Addictive Keys: Electric Grand by XLN Audio electric grand piano plugin interface

Addictive Keys: Electric Grand – Vintage CP-80 Electric Grand Piano Plugin

Rated 4.7/5 on Plugin Boutique (46 ratings)

Addictive Keys: Electric Grand is a virtual instrument from XLN Audio that recreates the Yamaha CP-80 electric grand piano, combining acoustic, direct line and amplified sources.

VST2AUAAXStandaloneWindowsmacOS64-bit

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01Overview

Addictive Keys: Electric Grand is built around a meticulously sampled Yamaha CP-80, an electro-acoustic piano produced from the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. It runs on the Addictive Keys engine, which plays back the instrument in detail and models the original tremolo and tone controls, with studio effects that extend beyond what the hardware could do. It is available as VST2, AU and AAX plugins and as a standalone application.

Best for

Indie rock keys
Pop piano parts
House chords
R&B ballad piano
Electric piano textures

Developer: XLN Audio
Category: Virtual Instruments
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Sampled Yamaha CP-80 electric grand piano
Three blendable characters: acoustic, direct line and amplified
Seven distinct recording perspectives to combine
Addictive Keys engine for detailed playback
Models original CP-80 tremolo and tone controls
Advanced studio effects extend beyond the hardware
Available as VST2, AU, AAX and standalone
Runs on Windows and macOS, 64-bit only

03In depth

Three Sonic Characters, Seven Recording Perspectives

The instrument combines three characters: acoustic hammers striking the strings, a direct line output, and an amplified output. XLN Audio captured these in seven different ways, giving sound designers a wide set of sources to work with.

The direct output was recorded cleanly and also through a vintage Roland Dimension-D chorus. The amplified sound comes from a Music Man 112 RD tube combo, captured with three close microphones and one stereo room microphone. The acoustic strings were recorded separately in stereo.

Because each perspective can be blended, you can shape everything from a clean, bright tone to a fuller, more harmonically complex piano texture.

Use Cases and Who It Suits

Developer XLN Audio positions Electric Grand for a broad range of styles, including indie rock, pop, house and R&B ballads. The developer also notes that the CP-80's distinctive sound appears on albums by U2, Peter Gabriel and ABBA, and on recent work by Keane and Mike Snow.

It suits producers who want a keys sound with more character than a standard acoustic piano, whether for chords, melodies or textures that sit alongside guitars and synths.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	XLN Audio
Type	Plugin
Category	Virtual Instruments
Formats	VST2, AU, AAX, Standalone
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What is Addictive Keys: Electric Grand based on?

It is based on a meticulously sampled Yamaha CP-80, an electro-acoustic instrument produced from the late 1970s through the mid 1980s. Its sound combines acoustic hammers, a direct line output and an amplified output.

What formats and operating systems does it support?

It is available in VST2, AU, AAX and standalone formats. It runs on Windows and macOS and is 64-bit only, so it will not function on 32-bit systems.

What do I need to use Addictive Keys: Electric Grand?

It needs 64-bit host software that supports VST, AU or AAX plugins. XLN Audio tests with Ableton Live 9 or later, Logic Pro 9 and 10, Pro Tools 11 or later (not Pro Tools First), Cakewalk by Bandlab, Reason 10.3 or later, Reaper 4 and 5, and Cubase 8 or later. It also needs 2 GB of RAM (4 GB recommended) and an internet connection during installation.