Restoration; The Mark I "Feel - Native Instruments Scarbee Mark 1 User Manual

the original sound. In this new edition from Native Instruments, we have added the Horizontal
Release Technology to the MARK I, whereby release samples are chosen from the wave pool
depending on how long a key has been held, which allows a staccato played note to create a
different release tone to a note sustained for a longer period.

1.1 Restoration

In order to guarantee that the keyboard was as close to, or even better than its condition in
1976, an exhaustive process of refurbishment was undertaken prior to the recording process.
All rubber hammer tips were replaced using glue, a Dremel and a scalpel. Damper felts were
replaced and different sizes were used as directed by the manual. Hammers, keys and harp
were modified for optimal response/action and we also shimmed the bass and treble side to
improve it further. The rubber grommets on the tone bars were replaced to improve sustain.
Bad sounding tines were replaced and the new tines were carefully selected for ideal timbre
and sustain. Tone-bars, dampers, tines and pickups were also carefully adjusted to provide a
perfectly balanced sound. The tweaking and tuning took almost nine months! Thomas Hansen
Skarbye's wife Anne ran the restauration, and fortunately she just loves doing stuff like this!
During the whole programming phase we even used a proprietary system of sampling in or-
der to ensure that the sound, action and feel of the original were mirrored and maintained.
We went through this kind of trouble because a key element in recreating the experience of
playing the real electric piano is accurately capturing the response dynamics. As a result of
this effort, the action and feel of the Scarbee MARK I exactly duplicates that of a well "hot
rodded" instrument.

1.2 The Mark I "Feel"

Why is the feel so important? If you are a composer or a piano player, you will be able to
answer this question for yourself. The original classic electric piano we sampled is one of a
select few instruments which can honestly claim to be a writers primary compositional work-
horse. They're not just a medium for committing already firm ideas to a recording medium,
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