Tonic EP
Physically modelled electric piano — tine, reed & E.Grand, AUv3 + standalone — iPhone, iPad & Mac
Tonic EP is a physically modelled electric piano: every note is calculated the moment you play it, from the hammer, the tine, reed or string and the pickup — not from recordings. It runs as an app and as an Audio Unit (AUv3) instrument in GarageBand, Logic, AUM, Cubasis and any host on iPhone, iPad and Mac.Read moreShow less
There are no recorded velocity layers: hit harder and the tone changes — the attack opens and the pickup starts to growl, from pianissimo to fortissimo, with no step between one layer and the next. Three instruments in one app: the tine, with a glassy bell on the attack and a long sustain; the reed, sweet when played softly and barking when hit hard; and the E.Grand, the stringed electric piano of the 70s and 80s. Switching instruments never cuts the note that is ringing.
From the desk to the suitcase, with stereo tremolo, plus a 16-effect rack voiced for keys, 131 factory sounds, six scenes per sound and MIDI Learn for the stage.
Screens
See it in action
Played by Robson Costa
Features
Physical modelling, not samples
Every note is calculated on the spot, from the hammer to the tine, the reed or the string, and the pickup. Hitting harder changes the tone — the attack opens and the pickup starts to growl — continuously, with no step between layers. All 88 keys come regulated one by one, the way a technician would do it on the instrument, and there is no library to download: the app is light and switches sounds instantly.Read moreShow less
Tine, reed and E.Grand — three instruments
The tine is a steel tuning fork read by a magnet: a glassy bell on the attack, a round body, a growl when you dig in and a long sustain. The reed is a steel reed read by static electricity: sweet when you play softly, nasal in the middle and barking when you hit hard, with the sound of the small speakers in the lid — it plays the original instrument’s 64 keys or the whole keyboard. And the E.Grand is the stringed electric piano of the 70s and 80s, across all 88 keys. Switching instruments never cuts the note that is ringing.Read moreShow less
E.Grand — the stringed electric pianoNew
The third instrument: the stringed electric piano of the 70s and 80s, across 88 keys and with half-pedaling. It brings the original circuit’s preamp (Bass, Middle and Treble) and its Brilliance switch, Unison — from the real instrument’s two strings to a wide chorus — and Width. And it has a factory bank of its own.Read moreShow less
Stereo from birth
Every note sits in its place on the keyboard, low on the left and high on the right, in all three instruments. Summed to mono it is the same piano — and the Mono button on the rack’s Stereo takes care of a single-channel PA.Read moreShow less
Voice it like a technician
Every knob is a part of the instrument and changes the sound the way the real one would. Tine pickup: Position, Distance, Bell, Pre and Tone. Hammer and tine: Hardness, Decay, Damper and Fork. Reed: Bark (from sweet to barking), Comb, Clang and Cabinet (the size of the speaker, from line out to a boxy speaker that barks). E.Grand: Bass, Middle and Treble on the preamp, the Brilliance switch, Unison and Width.Read moreShow less
From the desk to the suitcase
Rig DI, straight and clean, or Suitcase: the suitcase amp, which switches on the stereo tremolo — the sound swaying from side to side. The mod wheel rides the tremolo depth.
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An electric piano rack
16 effects voiced for keys: compressor, wah (pedal or auto), drive, an amp with 6 models and cabinet, a 4-mode phaser, an 8-mode chorus, vibe, flanger, tremolo, auto-pan, a rotary with 4 cabinets, lo-fi, a tempo-synced ping-pong delay, a reverb with 9 spaces, 5-band EQ and the limiter with Stereo. Switch them on and off and change the order of the chain; 121 effect presets and 17 ready-made chains change the effects without touching the piano.Read moreShow less
Built for the stage
Six scenes per sound (A–F) swap the whole sound mid-song, and Compare lets you hear the saved sound against your edit. MIDI Learn on any control, with a map per keyboard: one knob on your controller drives up to 12 controls at once, each with its own range. NRPN, MPE and a MIDI filter. Nine velocity curves, and each sound can have its own; sustain pedal, pitch bend with separate up and down ranges, volume and expression, Program Change and PANIC. Up to 64 notes at once. Pair a Bluetooth MIDI keyboard; on the Mac, the computer keyboard plays too.Read moreShow less
131 factory sounds
In 9 banks: RSJB Signature, the house bank, which gained 15 new sounds inspired by landmark recordings; Classic, Bell, Bark, Suitcase, Soft, Amp & Trem and Stage & FX, by character; and the E.Grand, with a bank of its own. Favourites, search, tags, import and export — and your sounds stay yours when the app updates.Read moreShow less
Tonica — sounds from the community
Publish your sounds and download other musicians', hearing each one in the engine itself before you keep it. No sign-up: you pick your nickname once and it follows you on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Optional — the piano works fully offline without it.Read moreShow less
App and AUv3 plug-in
Play it as an AUv3 instrument in GarageBand, Logic, AUM, Cubasis and any host — sounds, scenes and MIDI maps are the same in the app and in the plug-in. Turn on the guided tour and touch any knob to hear what that part does.Read moreShow less
Guides
FAQ
Does Tonic EP use samples?
No. Every note is calculated on the spot, from the hammer, the tine, reed or string and the pickup — there are no recordings and no velocity layers. That is why the tone changes continuously from pianissimo to fortissimo, and why there is no library to download: the app is light and switches sounds instantly.
What are the three instruments in Tonic EP?
They are three electric pianos. The tine is a steel tuning fork read by a magnet: a glassy bell on the attack, a round body and a long sustain. The reed is a steel reed read by static electricity: sweet when you play softly, nasal in the middle and barking when you hit hard. The E.Grand is the stringed electric piano of the 70s and 80s, across 88 keys, with the original circuit’s preamp and Brilliance switch, and half-pedaling. You switch instruments without cutting the note that is ringing.
Does it work as a plug-in?
Yes. It runs as an AUv3 instrument in GarageBand, Logic, AUM, Cubasis and other hosts, and also as a standalone app. Open Tonic EP once after installing, then have your host rescan its plug-ins — that is what registers the Audio Unit. Sounds, scenes and MIDI maps are the same in the app and in the plug-in.
Which effects does it include?
16, voiced for keys: compressor, wah (pedal or auto), drive, an amp with 6 models and cabinet, a 4-mode phaser, an 8-mode chorus, vibe, flanger, tremolo, auto-pan, a rotary with 4 cabinets, lo-fi, a tempo-synced ping-pong delay, a reverb with 9 spaces, 5-band EQ and the limiter with Stereo. You can switch them on and off and reorder the chain, and there are 121 effect presets and 17 ready-made chains.
How does the community work? Do I need an account?
There is no sign-up. You pick a nickname once and it follows you on iPhone, iPad and Mac. You can publish your sounds and download other musicians', hearing each one in the engine itself before you keep it. It is optional: the piano works 100% offline without it. Only what you publish — the sound, the nickname and an anonymous code — goes to the server, and you can delete what you published whenever you like.
What is the difference between Tonic and Tonic EP?
Tonic is a synthesizer with eight sound engines (physical modelling, analog, wavetable, SoundFont and FM), an arpeggiator and an effects rack. Tonic EP is a dedicated instrument: a physically modelled electric piano with all three instruments (tine, reed and E.Grand), a suitcase amp and a rack voiced for keys. They are independent apps.
Is there a subscription or data collection?
No account, no subscription and no tracking; the sound is calculated 100% on your device, and the app is a one-time purchase. The only thing that leaves your device is what you choose to publish to the community, which is optional.
Which devices does it run on?
iPhone, iPad and Mac — on the App Store.
Where to get it
What it's for
Tonic EP is a physically modelled electric piano for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Instead of playing back recordings, it calculates every note the moment you play it — the hammer, the tine, reed or string and the pickup become equations — which is why there are no velocity layers: the harder you play, the more the tone changes, continuously. It holds three instruments in one app: the tine (a steel tuning fork read by a magnet, with a glassy bell on the attack), the reed (a steel reed read by static electricity, sweet when soft and barking when hard) and the E.Grand (the stringed electric piano of the 70s and 80s, across 88 keys, with the original circuit’s preamp and Brilliance switch). From the desk to a suitcase amp with stereo tremolo, it has a 16-effect rack voiced for keys, 131 factory sounds in 9 banks, six scenes per sound, MIDI Learn and an optional community to publish and download sounds. It runs as an app and as an Audio Unit (AUv3) instrument in GarageBand, Logic, AUM, Cubasis and any host. No account, no subscription and no tracking: the sound is calculated 100% on your device.