The art
of sound design
Our emulations are marvels of music technology, but even the best-sounding synth and keyboard models would be dull without the incredible work and imagination of their sound designers.
Veterans of the industry and young upstarts alike, for more than a decade we’ve worked with some of the most talented musicians, producers, and sound designers around to create sounds that both honor the past, and help you create the future.
On this page, we pay tribute to the amazing men and women who helped create the signature sounds of our instruments, and give you an insight into their creative process.
Magic Pendant
Joshua Fielstra
My favorite preset is Magic Pendant. While I enjoyed playing and creating more upbeat presets, there is a mellow -- almost mystical -- quality to this preset that makes it a joy to play. Wide open chords played at a leisurely pace sound great.
Joshua Fielstra - on Wurli V
One of the best things about the Wurli V3 is the tremendous range of sounds you can get with it. Unlike static samples, you can dial in the sound of any genre or time period. For a few presets, I even created instruments that sounded more like a hybrid guitar than a piano!
As I often do, I surveyed the large number of parameters available in the instrument rather than start with a particular sound in mind. I then went about creating presets based on what was possible, rather than what was expected. There are many types of sounds I wouldn't have imagined if I hadn't been carefree with the parameter values.
Moneee
Jerry Kovarsky
This is hard; I like so many of them (mine and my creative partner’s on the project)! I’ll choose Monee, which was inspired by the Pink Floyd tune. It’s a bit thicker than traditional emulations, which I like for how it can “carry its weight” in a rocking tune. Between the EQ pedal and the EQ in the amp there’s plenty of places to tweak the sound as you like, and both the Distortion pedal and the Twin Amp contribute to the “just on the edge” breakup in the sound. Turn off the chorus for a more straight sound, crank up a little more distortion and have fun!
Jerry Kovarsky - on Wurli V
I am a big fan of the modeling approach taken with this instrument. Being able to individually control each aspect of the mechanism and the resulting sound gives me the chance to really dial in a characteristic I am looking for, as opposed to sampling, where everything is “baked-in”. Having four models (both the 200 and 200a have a “Bass” variation that I really liked) gave me good starting points, and I appreciated having both direct and miked sounds as well. Being able to vary the hammer hardness is not something usually associated with working on a Wurli and it opened up a wide range of possibilities.
I first started by gathering and listening to all the classic tracks that featured the instrument. I then worked on emulating a variety of them. But I also just took each model and tried to make what I considered to be the definitive version of each, according to my taste and preferences, of course. Finally, I treated the instrument as a synth and just came up with a few sounds that were fun, and would have been impossible in real life.
True Grit 200
Jonathan Leonard
I spent ample time getting the base models ready by rigorously working against references in preparation for sound design. Then working with the team of sound designers for the Wurli, we collaborated to provide content to cover basics, repertoire, genres and our signature approaches. This one turned out really fun and we also appreciate Arturia adding new FX to the pedal rig to make the Wurli V3 crunchier and bigger than ever.
Jonathan Leonard - on Wurli V
For me the strengths of the Wurli V3 are expression, tuning and texture. These three elements make me lean into the Wurli and want to play it. I like pushing the age and compensating with tuning to make these facets and dimples happen in the notes.
There are so many rippin presets in this one it's crazy. I was laughing making the demos of Jerry Josh and Dennis's presets, some of them are so good. This Wurli makes me want to shred for some reason. From my own I would say True Grit 200 for pure crunch from light play to hard stabs. But Jerry's Dirty Wurli is really fun in the bass. Check it out!
The Clanker
Dennis Hamm
“Clanker” is my favorite of the bunch because of how vulnerable it sounds. I love sounds that I enjoy hearing on their own, solo as well as in an ensemble.
Dennis Hamm - on Wurli V
I love opening up the advanced section to really crank up the lifelike human-ness features. Organic sounds really do it for me and it was easy shaping these presets to feel alive.
Turn knobs until it sounds good. Like my playing style where I enjoy a harmonic playground, sonically I like fooling around until something moves me. Wurli V3 provided a lovely sonic playground to explore.