Yes, the Seven is wonderful. The Seventeen is a scaled down version with the same action, same Rhodes models and all of the other samples. It doesn't offer as much real time control over effects and things, quite a few less knobs, but everything is available and can be edited on board. I just save several presets with different effects and switch to them. The Seven also comes with a lid and legs included. I have a soft case for the Seventeen which makes it lighter than the Seven with its lid. My Seventeen stays mostly in my studio and I use it for recording and rehearsals. For gigging I have a YC73, a Numa X 73 and a Mojo61. Spoiled for choice...... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Stanley Posted June 15, 2023 Author Share Posted June 15, 2023 Thank you both for your replies. Do either of you have experience with the Nord or Korg alternatives to opine which of the three sounds most authentic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoken6 Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 Korg SV1/2, Crumar Seven/teen, Viscount Legend 70s deserve your attention. Nord gets bashed regularly for not having updated its EPs recently. I'm happy with the Nord sounds, but I'm not an EP connoisseur. Cheers, Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted June 15, 2023 Share Posted June 15, 2023 8 hours ago, vonnor said: I played an awesome Rhodes board at Gearfest a few years ago... @Dave Bryce help me out, was that the Seven? The touch and velocity response on this were so great I didn't want to stop playing it. Crumar Seven iirc. Yep, that was it. I enjoyed mine while I had it. Sadly, it broke a couple of times so I don’t have it any more. dB Quote ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dockeys Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 There's also the Valente...not so much a Rhodes but based on that and the Wurly: https://valentepianos.com Josh Paxton had a thread on it a couple of years ago: 1 Quote Yamaha MODX8, Legend Live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoken6 Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 31 minutes ago, Dockeys said: There's also the Valente An interesting leftfield nomination! Not exactly a Rhodes, but they don't come more hardware than that, and it's fairly portable (42lbs). Cheers, Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyberGene Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 Proper title would attract more people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
counterpoint Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 First...Nord released a new EP today...the Stockholm something or other. FWIW, I have a Nord E4, Yamaha YC and a Numa X 73. While the sounds of the Nord and Yamaha EP's are excellent...very pleasant and usable, they are almost too good...too "dense" compared to the real thing IMO. The Numa EP's feel and sound the closest to the real Rhodes I had (1976 Mark1). Being that they're modeled, there are also some interesting adjustments you can make to the Numa X EP's that you can't for the Nord or Yamaha EP's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonnor Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 15 hours ago, Dave Bryce said: ...Sadly, it broke a couple of times so I don’t have it any more. Heh, I usually "don't have it any more" 'cuz I GO broke a couple times... ~ vonnor 2 Quote Gear: Hardware: Nord Stage3, Korg Kronos 2, Novation Summit Software: Cantabile 3, Halion Sonic 3 and assorted VST plug-ins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonglow Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 I also played that Seven at Gearfest a few years ago. I used to gig a Rhodes Mark I many years ago, and have played most of the contenders (e.g., Nord, Yamaha, Korg, Roland). I found the Seven to be the closest to playing a real Rhodes, both in terms of sound and action. It was a rather uncanny experience. 1 1 Quote "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElmerJFudd Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 The Seven I felt was quite Rhodes like. Its interface is neat and the physical model of a Rhodes is quite good in timbre and behavior. However, I would not want to play acoustic piano on the Seven by choice regularly. If I need an instrument to cover both I’d prefer the SV2 or CP/YC88. Quote Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan_evett Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 33 minutes ago, Moonglow said: I also played that Seven at Gearfest a few years ago. I used to gig a Rhodes Mark I many years ago, and have played most of the contenders (e.g., Nord, Yamaha, Korg, Roland). I found the Seven to be the closest to playing a real Rhodes, both in terms of sound and action. It was a rather uncanny experience. I remember that hang around the Seven very well. For a model-based digital stage piano, its reproduction of the original Rhodes tone and feel connected strongly for me. From late 1979 to the mid 1980s, I played a couple different Rhodes Mark I EPs for road and local gigging. Playing the Seven generated a lot of memories. Quote 'Someday, we'll look back on these days and laugh; likely a maniacal laugh from our padded cells, but a laugh nonetheless' - Mr. Boffo. We need a barfing cat emoticon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Stanley Posted June 16, 2023 Author Share Posted June 16, 2023 Thanks to everyone who has replied. Is it possible for me to edit the title of this thread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 1 hour ago, Ed Stanley said: Thanks to everyone who has replied. Is it possible for me to edit the title of this thread? Only for a period of time. If you tell me what yould like the title changed to say, I can do that for you. dB Quote ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Stanley Posted June 16, 2023 Author Share Posted June 16, 2023 Thanks, dB : Perhaps "Rhodes Clone Inquiry". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHarrell Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 What about "Attack of the Rhodes Clones"? 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted June 16, 2023 Share Posted June 16, 2023 1 hour ago, Ed Stanley said: Perhaps "Rhodes Clone Inquiry". Done! dB Quote ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Professional Affiliations: Royer Labs • Music Player Network Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElmerJFudd Posted June 17, 2023 Share Posted June 17, 2023 Anyone had seat time in front of one of Viscount Legend 70s variants? https://www.legend70s.com/ Quote Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyberGene Posted June 17, 2023 Share Posted June 17, 2023 My vote also goes to the Numa X. I have a Numa X Piano 73 and I love it for being very lightweight and compact, yet having great feeling Fatar TP-110 that’s so much better than the TP-100LR it replaces. The electric piano sounds are fully modeled and while I’m very skeptical about physical modeling for acoustic piano (on the Numa they use a hybrid approach of sampling + modeling for the acoustic patches which gets best of both worlds), the full modeling works really great for Rhodes and is very tweakable. For the money you also get uploadable sounds like on the much more expensive Nords, aftertouch, embedded USB audio interface to use with either iPad or a laptop with external VST-s, one of the best MIDI implementations and tons of other great features. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHPC Posted June 17, 2023 Share Posted June 17, 2023 I (mostly) like the Seventeen and wrote an extensive review on this site last year. There were other reviews and replies too. I don't know how to create a link but search for 'crumar seventeen' should bring you there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProfD Posted June 17, 2023 Share Posted June 17, 2023 On 6/15/2023 at 1:38 AM, Ed Stanley said: I’m looking for a hardware Rhodes emulation and am not up to speed on what’s available that’s better than what I’ve got (Nord / Korg SV 1). I have a few real Rhodes’ but I refuse to drag them around anymore. Welcome back to the forum. Better than is subjective. Especially when Rhodes sounds can be swapped out on the Nord. Underneath my fingers, the Korg SV still offers the closest experience I get to playing my Rhodes Mark II. I know it's easier said/typed than done but IMO, finding a hardware Rhodes alternative to the real thing and notwithstanding already having a Nord and SV-1...requires test driving a few KBs. 😎 Quote PD "The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."--E. Ahbez "Nature Boy" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnotherScott Posted June 17, 2023 Share Posted June 17, 2023 On 6/15/2023 at 1:38 AM, Ed Stanley said: I’m looking for a hardware Rhodes emulation and am not up to speed on what’s available that’s better than what I’ve got (Nord / Korg SV 1). I'm not sure anything is better than an SV1 when it comes to a digital board that sounds/feels/plays like a Rhodes, but there are certainly other high quality alternatives, even if which is better than which may be somewhat subjective. The SV2 has some updated Rhodes, but you can still load the SV1 Rhodes patches into it as well. Seven/Seventeen could be possibilities. I liked the (now discontinued) Vox Continental, even though it has a non hammer action... and that one had the virtue of being especially lightweight. I did a comparison of SV1, the Vox, and the Casio PX-5S at https://forums.musicplayer.com/topic/178238-scotts-big-rhodes-test-1-voxsv1px5s/ In newer boards, I like the Yamaha CP73/YC73, with some tweaking to the velocity parameters. Kurzweil PC4/PC4-7 are also strong contenders, especially if you also load in the downloadable additional EPs from Purgatory Creek. 1 Quote Maybe this is the best place for a shameless plug! Our now not-so-new new video at https://youtu.be/3ZRC3b4p4EI is a 40 minute adaptation of T. S. Eliot's "Prufrock" - check it out! And hopefully I'll have something new here this year. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Mark Posted June 17, 2023 Share Posted June 17, 2023 I've had a Viscount Legend 70s Artist-W for a couple months. Love it. It's lighter than the Kawai MP7se I had been gigging with. The EP and the Clav "modules" are modeled and make for a really nice playing experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonglow Posted June 17, 2023 Share Posted June 17, 2023 17 minutes ago, AnotherScott said: …especially if you also load in the downloadable additional EPs from Purgatory Creek. +1 Busch’s/Purgatory Creek’s Mark I is phenomenal. Quote "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted June 17, 2023 Share Posted June 17, 2023 Best Rhodes I ever owned was a Wurli. Just kidding. ... sort of. 1 Quote "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric Posted June 17, 2023 Share Posted June 17, 2023 If you want a modern electro mechanical EP, check out Vintage Vibe. They aren't cheap, but they are cool. A little closer to Wurly territory, which I prefer. I have a friend that got the sparkle flake green one (I forgot which model) and he plays it with a clonewheel on top in a jam band. It really sounds great and looks like a real instrument on stage (because it is a bit more "real" than most clones). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Stanley Posted June 18, 2023 Author Share Posted June 18, 2023 Thank you all very much. One challenge I face is not having access to ANY of these for a test drive. YouTube demos are less than ideal as they tend to range from being done on some guys phone to pretty slicky produced, neither of which paints a very accurate picture.. I am discouraged by reports of the Crumar's build quality being less than road worthy. I may actually join the 21st century and go the laptop route. At the risk of broadening the scope of this thread I would certainly welcome any software suggestions along those lines and I will check into Purgatory Creek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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