The Best Rhodes VST Plugins for Chill Beats
Ah, the electric piano, the ultimate keys instrument… Invented a few decades ago as a portable piano alternative, this amplified beast has become the quintessential soulful sound in modern music. There have been many models throughout history, the most famous families of keyboard being the Rhodes - a nuanced and cerebral machine - and the Wurlitzer, its funky cousin. Of course, nothing beats the real thing if you can get your hands on a vintage keyboard for a couple thousand bucks, or the brand new Rhodes MK8, which will run you a mere 10K$. But if your money's tied-up in index funds and your accountant is out to lunch right now, you can simply get a Rhodes emulation VST and be on your merry way.
Lucky for you, there are some truly wonderful plugins out there that will sound just as good as the real thing on your beats. Here are my favorite options on the market right now. I’ve even included an interesting free option that you can't afford not to download!
1. Rhodes V8 - Rhodes
Much like Kleenex and Coke, Rhodes is one of those trademarks that has become synonymous with the product it sells. Indeed, Rhodes isn't a type of instrument, it's brand (or maybe it's a lifestyle, if you're anything like me.)
It makes sense that such a company would sell their own electric piano plugin Rhode V8, which they finally launched recently, right around the time they released the scrumptious Rhodes MK8.
The plugin has received stellar reviews all around, and it's an exhaustive recreation of the real thing. That attention to details comes with a price though, and although it's fairly reasonably priced - with a basic and a pro version - the sample library of this bad boy will take about 22 GBs out of your hard drive.
It might be worth deleting those torrented movies you've been meaning to watch though, because this one is a keeper.
2. Lounge Lizard - AAS
If you don't need all the nuances of the Rhodes plugin, and you're just looking to slap some keys on your lofi jams and your trap beats, Lounge Lizard might be for you.
This no-nonsense VST comes loaded with immediately usable presets that have all the character you need. Its sound is almost cartoonish, to be honest, and it usually sits perfectly in your mix every time. I first heard of this plugin a couple years ago, watching L. Dre cook-up videos on YouTube.
If you're not an experienced jazz pianist, but rather a beat maker looking to make dope beats and not get too bogged down with sub-menus and additional mixing, I'd recommend you get yourself a copy of Lounge Lizard and call it a day.
3. Stage-73 V - Arturia
No blog post about VSTs would be complete without an Arturia product. Although they have a great Wurlitzer instrument, my go-to is definitely the Stage-73 V, which has a subtle sound, great effects and a really cool interface that makes you feel like you're playing Zelda: Breath of the Rhodes.
Although I do love this one, I have to warn you that it might require a bit more tweaking than other plugins in this list if you want to make it sit right in the mix. The sound is so faithful to the original that it sometimes misses some dynamics, and requires A LOT of compression.
Like any other Arturia instrument out there though, it's loaded with artful and creative presets. It's also included in Analog Lab V, my most used plugin of the last year. And who says Analog Lab says really cool third-party presets.
If you're torn between the 2, simply get yourself the V Collection. You'll thank me later.
4. Electra 88 - Universal Audio
Until recently, I think I wouldn't have included this one on my list. And not because it's no good - it's actually REALLY awesome! - but because you used to need to buy the hardware UAD interface in order to use their plugins.
Luckily, you're not tethered to an Apollo anymore, and you're now free to roam using UAD VSTs like any other VSTs on your laptop. Universal Audio is, after all, the leader in the industry of mix plugins, virtual processing, effects and microphone modelling, so you can expect they might know a thing or two about creating cool instruments.
Electra 88 has everything you need to create pristine Rhodes sounds on your track, but it's not just an instrument, it's more like a full studio experience. Play with mic placements, use all the cool vintage gear you want, or go through album-ready presets to find inspiration in their beautiful interface.
This is a direct competitor to Arturia's plugin, but why limit yourself to one when you can have both?
5. Velvet 2 - AIR
A vastly underrated company in the world of plugins is AIR Music Technology. They offer awesome instruments at a fraction of the price, and Velvet 2 is one of their flagship products.
Reproducing the vibe of the 70s to a T, this great Rhodes emulation comes loaded with over 300 presets, cool effects and an emulation of 5 different legendary keyboards.
My only criticism would be regarding the UI of Velvet 2. I think they could do a bit more visually, especially if you compare with some other options on this list. But if you're searching for a great sounding VST with a streamlined interface, look no further.
6. Addictive Keys: Mark One - XLN Audio
While a lot of keys plugins out there offer you a wide-ranging palette of sounds, a VST like Addictive Keys: Mark One chooses instead to go one-on-one with a specific model and really capture its essence in glorious vibes and tones.
Based on the Fender Rhodes MK1, the holy grail of Rhodes, this plugin has been developed using all the best vintage gear and microphones by companies like Telefunken, Roalnd and Neumann.
If you want the real deal, this might be the closest you get to it. Oh yeah, and this VST is made by XLN Audio, the company that brought you RC-20 Retro Color, one of the dopest plugins in the galaxy. So you know it's good!
7. Freebie: LABS - Spitfire Audio
I'll never say enough good things about Spitfire Audio's free plugin LABS, which allows you to use all their beautiful libraries. Whether you're starting out in music production or you're an old dog looking to learn new tricks, you need this bad Larry.
Beautifully sampled, the instruments available in LABS all deserve consideration, but since this is an electric piano listicle (more like an electric piano testicle am I right folks? no but you wish...) I'll direct you towards Electric Piano. It's an electric piano, it's good, you should mess with it. That's all I'm gonna say.
For more free options, you can scour the web, but if I were you I'd check my DAW of choice. Pretty much all DAWs come with the really cool keys sounds you need, so give that a go before you spend all your Beatstars income on VSTs.