EP-1 is an electric piano plugin by KORG that recreates seven classic tine and reed electric pianos from the '70s and '80s using the MDS sound engine. It runs as VST3, VST2, AU and AAX on Windows and macOS.
EP-1 brings the electric piano sound engine first heard in KORG's KRONOS workstation to software. KORG developed it using Multi-Dimensional Synthesis (MDS), a system that separates pitch and noise components such as hammer and key-release sounds and resynthesizes them under separate control. The plugin covers a range of tine and reed models, and its effects section includes vintage pedal effects, tape echo and shimmer reverb.
KORG says MDS reproduces the tonal changes of an electric piano across a wide range of keystroke strengths. Movement from soft to hard playing is intended to be smooth, without the audible seams typical of velocity layers.
KORG also says decay and release follow the behavior of the real instrument rather than a standard envelope generator. Noise elements such as mechanical key-off sounds respond to release velocity in real time.
EP-1 includes seven classic electric piano models, presented as tine and reed types. KORG says the set spans classic electric piano tones, plucked sounds routed through a guitar amp, and hammer sounds that emphasize the attack of the tines.
The plugin offers three insert effects and a dedicated reverb slot, with 31 effect types to choose from. Every sound responds to the modulation wheel, the Mod Matrix can use aftertouch or velocity, and the MIDI learn function maps parameters to controller knobs.
Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.
| Developer | KORG |
|---|---|
| Type | Plugin |
| Category | Synth |
| Formats | VST3, VST2, AU, AAX |
| Operating systems | Windows, macOS |
| Architecture | 64-bit |
| Free trial | Yes |
EP-1 is available as VST3, VST2, AU and AAX plugins.
EP-1 runs on Windows 11 64-bit and macOS 11 Big Sur or later. Apple Silicon is supported natively on Mac.
You need a compatible host that supports the listed plugin formats, at least 8 GB of RAM (16 GB recommended), an Intel Core i5 or better, and an internet connection. Only 64-bit plugins are supported.
Yes, EP-1 offers a trial version.
