03 Jun by Rob Puricelli |

5,0 / 5,0 | Approximate reading time: 2 Minutes

Rhodes Wurli · Source: Rhodes Music

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Like Fender and Gibson, Roland and Yamaha or Steinway and Bechstein, Rhodes and Wurlitzer are synonymous with their speciality products, in this case, electric pianos. The Rhodes Wurli is their take on their so-called rival’s product.

Rhodes Reborn

The re-emergence of Rhodes Music is a very welcome one, and their Mark 8 hardware instrument is an impeccable and worthy addition to their legacy. But such quality and workmanship comes at a price. A rather hefty, but unquestionable one.

So, for those of us on a much smaller budget, it was very welcome to see Rhodes Music release a very detailed and accurate plugin version of the Rhodes Mk.8. There were two versions, V8 and V8 Pro, the latter featuring much more depth and flexibility. Then came Rhodes Anthology, with classic vintage Rhodes pianos.

A short while ago, they even granted Cherry Audio the use of the Rhodes name on their Chroma plugin, so one had to ask, where could they go next? Well, it seems they went for the other legendary electro-mechanical keyboard we all know and love. The Wurlitzer 200A.

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The Rhodes Wurli

When it comes to electric pianos, most people are either Camp Rhodes or Camp Wurli. The tine-based Rhodes and reed-based Wurli are similar but quite different, if that makes sense. And for their attempt at the Wurli, Rhodes Music have followed their Anthology format.

Rhodes Wurli has a simple, intuitive interface with just eight different controls. On the amplification side, we have a pre-amp, an EQ, vibrato controls and a velocity dial. Underneath are four effects, including a chorus, phaser, delay and reverb.

Users can choose from two amp types and two mic types to further tweak the sounds. A modest set of presets is included, which make use of all of these features in different ways, but we all know that the real fun lies in creating your own signature tone.

Finally, there’s a global tune feature and a timbre shift function that can soften the reeds or make them more raspy, as well as increasing or decreasing the mechanical noise, a feature I really like. And that’s about it, really. Rhodes Wurli is a no fuss Wurlitzer 200A that does exactly what it says on the box.

In Conclusion

In a world already full of some excellent Wurlitzer emulations, do we need another one? I guess it depends on whether you prefer the sound of one over another, or the layout of the user interface. But at just £89.95 GBP/€99.95 EUR/$129.95 USD, it won’t break the bank, especially as through June 30th, you get 30% off!

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