Another important element in the final sound of these pianos is the amplification system (amp + HP). Cab lets you choose between Small (A200 speakers), Large (Suitcase speakers) and Amp (an open back un-named amplifier, maybe a Twin?). Four settings are shared by each model: Bass, Middle, Treble and Amb, the latter simulating a small room. There’s nothing specific to mention, the emulations add nice resonance, offering both a boost in the low medium and a low cut, especially obvious with the A200. Amp cuts a lot of bass (the natural phase canceling effect of open back amplifiers) and high frequencies, while boosting the medium.

The last effect, Del, offers a mono delay, a stereo delay (ping-pong) and Tape, a tape-delay simulation. The parameters are Time, Feedback, Tone and Mix. A click on Time’s LED changes the parameter in Grid mode, which lets you lock the delay repeats to sub-divisions of the current tempo. In Tape mode, if you turn the knob (manually or via automation), it produces the characteristic pitch effect, while maintaining the original pitch: this was one of the emulated tape-machine’s abilities, as it offered two Outs, a Dry and a Wet. When you set Feedback to the max, it enters into auto-oscillation. If you add to this rapid movements of the Time parameter you can easily recreate sci-fi FX. Forbidden Planet, here we come!

As far as Tremolo goes, let’s not forget that the one on the Wurlitzer is mono, plus that it has a period almost equivalent to 5.5 Hz (with a triangle wave) and that its depth is adjustable, but not its rate. However, you can adjust the rate to the project tempo, it will be musical if not faithful to the original. As for the Rhodes, you’ll use the Pan Tremolo in Stereo mode, in perfect emulation of the Suitcase effect (with a square wave). Unlike Wurlitzer, Rate and Depth were adjustable on the original, so it also is in Velvet. A.I.R. has added a triangle wave for mono tremolo and square wave for stereo tremolo. One quibble: a squared mono tremolo would have been useful to reproduce the first Rhodes tremolo...

Note that Fender and Wurlitzer have persisted in naming vibrato (pitch variation) what was in fact a tremolo effect (amplitude variation). Just one regret: there’s no global volume setting for the FX section, when it could come in handy with extreme settings.