Rhodes Anthology - Another new offering from Rhodes Music

[Doerfler]

3 hours ago, CHarrell said:

 

Can the V8 Sparkletop presets actually sound like the Sparkletop in Anthology?

Short answer is no. I loaded up both programs on different MIDI channels using my Kawai VPC-1 as the controller so I could A/B them.

After dialing them in (Sparkletop in Anthology and Sparkletop preset in V8 PRO)  the best I could to be the same, there was still a difference in tonality.

The V8 PRO sounds bigger, fuller.

That doesn't mean better, that's subjective anyway. I have owned 3 different Rhodes piano's, but I don't recall ever playing a Sparkletop.

The only reference I have is Billy Preston's solo in "Get Back".

 

[Mark Schmieder]

Had I not just bought Korg's EP-1 and found it to be superior (in most cases) to Scarbee (both versions) and other top choices that I have used over the years, I might be interested in this, but I just put a lot of time into customizing EP-1 and I really don't use Rhodes much anymore compared to Wurly, so I haven't even listened to the audio demos yet. I did previously try the V8 Pro and couldn't get it to operate on my ancient iMac. Maybe I'll try again after my upcoming computer upgrade.

[Stokely]

Fwiw, saw some discussion on vi-control about the type of copy protection Rhodes has used in the past.  Apparently it's pretty obnoxious (an always on thing that runs in the background, and one user said it blocked windows updates from happening).   It's called codemeter apparently, not sure if this one has it.   I tried to find details on the Rhodes site but couldn't, but the system requirements did say you must have an internet connection (and worded in such a way that it sounded like you needed it to use it, not just install it, but that could be my faulty inference.)

This kind of stuff is one reason I like using u-he's products, just to use them as one example.   

[davinwv]

27 minutes ago, Stokely said:

Fwiw, saw some discussion on vi-control about the type of copy protection Rhodes has used in the past.  Apparently it's pretty obnoxious (an always on thing that runs in the background, and one user said it blocked windows updates from happening).   It's called codemeter apparently, not sure if this one has it.   I tried to find details on the Rhodes site but couldn't, but the system requirements did say you must have an internet connection (and worded in such a way that it sounded like you needed it to use it, not just install it, but that could be my faulty inference.)

This kind of stuff is one reason I like using u-he's products, just to use them as one example.   

 

Yeah, I saw all of that, too. It is giving me pause to even demo it. 

[Stokely]

I'm on mac, but i assume that if there is some always-on customer-bothering--er, copy protection--thing running, it would run there too even if it doesn't  get in the way of updates.   Simply put, I don't want something like that running, and most definitely not if it demands to be internet-connected to allow me to use what I purchased....

Mainly I simply don't need another rhodes all that much, but the demos sounded good for this one IMO.

[Doerfler]

1 hour ago, Stokely said:

Fwiw, saw some discussion on vi-control about the type of copy protection Rhodes has used in the past.  Apparently it's pretty obnoxious (an always on thing that runs in the background, and one user said it blocked windows updates from happening).   It's called codemeter apparently, not sure if this one has it.   I tried to find details on the Rhodes site but couldn't, but the system requirements did say you must have an internet connection (and worded in such a way that it sounded like you needed it to use it, not just install it, but that could be my faulty inference.)

This kind of stuff is one reason I like using u-he's products, just to use them as one example.   

V8 PRO and Anthology both require that Codemeter is installed and running.  Myself, I don't have any problem with it. Windows updates install correctly. As always, YMMV.

 

[CHarrell]

13 hours ago, Doerfler said:

Short answer is no. I loaded up both programs on different MIDI channels using my Kawai VPC-1 as the controller so I could A/B them.

After dialing them in (Sparkletop in Anthology and Sparkletop preset in V8 PRO)  the best I could to be the same, there was still a difference in tonality.

The V8 PRO sounds bigger, fuller.

That doesn't mean better, that's subjective anyway. I have owned 3 different Rhodes piano's, but I don't recall ever playing a Sparkletop.

The only reference I have is Billy Preston's solo in "Get Back".

 

 

Thanks! I've loved the Sparkletop sound since I first heard Dirty Harry in high school

 

 

 

I've found it difficult to capture in software; Yamaha's latest stage keyboards have great Sparkletops, but the computer world's been lacking.

 

Even if they're not exactly the same, would you say the V8 Pro has the same characteristics? I want the added depth and configuration of the V8--as I said, overall it's my favorite virtual Rhodes out there--and I want to avoid double dipping with Anthology if I can.

[Mark Schmieder]

Well, I did listen to the demo tonight (and it's LONG!) while multi-tasking other stuff, and the parts that caught my ear were Sparkletop based. Even so, I think I'll skip this sale. I may consider it next year though.

[Mark Schmieder]

I'm having second thoughts now, as Sparkletop is my favorite Rhodes model ever, but I do like the Purgatory Sounds sample set. Otherwise, I currently have no coverage for Sparkletop as I sold a bunch of libraries and VST's a few years ago. Scarbee (both libraries) is the Mark I, and Korg emulates Mark I, II, and V. Arturia models the Mark I.

 

I was unable to get the Mark 8 demo to run when it first came out, but if it is better to use the mark 8 to emulate all prior Rhodes models, maybe I should wait until I switch from my 2017 iMac to an Apple M4-based Mini or Studio computer (sometime by mid-2025).

[CHarrell]

4 hours ago, Mark Schmieder said:

I'm having second thoughts now, as Sparkletop is my favorite Rhodes model ever, but I do like the Purgatory Sounds sample set. Otherwise, I currently have no coverage for Sparkletop as I sold a bunch of libraries and VST's a few years ago. Scarbee (both libraries) is the Mark I, and Korg emulates Mark I, II, and V. Arturia models the Mark I.

 

I was unable to get the Mark 8 demo to run when it first came out, but if it is better to use the mark 8 to emulate all prior Rhodes models, maybe I should wait until I switch from my 2017 iMac to an Apple M4-based Mini or Studio computer (sometime by mid-2025).

 

Hey Mark, go on EP1 and boot up the preset "Tine EP 1 Early" and see what you think.

[Mark Schmieder]

Yeah, the Early Mk I patches in Korg EP-1 sound pretty good, butI think they represent the Fender Rhodes Mk I and the Late Mk I patches represent the later Rhodes Mk I (after they dropped the Fender name from the product) rather than the earlier Silvertop.

 

https://www.fenderrhodes.com/pianos/silvertop.html

 

As a huge Chick Corea fan, I also have a soft spot for the Mk V model, which likewise is rarely covered by samplers or modelers. And I didn't realize the Mk II is just a facelift on the Mk I (paint it black).

 

At any rate, I'll play a bit more with EP-1 on Thanksgiving and see if I still need the Rhodes Collection.

[CHarrell]

1 hour ago, Mark Schmieder said:

Yeah, the Early Mk I patches in Korg EP-1 sound pretty good, butI think they represent the Fender Rhodes Mk I and the Late Mk I patches represent the later Rhodes Mk I (after they dropped the Fender name from the product) rather than the earlier Silvertop.

 

https://www.fenderrhodes.com/pianos/silvertop.html

 

As a huge Chick Corea fan, I also have a soft spot for the Mk V model, which likewise is rarely covered by samplers or modelers. And I didn't realize the Mk II is just a facelift on the Mk I (paint it black).

 

At any rate, I'll play a bit more with EP-1 on Thanksgiving and see if I still need the Rhodes Collection.

 

Yeah I know it's not 100%, but I thought the patch sounded pretty good and not too far off the Sparkletop. As I mentioned, I'm a huge nerd about that model too and I am surprised by how rare it is to find them represented. Outside of Rhodes' newer offering, the only ones I know are actually on the CP and YC88, and they sound amazing.