Prepared Rhodes

It was digitally recorded directly in a Tascam DA-88.  Every note was sampled
and almost every note has multiple velocity layers (from 2 to 6, average 4).
There are 367 samples, the samples are 16 bits, 44.1 kHz and mono as the real
instrument is. The sample set size is 63,2 MB. 

Even if there are some clean sounds, this is a "dirty" instrument, when you put
things inside a Fender Rhodes, a lot of things happen sonically, like strange
vibrations and resonance between the objects and the tines.  Even the release of
the key produces artefacts on notes.  All sounds have their natural decay, none
is cut or looped.

The sounds range from clean percussive to edgy tones, there are some African and 
Oriental like tones.  The set covers a lot of musical and sonic ground, it may be 
useful in various styles of music.

There are 2 main programs that emulate the actual instrument where each key has a 
different sound.  The first one covers 72 keys, the second one 52 keys.  Each key 
has a unique sound with up to 6 velocity layers.  The sample set size is 63,2 MB 
containing 360 samples (32 MB download).  Note that the size is doubled for the 
Wusikstation and EVE formats as they both use a proprietary 32 bits sample format.

Also included are patches simply made from one sound mapped across the keyboard 
and you can create your own.  These make fun semituned percussion instruments.  
Their number vary according to each specific format.  Moreover, as each platform 
has unique features, you will find additional patches using these features.


About the prepared Rhodes: 
It's a real Rhodes that is prepared as John Cage and others prepared a
acoustic piano, that means you insert springs, plastic tubes, pins,etc., all 
kinds of objects inside the piano.  These objects when touching the strings or 
the tines change the sound of each key played.  All the notes can be radically 
different from each other and often you don't even recognize the original sound.  
You get an instrument that is much more percussive in nature.  This has been done 
quite often with acoustic piano but rarely with a Rhodes.

Every note was prepared by Maxime de La Rochefoucauld who is also internationally
known as a composer and a builder of mechanical musical automatons
http://www.cooptel.qc.ca/~maxime/.  

Performance, preparation of samples and programs: Zvon for Les Productions Zvon.

© 2004 Maxime Rioux and Zvon, all rights reserved