Operation Manual

2.3 Tuning an Electric Piano 13
Figure 3: Geometry of an electric piano and corresponding elements on the Lounge Lizard EP
interface.
Figure 4: Reed and electrostatic pickup of a Wurlitzer electric piano.
2.3 Tuning an Electric Piano
Electric pianos provided adjustment for pitch, timbre, and volume. On the original Rhodes, the
tine is fitted with a spring which can be moved along its length for fine-tuning. The tone and
volume can also be adjusted by changing the position of the tine in relation to the pickups. Tuning
a Wurlitzer piano is even more delicate. On the tip of each reed is a lump of solder whose size
and shape alter both the pitch and the tone of the note. These adjustments were at the heart of
the electric piano character as they control the harmonic content, attack, and decay of the sound,
offering unique tone to each player. But there was a price for this flexibility, several painstaking
hours with a screwdriver or soldering iron and incredible patience was needed to change the sound
of an electric piano. Suffer no more with Lounge Lizard, the preset library provides a selection
of thoroughly chosen configurations reproducing popular models so that you do not have to touch
one knob before starting to play. The flexibility of the engine gives you access to all the physical
parameters of the instrument allowing you to fine-tune every preset to your playing style.