Module similar to EMU Vintage Keys that emulates Vox Continentals, Clav, Rhodes, etc.

[B3GOD]

I'm looking to purchase any module I can find that can emulate the classic keyboards such as the Vox Continental, Farfisa compact, clavinet, wurlitzer, etc. Any information would be great....Thanks!

[joegerardi]

B3:

I don't know a module per se that does that, but the Vintage Keys card for the Alesis Qs series has a bunch of those.

[Jonathan Hughes]

You'd probably be better off buying a sampler and loading it with stuff from CD Roms. The new Nord Electro is supposed to have good recreatons of rhodes, wurlitzers, and organs (I don't know which ones), but it's a whole keyboard, not just a module. Plus, it's not out yet, and seems like a one-trick pony.

 

Rhodes and Wurlitzer sounds are pretty common in most modules, but Farfisas and Continentals aren't that common. My old Alesis QSR had a couple Farfisa-ish sounds (as well as some really nice electric pianos), but not that many -- another reason to look into a sampler.

 

E-mu sells a CD-ROM called "vintage keys" (I think) that has tons of Vox and Farfisa samples (it also has some hammonds, rhodes, and wurlitzers, but I think they're all pretty weak). There are a ton of sample discs out there that have the kind of sounds you're looking for. Wizoo makes a disc called Magnetica that has Rhodes, Wurlitzer, clavinet, and some hammond samples. It's supposed to be very good.

 

Jonathan

[musicman1ovation.net]

For some extra answers on a very similar question, you might want to check out the answers in the "Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Clavinet - All in one" topic. actually, I share your interest in in Vox Continental/Farfisa sounds, too. Right now it seems like several manufacturers make modeled B-3's, and several of them are VERY good. But decent sounding vintage keyboards like all the electric pianos, etc., that some people have in storage, generally is the result of VERY good samples.

 

I think your best source for such sounds is high quality sample CD-ROMs. For me, having checked out ALL the heftier samplers, I am now leaning towards so-called "soft samplers". These require a fairly powerful PC or MAC, and they generally use either VST (Cubase and other environments for PC/MAC) or MAS (Digital Performer environment for MAC) as their "protocol".

 

The thing about samples (as opposed to the sounds in modules, which, though also sampled, are always constrained by smaller sampler sizes, less memory allocation for the specific sounds you want) is that there are always newer CD-ROMs covering the same ground with varying nuance, and serious multi-strike samples are common for Rhodes, Clavinet & Wurlitizer... and it makes all the difference

 

Best wishes to both of us and others who want to use the sounds of great classic electro-mechanic keyboards from the past in our products. I still wonder how crazy I had to be to let go of actual Rhodes, Wurlitzer & Clavinet I had the pleasure of owning. I never owned a Continental or Farfisa, but I borrowed and used a Farfisa once for about six months, and it was during an early writing period for me. VERY inspiring. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

This message has been edited by musicman1@ovation.net on 03-03-2001 at 05:07 AM

[Steve44]

Regarding Farfisa and Contintental emulations, the BlueChip OX-7 which looks like a black Oberheim OB3 was supposed to be well-suited for those "european" sounds. It claims to have models of:

Hammond* B3 Tone Wheel Organ

Hammond* H 100 Tone Wheel Organ

Wersi Helios/Galaxis (analog)

Wersi Spectra/Atlantis (digital)

 

They also have a cheaper version called the "Baby b" which has sliders instead of drawbars. Here's a link for more info:

http://www.musicindustries.com/bluechip/ox7/index.html

 

 

Another "module" option is to get a Proteus 2000 series model and have somebody (with an E4 and the burner option) burn a 32 meg ROM full of samples, possibly even straight from the Vintage Keys Plus..

[analogman1]

Hello,

I use a "Keyboards of the 60's and 70"s" expansion card in my Roland 2080 and my XV-88. It has a pretty decent variety; of course, nothing but the real thing will satisfy if you're a purist.

Tom

[Steve44]

I actually just bumped into a listing on Ebay of the module version of that roland expansion card. It's called the "M-VS-1" VS for Vintage Synth I guess. Here's a link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1413048717

[Tusker]

Just wanted to let you know that the vintage synth card is not the same as the Keyboards of the 60s and 70s. I have the vintage synth card which has about 200 vintage synth samples (about half from Roland synths), 6 mellotron and 3 Hammond. The module based on the card has a slightly different patch sequence and some diference in the details of the patches, but is substantially the same as the card.

 

By contrast the keyboards of the 60's and 70s has mostly B3, Clavinet, Wurli, etc. I looked into getting this card and decided against it. For player of electromechanical keybaords looking for a card in their rompler, this is one of the best.

 

They serve different purposes.

 

Cheers,

 

Jerry

[Steven Denike]

i'd love to know more about the Clavia Electro, other than that information on their website.

 

www.clavia.se/Electropreview.htm

 

If anybody's going to the Frankfurt Musicmesse, please check it out and tell us what it's like - seems like a sampler, to me - why not just use a more fully-featured keyboard, then? Although I think the drawbar LEDs are downright spiffy...

[Steve44]

Jerry - sorry abou thtat, my mistake.

 

Steven - I agree in that the Electro's an interesting lookig box.. however I can't help but wonder why Clavia didn't see that the market is there for just the Electric Piano half of the Electro.. they should've left off the "digital tonewheels" both because the up/down keys for drawbars is stupid and because everybody and their mother has made a tonewheel simulator, including Casio for god's sake.. If only they'd made a virtual E.p. instead of a multi=sampled one.. but at least there's Emagic's EVP88 to drool over.

[murph]

Originally posted by analogman1@aol.com:

Hello,

I use a "Keyboards of the 60's and 70"s" expansion card in my Roland 2080 and my XV-88. It has a pretty decent variety; of course, nothing but the real thing will satisfy if you're a purist.

Tom

 

Absolutely, but you can save even more money by getting a JV1010 -- all the power, a fraction of the cost. You're looking at about $700 for the combination brand new.

[Dave Bryce]

Originally posted by Steven Denike:

i'd love to know more about the Clavia Electro, other than that information on their website.

If anybody's going to the Frankfurt Musicmesse, please check it out and tell us what it's like - seems like a sampler, to me - why not just use a more fully-featured keyboard, then? Although I think the drawbar LEDs are downright spiffy...

 

I played the Electro at the Music Messe last week. Interesting board. It's still not ready for prime time - there was only one unit there, and it wasn't fully functional. I thought that the keybed felt very nice, but overall I found the instrument to be kind of sterile and digital - especially the organ emulations.

 

Don't get me wrong - the thing sounds good and all, it just seemed to lack a certain warmth and authenticity.

 

Also, it's user interface is laid out like, well, a Swedish synth, which I found to be a bit weird for a piano/organ type keyboard. Loved the red wood endcaps, though...

 

dB