Orange Tree Samples 2021 Group Buy

[abacab]

Got plenty to keep me busy for a while now... ?

[Christian Jones]

What am I missing w/ the OTS E piano? With E pianos and organs, for me anyway, I've just always had a hard time really telling them apart quality-wise when were talking about, say, the E pianos and organs available in Komplete.. there's a lot of great ones of both in there and I just don't see how this OTS E piano even at 60% off stands above those in Komplete. Again I often feel the same about organs too. I watched and listened to the demos of this OTS e piano and I just don't get what's special about it over what many of us already have. Again that's just me, but yeah. I may not be an electric piano aficionado but take a great E piano from Komplete, use as is or run it through some great effects and I just don't see what I'm missing. 

[Grem]

58 minutes ago, Christian Jones said:

I just don't see what I'm missing. 

If I gave you a $99 Walmart guitar, then a real Gibson or Fender, would you tell the difference?

 

Someone that doesn't play the instrument in the example above won't be able to see or tell a difference. I could.

 

Now I am like you in that I think I can hear a difference, but is it enough for me to shell out for it? I haven't got it yet as I am not a proficient keyboard player. Not even half a$s!

But I am definitely interested in the history around it!!

[chris.r]

Buying an instrument more for it's history than a real need. Now that's a true deals forum spirit! ?

[PavlovsCat]

4 hours ago, Christian Jones said:

What am I missing w/ the OTS E piano? With E pianos and organs, for me anyway, I've just always had a hard time really telling them apart quality-wise when were talking about, say, the E pianos and organs available in Komplete.. there's a lot of great ones of both in there and I just don't see how this OTS E piano even at 60% off stands above those in Komplete. Again I often feel the same about organs too. I watched and listened to the demos of this OTS e piano and I just don't get what's special about it over what many of us already have. Again that's just me, but yeah. I may not be an electric piano aficionado but take a great E piano from Komplete, use as is or run it through some great effects and I just don't see what I'm missing. 

It's largely all about the tone. If you can't appreciate the difference between various electric pianos, there's no point in worrying about it.

I started on piano, then organ before making drums the instrument I ended up played professionally for two decades. A lot of non drummers can't recognize a difference between a great drum kit and an okay one. I'd say if you can't appreciate the difference, don't spend the money on a more expensive one, buy the one that you're happy with that is the best value.  

For me, for electric pianos, I own NI KOMPLETE and the electric pianos that come with that are quite good. But the Rhodes in that doesn't sound like The Famous E and there's something really special about the E in my opinion. But if it doesn't appeal to you, I wouldn't worry about it. It's all completely subjective, like music itself. 

Edited July 5, 2021 by PavlovsCat

[abacab]

I was a fan of many artists that recorded with the 'Famous E' back in the day. So that makes it worthwhile in my book. Plus it sounds fantastic!

I will add that the IK SampleTank 4 Max has some excellent e-pianos. If you have that, do check them out! You may find all that you need there, so no worries about history!

Edited July 5, 2021 by abacab

[Christian Jones]

2 hours ago, Grem said:

If I gave you a $99 Walmart guitar, then a real Gibson or Fender, would you tell the difference?

Lol are we talking about old Gibsons or new Gibsons

[abacab]

3 minutes ago, Christian Jones said:

Lol are we talking about old Gibsons or new Gibsons

Would you still buy a Gibson after they shut down Cakewalk? Shame! ?

[Simeon Amburgey]

3 hours ago, Christian Jones said:

What am I missing w/ the OTS E piano? With E pianos and organs, for me anyway, I've just always had a hard time really telling them apart quality-wise when were talking about, say, the E pianos and organs available in Komplete.. there's a lot of great ones of both in there and I just don't see how this OTS E piano even at 60% off stands above those in Komplete. Again I often feel the same about organs too. I watched and listened to the demos of this OTS e piano and I just don't get what's special about it over what many of us already have. Again that's just me, but yeah. I may not be an electric piano aficionado but take a great E piano from Komplete, use as is or run it through some great effects and I just don't see what I'm missing. 

It’s funny that we are on this subject, we would be probably be having the same conversation if this was another acoustic piano library. Honestly the past few weeks I have been seeing such a shift in what my reviews have been covering (and some still to come), that it has shifted to electric pianos ?

For instance right after doing the livestream on the Famous “E”, I dive into IK Multimedia’s Elektromagnetic expansion for SampleTank 4. When I first played the first few notes of the Elektromagnetik Stage 73 Mark V, I noticed a definite difference in how the attacks just did not feel as crisp as the Famous “E”. While it sounded fine, it did not provide the same experience as the “E”.

It goes back to the same issues that we deal with when looking at any other virtual instrument category. Each one has its unique personality. Some of our biases are fueled possibly by the nostalgia of a particular instrument’s history, I know I am very affected more when I have that information. Above all, it is the feedback you get when your hands play the first notes, I know I am really going to love a library or love it less after just a few minutes of playing with it, first impressions are everything.

Even more important than the story, is how much time the developer spent in getting things into that pocket of playability, everything has just got to translate or you are lost.

Sorry for the rambling, but I thought it was so interesting to see how things seem to travel in bunches. Be on the lookout for more epianos coming soon.

All the best guys, and happy 4th of July.

[Fleer]

As for the acoustic guitars : Steel Strings is I believe a Martin D16R, Modern Nylon a Takamine C134S, Songwriter a Gibson J-45, Jumbo 12 a Taylor 355, and Flatpick Six a custom-built Coal Creek. 

[Christian Jones]

1 hour ago, Simeon Amburgey said:

It’s funny that we are on this subject, we would be probably be having the same conversation if this was another acoustic piano library.

Lol you still never told me what your favorite acoustic piano library is. That was when you were testing NOIRE. I said "if someone had a gun to your head and was forcing you to pick a single favorite, what would it be?" - but instead of you breaking down and picking a favorite you used an emoticon to act like you got your brains blown out lol

[Simeon Amburgey]

2 minutes ago, Christian Jones said:

Lol you still never told me what your favorite acoustic piano library is. That was when you were testing NOIRE. I said "if someone had a gun to your head and was forcing you to pick a single favorite, what would it be?" - but instead of you breaking down and picking a favorite you used an emoticon to act like you got your brains blown out lol

Well, honestly it is a close to impossible question to answer. I am finding that the field has narrowed quite a bit to should I say a possible top 5.
Confidentially you mentioning NOIRE, don't ask me what is just ahead in a few days…stay tuned. ?????

[Fleer]

Okay, now you have to tell us, Simeon. 

[Craig Fowler]

2 hours ago, Christian Jones said:

Lol you still never told me what your favorite acoustic piano library is. That was when you were testing NOIRE. I said "if someone had a gun to your head and was forcing you to pick a single favorite, what would it be?" - but instead of you breaking down and picking a favorite you used an emoticon to act like you got your brains blown out lol

I'm no Simeon, Christian, but I'd pick VSL CFX as my single favourite acoustic library. If you couldn't bring yourself to use e-licenser, I'd pick VI Labs Modern U.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't invest in 20-30 other libraries too, just to make sure you've got your bases covered.

[Grem]

3 hours ago, Simeon Amburgey said:

All the best guys, and happy 4th of July.

All the best to you Simeon and Happy 4th to you too!!

[PavlovsCat]

While I know a bunch of the musicians who were famous for that Rhodes sound in the 80s own the Orange Tree Samples Famous E library, from talking with Greg if you look at the list of legendary musicians giving it great reviews on Orange Tree Samples page or Jay Graydon's page, it's really pretty amazing. Clarence McDonald was among the people giving testimonials, and while I realize that most session musicians and producers aren't well known, Clarence McDonald, like Jay Graydon, is a living legend. He's played keyboards with and/or produced artists like  Bill Withers, James Taylor, Ludacris, Linda Rondstat, Boz Scaggs, Tina Turner, Ray Charles, The Emotions, Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Earl Klugh, The Temptations, Freddie Hubbard, The Fifth Dimension, Lionel Richie,.. 

I'm not saying that great keyboardists using and giving testimonials for a sample library is what should be enough to get anyone to buy a library and frankly, I don't put much stock in YouTuber endorsements, I honestly find them almost meaningless and would recommend no one put stock in them as these folks are so prone to shilling to anyone throwing them free product, gifts or money. It's corrupt AF and it's been that way since day one. Very candidly, as a marketer, I think one of the worst things to happen to consumers is the rise of influencers, as it's really corrupted a consumer's ability to get honest product feedback (influencers are compensated with free products, other gifts, money, etc). I saw this as it happened -- as I started leading digital marketing in the 00s for some major brands, had a major book deal, and made my name in the digital marketing world  -- I witnessed up close how some now super popular tech blogs/bloggers were bought (that is, compensated/bribed) by tech brands; for example, in the tech world, PR folks would throw a popular tech blogger thousands to tens of thousands worth of gifts when new products were launched in order to get favorable reviews and it usually worked and things have only gotten worse; in the VST and sample world, influencers generally aren't given that kind of money, that I'm aware of,  but they're certainly ready to shill in return for free product.  And I don't mean any offense to every influencer here. I like some of them. They're certainly not all shills. But the ratio is pretty terrible. 

What gets my attention is when you see session players, who aren't YouTubers/social media influencers ready to shill, but musicians who have lived and died by being able to get the right sound and play the right part quickly (and I'm thinking of the older guys who established their careers in an era where everything didn't rely on Pro Tools, so studio time was at a premium) -- on budget -- who give an uncompensated testimonial, especially ones noted for being legendary session players who played a Rhodes on some great tracks -- that gets my attention.  Everyone should use their own ears and only buy a library when it appeals  to them. If anyone thinks that all electric piano sample libraries sound alike and play alike it's strong evidence that is not the case. 

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/clarence-mcdonald-mn0000134544/credits

Edited July 5, 2021 by PavlovsCat

[Fleer]

I wonder if Bill Withers’ “Just The Two Of Us” was played on that famous E, maybe by McDonald. 

[Fleer]

7 hours ago, Craig Fowler said:

I'm no Simeon, Christian, but I'd pick VSL CFX as my single favourite acoustic library. If you couldn't bring yourself to use e-licenser, I'd pick VI Labs Modern U.

I believe it’s iLok. 

[Dave Maffris]

Interesting topic. As a lifelong pianist, and former owner of a Fender Rhodes and a Wurlitzer, I would agree there are many emulations that are just fine, especially sitting in a mix. I, too, was initially skeptical when OTS released the E piano. However, I own all their products, and they do such a sensational job on them that I assumed it would be great. The real question for me was, "do I need another Rhodes emulation," I use NI's Rhodes 88, scarbee, and a personal favorite, Lounge Lizard. So, fast forward to the Summer Group buy, and I find between the group buy 60% off and my Orange Slices, I can complete my OTS library, adding the new Banjo and the E Piano for a grand total of $86 bucks!  This is a steal. Now I am listening to the demos of the Famous E, and it's jaw-droppingly good. But the final test is playing it, and within an  instant, I am in love with this one. As a pianist, some instruments inspire you, others are ok, and others are meh or yuck. Playing a Steinway concert grand piano is different than playing anything else I have played. Playing this E piano may not fall into that category, but I felt instantly creative and inspired. The response, timbre, nuances of even a handful of the presets I sampled were energizing. An instrument that makes you want to play it, and makes it hard to stop playing it--that's what tells me they have something really great. I am positive that from this point forward, the Famous E will be my virtual Rhodes of choice in future compositions. Heck, I may even go back and replace my other emulations in some finished productions, just for fun, if I have the time. 

And for the record, I agree wholeheartedly that if you don't really specialize in a particular instrument, you probably won't be able to tell the difference between them, and that is true for me, to a degree, for drums, saxophone, bass guitar and electric. I know quality, but the differences between the brands, emulations, etc., is largely beyond my experience--you need to be proficient and experienced with an instrument to truly understand the diffs between models. Or to care that much. 

[PavlovsCat]

47 minutes ago, Fleer said:

I wonder if Bill Withers’ “Just The Two Of Us” was played on that famous E, maybe by McDonald. 

Clarence didn't play on that song, that was Richard Tee. Clarence did play electric piano on Bill Withers' "Lovely Day."  I've been a Bill Withers' fan since I was a little boy, Clarence has played with Jay Graydon on some legendary tracks. Jay played with greats like Marvin Gaye. I mean, these guys are on some of the greatest pop songs of all time.

 

 

Edited July 5, 2021 by PavlovsCat