Native Instruments has tweaked their Elektrik Piano, finally adding Universal Binary support for Intel Macs. Unlike the Vokator and Spektral Delay updates, though, there are some new features for everyone to enjoy. The samples are the same, but everything else has gotten an update:

Waldorf’s Zarenbourg electric piano was on display at their NAMM booth. Beholding its grand, future-retro design, you’ll immediately wonder: are there tines and pickups under the Zarenbourg’s hood, or a digital sound engine?

The answer, alas, is the latter, which will be appreciated by keyboardists who value the ability to use multiple built-in sounds and effects along with an editor librarian in VST and Audio Units.

There are also several bold color schemes for the Zarenbourg’s shell, including a huge Union Jack flag, so you can keep your Zarenbourg coordinated with your Mini. The large, flat top also lends itself nicely to holding another keyboard and/or computer setup.

The Zarenbourg is scheduled to ship in May for around $5k MSRP.

Waldorf Music (en)

Ed.: It’s a tough NAMM show for the Zarenbourg: Waldorf’s electric piano has to face up to the real Rhodes moniker. Odds are, I think, the new Waldorf synths may fare better buzz-wise. I see an electromechanical vs. simulated electric piano smackdown in the future. The winners: lovers of electric pianos. The losers: anyone wanting an electric piano with the Canadian flag will need to get a custom paint job. Though I betcha you’ll be one-of-a-kind. -PK

Just when you thought electric piano samples had reached the pinnacle of authenticity, complete with sticky key sound and power supply hum, the real Rhodes electric piano is staging a comeback.

Using the original electromechanical method of sound reproduction based on the Mark V and updated with a gorgeous chassis design, the introduction of the new Rhodes means you’ll no longer have to search for a rare used one of questionable condition and price.

Several models were on display at NAMM, some of which sported USB and MIDI ports so you can even…trigger electric piano samples. Wow!

A new foldable metal stand was shown, as well as a beefy stand with built-in stereo amplification.

Don’t delete your Rhodes samples just yet, however. The new Rhodes is still somewhat a work in progress, but is scheduled to ship in time to make your Thanksgiving a happy one indeed. Pricing should be in the $2-5k range.

More at www.rhodespiano.com

Ed.: Retro? I say timeless. That’s better than physical modeling / emulation. We’ll naturally follow up on this story after the show. Technically not digital, it’s true, but that’s never stopped us before — and where would we be without the Rhodes? I want a red one. -PK