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KeyboardMag.com >> This Month >> Propellerhead Abbey Road Keyboards
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Reason ReFill
Propellerhead Abbey Road Keyboards| February, 2008What’s old becomes new again. This is as true of the sounds keyboardists favor as it is of fashion. Lately, the sonic signature of ’60s-era Britpop is all the rage, and developers have tried to capture that sound, which can arguably be attributed to the Beatles’ recordings at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. Since it’s inconceivable that the remaining Beatles would go into the studio to produce a sample library, Propellerhead did the next best thing. They booked time at Abbey Road, and sampled seven of the studio’s most well-loved and familiar keyboard instruments. For these sessions, the Propheads went the extra mile — they consulted with veteran Abbey Road engineers and used a choice selection of vintage and modern recording gear. What’s more, they recorded the instruments from multiple positions, making it possible to mix and match samples to create a more ambient or direct sound. The cast of characters includes two upright pianos, a Hammond RT-3 organ with Leslie 122, a Mannborg Harmonium, a Mellotron 400, a Schiedmayer celeste, and a set of Premier tubular bells. Combinator patches, complete with multi-mic configurations and tastefully tweaked EQ, are available for each of the keyboards. In some presets, Reason’s Scream effect adds harmonic distortion or tape compression-like juice for a more vintage tone. NN-XT patches for each mic position are also available, along with blank Combinator templates, so you can quickly layer any combination of sample sets. Thanks to the variety of mic positions and some clever programming, the instruments have a rich, warm, and lively character that’s nothing short of inspiring. The celeste and bells fit nicely in pop and orchestral contexts, while the harmonium, Mellotron, and Hammond are all well-suited for modern and retro-tinged pop. As for the pianos, there’s a palpable body to their sound: “Mrs. Mills” is piercing and slightly detuned, making it perfect for an early 1900s saloon sound. “Challen” is more conventional, but has a charm that I don’t find from many other sampled pianos. Ultimately, Abbey Road Keyboards delivers an outstanding collection that any Reason user working in any style of pop should add to their must-have list. SPECSReason ReFill of keyboards used in Beatles recordings at Abbey Road Studios. PROS CONS $229 |
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