Addictive Keys: Mark One electric piano plugin interface by XLN Audio

Addictive Keys: Mark One – Classic Mk. 1 Stage Piano Plugin

Rated 4.7/5 on Plugin Boutique (93 ratings)

Addictive Keys: Mark One is a sampled electric piano instrument plugin from XLN Audio, based on a classic Mk. 1 Stage Piano and captured through a vintage tube combo amp and vintage microphones.

VST2AUAAXStandaloneWindowsmacOS64-bit

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01Overview

Mark One is built around a Mk. 1 electric piano, a model the developer describes as a long-running favorite heard on many records. The instrument is played through a tube combo amp and recorded with vintage microphones, with the line output also captured directly. The result is a piano sound that moves from smooth and intimate to crunchy and dense, depending on how the recording perspectives are blended. It is distributed as part of the Addictive Keys instrument family.

Best for

Electric piano parts
Warm keys for pop
Crunchy piano for rock
Intimate ballad keys
Mixing vintage piano tones

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

02Key features

What you get

Based on a classic Mk. 1 Stage Piano
Seven different recording perspectives
Close, ambient and direct line signal options
Tube combo amp captured with vintage microphones
ExploreMaps for one-click preset previewing
Macro controllers in many ExploreMaps
Available in VST2, AU, AAX and Standalone formats
64-bit only on Windows and macOS

03In depth

Sound Character and Recording Perspectives

XLN Audio says the instrument was selected for its warmth and intimacy. The piano is captured through a Music Man 112 RD combo amp, with close and distant microphone positions that pick up both the amp's crunch and the natural room ambience.

Seven recording perspectives are available. Close microphones include a Telefunken U47 tube condenser, a Coles 4038 ribbon and a Shure SM57 dynamic. Ambient capture uses a Neumann SM69 stereo microphone. Direct line signals are included too, one clean and one run through a Roland Dimension D stereo chorus.

Because each perspective is separate, you can mix and match them to shape the sound from clean and close to wide and textured.

Workflow and Exploring Presets

The Gallery view shows details of the installed Addictive Keys instruments and the ExploreMaps available for the selected one. ExploreMaps are preset collections that you can preview and load with one click, which makes it quicker to audition sounds.

Many ExploreMaps include macro controllers for faster editing, so you can adjust multiple parameters from a single control.

The plugin is available in VST2, AU, AAX and Standalone formats and runs on Windows and macOS, with 64-bit hosts only.

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 formats does Addictive Keys: Mark One support?

Mark One is available in VST2, AU, AAX and Standalone formats. It is 64-bit only.

Which operating systems can run Mark One?

Mark One runs on Windows and macOS. The developer lists Windows 7 to 11 and macOS 10.13 or later, including M1 native support.

What do I need to use Mark One?

You need a host that supports 64-bit VST, AU or AAX plugins. XLN Audio lists Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Pro Tools 11 or later, Cakewalk, Reason 10.3 or later, Reaper, and Cubase 8 or later as tested hosts. An internet connection is needed during installation, and the system should have at least 2 GB of RAM, with 4 GB recommended.