Topic by Cellomangler

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Topic: Where's the burp ?

I had a Rhodes 88 a while back -sold it because I really wasn't crazy about the mushy keyboard -and the weight !  But it had this great "burp" sound when you hit the notes hard.  It may be caused by the pickups being overdriven and the Rhodes' internal preamp, but it sure was nice.  There was also a bit of "fuzz" in the softer notes.  Even my Kurzweil with the Classic Keys rom has a bit of a burp -but I don't hear it with the Rhody.  Sounds a bit too sterile for me, not that far removed from FM.  OK that was harsh.  But I am really digging the Piano update -many thanks- though still looking for a way to add thunder with largo fortississimo con fuoco...!

Last edited by Cellomangler (07-03-2009 21:14)
"Downing a fifth results in diminished capacity."

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Reply by skip

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Re: Where's the burp ?

I can hear a sound like a "burp" - I think it's the mallet vibrating against the tine a bit before the mallet leaves the tine.  Increasing Hammer Noise makes this louder.  (is this the sound?)

I can hear the FM sound though, yes. Particularly when Hammer Hardness is increased. Something isn't quite right yet with the way the sound opens up with forte playing. 

EDIT: I don't remember any "fuzz" when playing softer notes of my '88 - I remember it being very pure.

Greg.

Last edited by skip (07-03-2009 22:20)

Reply by skip

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Re: Where's the burp ?

There is another "burp" which I've just heard playing a sampled Rhodes: when playing forte, sometimes the sound breaks up a lot at the attack, but it doesn't really sound like distortion. It sounds like the tine itself has been hit so hard that it takes a while to settle down and vibrate properly. It's very hard to describe. Anyway, no, I haven't heard Pianoteq reproduce this yet.

EDIT: I've changed my mind - I think you might be right about it being the pickup being overdriven.

Greg.

Last edited by skip (07-03-2009 23:13)

Reply by Cellomangler

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Re: Where's the burp ?

Doing some Google searches, I discovered that Rhodes' aficionados called it "bark".  According to Wikipedia and a Fender site, there was a "set of Rhodes modifications done by a company called "Dyno My Piano"' that emphasized that sound and it was implemented by quite a few major recording artists.  It seems it can also be accentuated by adjusting the tines relationship to the pickup.

"Downing a fifth results in diminished capacity."

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Reply by skip

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Re: Where's the burp ?

Hmmm - I can hear quite a lot of that "bark", especially in the lower registers.  In the mid range I wouldn't mind a bit more but there is still quite a bit there already IMHO.  I haven't been able to make any really satisfactory increases in this with editing yet.

Probably stating the obvious but I assume you have checked that you are reaching the higher velocities? 

I remember having a lot of trouble getting my '88 to have the *range* of timbres that I wanted - I wanted softly played notes to sound very mellow, and forte notes to have a lot of bark. I found that when I got the bark I wanted for forte, it wouldn't sound mellow enough when played softly.  In Pianoteq all I have to do is nudge the Piano Hammer Hardness slightly to the left and voila.   Mind you, when I heard Rhodes in professional recordings, it sounded just the way I wanted mine to sound - I would always wonder how the hell the studio got their Rhodes sounding so good.

Greg.

Last edited by skip (08-03-2009 06:35)

Reply by skip

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Re: Where's the burp ?

Btw I *can* hear some fuzz in the sampled Rhodes I am playing - that might be what you can remember too. I'm hearing it in some lower notes played mf (not pp).  It was over twenty years ago that I last played a real one btw.

Greg.

Last edited by skip (08-03-2009 06:43)