Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5/5 Stars
Elpiano is an electric piano plug‑in from Klevgrand that offers 10 different piano models. All the familiar plug‑in platforms are supported, including AAX, and the coding includes optimisation for Apple Silicon. Elpiano covers a range of mechanical and electronic piano models that may then be processed via a choice of five different speaker cabinets. There’s also a generous effects section populated with Reverb, Room, Delay, Chorus, Phaser, Tremolo, Vibrato and EQ, with adjustable Drive to add a bit of dirt. The modulation effects are located at the bottom of the window and have typical stompbox‑type control configurations with just one or two knobs each, while Reverb, Room and Delay have horizontal amount sliders and a further drop‑down panel for the Reverb and Delay that offer additional parameters, including tempo sync options for the delay. Room offers a choice of six room types from Large Room to Booth. The main rotary controls adjust Bass, Treble, Drive and Output level.
The sounds themselves are very responsive and range from late‑night lounge smoothness to FM funk and bell‑like tones. All five cabinet models, which I suspect employ impulse responses, can be used in both mono and stereo configurations with a choice of Small, Medium, Large, Hi‑fi or Toy, the latter delivering a very small speaker sound. While 10 pianos might not seem like a lot, the many permutations of piano, room and speaker cabinet provide a large range of usable options that can be further treated via the effects section. If no cabinet model is needed that can be switched off, and when a cabinet is active, further buttons select mono or stereo miking arrangements. A master settings panel can be opened to adjust the GUI size, global tuning, velocity curve and keycap weight, the latter operating as a tilt control adjusting the sensitivity between low and high notes. A small piano keyboard graphic shows the notes that are being played.
As to the actual range of sounds, they cover pretty much anything you could want from an electric piano, hinting at Rhodes, Wurli, Hohner and FM voices with an authentic bell‑like attack. The timbre changes smoothly with playing velocity, implying the sounds are modelled rather than sampled. The styling of the controls changes depending on the piano model, possibly giving more of a hint as to what type of piano is being modelled, and the rate and depth for the modulation effects are handled by the X/Y pad visible behind the effect waveform. The Tremolo waveform can be changed using the Shape knob.
On the surface Elpiano might seem like a very simple instrument but Klevgrand have brought these electric piano sounds to life in such an organic and responsive way that just makes you want to keep on using it.