Mellotron

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krizrox
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Mellotron

Post by krizrox »

Hey guys - I have a client who wants me to provide a Mellotron synth option for an upcoming session. Of course there are some VST products out there but I'm curious what you guys would recommend. I was looking at the GForce M-Tron Pro VST product which looks and sounds very nice. There are some additional sound package options (Streetly tapes) that seem to embellish the stock libraries. Not sure I need them but if anyone has any comments about all this I would appreciate it. $150 USD from Sweetwater

btw: Electro-Harmonix is due to release a mellotron pedal for guitar.
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Nestor
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Re: Mellotron

Post by Nestor »

I would go with the GForce M-Tron because its ease of use, and it sounds pretty cool and similar too.
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Mr Arkadin
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Re: Mellotron

Post by Mr Arkadin »

Definitely recommend the GForce M-Tron Pro, but I would additionally add the Streetly Tapes (all three volumes if you can sfford it) as these are of higher quality than the stock sounds and are direct from the original manufacturers of the Mellotron, the Streetly brothers from my home town of Birmingham.

P.S. Don't ever call the Mellotron a synth. ;)

P.P.S. I like to route it via Scope through space f's FAT module or dynatube to give it some extra oomph.
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Re: Mellotron

Post by dawman »

Exactly right about the Streetly Tapes.
If you have time listen to the Bowie Recordings and also Cross Eyed Mary intro by Tull.
I had the G Force but didn't use it much because it sounded way too clean.
But the Streetly Stuff nails the 70s and early 80s sound of the Instrument perfectly.

Until Streetly I used the 8 bit Emulator II Samples converted to Kontakt as they were gritty.
Low fidelity has it's benefits until well recorded low fidelity comes along.
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krizrox
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Re: Mellotron

Post by krizrox »

cool ! thanks for the feedback. M-Tron it is. I will check out the Streetly tape options as well.
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dante
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Re: Mellotron

Post by dante »

If your client has Reason, go for Re-Tron, or both Reason and Re-Tron can be trialed free for 30 days. I had an older VST G-Force MTron and didn't bother upgrading it when I got this one - cheaper and better GUI / control IMHO, and the sound quality is there as its still by G-Force.
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Mr Arkadin
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Re: Mellotron

Post by Mr Arkadin »

The old M-Tron was a bit buggy and the interface not very good. M-Tron Pro is a much more professional device (hence Pro I suppose). Not sure if you can use the expansions with Re-Tron? Dante will know.

If you have some MIDI files krizrox I could demo a few Streetly sounds for you (remember to keep them in the restricted Mellotron range).

P.S. I think I'll be buying that Electro-Harmonix pedal - good enough for live (where I like electronic sounds but have no keyboard) but not for studio, I would always use M-tron Pro (or a real Mellotron).
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krizrox
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Re: Mellotron

Post by krizrox »

Mr Arkadin wrote:The old M-Tron was a bit buggy and the interface not very good. M-Tron Pro is a much more professional device (hence Pro I suppose). Not sure if you can use the expansions with Re-Tron? Dante will know.

If you have some MIDI files krizrox I could demo a few Streetly sounds for you (remember to keep them in the restricted Mellotron range).

P.S. I think I'll be buying that Electro-Harmonix pedal - good enough for live (where I like electronic sounds but have no keyboard) but not for studio, I would always use M-tron Pro (or a real Mellotron).
Thanks! I think I'm good. My client is helping with financing the purchase because he needed something for his session. It was a more immediate solution so we're all good. And I get to keep the license when done. I'll prob just get the M-Tron Pro and one of the Streetly packages (I think Vol 1). I can't say when I'll ever need this again but if it comes up I'll have a nice solution on-hand. I've been running a studio for 16 years and no one's ever asked for something like this before. lol
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Mr Arkadin
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Re: Mellotron

Post by Mr Arkadin »

Yes that's what I'd go for. Watch out for sales of volumes 2 and 3 in the future, but vol. 1 is a good starter. Maybe you'll start using it in more productions once you hear the sounds (I guess it helps if you have to like Prog Rock) :D
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krizrox
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Re: Mellotron

Post by krizrox »

alrighty - I guess I need more help. Clearly this isn't something I do often although I've used Scope to drive their soft synths in the past. Didn't seem complicated. In fact I checked by connecting the MIDI out from the MIDI input module to a Scope synth and I can hear it play. It works fine that way.

Now I want to use my Kurzweil stage piano to drive or play the M-Tron. I have installed and activated the M-Tron software. It appears as a VSTi in Samplitude. I have a MIDI cable connected from the Kurzweil output to Xite MIDI input. What do I do now? (yeah I'm that dumb lol)

I see a MIDI source module. And I can see an input in Samplitude called Scope XITE-1 MIDI 1 (there is also a MIDI 2 input but I'm not sure what than means since I can only see a single MIDI module in Scope). M-Tron is loaded into a VSTi fx bin in one of Samp's project mixer. Somehow I need to get MIDI communication established to the M-Tron.

What exactly do I need to configure in order to "play" the M-Tron? I have loaded the XITE-1 MIDI source module in the routing window but it's not connected to anything at the moment. Not sure what I would connect it to. I want to control the VSTi in Samplitude.

Any help appreciated. I'm sure it's something simple I'm just not used to this aspect of Scope. Thanks!
hubird

Re: Mellotron

Post by hubird »

I Cubase you need to create a Midi track, chose the midi ports for in and out for it, assign the wanted shared Midi channel for the keys and the tron, the modules in Scope you had already, and that should do it :)
Last edited by hubird on Mon Mar 21, 2016 2:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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krizrox
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Re: Mellotron

Post by krizrox »

hubird wrote:I Cubase you need to create a Midi a track, chose the midi ports for in and out for it, assign the wanted shared Midi channel for the keys and the torn, the modules in Scope you had already, and that should do it :)

ooops sorry still not there lol.... will keep pecking away
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Mr Arkadin
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Re: Mellotron

Post by Mr Arkadin »

Connect the XITE MIDI Source module to the Seq Dest module and that should be it on the Scope side.
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krizrox
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Re: Mellotron

Post by krizrox »

Mr Arkadin wrote:Connect the XITE MIDI Source module to the Seq Dest module and that should be it on the Scope side.
ok got that connected. I can hit the keys on the GUI with my mouse and I can hear music from M-Tron but still nothing working through the Kurzweil


Success!!!! got it working! Thanks Mr Arkadin and the rest. Really appreciate the help. Pretty cool man! I'm just using the basic package at the moment. Will play with this for a while. :-)
hubird

Re: Mellotron

Post by hubird »

My advise was wrong anyway, had my (different) setup in mind :oops:
I play over Cubase, not over Scope.
Nice to see you got it right :)
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krizrox
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Re: Mellotron

Post by krizrox »

oh man this is more fun than a human being should have lolol

of course the first thing I look for is the flute for Strawberry Fields lolol

honestly I think these stock patches will be more than sufficient for our needs.
hubird

Re: Mellotron

Post by hubird »

Don't play the tapes too much, they tend to degenerate :D
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garyb
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Re: Mellotron

Post by garyb »

best modern version of the mellotron, period.

http://www.mellotron.com/digital-mellotron.html

it's the only one that not only sounds exactly the same as the original, but also PLAYS exactly like the original. i've got a client who is all about trons and has compared them side-by-side because he owns both.
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astroman
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Re: Mellotron

Post by astroman »

and this is the most portable one...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tt2YT_QLBo
same tapes as on M-Tron, correct emulation of notes, but a fraction of the costs
(I have all Streetly, Chamberlain and the new Violin and Soprano stuff)

cheers, Tom
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Nestor
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Re: Mellotron

Post by Nestor »

Amazing how this little thing can sound as close or even exactly the same as the original, very cool really.
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