Authoring keys

Keys means electric pianos, organs and bell-like keyboards. They are played in chords, they respond to how hard you strike them, and they carry a recognisable shape: a clear attack followed by a ring that decays or holds. Two routes cover most keyboard sounds, one for electric pianos and bells, one for organs.

Voice

Set Voice to Poly. Keys are chordal instruments, and several notes need to sound together.

Oscillator

FM is the heart of electric-piano and bell tones. Turn FM Mode on, choose an FM Algorithm, and set the Op 4 Ratio to a fractional value so the modulator sits between harmonics. Those inharmonic partials are what give a Rhodes its tine and a bell its metallic ring. Route velocity to FM Depth so a harder strike is brighter and more present, exactly the way an electric piano responds to touch.

For an organ, a Wavetable with stacked octaves works better than FM. Raise OSC3 to add an upper octave, then route Mod Envelope 2 to OSC3 Level so that octave breathes in slightly after the strike rather than appearing at once. This is the behaviour of a drawbar organ, where the upper drawbars settle in a moment behind the fundamental.

Filter

Use a gentle low-pass filter and turn Keytrack on for the cutoff, so high notes stay bright and low notes stay full. This matches how a real keyboard instrument is voiced across its range, where the top is brighter than the bottom rather than every note sharing one tone.

Amp envelope

Use a medium Attack rather than the instant attack of a pluck. Keys bloom in slightly, they do not click on. Follow it with a long Decay and a low to medium Sustain for an electric piano, which fades while a key is held. For an organ, turn Sustain up so the note holds flat at full volume until you let go, the way a drawbar organ holds a note without decaying.

Movement

Velocity to FM Depth, or to brightness, is the main expressive link for keys and the one to set first. For an organ, route an LFO to pitch or to level for a slow wobble, the moving, rotating-speaker character that organs are known for.

Effects

Add a Chorus in Ensemble mode for the classic electric-piano shimmer that thickens and widens the sound. Add light Reverb for a sense of room. For a vintage tremolo, use the Volume Shaper locked to tempo, or route an LFO to the Amp Level, so the volume pulses in time.