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KeyboardMag.com >> This Month >> Scarbee Keyboard Gold Bundle
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Scarbee Keyboard Gold Bundle| October, 2007Scarbee avoids mentioning any keyboards by name in their documentation, preferring to let the painstakingly-crafted samples speak for themselves. This they certainly do, at the cost of slightly generic terminology: Everything is some kind of “electric piano,” even the Clavinet, which . . . isn’t (see “The Clavinet” on page 26). Like the Reason ReFill’s Clav, “Funky Electric Piano” has separate patches for all pickup settings, but the sound quality is in a whole other league. That’s the case with the other three instruments in Keyboard Gold Bundle (KGB) as well, which you can also buy separately: “Expressive Electric Piano” is our favorite reed-based EP, “Sticky Electric Piano” refers to the Hohner Pianet, in which the sound was caused by sticky pads pulling away from the reeds, and as for “Classic Electric Piano” — again, we’ll let the samples speak for themselves. Every one of these libraries sounds and plays like the real thing down to the last nuance. They do tend to favor the grittier, funkier side of each instrument’s emotional range, but I’d also have no problem using the CEP or EEP on a ballad. Velocity layers range from eight to 20, and I dare you to find an audible switching point. KGB also includes a VST/AudioUnit plug-in called Vintage Keyboard FX, which comprises chorus, compression, overdrive, wah, delay, phaser, and amp simulation. Though you can buy VKFX separately, only KGB has yet another, bonus plug-in that perfectly simulates the filter/EQ switches on a real Clavinet. Only two products in this roundup rise to this ultimate level of care, authenticity, and ability to inspire. Digidesign Velvet is the choice if you need a self-contained instrument plug-in (not to mention Pro Tools — remember that Velvet doesn’t do Clavs). If you prefer to work with a library in your soft sampler, KGB is king of the hill. INSTRUMENTS PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED SAMPLER FORMATS PROS CONS BOTTOM LINE |
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