Native Instruments Scarbee MARK I v1.4.0 KONTAKT

At last, the legendary electric piano of the 1970s has been sampled to perfection in all of its analog brilliance. The classic sound provided by the SCARBEE MARK I ranges from warm and mellow to bright and ‘barking’ and can also produce chiming bell-like tones. While it is of course the perfect choice for jazz, funk, fusion and R&B, this KONTAKT instrument is also versatile enough for any production where authentic electric piano sound is essential.

At last, the legendary electric piano of the 1970s has been sampled to perfection in all of its analog brilliance. The classic sound provided by the SCARBEE MARK I ranges from warm and mellow to bright and ‘barking’ and can also produce chiming bell-like tones. While it is of course the perfect choice for jazz, funk, fusion and R&B, this KONTAKT instrument is also versatile enough for any production where authentic electric piano sound is essential.

Instead of offering a ‘grab bag’ of many instruments which have been sampled to an ‘acceptable’ level, Thomas Skarbye focuses on a single instrument rendered to a level of detail previously unavailable to sample users. Through careful study and thorough restoration/setup he aims to capture the "soul" of the instrument and try to balance sound, playability and post-editing for a perfect match at the forefront of sampling technology. The SCARBEE MARK I was derived from Scarbee’s legendary "Classic Electric Piano".

The Mark I is coveted for its expression and dynamics which is why the Scarbee team went to such great lengths in capturing the genuine feel of the original. Each of the 73 keys was sampled at 12 different velocities. In addition, to really capture the instrument’s feel, release tones – the sound created when a damper bounces against the tine as a key is released – were recorded for each of the 12 velocities at the exact same level as the corresponding 12 sustain samples. This incredible attention to detail has produced KONTAKT instrument of great depth and realism, augmented by the adjustable original noise feature and a built in FX section. The effects include the classic reverb, chorus, phaser, amp simulation, distortion auto-wah, pan, compression, delay, bass and treble.