
Introduction
Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio is an exceptional plugin that delivers the inspired album-ready sound of a 1974 Rhodes Eighty Eight Suitcase Mark 1 electric piano. This plugin is perfect for musicians and producers who desire to add the rich timbre of a perfectly modeled Rhodes electric piano to their productions. Electra 88 is designed to give users the sound and playability that goes beyond generic electric piano plug-ins and expensive sample libraries. It offers the rich three-dimensional tones of a meticulously maintained vintage instrument and its entire signal path at the user’s fingertips.
The plugin has a fully stocked “vintage” studio of pro production tools, including legendary rack effects and stompbox emulations. With expertly placed dynamic, condenser, ribbon, and tube mics, genuine 1176 compression, studio-grade reverbs, modulation, EQ, and more, you’ll discover a palette of analog textures and tones that fit any genre. Electra 88 gives you jaw-dropping emulations of vintage gear for electric piano tones that always sit in the mix. It is a powerful tool that allows you to immerse yourself in a curated analog studio packed with vintage mics, classic amps, and more.
Moreover, Electra 88 offers over 100 album-ready presets that are crafted to fit any genre. The presets are curated for instant inspiration and maximum enjoyment. The plugin is deep-sampled from a special, hand-picked Fender Rhodes MK1 to capture every note’s full dynamic and tonal response. It immerses the user in a high-end recording studio with an enviable collection of UA analog-modeled gear.
If you’re looking for a plugin that can help you create pro sounds, Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio is the perfect choice. It is a game-changer in the world of electric piano plug-ins and sample libraries. With Electra 88, you’ll get immersive sounds that are nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. The plugin has an intuitive, playful interface that invites endless combinations of sonic possibilities, and the preset library shows off its wide sound-design capabilities and deep musical roots. Try Electra 88 today and enjoy the journey with inspiring album-ready presets that will take your music production to the next level.
Getting Started
If you’re new to Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio, the plugin is easy to get started with. After loading the plugin and enabling the track in your DAW, here are some things you can do to test the plugin features:
- Play some notes on the keyboard to hear the Default preset.
- Try out the different pedal and studio effects by clicking the yellow LED under each effect. You’ll notice some effects are more subtle than others, and each knob controls a specific characteristic of the effect. Hover over the knob to see what it adjusts and tweak it to hear how it changes the sound.
- Test different presets by clicking the preset name at the top of the plugin to open the preset manager.
- Adjust the amplifier controls, which include Volume, Treble, Bass, and Vibrato Speed and Intensity. Note that Treble/Bass and Speed/Intensity are on dual concentric knobs, and the inner and outer controls control different aspects of the sound. To switch the Vibrato on and off and adjust more amplifier settings, see Using Electra 88 Amplifier View.
- Experiment with different pedal effects by clicking Pedals at the top of the screen and selecting a new effect. Enable the effect by pressing the power switch and adjust the knobs and controls to change the sound. For more information on Electra’s pedals, see Electra 88 Pedal Controls.
- Test out the five studio effects (EQ, Compression, Modulation, Delay, and Reverb) by clicking Studio at the top of the screen. You can swap the locations of the EQ and Compressor, enable/disable effects, and control a wide range of settings for each effect. For more information on Electra’s studio effects, see Electra Studio Effect Controls.
These are just a few of the features that Electra 88 has to offer. To fully explore the plugin’s sound and capabilities, continue reading to learn about this keyboard studio’s sections.
Presets
Electra 88 comes with a wide variety of presets that are designed to cater to different genres and styles. To access the presets, simply click the Presets area at the top of the instrument to reveal the available presets. You can then click on any of the presets to hear its sound.
Once you find a preset that you like, you can play it as provided or further tweak its sound to fit your needs. If you make any modifications to a preset, you can save it by pressing the Save button in the plug-in or LUNA preset browser. Additionally, you can favorite a preset for quick recall later by clicking its star in the presets browser. The presets available in Electra 88 are perfect for those who want to get started quickly and easily, and they provide a great starting point for further sound exploration and experimentation.
Views and Controls
The top of every Electra view includes controls for accessing the four Electra views, opening Electra settings, and controlling the output level. Each view also includes quick effect and amplifier controls at the bottom of the screen. Users can switch between views from any Electra view, access global and performance controls, control signal level, enable/disable effects, and adjust amplifier controls.
The Keyboard View
The Keyboard view in Electra 88 offers a clear overview of the instrument. When you play Electra with your MIDI controller, the keys you play are highlighted. The displayed pedal effects on Electra are updated when you change them in the Pedals and Studio views. You can adjust the pedal and studio effects with their quick controls and even adjust some amplifier controls.
The Pedals View
To access the Pedals view in Electra 88, you can click Pedals at the top of the window, on the pedals on top of the instrument when in Keyboard view, or the PEDALS text label below the quick controls. Signals flow from left to right. You can assign up to three pedals to Electra, where the first pedal slot is designated for either the Fil-tron or the Wah. The second and third pedal slots can be assigned any other pedal, but a pedal can only be assigned to one slot. If you attempt to assign a pedal in one effect slot already assigned to another, the pedals will be swapped with each other. The assignable pedals include Compressor, Phaser, Flanger, Tape Echo, Spring Verb, Chorus, and Fil-tron (first pedal slot only) and Wah (first pedal slot only).
To turn a pedal on or off, click its power switch or footswitch, or click the LED for the pedal in the Pedals quick access area at the bottom of the screen. Some pedals have unique enable/disable controls, and you can find more information on each effect and its parameters in the Electra 88 Pedal Controls section.
To assign a pedal, click on the green tape below a pedal effect and select a new pedal from the list. If the pedal is already assigned to another slot, the pedal is swapped with the pedal in the current slot (second and third pedal slots only).
The Amplifier View
To access Amplifier view, click on Amplifier at the top of the Electra window or on an amplifier or cabinet while in Keyboard view. Amplifier view enables you to select an amplifier for Electra and customize its sound. Electra boasts three amplifiers with various mics and a direct box to bypass the amps. When you click an amplifier or direct box, Amplifier view updates to show the mics on the selected amp or the cables running to the direct box, depending on your choice. Each amp has several sound controls, including microphone options, speaker choices (Double Reverb only), and other settings. The Suitcase preamplifier controls are always active and can be configured anytime, even when using another amplifier. However, the Suitcase speaker and microphone settings are only available when the Suitcase is selected on the Amplifiers page.
The Studio View
In Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio, the Studio view allows users to add the final touches to their sound with five high-quality rack-style effects, including EQ, compression, modulation, delay, and reverb. Each studio effect has its own unique parameters and controls. For instance, users can toggle the power of each effect on and off by clicking the power button or LED indicator. To return to the default setting of a control, users can option-click (macOS) or Alt-click (Windows). Finally, users can adjust the knobs and sliders with fine control by pressing Shift.
Conclusion
Overall, Electra 88 Vintage Keyboard Studio is a highly versatile and powerful plugin that is essential for any music producer or musician who wants to add the rich timbre of a perfectly modeled Rhodes electric piano to their productions. With a wide range of pro production tools, immersive sounds, and endless combinations of sonic possibilities, Electra 88 is a game-changer in the world of electric piano plug-ins and sample libraries. Whether you’re a seasoned producer or just starting, Electra 88 is the perfect choice to take your music production to the next level.