ETI releases ETI Roads, a free Rhodes electric piano sound library for Kontakt (requires full version).
ETI Roads is a free Kontakt library delivering the sounds of the iconic 1980 Rhodes MKII electric piano.
A full version of Kontakt 5.6.8 or higher is required to use this instrument, as ETI Roads is not compatible with the free Kontakt Player.
It’s a bit disappointing that ETI Roads isn’t compatible with the free Kontakt Player, but there are understandable reasons that compatibility isn’t always possible or sensible for some projects.
However, if you’re an existing Kontakt (full-version) user, ETI Roads is absolutely free, and who doesn’t love a good Rhodes sound?
ETI Roads was created at the Erich-Thienhaus Institute (Detmold, Germany) as part of a bachelor thesis. The project generated around 50 hours of recorded audio (5790 samples), and after the samples were cleaned up and processed, a GUI was added, and ETI Roads was ready to go.
The developers clearly put some serious effort into creating this instrument, and that’s somewhat reflected in the hefty download size of 9+ GB.
From the MKI to the far more recent MK8, there’s something to like about each version of the classic Rhodes piano and opinions on which is the best overall can vastly differ from one musician to the next.
But, it’s fair to say that the instrument’s heyday came with the release of the MKI and MKII pianos.
t’s also fair to say that the MKII has more widespread appeal for a few reasons: it ironed out any kinks from the initial release and was a mainstay on stage with superstar keyboardists like Herbie Hancock and George Duke.
The ETI Roads interface features a Bass Boost knob, which emulates the original instrument. In addition, you get a Treble knob, Vibrato, Amp Simulation, and a Dynamics section. The interface is lovely and another indication of the effort put into this project.
There’s nothing worse than a Rhodes library that sounds like a toy piano with no bite or real sense of dynamics. ETI Roads has 42 velocity levels and adds realism by emulating pedal and mechanical noise from the instrument.
I think it sounds more authentic than some paid products, and if you have Kontakt, it’s well worth downloading.
One last call for Plugin Boutique’s August gift: only a couple of days are left, so if you’re planning to grab a freebie, do it now.
Download: ETI Roads (FREE – Full version of Kontakt 5.6.8 required)
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