Q Up Arts California Keys Review - Part 2

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​H-ORGAN – Sampled from an early sixties Hammond A-100, this is one of the nicer sampled organs that I’ve heard lately.  The four available (pre configured) drawbar stacks produce tones that are quite good; and are certainly usable.  You can’t expect to tweak the drawbar settings in real-time as you can with dedicated, true-to-form sample libraries and VIs – such as AcousticSampleS B5-V2, for example.  However, anyone looking for good MOR (middle-of-the-road) tonewheel tones with minimum fuss, this sample set will serve you well.

​For my fancy, I tend to call up the included “Lordish” preset as a catalyst, and tweak from there (if necessary).  Cool, percussive jazz-y tones can be easily achieved using the basic snapshot counted in with the “Hipster” patch; and some seriously screaming blues and rock karma can be had whilst enlisting the “Cool Cat” rock presets.  Bear in mind that I’m only highlighting the most obvious patch snapshots.  Plenty of groovy tonal, percussive, and harmonics options are on deck if you’re willing to experiment a little.  In addition to the four drawbar stacks, there are also five drawbars dedicated to high pass filtering and percussive elements.  I actually like Q Up Arts’ approach to controlling the intensity of the percussive samples; this novel method allows one to fine-tailor the amount of “pluck” and harmonics to taste.

​Kontakt’s built-in ‘Rotator’ was a welcome and convenient effect when it was introduced 10+ years ago, but I personally feel that newer offerings such as IK Multimedia’s Leslie ™ or UVI’s “Rotary” are much better choices.  Although dedicated rotary emulation plug-ins sound best, it is convenient – and affordable - to have the built-in Kontakt “Rotator” in tow.   Having said that, listening to H-Organ with all FX disengaged (including the Rotator), allows us to hear just how solid and realistic –sounding these samples are.   If anything cheapens the sound of this sample set, it is the Kontakt “Rotator”. 

Here’s a brief, simple comparison between the built-in Rotator and IKM’s Leslie ™.  Kontakt’s Rotator is heard first.  The second pass was rendered after bypassing the built-in Rotator, and loading IKM’s exquisitely modeled Leslie 122 ™ onto the track instead. 

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​F-ORGAN – If bright, cheesy, transitor organs are your schtick, you’ll love F-Organ.  Personally, this one is too bright for me out-of-the-box, but with a little bit of fandangling, it can be made to sound like a million bucks.  Compared to Native Instruments’ own “Transistor Compact” from the Vintage Organs collection, or Arturia’s modeled “Farfisa-V”, this one is just not malleable enough on its tod.  There are no buttons, sliders or dials to tame the searing character of this sample set, save a Treble knob.  Although there is a two-band EQ at hand, it can only do so much to remedy the over-excited temperament of F-Organ.  I highly recommend that you process this instrument through a 3rd party amp sim.

​Unlike most Farfisa VIs, there is absolutely no way to select/deselect the various instrument registrations.  There are only two main patches included in this sample set, and both are quite bright and treble-y.  Be that as it may, the “F-Organ 2” patch is the more even-keeled, better sounding of the two.  Since I like playing organ and synth VIs with a semi-weighted 61 key controller, I found it necessary to transpose my keyboard down an octave.  This allowed me to access the lower registers and warmer tones available in this sample set.  Things improved considerably after I’d recruited a cabinet IR (impulse response) .  With a snap-simple Kontakt tweak, the F-Organ took on a whole new, glorious sonic character – one that was vibe-y and highly palpable.  The tone became even-balanced and sumptuous.  Distinctly retro and ever authentic Farfisa Compact sounds leapt out of my speakers on demand.

​Take a listen .  .  .  The first pass is the F-Organ 02 patch naked and unaltered.  The second pass is using the same patch, but with the simple addition of Native Instrument’s 4x10 Tweed Alnico cabinet IR instantiated into the INSERT EFFECTS section of the Kontakt editor.

​V-Organ – If there’s one transitor organ to rule them all, most would agree that a mid-sixties Vox Super Continental is likely the rightful heir to the throne.  Similar to the F-Organ, this one can also be somewhat bright and thin sounding in its upper registers -- just not to the same degree as the “F”.  Fortunately, the V-Organ’s frequencies can be corralled to an extent by a pair of tone controls.  Although they’re labeled ‘Tone 1’ and ‘Tone 2’ these are actually bass and treble knobs, respectively.  From the get-go, a player/producer can wrangle up an acceptable organ track using the included presets, but introducing an amp sim or cabinet IR into the signal chain, will juice things up big time!

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​In keeping with all things Vox, I added NI’s Brit 60s 2x12 Cabinet IR; which to my understanding was captured from a Vox AC30 loaded with a pair of Celstion Alnico Blue 12” speakers.  After making this little tweak, the resultant sound was a very nice improvement.  What started out as a raw, slightly brittle tone was splendidly transformed into a full, robust resonance.  Soaring highs were still intact, but the delicate rounding that 12” guitar speakers impart to a splintery line-level signal ushered V-Organ to a whole new sonic plane.

Here’s a short clip to compare the original “V-Org 02” patch against the tweaked version (Brit 60s 2x12 Cabinet IR). 

​Clav – I’m digging the sound of this one, y’all! Again, we haven’t much control over the instrument itself, but the line-level sounds that have been sampled for us are very cool indeed.  Forget about pickup selection, mute control or any of the other tactile elements one can flip on n’ off on a physical unit – they aren’t available here.  What is accessible, however, is highly usable, pleasing Clavinet spank and funk-a-licious-ness.  Throwing a 2x12 cab IR into the signal chain can sweeten the pot even more.

​Regardless of whichever model this sample set was copped from (Clav C or Clav D?), the instrument boasts huge tone and plenty of genuine, funk-a-delic snap, crackle and pop.  You can get all superstitious on this bad boy, and totally come out sounding like the real deal.  

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​The low end is muscular, the mids are authoritative, and the high register can be charming or snap back like an angry pelican.  Some of the snapshots feature mod wheel-mapped wah.  I advise caution when using these presets though, because the wah sweep is significantly wide and can be almost unusable at the extreme points of the range.  Personally, I’ve found that keeping my mod wheel centered, and refraining from using the full span of available movement, is a best practice.

​Here’s a quick test clip of a snapshot I slung together using a bit of spring reverb, soft phase and mild auto wah.  I did not add a cabinet IR – it’s just the raw samples, with a sprinkling of on board FX.

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R-Epiano – A tasty, full-flavoured rendering of a refurbished 1973 Fender Rhodes Mk I Suitcase is what we have here.  Even, well-balanced tone across all registers, replete with vibe-y character and lure await you.  R-EPiano is slightly more rounded and mellow on the bass side; its bass notes don’t bark quite as much as some other Rhodes libraries I’ve used.  This is not necessarily a bad thing; especially for those who dislike the splatty sounds that some Rhodes produce in the low end.  Conversely, some of this instrument’s upper register doesn’t sound quite right at the highest velocities – the notes just seem to choke out with a metallic plink.  Seeing that there are patches specific to soft layers only, you won’t experience this issue while using one of the soft snapshots.

​Here’s a short video to show you what I’m referring to.  In it, you’ll readily hear that this instrument offers wonderful, even-balanced tone, but it does suffer from a few anomalies as well.  I tested the upper register, striking notes from a moderate velocity to strong.  The “Full Layers” patch was used for this example. 

​In all fairness, this likely has absolutely nothing to do with any kind of failing on the developer’s part.  I speculate that these anomalies have been inherited from the physical instrument itself.  It is my honest opinion that you’ll be well pleased with the gorgeous, nicely balanced tone of this Rhodes® sampling.  

As a general statement, I consider this sample-set to be a very well-balanced blend of lush Rhodian timbre, release noises, and tine-ness. (I just made that word up, I hope you like it.)  Yes, R-EPiano has a few antique weaknesses on some notes between C5 to C6, but mayhap that quantifies this one to be verifiably realistic and authentic sounding.  That said, would it have been slightly misleading if Q Up Arts had replaced the less-than-ideal tones with programmatically enhanced samples? I honestly can’t answer that question – the raw authenticity is laudable, but so too is pristine sound.  You decide, dear reader.   Smile.

​Here are a couple of short audio clips to show off the richness inherent in R-EPiano.  The first clip is a soft jazzy piece using the “Straight Up” patch supplemented with a hint of chorus and long plate reverb.  The second clip is a bit more rambunctious and zeroes in on the upper register a little more.  I also added about 15% on the ‘spread’ dial, which slightly widens the stereo field.

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​W-EPiano –  Left for last, but certainly not least, we call up the Wurly.  Q Up Arts has blessed us with their digital presentation of a late 50s/early 60s reconditioned Wurlitzer electric piano: a 140 B model to be exact.  I’ve come to the conclusion that this sample set is my favourite of the lot.  It produces tones fairly dripping with an ageless sonic flavour; if it could be liquefied, this would be sold as a nectar of timeless tone.

​At its default, I find that the W-EPiano has an especially mellow, almost muddy character.  Mind you; this is whilst the tone control is straight up at the center détente.  Don’t let that trouble you – a simple twist of the tone knob makes a terrific impact! Using the default ‘All Layers’ patch, I dialed the tone control up to the 2:00 o’ clock position; the instrument sprang to life.  Sizzle, bark and signature Wurlie growl was there in spades; lower velocities retained their mellow, cooing lulls that R & B and jazz fans adore.  

Given that the source hardware is so old, it’s to be expected that there might be a couple of keybed glitches, but in this instance, they are very minimal disturbances.  The only notes that I found to be mildly concerning are D5 and Eb5 – at higher velocities, these choke out ever-so-slightly.

​​Modern musical stylists will find a good assemblage of patch snapshots that are well suited to creative and contemporary applications.  Although the onboard effects are decidedly classic and familiar, some of the snapshots make use of intriguing FX combinations that will prove to be inspiring.

​Ever the ol’ skool traditionalist that I am, I’ve prepared a couple of audio snippets featuring the delectable, pure tone of this Wurlie.  The first segment is a plaintive soul vibe with only a tasteful mix of tremolo.  The second clip hits the higher register more and shows off lush spring reverb and a subtle undergirding of delay.

​CA-Grand – We now survey the final exhibit on our California Keys tour; the magnificent 10 ft’ Fazioli Grand.   There were 10 channels of microphones par excellence used to capture this magnificent specimen – these include enviable capsules from Earthworks, Peluso, and Audix. Furthermore, the microphonic transductance was aptly channeled into a Pro Tools HD system through Class-A preamps from Neve, Universal Audio and Grace.  While most of the mic channels are stereo pairs, there was a monophonic Neuman U87 used to record the piano from underneath; just left of center.  To ensure that we could participate in a gratifying, comprehensive Fazioli Grand experience, Q Up Arts fastidiously sampled 30 layers of natural velocities – plus an undetermined number of round robin samples!

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​Having read a few descriptions of what a typical king-sized Fazioli Grand piano presumably sounds like, I was anticipating a thunderous cacophony of stone shaking sonority.  To my surprise, CA-Grand humbly takes up center stage with an unexpected humility and grace that belies its mammoth proportions.  Each of the electric piano sample-sets bundled in the Cali Keys collection provides a dedicated soft-layer patch; CA-Grand does likewise.  Howbeit, with a decent weighted keyboard, one can undulate in soothing, serene pianissimo without laying aside the full dynamics potential encapsulated in the normal patches.  This piano truly is suited to tranquil, emotive, lullabies or passionately-charged anthems with equal prowess.

​To be frank, this sample-set is a little more subdued in timbre than most piano libraries.  It’s a superb tone - luxuriant even, yet it is a little more tepid than I would normally seek out.  I find myself consistently dialing its solitary ‘Tone’ knob to 2:00, if not even 3:00 o’ clock for most of my own musical experiments and/or noodling.  Be that as it may, jazz recordings, romantic movie scores, restful instrumental music, and other gentler musical genres benefit tremendously from this instrument’s pleasing warmth.

​Timbre preferences aside, the sonority of this instrument is exquisite! The sampling quality is sublime and need not take a back seat to other libraries of like kind. There are other equally-as-large, highly detailed offerings on the market now-a-days; Wavesfactory’s “Mercury”, Bechstein-Digital’s “C-Bechstein”, SonicCouture’s “Hammersmith” are a few that come to mind.  That’s elite, high class social circles to appease folks.  Does Q Up Arts’ CA-Grand belong in such illustrious company?  On the basis of visual appeal, I would say that it comes a little under-dressed; but sonically it stands up every whit as well.

Across the complete key-range of this piano, the tonality is well-balanced and articulate.  There’s an aliveness about the sound, and a responsiveness to touch, that must be experienced to be properly understood.  To say that the instrument is dynamic is an understatement.  The low register of this piano can thunder for sure, but it always remains clear and articulate. The mids are graceful and majestic; these too remain defined and pure throughout all velocity layers. An airy, pellucid high region is evident; howbeit it never becomes brittle or sterile sounding.  As trite and clichéd as the word has unfortunately become in today’s music vernacular, “organic” is most certainly an apt adjective to describe the sound of this sample set.

Other factors contributing to the veritable nature of CA-Grand are seamless fusion of the library’s release samples and sympathetic resonance. If these weren't enough, realism is further actualized with some nifty, dedicated soft-pedal samples to convincingly simulate a grand piano’s soft pedaling functionality.   My ears tend to favour the “Grand Peluso” NKI due to its somewhat livelier upper midrange presence.   Regardless of which patch or snapshot you choose, luxurious tonality, and vast dynamic verismo are immediately at your fingertips.

I'd be remiss to not extol the virtues of Q Up Arts' determined attention-to-detail concerning the mic'ing techniques they employed during the sampling process of this regal giant. Of interesting note, natural room ambiance was captured from opposite ends of the piano - both behind the player and in front of the piano. Depending on which patch/snapshop you load up, you'll see that either a solo Neuman U87, or a single Audix SCX25 was used for recording a mono signal from the underside of the piano - these were positioned just left of center.

In addition, classical piano recording techniques were called upon for preserving the instrument's magnificent sounds from the side. Frankly, using all five sets of microphone channels simultaneously, as they are found on the CA-Grand dashboard, will tax even the strongest of modern CPUs. This becomes all the more impacting when you keep a healthy ratio of 'Sustain' resonance in the soup, as it were. To affably use this beauty in a typical DAW project, I suggest that a user forego some of the extra mic channels, and lessen sustain resonance, to keep the CPU usage in check. Jus' sayin' . . .

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a great pianist; I just enjoy faking it. *Grin.  Here are a couple of clips for you to hear CA-Grand for yourself. The first is a moody, softer Jazz-ish piece. I used the "Grand Peluso" for this clip, with the tone knob dialed up to about 2:00 o' clock. The second clip is a bouncy, R&B/Pop take -- it compares the "Grand Peluso" configuration to the "Grand Earthworks". Both patches were adjusted to use the same type of mic settings, and the tone knob was set at 2:00 o' clock.

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CPU & Memory Consumption:

Taking into account that each of the e-pianos and transitors organs are monophonic sample-sets, their memory footprints are very small.   The H-Organ is not negligible, consuming a noticeable 1.2 GB of memory.  All of these samples load up in good time from a 7200 rpm HDD. As already stated, the Fazioli Grand sample-set is huge, gulping down 2.14 GB of memory at the least.  I realize that not everyone has a dedicated SSD drive(s) in their system for the sole purpose of storing sample libraries, but if you want to have a fluid experience and speedy load times, you might want to consider getting an SSD for the CA-Grand and similar sample libraries.
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As regards CPU drain, Kontakt’s (v5.81 standalone) CPU meter seems to hover around the 3% mark with occasional peaks as high as 15 - 20% when liberal amounts of FX are applied.  These conservative observations are ascertained while using the e-Pianos and organs.  The CA-Grand, on the other hand, can easily utilize upwards of 30% CPU with the larger patches, and I've seen busy arrangements and generous FX make it spike up to 75 - 80 percent. Yikes!  If I scale back the number of mics or use lighter patches, this drops to half or less.  As a reference point, my system is powered by a 2016, i7 7700 HQ chip.

Concluding Remarks:
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I’m pleased to report that there is a lot that I dig about this bouncing bounty of vintage vibe-a-licious-ness.  I have a few quibbles with the collection, but overall I’m not shy to recommend Cali Keys as a solid, usable choice for anyone looking for a well-rounded collection of classic keyboards and organs.  I’m not sure that I can recommend the Fazioli Grand sample-set as a “desert island”, one-size-fits-all piano choice; however, that greatly depends on the style(s) of music you play. Even with 3rd party, external processing, CA-Grand really doesn’t have an in-your-face, pop/rock character; at least not in the way that a top drawer Yamaha C7 (or similar) exudes. Still, it’s an exquisite grand piano sampling; one that possesses a refined, complex individuality that no other sampled piano compares to – at least none that I’m personally familiar with.

I can say without hesitation that there is bona fide, raw genuinity inherent in each one of the sample-sets contained in the California Keys library.  There are many sample libraries and modelled VIs on the digital playground that produce smoothly polished sounds; notwithstanding, few of them are comprised of totally original and unaltered samples. Neighboring notes are borrowed to fix wonky ones, and undisclosed studio tweaks n’ tricks are sometimes quietly slipped in to suppress audible disparities.  Our ears, and thus our mindsets, have come to expect unrealistic perfection from virtual instruments.  The truth of the matter is, well-maintained classic instruments possess timeless charm and distinctiveness; due in part to their electro-mechanical warts and all.  In the case of Cali Keys, I don’t suspect that there were many (if any) post-sampling “fixes” applied to the original samples.  What Arlan Schierbaum hears when he plays his vintage keyboards is exactly what was sampled – pure and original.

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4 Out of 5 Stars

:: Pros

• Superbly sampled – very realistic sounding.
• A unique, exquisite-sounding Grand piano – capable of 7.1 surround performance.
• A great one-stop-shop bundle – all our favourite classic keyboards in a single collection.
• Well put together factory patches and snapshots.
• Great sound quality.
• Moderate system requirements (for the e-pianos and organs).
• Excellent incorporation of Kontakt’s built-in FX, well-tailored to classic instruments of this type.
• E-pianos and T-Organs are MONO, facilitating easier placement in a mix. Stereo widening available via a ‘Spread’ control.

:: Cons
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• User interface could be polished up to look a little more pro-grade.
• Perhaps an option to choose the unedited, original samples or post-processed *fixed samples .

​To check out other Q Up Arts goodies, head over to the their web site:
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​www.quparts.com
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​Brother Charles is a freelance writer, Gospel music artist and minister. Charles had been a professional touring musician during the nineties; working primarily as a lead guitarist in the Canadian country music industry. Brother Charles is also involved with music production and quality home recording.

Intellectual Copyright - 2019 - All rights Reserved. This review may not be copied or reproduced in whole, nor in part, without express written permission from the author.

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