Making Music
  Computer Music Software and Hardware

Very functional

Below the LCD display is a set of eight function keys corresponding to the function keys on a computer keyboard. Each of these can store a preset and collectively they are known as a Performance. Although you cannot tweak and save individual presets, you can save them as part of a Performance so you can create lots of Performance files containing your favourite settings. Presets in a Performance are selected by clicking on the function buttons on the on-screen display or by pressing the corresponding function key on the computer keyboard. This arrangement lends itself to live performance with a laptop running the program and controlling the presets.

 To the left and right of the function buttons are system parameters - a MIDI channel selector, a control to set the maximum polyphony, a DFD LED, and memory and CPU usage indicators. The last two are particularly important. You can see the memory usage increase as you load presets so it's a good guide to how many presets you can use if you're short of memory. The program pops up a warning if loading a preset runs the risk of running out of memory (it suggests, rather genteelly, that it may cause problems) and you have the option of cancelling the load.

The CPU indicator shows the amount of processing power being used as a percentage. This will vary enormously depending on the computer's processor, the preset, the polyphony and the available RAM. It's particularly useful when running the program as a plug-in as it lets you see the load requirement of the instrument in relation to the entire system.

The four pianos are superb. To get a real feel for them you may want to play from a weighted keyboard - and purists may demand loose keys, soggy action, sticky notes and the de facto boomy bass end! - but any keyboard that you're comfortable with will do. A very useful feature is the ability to change the velocity curve and you'll almost certainly want to do this to complement your keyboard.

The sounds respond well to velocity and they sound true - you won't be able to resist funkin' out to Stevie Wonder's Superstition on the Hohner Clavinet, and vamping Supertramp riffs with the Wurlie. The Rhodes, in one form or another, has probably been used in more music genres than any other electric piano. It's particularly loved by jazz musicians (well, some of them) and has done more than its fair share of rock work, too.

As it says on the tin, these pianos are vintage classics. They will recall many old, classic tunes from the 70s and 80s and may just make you want to dig out your old vinyl recordings. The instruments may be vintage but the sounds are certainly classic and ought to fit into a wide range of modern music. Watch out for a revival...