Introduction (Pianet) - Native Instruments Scarbee Clavinet & Piano User Manual

2 Introduction (Pianet)

One day I received a mail from Dave Stewart, who had reviewed Scarbee MARK 1 and the
A-200 (they had other names in earlier versions) for Sound On Sound magazine and awarded
them both with five stars. In the mail Dave asked me if I could do him a favor and bring his
beloved electric piano back to life and sample it for him. How could I say no? Back in the
70s, Dave's keyboard rig consisted of an organ and this rare electric piano, both of which were
often played through effect pedals. This specific instrument was featured on all of Dave's early
bands' albums (including Hatfield & The North's legendary "The Rotters' Club"), and was an
intrinsic part of his keyboard sound for many years. Dave's original instrument, manufactured
in 1968-69, has been restored to full working order and was sampled extensively for this
keyboard collection. Dave says: "It's great to play this delightful old instrument again—thanks
to Thomas' meticulous restoration and painstaking sampling, it sounds as clean, rich and
vibrant as the day I bought it!" Dave Stewart is a UK keyboardist/composer who first came
to the public's attention in the early '70s as a member of the experimental rock groups Egg,
Hatfield & The North and National Health. The Scarbee Pianet has a sound that sonically
lies somewhere between the reedy bite of the Scarbee A-200 and the purer bell tone of the
Scarbee MARK I. The result is a vibraphone type tone with a very percussive envelope and
almost no dynamic response due to its sticky hammers. Although more portable than either
of these pianos, the instrument's lack of a sustain pedal and limited dynamic response often
Scarbee Clavinet and Pianet – User Manual – 9