Scarbee C.E.P. Reviewed in Remix Magazine

By Jason Scott Alexander

The C.E.P. is a collection of ridiculously faithful, 'deeply sampled' renderings of a masterfully refurbished 1976 "classic electric piano".

How deep, you ask? To start with, each of the 73 keys was recorded at precisely the same 12 velocity levels, directly from the harp - bypassing the noisy tone control knob, and allowed to play out fully into sustaining unlooped samples. For ultimate realism, 12 more painstakingly-precise ‘release' samples were recorded for each note, capturing the subtle, magical sound of the damper bouncing back against the tine as a key is released. That' s 1752 samples in all!

C.E.P. has soul! Unlike physical modeling simulations or any sample library previous, Scarbee' s version sounds exactly like the real deal – pure, alive and vibrantly jazzy. Further, it feels and plays exactly like the real deal, from attack through release. Tickle the keys and she purrs sweet round bell-tones. Hammer the keyboard and this feline begins to growl. The programmer has done a craftsman job in tweaking the sampler parameters to respond naturally and fluidly.

The 2-disc (3GB) 16-bit Giga edition includes both the "Direct" version and a "Classic" version, which includes EQ adjustment within each sample, simulating a the bass boost tone control knob set at '5' , middle position. The 2.25GB 24-bit native Kontakt, EXS24 mk II and HALion editions - which come as a 4-disc multi-install set - are each programmed from scratch, not converted, using the “Direct from harp” sound only. A classically warmer sound can easily be created by using the internal EQ of your favorite host sequencer.

The C.E.P. is a solid sounding instrument – one that you feel drawn to sit and play, over and over again. If you' ve got the chops, and want to add authentic "classic electric keyboard" to your tracks, there is no alternative as far as I' m concerned. Top marks. Hands down best. Go buy it!

Remix Magazine