New Wurlitzer

[David Barrickman]

4 minutes ago, zxcvbnm098 said:

I wonder how well (if at all) they'll be able to capture the feel of an original Wurlitzer? That's also a big component to me of the experience....weighted, but very light!

 

I think Dexibel uses Fatar keybeds? If they are involved, I hope they do the work to really nail the feel of a Wurlie....

My local GC had a used Wurlitzer 200A for sale pre-pandemic a few years back for only 1200!! Played it, fell in love, I returned to store next day to buy and it was gone…congrats to whoever got it! It was in great condition and sounded/played wonderfully! Prices since then have increased at least 2-3x for used 200As so news of a new modern option being released is welcome…although likely will be too expensive for me to justify getting…

 

Late last year to the present I’m using a Kawai ES920 which has some surprisingly good vintage ep sounds (including Wurlitzer 200A

and Hohner Pianet) I’ve had to use the Virtual Technician, built in effects and 4 band EQ to edit the factory presets to personal taste and feel like now I’ve got them dialed in pretty close…plus the “lighter” action on the ES920  (especially after I tweaked velocity curves etc) helps

to mimic the “weighted but very light” feel of the original you mentioned 😎

 

[D. Gauss]

Sadly, regrettably and reluctantly, I'll probably be selling both of my whurlys (700 series tube spinet and 4 speaker console version of the 200) in the near future due to NYC area space concerns. :(      Reach out if you're looking for one.

[Adan]

I think the best digital wurly playing experience I've had is on the Vox Continental. Semi-weighted keys are lighter than the real thing, but since the Wurly is a light touch keyboard, the difference is not super dramatic. The finger-to-sound connection is superb, and the sounds themselves are quite good, even if not as good as the better software emulations. When I've gigged with a Conti I've usually ended up just playing Wurly all night, and felt very satisfied by it.

[davinwv]

The other shoe dropped on the official Wurlitzer Instagram:

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C8pIjlaN2kY/?igsh=MXducXhqdDVyZXAz

[zxcvbnm098]

2 hours ago, Adan said:

I think the best digital wurly playing experience I've had is on the Vox Continental. Semi-weighted keys are lighter than the real thing, but since the Wurly is a light touch keyboard, the difference is not super dramatic. The finger-to-sound connection is superb, and the sounds themselves are quite good, even if not as good as the better software emulations. When I've gigged with a Conti I've usually ended up just playing Wurly all night, and felt very satisfied by it.

Mine would be my Kurzweil Artis 7 (with lighter springs).....for my money Kurz has great Wurlie sounds - likely created by Dave Weiser? Also very satisfying....and I've got the real thing as well. But for most gigs it doesn't make sense to roll out the original. The one I use most is called Woodstock Clunker. Even the vibrato is spot on....

[Jim Alfredson]

So yeah, a digital sampler with Wurlitzer EP sounds in it. That’s pretty much what I expected.

Or just go get any modern ROMpler. The Kurzweil lineup has killer Wurli sounds in them.

[J.F.N.]

5 hours ago, Jim Alfredson said:

So yeah, a digital sampler with Wurlitzer EP sounds in it. That’s pretty much what I expected.

Or just go get any modern ROMpler. The Kurzweil lineup has killer Wurli sounds in them.

 

And for the PC3 series, this pack has some great Rhodes and Wurlies with very intelligent programming mapping up the sliders with parameters to adjust a bunch of really useful stuff for tweaking the sound.

 

"For the Rhodes and Wurly you can adjust the hammers noises, the tines level, the release pedal noise, the mic overdrive (Rhodes only) and you have adjutable EQ's an reverb. Tremolo speed and depth is also user programmable..."

 

https://www.barbandco.com/store/p23/Keys_of_Gold_soundset_PC3%2FK%2FLe%2FA.html

[stoken6]

If you're going to go digital, why confine yourself to Wurly? Add Rhodes, clav - and hell, an AP or two - and suddenly you're 2001-era Nord.

 

Cheers, Mike.

[ProfD]

On 6/24/2024 at 8:49 AM, davinwv said:

Wurlitzer has chosen Dexibell, the renowned Italian producer of electronic pianos, to breathe new life into the revered Wurlitzer sound. 

 

The development of the new Wurlitzer 250D combines of Dexibell's industry-leading sampling and advanced modeling technology with Wurlitzer’s heritage of exceptional craftsmanship.

Not surprised. Totally makes sense from both a technological and market perspective.

 

As mentioned, an electromechanical would have been expensive to manufacture.

 

The market for such an instrument is small. The competition from lower cost digital facsimiles is high.

 

Dexibell didn't gain a lot of traction here in the US with their DPs. Hopefully the new Wurli will do better.😎