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Rhodes Music V-Pan Plugin Is FREE Until January 31st

By 46 Comments3 Mins Read
Rhodes Music releases V-Pan, and it's FREE for a limited time

Rhodes Music offers the V-Pan ($39.95 value) modulation plugin for FREE until January 31st, 2024.

V-Pan is a plugin that adds instant depth and dimension, and it’s modeled straight from the Rhodes MK8 Vari-Pan circuit.

The Rhodes MK8 is still relatively new, but the classic Rhodes vibrato stereo panning effect was introduced on the suitcase piano in the 1970s.

YouTube video

Over the years, many developers have tried to recreate the iconic sound of a Rhodes piano, and luckily for us, that endeavor has produced many awesome freebies like Electric Keys by Fracture Sounds.

But, if anyone is going to recreate a specific element of the latest hardware model in plugin form, who better than the manufacturer to do it?

The Rhodes Music team brings together a diverse group of experienced individuals with Loopmasters founder Matt Pelling at the helm. Rhodes Music even drafted the famed industrial designer Axel Hartmann to ensure the MK8 was a modern Rhodes without forgetting its history.

The V-Pan plugin matches the hardware Vari-Pan circuit with the flexibility of a continuously variable waveform. In addition, the plugin also offers Slew and Smooth controls for further waveshaping.

YouTube video

Wrapping up the adjustable controls are the deep Depth (depth of the pan LFO) and Rate (speed of the pan LFO) knobs right in the center of the interface.

When making adjustments, a handy display at the top right corner shows the value of the appropriate parameter.

The Rate knob ranges from super-slow up to audio rates for ring mod-like effects. Another handy visual feedback feature is the set of left/right panning LEDs right above the Rate knob. V-Pan supports BPM sync.

Of course, despite coming straight from the Rhodes MK8, V-Pan isn’t just a way to achieve an authentic Rhodes sound; it’s a versatile effect for many uses.

The panning effect is a perfect tool to add excitement to any instrument, whether it’s an electric piano, synth, guitar, or even vocals.

V-Pan usually costs £29.95, so it’s best to grab it while it’s free!

The Rhodes piano has a long history, from the mind of piano teacher Harold Rhodes to the Fender days to the MK8.

I was excited to try the Rhodes MK8 when it was released a couple of years ago, and I really liked the keyboard action, albeit different.

I’m stepping away from the plugin slightly, but curious to know what any of you think of the Rhodes MK8; any thoughts? Any favorite Rhodes models/years? Don’t care and want me to stop asking questions?

WARNING: Please note that the software has a large download size of around 500 MB. However, our readers have reported that the installation takes up approximately 4 GB of hard drive space. Additionally, the software requires the Gorilla Manager, seemingly for activation purposes. For further information, please refer to the comments section below.

Download: The Rhodes V-Pan (FREE for a limited time – regular price $29.95)

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James is a musician and writer from Scotland. An avid synth fan, sound designer, and coffee drinker. Sometimes found wandering around Europe with an MPC in hand.

46 Comments

    • Shane Sanders

       on

      After attempting to register the plugin using the native way and the Gorilla way (both unsuccessful), I just uninstalled Gorilla and suddenly the plugin worked.

      Reply

  2. Michal Ochedowski

     on

    Download size is 456 MB for Windows users. During installation apart from the actual plugin in VST2 and VST3 format, software named Gorilla Manager will also be installed. As a third software CodeMeter Runtime will also be installed.
    Just a fair warning to anyone with very limited space on the C drive. I had above 5 GB prior to installation. Somehow it shrank to 850 MB after the installation. Not sure exactly how this happened, but made me uninstall the software.
    I will check it though on a later date, when I free up some space on my computer.

    Reply

    • Numanoid

       on

      Thanks for the warning, I doubt I will be installing this then it is quite a “one trick pony” plugin anyhow

      Completing the checkout, and trying to download I only get “Gateway time-out” so no plugin for me yet anyhow

      Reply

    • Lucas

       on

      Damn. 4GB is nuts, especially if that’s Windows only. But then, most these hubs, managers, and central install interfaces are trash programs, and not just as far as space is concerned, with many of them using PC resources unnecessarily, bogging things down, be it instantiation time or actual performance. Plus, a lot of the garbage that’s installed with these central installers end up littered all over your PC too, and if you decide to uninstall them, even using something like RevoUninstaller, they still leave jetsom about. I can usually root out all the crap with UltraSearch, but I shouldn’t have to. The Plugin Alliance manager is about the only tolerable one, with a clean uninstall and, thankfully, isn’t actually *required, the latter being its best feature. XD

      Reply

    • Angelo

       on

      Thanks for the warning! I was being asked to pay for this plugin and can’t be bothered to figure it out now. It’s not like I don’t already have more modulation plugins than I need.

      Reply

    • Mike

       on

      To update my previous comment, according to Windows 10 Gorilla Manager was taking up 476 MB installed. The plugin VST files themselves (.dll and .vst3) are 163 MB in total. I uninstalled Gorilla Manager after activating and running the plugin successfully, and it still starts in activated mode, making it appear as though the manager program is useless after activation (unless there are periodic activation checks that will lock the plugin without it installed, but that has yet to be seen). I seem to still have up to 1 GB unaccounted for unfortunately. Wondering if it’s possible that this is simply taken up by plugin resource files installed in a different location from the VST install folders?

      Reply

    • Mike

       on

      As a likely final update to my string of comments for now, I found 212 MB of files (189 of which belong to a single Gorilla Manager installer file) in the C:\ProgramData\Rhodes directory. I’ve searched the other Program Files directories (as well as their respective Common Files directories) where any associated files are likely to be found, and there’s nothing else that I can see. Hope this helps someone out there.

      Reply

    • Java

       on

      Sadly I didn’t read this comment before. I uninstalled everything. That “codemeter runtime” even keeps running on the system! Closed and uninstalled everything related to it. The plugin may or may not be good, but won’t be trying anything from them anymore, really shady installing stuff without asking or telling me about it.

      Reply

  3. Rodolfo Borner

     on

    Activation with the correct licence code in Macos (Ventura) does not work; a window opens telling that no software to open URL „gorillaengine://license/activate?showErrors=true&license=D4YYF-4CKYZ-HF4VV-FH9U5-F2PMW was found, that a software has to be looked for in the App Store or on the computer.

    Reply
  9. Avatar photo

    James Nugent

     on

    Hey all, sorry there’s been a few issues with this one – I didn’t have any problems checking out for free earlier today, but I can see it’s charging now. It still says “Claim for FREE” on the homepage, so I guess there’s a mistake on the RM website, and hopefully the price returns to £0 soon for anyone who wants to download it.

    Reply

  12. george

     on

    yeah i wouldn’t install all that boat for such a simple plug in that most daws have anyway and you can automate very simply , you have the free pancake also , imagine developers your computer gets currupted and you have to reinstalll everything , how long does that take if it’s not easy and straightforward , im give it a miss

    Reply

  16. Ants

     on

    Rhodes really messed up, arrogant from years of being “famous”.
    They released a bloated and disappointing Rhodes instrument, with a terrible GUI and indeed large install.
    They didn’t do their research well. I installed the demo, then wiped it off my PC within about ten minutes trying it.

    This pan plugin is a miss for me. Not interested in adding bloatware. There are other free alternatives from MELDA Audio for example.

    Reply

  17. yambu

     on

    I had no problems with the purchase or installation. However, I think it’s cheeky that you have to provide your phone number and when installing you have no choice/options as to what you actually install, apparently Gorilla Manager and CodeMeter are simply installed as well, what’s the point? Even that at once about 5 GB! Being used up for a pan effect can only be rated negatively. I haven’t tested the plugin itself yet, but the programmers haven’t even offered presets in this plugin. I would hardly spend any money on it.

    Reply

    • JEP1928

       on

      Georestriction Kontakt instrument?
      nah, I don’t liked it.

      and besides the V-panner
      you can recreate any automatic panner like rotary or emulation of it, voila, you have wurli/rhode type effect instead of getting that with hooks and shackles behind yourself, I mean with 2 bloatware (Codemeter and Gorilla)

      Reply

  21. Jared

     on

    Got this before it expired. It is an awesome sound on guitar. You can use it like a tremolo and get a real sharp cut of sound or a softer blend of the pan effect. Sounds great clean with effects or distorted with effects

    Reply

  22. Jared

     on

    Got this before it expired. It is an awesome sound on guitar. You can use it like a tremolo and get a real sharp cut of sound or a softer blend of the pan effect. Sounds great clean with effects or distorted with effects like a pulsating

    Reply

  23. jared

     on

    I had it for a few days and it sounded awesome. like a nice deep tremelo pan. sounded great on my clean or distorted guitar for dreampop noisy dreamy stuff. then it showed a countdown of days it was a demo, strange cause I downloaded mine while it was still free

    Reply
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