Giulioz Unviels RdPiano FREE 80s Roland & Rhodes MKS Digital Piano Emulation

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The Giulioz RdPiano plugin brings the charm of vintage 80s Roland and Rhodes MKS digital pianos to your fingertips, completely free of charge.

During the 80s, structured adaptive synthesis (SA-synthesis) e-pianos dominated hit records. Despite their prominence, these instruments haven’t been emulated as much as classics like Yamaha’s DX7 or Roland’s TR-808 drum machine.

Italian developer Giulioz is changing that with RdPiano, a free plugin available for macOS and Windows. It faithfully recreates iconic models such as the Roland MKS-20, RD-1000, and the Rhodes MK-80 electric piano.

Roland acquired the Rhodes brand in 1987, releasing the MK-80 and MK-60 in 1989. Their ownership of the Rhodes name was brief, lasting just a decade before Harold Rhodes reclaimed the trademark in 1997. While the brand’s journey continued, those MK models remain rare gems. Thanks to RdPiano, you can now incorporate their distinctive sound into your setup without breaking the bank.

The plugin emulates the CPU-B board found in these instruments, meticulously recreating the CPU and custom chips. Giulioz leveraged code from MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator), which reverse-engineered the VLSI custom chips housing Roland’s harmonic and velocity sound analysis algorithm. Through silicon analysis, the developer achieved an incredibly authentic sound.

The sound quality is exceptional. Roland’s tones are renowned for their percussive, dynamic character, offering a dreamy quality that defined 80s pop hits and TV show themes. Simple stabbing chord patterns evoke a strong nostalgic vibe, while the MK-80’s lush sustain enhances its percussive attack.

Giulioz has done an impressive job of capturing these iconic sounds with remarkable precision. However, the developer acknowledges minor bugs, such as certain patches initially producing no sound. Fortunately, this issue is usually resolved by switching patches back and forth.

RdPiano is available in AU and VST formats, compatible with both Apple Silicon and Intel macOS devices, as well as Windows systems. It also supports standalone mode.

Download: RdPiano (FREE)

The post Giulioz Unviels RdPiano FREE 80s Roland & Rhodes MKS Digital Piano Emulation appeared first on Suffle Music Magazine.

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