If you’re like me, you absolutely LOVE electric piano sounds.
The sound itself is so versatile, from smooth, to rough, to silky, to jagged…the search for the perfect EP is never-ending.
Unless of course you have one of the classics (I’d love to own an actual vintage rhodes)
But when it comes to sample libraries and software instruments, there are many choices in this…and it really comes down to tastes.
Today I’m checking out Scarbee Vintage Keys, a Kontakt instrument available from Native Instruments.
So what is Scarbee Vintage Keys?
It’s a collection of 3 of the most sought after, popular, and best sounding electronic keyboards ever made.
The collection is made up of the “Wurly” A-200, Honer Clavinet, and the Rhodes Mark I
Each instrument is sampled in great detail, paired with a useful interface for quickly dialing in various fx, parameters and tweaks.
You can get it as a bundle or buy the single instrument/instruments that you prefer.
There isn’t a bunch of instruments in each collection, you get the best, basic sound of each instrument, along with various fx presets to change it up instantly.
Quick Specs
- Content: 5.9GB of 24bit samples
- Format: Kontakt 4/Kontakt player
- Price: $79 each or $169 for the complete bundle
How does it sound?
I am a fanatic for electric pianos and I am always looking for something as close to the real thing as possible. I’m just saying, when I started playing these instruments, I instantly fell in love with the tone and feel of them.
Now I will say, I’m not a huge Clavinet fan, so I didn’t spend much time with it, but I AM a HUUUUUUUUUUUGE fan of the Mark I and A-200 instruments.
I really like the tone and quality of the instruments in their default settings, but the ability to quickly dial in different tweaks from the user interface is awesome.
Chorus, pan, wah, treble, reverb, bass, and many other simple fx are right there.
Distortion, amp, compression, etc…this makes it very quick to come up with the exact sound you want, right there in the interface.
Not to mention there are some pretty dope preset fx settings that will allow you to instantly dial up a specific sound or experimental tone
I really can’t say enough about the samples, holding a note allows you to hear the key all the way out to it’s natural decay, you also have knobs to tweak the sound of the original instrument keys/release samples…and it doesn’t sound “gimmicky” at all.
These instruments mix deep, intense, “perfectionist” style sampling with a very straight-forward and easy to use interface.
Once you hear it, you’ll know what I mean
So what’s the bottom line?
I’ve spent years looking for EP samples that captured the feel and sound I was used to hearing on records.
I’ve been through keyboard workstations, physically modeled instruments, and years/shelves worth of akai sample cds, kontakt instruments, soundfonts…whatever.
When I first installed and played the Mark I instrument in this collection, I finally felt like I had “found it”
I spend an hour or so just playing with the Mark I and A-200 instruments, I even played with the clavinet for a little while just tweaking parameters and listening.
When an instrument that I don’t have a particular love for (the clavi) still sounds amazing to me, then you know they did something right.
This was my first experience with any instrument from Scarbee…and I will say the reputation is well deserved.
I don’t quite know what he does in his process/programming to get such great sounding, dynamic, playable…and down right DOPE instruments, but I like it.
I give this collection without a doubt a 5 out of 5 subs, it’s focused on one thing and one thing only.
Providing the best “sampled” or “virtual” replica of these classic instruments to musicians everywhere.
I say they succeeded, and I will admit that the EP is probably my favorite instrument to use in my music.
I’m always checking out the EPs FIRST on any new workstation, sampler, or instrument I get.
I was excited to see what the physical modeling technology that has shown up in several instruments would do with the EP, and while they offer some good instruments in their own right, I feel like with the Scarbee Vintage Keys….there’s really no need for physical modeling.
That’s my opinion…and I stand on it 100%
Go on over and checkout the Vintage Keys collection at the Native Instruments site: Scarbee Vintage Keys
hey joe!! I have the scarbee vintage keys man, I love it as well. Im glad that u finally did a review on this, great job on the review.
@Chuck, no doubt bro, these joints are SICK lol…I LOVE the wurly and rhodes…not really a clavi dude but I could use it too lol.
Native Instruments keeps coming out with some good sounds man.
I actually like using the Clavinet/Pianet you can get the old funk sound out of those like the Stevie Wonder joints from the 70’s & 80’s.
I use all of these a lot in my music almost as good as having the real thing (not to mention a lot cheaper).
Thanks for the nice review Joe.
@madbull1971, yeah I know you like that joint lol…I’ve just never been a Clavi fan really, use it here and there but it’s not my fav, that doesn’t mean the instrument in this library is bad at all, it’s a good instrument and done right, I just don’t use that sound much in general.
Now the Wurly and Rhodes….yessir!
can u do a review on the alica keys plugin want a review on that one
@kervens, I will probably do a review on that one in the future
I would love this because I am an electronic Piano fanatic myself.
@Neal Helton (Daysun), yeah man, I am a hardcore fanatic of EP lol, so I was really diggin the EPs in this one man
sounds good bro!
@Mike, thanks for watchin man!
great review as always…but whens that session strings review coming lol
@O’Boy, hahaha, thanks for checkin it….the session strings will make an appearance soon 🙂
Sounds nice. You mentioned physical modeling, probably in reference to Lounge Lizard. I’m gonna have to A/B these sounds against that plugin and see if I want these. I still like Lounge Lizard, but my ears always pick out physical modeling so sample based may be more my taste. Session Strings then this I think.
@Metatron72, there are two main physical modeling piano instruments, and while they are good…I really like the tone/feel of this one. I’m definitely very picky about a good EP sound, so far, this has proven to be my favorite.
Dope sounds Looks like mi sample library willbe filled with alot of samples now! Saintjoe kip it them coming! i got a joint i wanna collabo with ya! holla at me! kgwathe@gmail.com
@TR, that’s whasup fam, thanks for checkin it out yo!
so happy you made a review of this…
the small little chords and notes u played did exactly for me what ive wanted…
still so confused as to what i will choice as my software EP pack…
there are a small list of what im making my final decision on..
how do you find KONTAKTS EP’s compared to this?
because when i remember them taking away electric piano, they stated that in the latest kontakt (4) you will find all the sounds of electric pianos… have you tried these out and compared man? and better yet if so have you tried the elektric pianos and compared to both KONTAKT 4 and Scarbee Vintage Keys
peace!!!
@yaren, the EP in kontakt is cool but not like the Scarbee, really dig the sound of the scarbee.
Hi! I have a question- do my soundcard affect my sound quality? Because my vintage keys sounds nothing like yours. I have integrated card in laptop.
Well, it’s possible it will sound different coming out of your soundcard, but what is on the computer should be exactly the same. Shouldn’t be a huge difference though but may sound different depending on your soundcard/monitor combination.