(USED) Electro-Harmonix KEY9 Electric Piano Machine Effects Pedal
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Electro-Harmonix KEY9 Electric Piano Machine Effects Pedal – Used
Nine electric piano and keyboard emulation presets — including Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, vibes, mallets, and steel drums — with per-preset modulation controls, blendable dry and wet outputs, and the fast, accurate tracking that defined the EHX instrument emulation series.
About This Pedal
The Electro-Harmonix KEY9 Electric Piano Machine is the third chapter in EHX's instrument emulation series, following the B9 and C9 Organ Machines. Where those pedals focused on organ tones, the KEY9 turns its attention to the electric piano family — and it does it with the same approach: careful emulation of specific iconic instruments, per-preset parameter controls that let you adjust the most meaningful characteristics of each sound, and a dual-output design that lets you blend dry guitar signal with the wet emulation signal or run them completely independently. The nine presets span the most coveted electric piano sounds in music history, from the Dyno My-modified Rhodes tones that defined Steely Dan and fusion-era keyboards to Wurlitzer textures straight out of Motown and soul, vibraphone and mallet percussion for something completely different, and steel drums for a sound no other single pedal handles this well. This is a pedal for guitarists who want to expand what they can cover live, keyboardists looking for an unorthodox signal chain, and players who like unexpected textures in their music.
Key Highlights
- 9 electric piano and keyboard emulation presets — Rhodes, Wurlitzer, vibes, mallets, organ, steel drums, and more
- Per-preset CTRL 1 and CTRL 2 knobs adjust the most musically meaningful parameters for each sound — tremolo depth, trem speed, bass level, tine overtones, phaser depth, chorus, attack, and more
- Separate DRY and KEYS output jacks — run wet and dry to separate channels or blend them at the KEYS output via the Dry and Keys level knobs
- DRY output is always active regardless of bypass state — works as a signal splitter and buffer even when the effect is off
- Buffered bypass — the input signal is always buffered, protecting signal integrity in complex rigs
- Excellent tracking and fast response — best results from bridge pickup, placed first in the signal chain
- Works with guitar, bass, and keyboard input sources
- Pairs directly with EHX B9 and C9 Organ Machines to build a complete instrument emulation keyboard rig
- Input impedance: 1 MOhm — appropriate for passive guitar and bass pickups
- Output impedance: 500 Ohm on both output jacks
- Current draw: 100mA at 9.6VDC
- Do not place distortion or overdrive pedals before the KEY9 in the signal chain — works best as the first pedal
The Emulations
EHX tuned each of the nine KEY9 presets to a specific sound rather than building a generic "electric piano mode." The Dynamo preset models the bright, percussive character of a Dyno My-modified Rhodes with controllable bass and tine overtones. The Suitcase preset adds a phase-shifted character that captures the rotating-speaker-through-phase sound that made the Rhodes Suitcase a studio staple. The Wurli preset delivers the distinctive bark of a Wurlitzer 200A with adjustable tremolo. Each one is an instrument, not just a filter.
The Dual Output Design
The separate DRY and KEYS jacks give the KEY9 a routing flexibility that most instrument emulation pedals do not offer. Running the dry signal to one amplifier and the wet emulation to a keyboard amp or DI creates a genuinely layered sound — guitar and electric piano simultaneously from a single instrument, each routed independently. For studio use, this means two discrete tracks from one performance, which is a significant workflow advantage.
The Trio
The KEY9 was designed to pair with the B9 and C9 Organ Machines. Running all three pedals in a rig gives a single guitarist access to the essential sounds of Hammond organ, Vox and Farfisa organ, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, vibraphone, and steel drums — a complete keyboard rig built from three stompboxes. For a solo performer or a two-piece band that needs broader sonic coverage, that combination changes what is possible without adding a keyboardist to the lineup.
Great Fit For
- Guitarists in cover bands who need to reproduce classic electric piano keyboard parts without adding a keyboard player
- Solo performers looking to expand tonal range into Rhodes, Wurlitzer, and mallet sounds from a single instrument
- Players already using the B9 or C9 who want to complete the EHX instrument emulation trilogy
- Studio guitarists tracking keyboard-texture parts for demos or full productions
- Experimental and ambient players drawn to vibraphone, steel drums, and mallet sounds as textural tools
- Keyboardists wanting an unorthodox processing chain or split signal routing option for live performance
All 9 Presets
Specifications
The KEY9 is one of those pedals that tends to stay on the board once it lands there. There is a specific kind of guitarist who discovers that the Eighty Eight setting gets them through three songs in a set that would otherwise require a keyboard player — and that changes how they think about what they can do on stage. It is a genuinely fun pedal to explore, and the used price makes that exploration a lot easier to justify.
If you want to know what is included with this specific unit, or want to talk through how it would fit into your current rig, reach out before you purchase. We are happy to dig into it.
Call or text us at 814-371-5666 — Spotts Music Center, Dubois, PA. Helping you make music.