“The crown jewel of the family”: Cherry Audio’s Wurlybird 140B emulates a lesser-known electric piano that some consider to be one of the best
Before the Wurlitzer 200 series, we had this
While most Wurlitzer electric piano emulations focus on the 200 series models, Cherry Audio has chosen to jump back a generation and bring you the sound of the 140B, which they say many enthusiasts consider to be the jewel in the Wurly crown.
Wurlybird 140B promises to be a faithful emulation of the original hardware - it samples a professionally restored unit owned by keyboard player and songwriter Tom Hammer. These were captured by sound designer Mike Martin.
The end result, we’re assured, is a virtual Wurly that offers ultra-realistic response with subtle randomisation of key release and pedal sounds. The sound of the original preamp has been modelled, and the vibrato/tremolo emulated.
There are also eight stompbox-style effects: Tube Overdrive, Chorus, Rotator, Delay, Reverb, Seven-Band Graphic EQ, ‘70s Phaser and a LoFi vinyl/noise unit. The 50 presets take in both classic and contemporary tones, and the rendered interface adds to the vintage vibe.
Wurlybird 140B runs standalone and in VST/AU/AAX plugin formats and is available for PC and Mac. There’s a 30-day demo, too, and the full price is just $39.
Find out more on the Cherry Audio website.
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I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.
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