GEAR REVIEW
[ SPECTRASONICS KEYSCAPE | Michael Hodge ]
KEY FEATURES
36 Electric & Acoustic Piano
Samples
IN USE:
Keyscape shows up as both a
separate instrument and as a
Easy to Download
Library in Omnisphere 2 (if you
Cost Effective Price
have it already installed) in your
DAW. Opening it as a Library in
Omnisphere 2 gives you access
To be honest, I’ve been looking forward to
to the Steam engine for deep
this review ever since hearing rumors about
editing
Keyscape. Eric Persing leads a dream team
possibilities. Inside Keyscape are
of folks at Spectrasonics, dedicated to making
36 separate Instruments including
the best music software, period. Keyscape is
new, rare, vintage, and electronic
a massive collection of 36 of the finest new,
keyboards with 500 “best in class”
vintage, and exotic acoustic and electric
sounds. Each patch is made of multi-sampled
OMNISPHERE 2
pianos on the planet, sampled to perfection. It
sounds with up to 32-way velocity switching,
As amazing as Keyscape is, opening it in
has been ten years in the making, and will be
and Round Robins for repeated notes. Each
Omnisphere 2 adds even another creative
another game changer for the industry.
instrument patch has it’s own custom controls
level. I had great results layering these
for things like Multi-Microphones, Timbre,
beautiful authentic sounds into crazy hybrids
OUT OF THE BOX:
Character, beautiful Reverbs, and Modulation
using the EDM patches, Granular Synthesis,
Downloading Keyscape will take a minute. The
effects.
Arpeggiators, and Innerspace.
a lite version at 30GB. You might choose lite
I started with the LA Custom Yamaha C7. It’s
CONCLUSIONS:
if you are playing live with a Laptop. For this
stunning, really, and may be the best software
Once you hear it, Keyscape is simply a must
review I chose the full install. My Internet runs
grand I’ve ever heard. The attention to detail is
have. Owning that amazing Yamaha C7, the
about 100Mbps, and I think it took about two
superb, including the authentic sounds of the
classic Rhodes, Wurlys, Clavs, and the vintage
hours. There is also a thumb drive version
pedals and rich harmonic overtones. There is
exotic keyboards together make for quite an
available as a boxed version through music
a vintage Wing upright. This piano has extra
arsenal. As a keyboard player you will get a ton
retail stores, which installs quite fast. Next
pedals that engage little balls and blades inside
of mileage and inspiration with Keyscape. It is to
comes Authorization via a challenge code and
for unusual sounds. This makes them strangely
the Piano what Omnisphere was to the modern
response. Very painless and no iLok! You can
modern sounding. There are four different
Synth. Most companies would split all these
also Authorize on more than one of your own
Rhodes: an LA Custom “E”, Classic Mk1, Piano
keyboards into numerous packages, eventually
computers. Another nice thing is that if your
Bass, and the 1946 Rhodes Pre-Piano, the
costing lots more. By combining all these
drive ever crashes, for $10.00 you can get
very first instrument Harold Rhodes developed.
into one product Spectrasonics has made an
another download 24/7. Users can archive
They come with all kinds of amps & effects. Also
amazing offering at a very cost effective price.
the initial Keyscape download and install from
included are two lovely Wurlitzers, Clavinets
Be sure to watch the video!
it at no extra cost. I use Carbon Copy Cloner
with Wah, Delays, and Amp modeling, old
to back up all my studio internal and external
Pianets, Toy and Bass Pianos, a Harpsichord,
drives. I recommend it. It’s easy & inexpensive.
a Clavichord, a Dulcitone, a CP70, a Celeste,
The minimum System requirements are OS
and three classic Roland digital pianos.
X 10.9 Mavericks or higher, WIN 7 or higher,
There’s even an electrified Harmonium called
Native 64 bit host, 8GB ram, and 80Gb of
a Harmochord. It takes hours and hours to try
Hard Drive space (SSD recommended). It’s
out all these sounds. Another feature are the
compatible with all DAWS using AU, VST 2.4
“DUO” sound presets made by combining two
and AAX.
separate keyboards in Keyscape.
and
creative
layering
full version weighs in at 77 GB, and there is
Nov Dec 2016
ChristianMusician.com
$399 Retail
Spectrasonics.net
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