MusicRadar Verdict
If you simply have to have an electric piano tone or two in your arsenal, this is still the simplest way to get keyed up.
Pros
- +
Some decent electric piano tones.
Cons
- -
A mixed bag sounds-wise.
MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. Find out more about how we test.
The follow-up to EHX's mind-blowing B9 and C9 Organ Machines, the Key9 transforms your guitar into an electric piano or keyboard.
The Key9 packs nine sounds, including emulations of various Rhodes and Wurlitzer keyboards, plus a few more off-the-wall models, notably a vibraphone and steel drum.
Each keyboard offers two controllable parameters, which can be anything from low octave to high-end overtones or preset- specific modulation.
What we loved about the Organ Machines was their consistency: there wasn't a duff sound in 'em. And while the Key9 is no slouch, it's more of a mixed bag.
Dynamo, with its 70s/80s clean keys; or Suitcase, which is pure No Quarter, never fail to raise a smile; and Mallets' wood marimba effect is surprisingly convincing.
But the Wurlitzer imitation doesn't go far enough, while Tri-Glorious is, ultimately, just a chorus. They're not bad sounds; they're just of more limited appeal if you want full-on keyboard textures. And while tracking is spot-on, the pedal still has a hint of latency.
The Key9 has some impressive sounds, but for our money, it's of a more niche appeal than its organ brethren.
“I didn’t know anything about drugs or any of that stuff. For me, acid was a chemical that stripped away paint”: A Guy Called Gerald on the birth of acid house
"Eight Mile’s story defies logic": Eminem loses out to Spotify in multi-million dollar streaming case
“It only took a few weeks to construct it, so it wouldn't be hard to take it down and put it up again in an entirely different city”: For hire: one stadium. Good price. One lady owner
