Best Rhodes VST Shootout

Best Rhodes VST shootout and comparison video between the best VST, AU, AAX, and Kontakt Rhodes piano plugins currently available.

In this video we compare 10 popular Rhodes plugins:

4Front Rhodes
AAS Lounge Lizard
Acousticsamples Mark 79
Adam Monroe's Mark 73
Arturia Stage 73 V
Cinematique Electric Piano II
GSi Mr Ray 73
Native Instruments Scarbee Mark I
Soniccouture EP 73 Deconstructed
Waves Electric 88

We compare each plugin through clean, driven, tremolo, and phaser settings. We use classic Rhodes songs like Babylon Sisters, Get Back, Angela, and Riders on the Storm. We compare each plugin both soloed and in the mix, and current prices are given for each plugin.

If you are looking for the best Rhodes plugin, watch this video as we shootout sampled Rhodes plugins like Acousticsamples Mark 79 and Cinematique Electric Piano II with modeled Rhodes libraries like Lounge Lizard and Arturia Stage 73 V.

We don't go into extensive detail about each plugin - this is more of a comparison video between the different tones and presets of popular Rhodes plugins. We won't declare a winner, as these are all great plugins; we leave it to the viewer to determine their favorite Rhodes plugin, although we will give some opinions at the end of the video.

The shootout is done on Windows 7 using Sonar and the plugins are in VST, AU, AAX, and Kontakt formats. What's the best Rhodes VST? Watch the video and decide for yourself!

My Rhodes Plugin Blog:

[braveconcepts]

Finally... someone that UNDERSTANDS what "the people" really want to know! Thank you.

[abath]

00:38 AcousticSamples
01:00 Scarbee
01:52 AcousticSamples
02:13 Scarbee

[bartojoh]

Thank you for all the time and effort to make this excellent shoot-out for all of us. It didn't take me long to choose my favourite, but I listened to the full review and kept a kind of "score-card". I didn't realise until I scrolled down to the comments that I had chosen your plugin! Off to the Rhodes shoot-out now, but I think I'm a bit biased already :)

[zeroedx]

Wow, that was the most useful, well produced and entertaining plugin comparison that I've ever watched. Thank you.

[adamandlorraine]

I have a real 1980 MKII stage 73. For me the sound of scarbee and Mark 79 are most similar to the real thing. But I enjoy the playing feel of GSI MR Ray and lounge lizard the best. Also every Rhodes is obviously a bit different depending on how it has aged. I had a mark 1 before and it was a bit muffled and wooly compared to my mkII. Great video comparison thank you.

[zematynnad]

Lounge Lizard - great sounds, great feel and easy to use!

[themadsamplist]

I own the Lounge Lizard for a long time now and I love it. It fits my needs perfect

[SaiLaxmanTheMovieEditor]

Sir, Can you please tell me the flute library's name! (at 3:00)

[williamjacobsen]

Wow this is seriously so fantastic...thank you so much!

[mikeywisniewski]

Wow! Great shootout, love all the real world song snippets. You covered all the bases. My only request - if possible, please add Pianoteq Electric Pianos.

[elotro]

Thank you for this great shootout. Can you give a kind of rule of thumb with respect to volume and velocity tweaking for the Arturia Stage 73. I got the impression that many presets sound also a little bit dark, but maybe this is also a velocity issue?

[RickDioguardi]

Thanks for effort to make this. Waves is the best, is much real.

[underealmmusic]

Very good video with a great comparative value, thanks!

[Makraska]

Should've used Scarbee's Stealadame for Babylon Sisters. It's dead on. Also, there are just way too many options in settings for a true comparison. What I did notice is that the response velocity on a quiet a few of them was unnaturally short, although playing style had a definite effect on that aspect, too.

[powerpopaholic]

In most mixes - Waves and Arturia.
Solo - Hand down, Lounge Lizard and Rays. But the nod goes to Lounge Lizard.

--
On one mix each - Rays, Lounge Lizard, Scarbee, Cinematique
Some others worked

Dirty - Adam's Mark 73 ! but also: Cinematique.

Naked - about 4 of them tied, but this would be a very rare usage imo.

I could also shine a light on Scarbee
Rarely the winner, but often sounded good
But never great. A solid performer.

Lounge sounded great solo'd !

The value winners are Waves (mix) and MrRay (solo)

This was on my lightly muffled headphones:
On these particualr recordings, settings & mixes:
Some are useable or good.
But here are my clear-cut winners:

Adam, this was VERY useful. thank you so much.
THANK YOU, Adam !!

[KandonEntertainmentGroup]

Which VST you recommend to make the Fender Rhodes Piano Bass like Ray Manzarek?

[lukaszkowalski]

Thank you for great comparison. Currently the best rhodes is Keyscape. Another one missing here neo soul.

[greze]

Does anyone here know a song that has the same piano playing style as in 4:43. I want to learn how to play like this. Could someone pls link a song or give me a name to get me in the right direction.

[ΥπερδιαγαλαξιακόςΑστροπολεμιστ]

Sounds as if Scarbees mk 1 is the best one in this list

[thomasohlen]

Whatabout famous model 'E' ?