Toontrack Transistor Organ EKX

Toontrack turn EZkeys 2 into a musical time machine with their latest EKX expansion.

There are some instruments that can instantly evoke an era and, as soon as you hear a few notes from Toontrack’s Transistor Organ EKX, you will be taken back in time. And, while these instruments have been playing their musical part since the 1950s, it’s within the pop songs and film scores of the 1960s that the sound became iconic. That classic sound is beautifully recreated here and, with all the usual benefits of the EZkeys feature set, is easy to add into your own productions.

Synthesis Meets Samples

Under the hood, this particular EZkeys 2 expansion is based upon both synthesis and sampling of some original classic hardware. The impressive collection of supplied presets goes from the cleanest of cleans through some suitably gritty tones (amps, tremolo and rotary speakers included) and into some ‘special’ sound‑designed options (for example, pads to plucks). So, whether you want authentic retro or something that hints at a more modern twist, there are plenty of possibilities.

Whatever the technology behind the scenes, Transistor Organ sounds great. Yes, like the original hardware instruments, it’s quirky and, depending on how it’s played, somewhat whimsical, but the sound is full of character. Drop some suitably chosen parts into your vintage pop, garage rock, psychedelic rock, reggae or ska project, and this EKX will fit right in. It’s a sound we associate with classic songs by the Doors or the Beatles but also found its place in punk and two‑tone. Toontrack have captured the essence of it beautifully here.

Play Authentic

Skilled keyboard players will have a lot of fun but, if the piano is not your primary instrument, then the EKX will get you off to a flying start with a suitably retro set of performance options within the supplied MIDI Groove presets. As in all the EZ expansions — drums, bass or keys — don’t underestimate the values of the supplied MIDI. The performances here are excellent and provide great options for chord‑based performances, melodic lines and combined options. There are some obvious musical influences amongst these that capture the classic vibe to perfection and, given just how powerful the EZkeys Song Track feature set is, there is plenty of potential to adapt these performance styles to your own songs and compositions.

Oh, and if you want to expand on those performance possibilities, Toontrack also have three additional EZkeys MIDI expansion packs available aimed at the Transistor Organ EKZ. Garage Rock Organ, Indie Rock Organ and Ska Reggae Organ are each packed with additional MIDI Groove presets suitable for their respective musical styles, and these are well worth considering if you like the EKX sound expansion itself.

Retro Modern

Unsurprisingly, Toontrack offer some excellent acoustic and electric piano expansions for EZkeys 2 but, for my money, the two EKXs that I think are most impressive are the Session Organ and, now, the Transistor Organ. These work beautifully within the EZkeys environment and deliver both sound and performances (via the supplied MIDI) that make them a joy to use. In both cases, their sounds are intimately associated with some classic vintage songs and musical styles but, equally, they are sounds that will add instant character to any musical production, be that retro or modern.

This is a tempting and very tasty addition to anyone’s EZkeys sound collection.

Toontrack have a hit with their Transistor Organ EKX. Audition the demos on their website and be prepared to travel back in time. This is a tempting and very tasty addition to anyone’s EZkeys sound collection.