The story
This is a recording of an old vibraphone I’ve had in my house for a long time. There aren’t any actual vibraphonists around, but it’s nice to keep it set up so people can play a few notes when they walk by. It’s a smaller instrument made in the late 1950’s (or so I’ve been told), and it has a creaky, not-quite-professional quality sound. It has a lot of character i think.
The recording was captured with a pair of Josephson small diaphragm condensers in a stereo configuration. The instrument includes knobs for the depth and speed of the vibrato (in real life the motor on this thing hasn’t worked for years..), a control for the sustain level, a filter control, and a knob to adjust the instrument’s distance from the listener. This is achieved by adjusting the stereo image and the very subtle use of convolution reverb.
Reviews for Jen-Co Vibes
- Sound
- Character
- Playability
- Inspiration
- GUI
Leave a review to let others know what you thought of the instrument!
As a sometimes vibist...great recordings here!
This vibraphone isn't perfect...and that's perfect! I had the good fortune (curse) of being around a Jen-Co vibraphone for several years. This not only captures the unique sound of that particular range of instruments, it's a very realistic recording of a vibraphone, period. It will definitely serve the purpose if you're searching for a sampled instrument to play in a smoky nightclub. Not necessarily for big orchestral productions, but that's A-OK. There are plenty of those out there! This one has true character (and is going to work wonderfully for lo-fi hip hop for me!) Thanks for sharing this little gem!
Not my fav on the site but still an awesome instrument
There are many awesome bell type instruments on pianobook. So much great stuff to choose from. While this instrument isn't my favorite of the bunch it still has a really beautiful and clean sound. The GUI is super nice and clean and we are given some nice controls. Its a solid instrument and i have no complaints about it but i would probably reach for Dan Keens soft glock on Jon Meyers bell instrument before this.
Jazzy vibes for jazzy minds
Sometimes I wish I was better with Jazz music so I can enjoy sounds like these. This is a fantastic instrument that you will give you a first great impression, and that also features a super nice GUI with fitting vintage aesthetics. Love it! It's not the instrument that will turn heads because of the very familiar sound signature, but it does good on what is supposed to do. As a last note, after playing with it a little fake jazz on it, I noticed that it could greatly benefit from some noise reduction.
An unforgettably spooky instrument
Nothing moves me quite like the sound of a vibraphone. But this one doesn’t only have one sound, it can go almost anywhere from a soft wash to an almost steel drum-like metallic attack. Any instrument that comes with a ‘Darkness’ dial gets my vote and one that adds ‘Distance’ gets an electoral college vote as well. The convolution reverb is gentle but effective. I particularly love the speed and depth of the vibrato. I wanted to create something that evoked the mood and atmosphere of a busker playing in the echoey tunnels of an underground train station and Jen-Co Vibes gave me just what I was after. Thank you, Richard.
Great sounding vibes!
Excellent sounding vibes with lots of character. The recording is really wide sounding, which limits its usefulness as it takes up a lot of space in a mix, but there are ways to narrow it down a bit. The controls provide believable vibrato, and the pedal is implemented the way you'd expect on a vibraphone. A very solid instrument which i'm sure will be used by many!
