How-to
Rhodes Piano VST: How to Get the Tine and Wurli Sound in Your DAW
Updated 5 min read
A good Rhodes piano VST gets three things right: the bell at the start of each note, the bark when you play hard and the long, warm sustain underneath. Sampled libraries capture a specific instrument; modelled plugins recreate how the tines and pickups behave, so every velocity sounds different. For free, our Keys plugin models both the Rhodes-style tine piano and the Wurli-style reed piano. Logic Pro and Ableton Live also include solid stock electric pianos.
What makes the Rhodes sound
A Rhodes-style electric piano has no strings. Each key throws a hammer at a thin metal tine, which vibrates next to a magnetic pickup, much like an electric guitar string. A larger tone bar attached to the tine keeps it ringing, which is why the notes sustain for so long.
The famous growl, usually called bark, comes from the tine swinging close to the pickup when you hit hard. The signal turns asymmetric and distorts slightly. Play softly and the tone is round and glassy; play hard and it snarls. This is the single most important thing for a Rhodes VST to model, and it's why fixed-velocity MIDI makes electric pianos sound lifeless.
Two classic versions shaped the sound. The stage piano is a plain instrument you plug into an amp. The suitcase version has its own amplifier and a stereo vibrato that's really an autopan, swinging the sound between two speakers. Many players treat that stereo swirl as part of the instrument.
Wurlitzer VST: the reed piano sound
A Wurlitzer-style piano uses hammers striking flat steel reeds, read by an electrostatic pickup. The result is brighter, more nasal and shorter than a tine piano, with a mid-range honk that cuts through a band. It breaks up into grit sooner, and its built-in effect is a true volume tremolo rather than a stereo autopan.
When people search for a Wurlitzer VST, they usually want that reedy bite for soul, indie, classic rock and lo-fi. In Keys, switch Model to Reed. Classic Reed Piano is the plain starting point, and Reed Tremolo Classic adds the pulsing volume tremolo at 5.5 Hz.
Bark
Tone
Action
Vibrato
Phaser
Amp & room
Click or drag across the keys, or play A–K on your computer keyboard.
The real plugin engine, running in your browser: same DSP code and presets as the VST3/AU/AAX.
Electric piano VST options, free and paid
Keys (ours)
- Models
- Rhodes-style tine and Wurli-style reed
- Cost
- Free
- Notes
- Modelled, 45 presets, VST3, AU and AAX
Logic Pro Vintage Electric Piano
- Models
- Several tine and reed models
- Cost
- Included with Logic Pro
- Notes
- Modelled, with drive, tremolo, chorus and phaser
Ableton Live Electric
- Models
- Tine-style electric piano
- Cost
- Included with some Live editions
- Notes
- Modelled, deep control over the mallet, fork and pickup
FL Studio FL Keys
- Models
- Acoustic and electric piano sounds
- Cost
- Included with FL Studio
- Notes
- Sampled, quick to load
Arturia Stage-73 V and Wurli V
- Models
- Tine and reed pianos
- Cost
- Paid
- Notes
- Modelled, with amp and effect sections
Spectrasonics Keyscape
- Models
- Many sampled keyboards, including electric pianos
- Cost
- Paid
- Notes
- Large sampled library
Stock options are better than their reputation, especially in Logic. Paid plugins add more models, deeper amp simulation and more detailed mechanical noise. A free electric piano VST like Keys covers the main tine and reed sounds with expressive velocity, which is what most tracks need.
Rhodes VST settings for neo-soul, lo-fi and funk
Each genre leans on a different part of the instrument. Use these Keys presets as starting points and adjust to your playing.
Neo-soul
- Keys preset
- Neo Soul Stage
- What to listen for
- Bark at 55%, a slow 3.5 Hz autopan and some drive: warm chords that growl on accents
Late-night R&B
- Keys preset
- Late Night Neo Soul
- What to listen for
- A slow phaser and darker tone for sustained chords under a vocal
Lo-fi hip hop
- Keys preset
- Lofi Dusty Tines
- What to listen for
- Tone pulled down 7 dB, chorus and drive: dull and wobbly before any tape effect
Funk
- Keys preset
- Funky Bark
- What to listen for
- Bark at 90%, a hard hammer and short release for percussive, choppy stabs
Seventies funk
- Keys preset
- Seventies Funk Phaser
- What to listen for
- A fast phaser swirl on top of strong bark
Ballads
- Keys preset
- Ballad Tines
- What to listen for
- Lower bark, longer decay and more reverb for open, gentle voicings
Ambient
- Keys preset
- Ambient Tine Haze
- What to listen for
- Sustain on, long release and heavy reverb for washes
Hear Neo Soul Stage below. Hold a four-note chord softly, then hit the same chord hard: the jump in grit is the bark at work.
Bark
Tone
Action
Vibrato
Phaser
Amp & room
Click or drag across the keys, or play A–K on your computer keyboard.
The real plugin engine, running in your browser: same DSP code and presets as the VST3/AU/AAX.
How to make an electric piano VST sound real
- Play with real dynamics. The bark only appears on hard notes. If you program in a piano roll, vary velocity on every note and accent the top voice.
- Keep the voicings mid-range. Electric pianos sound best between about the C below middle C and two octaves above it. Low chords turn muddy fast.
- Use the effects in the right amounts. Tremolo or autopan at 20 to 35% depth is classic; much more becomes a special effect. Chorus and phaser are period colors, so pick one.
- Add amp grit, not distortion. A little drive thickens chords. In Keys, Drive is a tube-amp stage that makes hard notes growl harder.
- Age it for lo-fi. Put a tape plugin such as Dust after the piano. Its Lo-fi Keys preset adds wow, hiss and vinyl crackle and narrows the frequency range like worn tape.
- Leave room for the vocal. In a mix, a gentle cut around 2 to 4 kHz on the piano stops the bell from masking the singer.
Using a Rhodes VST in FL Studio, Ableton Live and Pro Tools
Keys is an instrument, so it goes on an instrument track rather than an effect insert.
- FL Studio: add Keys to the Channel Rack from the plugin list, route the channel to its own Mixer insert and write chords in the piano roll. See plugins for FL Studio.
- Ableton Live: drag Keys from the Plugins section of the browser onto an empty MIDI track. See plugins for Ableton.
- Pro Tools: create an Instrument track and insert Keys (AAX) in the first slot. See plugins for Pro Tools.
- Logic Pro: create a Software Instrument track and choose Keys from the AU instruments list.
Looking for an acoustic piano instead? Our roundup of the best free piano VST options covers grand and soft pianos.
FAQ
Is there a free Rhodes piano VST?
Yes. Keys, our free electric piano, models a Rhodes-style tine piano and a Wurli-style reed piano, with tremolo, phaser, chorus and drive built in. Logic Pro's Vintage Electric Piano and Ableton Live's Electric are stock options if you already own those DAWs.
What's the difference between a Rhodes and a Wurlitzer?
A Rhodes-style piano uses hammers striking metal tines, which gives a round, bell-like tone with long sustain. A Wurlitzer-style piano uses hammers striking flat steel reeds, which sounds brighter, more nasal and shorter. Both growl when played hard, but the reed piano gets gritty faster.
Why does my electric piano VST sound thin?
Usually the velocities are too even and too low, so you never hear the bark that thickens hard notes. Play with a wider velocity range, add a little drive, and avoid cutting too much low end. A touch of chorus or tremolo also widens a dry electric piano.
Is Keys a Rhodes emulation?
Keys is our own model of the tine and reed electric piano designs, so it sounds Rhodes-style and Wurli-style. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the makers of the original instruments. Rhodes and Wurlitzer are trademarks of their respective owners.