Wurlitzer Vst Plugin

Posted on
Wurlitzer Vst Plugin Average ratng: 6,1/10 1953 reviews

Wurlitzer-V is Arturia’s amazingly accurate physical model of the classic Wurlitzer 200A electric piano. The Wurli 200A piano had a sound that could go from mellow and soft to hard and brash. This harder sound is what made it so popular in rock music as it could cut through a mix like a knife. Here’s our list of the top 50 best VST plugins (2021): It’s a table with a search function, so search for what you’re looking for, & it’ll come up! ‘delay’, ‘mastering’, ‘compressor’ (if you want more in-depth info, use the table of contents to navigate past the table).

  1. Wurlitzer Plugin
  2. Wurlitzer Vst Plugin
  3. Wurlitzer Plugin Vst
  4. Wurlitzer Vst Free
  5. Free Wurlitzer Vst Plugin
  6. Best Wurlitzer Vst
Disclaimer: Links throughout the article may be affiliated. If you click and make a purchase, I get a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The marimba is a pitched keyboard percussion instrument(similar to a xylophone) that resides in symphonies, percussion ensembles, orchestras, commercial music, and more.

The Velvet 2 VST from Air Music Technology is an electric piano plugin with a good amount of versatility. It actually combines the sounds of five of the best electric pianos out there today. These are the Fender Rhodes MK I, Fender Rhodes MK II, Wurlitzer 200A, Fender Rhodes Suitcase, and Hohner Pianet-T. Arturia Wurlitzer V is available at PluginBoutique.com for €102.30 or you can get the entire V Collection 4 with all 16 virtual vintage synths included: Mini V, Modular V, CS-80 V, ARP2600V, Jupiter 8-V, Prophet V & VS, Oberheim SEM V, Matrix-12 V, Solina V, VOX Continental V and the Spark 2.

Finding an excellent-sounding marimba VST isn’t a walk in the park — many sound cheap. Not to worry, as I have discovered five exceptional libraries that I will share with you today.

Table of Contents

  • Things to Consider When Looking for Marimba VSTs

1) Vital Series: Mallets (Paid)

I’ve already mentioned Mallets in a previous post (xylophone VSTs), but it happens to fit perfectly with marimba VSTs.

Vital Series: Mallets is an excellent pitched-percussion plugin from Big Fish Audio, the creators of Electri6ity, Mojo 2, and Apollo: Cinematic Guitars.

The plugin includes patches for marimba, xylophone, bells, chimes, vibraphone, and others.

The sample quality is incredible — when I listened back to my studio monitors, I felt like I was listening to real performers.

Vital Series: Mallets comes with multiple mallet types allowing for more flexibility and better dynamic emulation.

Mallet types included are as follows:

  • Soft
  • Medium Soft
  • Medium Hard
  • Hard
  • Rods
  • Bow

Vital Series: Mallets is available at Plugin Boutique.

2) Marimbaphonic (Free)

For all the composers and producers looking for a free option — rejoice. Marimbaphone is a surprisingly decent-sounding free marimba plugin.

The instrument contains 122 samples from the University of Iowa Electronic Music Studios public domain library.

The most disappointing flaw in this marimba VST is the limiting two velocity layers(hey, what can you expect, it’s free?).

Here are Marimbaphone’s main features:

  • 122 mono 24-bit samples
  • Two velocity layers
  • Release time control
  • Amplitude dynamic range control
  • Basic reverb

3) Short Marimba VST/AU from Flintpope (Free)

Here’s an interesting (and free) marimba VST from a website called Flintpope.net.

The Short Marimba is a cool-sounding free instrument that won’t stand up to significant orchestral recordings but does work for many styles like pop and hip hop.

Have a listen below:

4) Soniccouture Grand Marimba (Paid)

I have a hard time distinguishing between Grand Marimba and Vital Series: Mallets’ marimba. They both sound so unbelievably realistic.

Grand Marimba is a fantastic marimba VST that features a 5-octave Yamaha 6100, designed with the legendary Keiko Abe.

The 6100 is a flagship instrument with precision tuning, Honduran Rosewood bars, and welded resonators (rattle-free).

Grand Marimba is a Kontakt Player instrument, meaning you do not need the full version of Kontakt to use it in your DAW.

5) Marimba by Frontline Producer (Paid)

Marimba by Frontline Producer is a great-sounding, and very affordable, marimba VST from Producer Loops.

The significant difference from the others on the list: it includes loops. Frontline Producer includes 343 marimba loops at tempos between 100 and 127 (which can be warped to your liking).

In addition to loops is a software sampler patch, which you can use to create your parts and melodies.

Marimba by Frontline Producer is available at Plugin Boutique.

6) Fine Mallets Bundle from Cinematique Instruments (Paid)

Fine Mallets is an armory of seven mallet percussion instruments including marimba, vibraphone, metallophone, glockenspiel, kalimba, and more.

The marimba patch sounds much dryer than others I have previously listed in this article.

There is also much less sustain, but I think it still sounds excellent and has commercial production potential.

The articulations included for the marimba patch include hard mallet, felt mallet, and big-soft mallet.

Note: the full version of Kontakt is required to use Fine Mallets.

Fine Mallets is available at Plugin Boutique.

Things to Consider When Looking for Marimba VSTs

Depending on your production, you may pick a different plugin. Some digital audio workstations even have marimbas and other percussion instruments included with the software.

Using Marimba VSTs in Pop and Hip Hop Music

Because you’re working in pop or hip hop music, you may not need the highest quality samples. A free option may work just fine.

I use Cubase, and it comes standard with Halion Sonic SE 3 — a VST sampler and sound creation system.

Halion Sonic SE 3 isn’t the full version of Halion, but it does come with some decent marimba patches. The included presets work fine for pop and hip hop music.

Check if your DAW includes some free virtual instruments and see if they’re any good!

Using Marimba VSTs For Orchestral and TV/Film Composition

Composition for film, TV, and video games requires next-level libraries — your competition will be using them.

Blowing away music supervisors right from the get-go is imperative, as you may only get one chance.

Using high-quality instrument samples is, unfortunately, a must when working in the TV and film industry.

For orchestral music, quality is also crucial. Unless you plan to hire out an entire orchestra to play your piece and record it, you may want to save up for the best virtual libraries you can afford.

Compatibility of Marimba Virtual Instrument Plugins

Most digital audio workstations today support VST (virtual studio technology) — VST is the most common format today.

However, if you use a DAW like Pro Tools, you may have to use a format known as AAX or RTAS. There are workarounds, but they are obnoxious, requiring you to use Reaper inside Pro Tools to host VST plugins — a total headache.

Fortunately, most plugins today come in different formats.

  • VST (Virtual Studio Technology)
  • AU (AudioUnits)
  • AAX (Avid Audio eXtension)
  • RTAS (Real-Time Audio Suite)
  • TDM (Time-division Multiplexing)

Read your DAWs manual to see which format it supports.

Conclusion

Vital Series: Mallets remains to be my favorite mallet VST plugin bundle, though I have to say, Grand Marimba is coming in at a close second.

My best piece of advise when working with any plugins and instruments is to keep amassing them until you have an extensive library — like a painter’s color palette.

The “best-sounding” marimba VST may not always be the best application for a given style of music, like hip-hop, lo-fi, or pop.

If you’re interested in recording and production, specifically relating to drums and percussion, check out some of my other roundups:

Have you tried out any of the marimba VST plugins I’ve listed here? What do you think? I’d love to hear from you in the comments down below.

Please share this article with your producer friends if you found it helpful.

Thanks for reading.

There is nothing quite like the warm tone of a Rhodes piano. The unique sounds of this instrument can be found in countless songs in modern music through a variety of genres, including R&B, hip-hop, electronic music, and chillwave.

Want to infuse the sounds of the Fender Rhodes in your mix? Well, you basically have two options. Spend thousands buying the real thing or spend considerably less on an authentic digital version.

Fortunately, there are plenty of great options to choose from if you want to go down the more convenient, less expensive path.

We’ve put together a list of some of the best Rhodes VSTs you can currently buy.

Top 6 Rhodes Plugins

1. Applied Acoustics Systems Lounge Lizard EP-4

If you’re looking for a quality plugin that faithfully replicates not only the Fender Rhodes but also Wurlitzer sounds, check out the Lounge Lizard EP-4. This plugin, created by Applied Acoustics Systems, is fairly simple with fewer than 20 parameters. This means it’s easy to use and won’t be overwhelming if you’re not super experienced with mixing.

Even though it is simple, it does go far beyond the typical Rhodes sounds that you might expect. You can achieve unique Rhodes tones, including organ-like, chime-like, and bell-like tones. You can explore these and others in the Experimental preset section. Beyond that, you can also play with the compressor, equalizer, and multi-effect processor to dial in some crazy, unexpected tones.

Pros

  • Doesn’t take up much CPU
  • Get a good amount for what you pay
  • Sounds are super authentic and transparent

Cons

  • Interface is a little outdated
  • Not able to import sounds from older versions

2. XLN Audio Addictive Keys: Mark One

XLN Audio has a very popular professional drum VST called Addictive Drums, but their Addictive Keys VST definitely shouldn’t be overlooked. /vst-roland-free.html. The Mark One plugin authentically emulates the distinctive warm tones of the Fender Rhodes. The Fender Rhodes on this plugin was played through a vintage tube combo amp and was recorded with the help of several rare microphones to give the best sound quality.

The Mark One can give you any Rhodes sound you are looking for from classic to funky. If you’re wanting a super transparent tone, you can also use the line output on the Rhodes rather than the amp.

This software from XLN Audio gives you the ability to adjust the recording and mixing. You can also choose from a selection of vintage microphones and adjust their distance to achieve a shift in ambiance. If you want to play with the distortion or warmth, take a look at the amp settings.

With the Mark One you get a dynamic mic, room condenser, and ribbon mic in addition to a floor mic and room mic. You also have the option of adding in a Roland Dimension D for analog stereo chorus.

Pros

  • Impressive sound quality and great microphone choices
  • Takes up much less CPU than you would think
  • Flexible in the processing stage

Cons

  • Doesn’t have pre/post switching for effects sends

3. AIR Music Technology Velvet 2

The Velvet 2 VST from Air Music Technology is an electric piano plugin with a good amount of versatility. It actually combines the sounds of five of the best electric pianos out there today. These are the Fender Rhodes MK I, Fender Rhodes MK II, Wurlitzer 200A, Fender Rhodes Suitcase, and Hohner Pianet-T. This VST gives you intimate tones that authentically emulate sounds from a Rhodes piano.

You’ll also find a number of onboard effects that will help you venture outside of the natural capabilities of the instrument. The tube drive panels can help if you want to warm up your tone. You can further shape the sound by adjusting the timbre, curve, and reaction to playing dynamics.

If you want to boost the authenticity of the sound, you have the option to blend in the noise of the pedal and other mechanical sounds from inside the keyboard. With these details, it’ll truly sound like you’re working with an actual Rhodes. You’ll also have access to a 3-band EQ and 350 amazing presets created by the AIR Technology sound designers. This can help you work more efficiently as you search for the best tones for your mix.

Free psytrance vst. Pros

  • An incredible library of 350 presets
  • Numerous effects to choose from
  • Very authentic sounding Fender Rhodes plugin

Cons

  • There is no standalone version
  • Can take too long to load

4. Arturia Stage-73 V

Arturia stands out among the competition when it comes to vintage synthesizer and keyboard VSTs. They offer just about anything you could think of in this arena, but we’re going to take a look at their Rhodes Stage-73 VST. This is an impressively versatile and authentic emulation of the instrument with beautiful, transparent tones. You can also switch over from the 1973 to the 1974 version just by turning the tone knob.

The layout of the Stage-73 is not only aesthetically pleasing but also user friendly. There’s a wide range of pedals for you to play with to take your Rhodes sounds to a different level. There’s no shortage of effects options too, such as changing the curves and the wet/dry mix.

If you want a grittier final tone, you can take advantage of the small Fender Twin amplifier. The awesome selection of presets is conveniently organized by category, including Clean presets, Short presets, Dark presets, Distorted presets, and many others. If customization is a priority for you, Arturia’s Stage-73 should be at the top of your list.

Pros

  • Incredible preset menu
  • Makes use of top-notch physical modeling
  • Stomp effects section is very unique

Wurlitzer Plugin

Cons

  • Certain presets take some time to render

5. Waves Electric 88

Wurlitzer Vst Plugin

Waves has built a strong reputation based on their incredible product line of plugins. They are the go-to for many mixing engineers worldwide. Among their amazing collection you’ll find the Electric 88, an authentic Rhodes plugin. Its interface lets you dive into the details to craft the ideal tone for your track. You can use this plugin to enhance nearly any type of production. One of the best features is its price tag. It is one of the most affordable Rhodes plugins in the market.

The Electric 88 utilizes a sampling method that borrowed tones from the Mark I 88. You’ll get super realistic and smooth sounds with its fine-tuned velocity curves. You’ll definitely notice a drop-off in effect options compared to the Stage-73, but all the effects you want can be added in later. If you’re wanting a good-quality, low-priced VST, you need to pick up the Waves Electric 88.

Pros

  • Easy to dial in various sounds
  • Affordable
  • Great quality sampling with lots of layers

Cons

  • Not a very wide range

6. Toontrack EZkeys Classic Electrics

Yes, Toontrack has awesome VST keyboard plugins with grand piano sounds, but they also have a solid option for those who want classic electric keyboard sounds. The Toontrack EZkeys Classic Electrics bundle features the sounds of the Rhodes MK I and Wurlitzer 200A. One thing we love about this plugin is that it offers several songwriting features to help those who may struggle in that area. Transposing MIDI tracks is a breeze, and you can also use various playing styles from other MIDI tracks. The Chord Wheel feature can be used to add some color to your chords or adjust the voicings.

With the EZkeys MK I, you can experiment with tones that are outside the natural realm of the Rhodes. There’s an exciting collection of various presets with built-in effects for processed sounds. These include a chorused Rhodes, a distorted Rhodes, and a funky Rhodes with a wah-wah pedal.

If you’re not a super strong keyboard player but would like to add some chord progressions and keys into your mix that sound human produced, the EZkeys bundle is a great option.

Wurlitzer Plugin Vst

Pros

Wurlitzer Vst Free

  • Included Export to WAV function
  • Built-in sequencer is top notch
  • Awesome sound quality

Cons

  • MIDI data is a little too similar to some popular songs

The Sweet Sounds of the Fender Rhodes

Free Wurlitzer Vst Plugin

When you look at all the options of Rhodes VSTs out there, it might be a bit overwhelming narrowing down which one is best for you. But we have to say that it pretty much comes down to your budget as any VST on our list will likely get the job done. The plugins we have described are the best on the market right now, and each holds its own in this space.

Best Wurlitzer Vst

You already know that there is nothing quite like the sound of a real Fender Rhodes in a professional production. Trying to replicate this sound with various effects and piano and synth sounds might seem like an impossible task. Make the whole process much easier for yourself by adding a Rhodes VST to your collection.