The Yamaha AN1x Synthesizer mailing list

Try a Mellotron string patch. You can buy a new one at mellotron.com 
for a mere $5000.00 or try the M-Tron software from Gemedia. I use 
the mellotron patches in the old EMU Vintage Keys.The mellotron was 
an early primative sampler that used 7 second tape recordings of 
instruments-think Strawberry Fields for the flute, or Pink Floyd for 
themale choir, and The Moody Blues for string patches.

Better yet, dial up a cheesy analog string patch from the AN1X and 
layer it with a mellotron patch.

Rainbow Jimmy

--- In AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com, "spaceanimals" <alciere@m...> wrote:
> Try a Mellotron string patch. You can buy a new one at 
mellotron.com 
> for a mere $5000.00 or try the M-Tron software from Gemedia. I use 
> the mellotron patches in the old EMU Vintage Keys.The mellotron was 
> an early primative sampler that used 7 second tape recordings of 
> instruments-think Strawberry Fields for the flute, or Pink Floyd 
for 
> themale choir, and The Moody Blues for string patches.

For Roland synths, the vintage expansion board has some attractive 
mellotron choirs, strings and flutes. A lot of the character comes 
from tape compression, wow and flutter and hiss. You could simulate 
these in a synth with compression, lfo modulation of pitch and white 
noise. Additionally the mellotrons filtered off the high end pretty 
radically to give that mellow warm tone that people love. So you 
would use a low pass filter. Those are the steps I take to make a 
modern, pristine sample get that aged character.

Jerry

>Try a Mellotron string patch. You can buy a new one at mellotron.com
>for a mere $5000.00 or try the M-Tron software from Gemedia. I use
>the mellotron patches in the old EMU Vintage Keys.The mellotron was
>an early primative sampler that used 7 second tape recordings of
>instruments-think Strawberry Fields for the flute, or Pink Floyd for
>themale choir, and The Moody Blues for string patches.
>
>Better yet, dial up a cheesy analog string patch from the AN1X and
>layer it with a mellotron patch.
>
>Rainbow Jimmy

*siiiiiiigh* Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy... it's obvious you aren't a REAL 
electronic musician, if you think that anything can substitute for a 
real genuine $5000 Mellotron. Tsk.

:) :) :) :)

Mellotron fanatics are in their own little world. They know each 
other by the serial numbers of the instruments they own, and are 
constantly comparing tips on keeping heads clean, smoothing out key 
action, swapping tape racks, etc etc etc.

Me, I really love the Mellotron's classic sounds, like the choir, 
string section, and flute, but you know what? I must be a jive-ass 
tin-eared turkeybuzzard, because I've heard a couple of nicely 
sampled libraries being played back on properly-programmed samplers 
(to give the effect of tape speed wobble etc) that are close enough 
to fire my hindbrain neurons accurately.

I have the entire GMedia setup, with M-Tron and the two volumes of 
sounds, and haven't had a chance to play with them yet, but there are 
a number of awesome Mellotron libraries on CD-ROM that will do the 
job. Michael Pinder of the Moody Blues, one of the original 
developers of the Tron, did one of them; another was done by Sonic 
Implants and is supposedly really nice.

I know quite a few guys who insist on the real thing, and at least 
one band that insists on touring with their Tron. They scare me. A 
lot. I worked with Trons back before digital sampling was invented, 
and you know what? When the Emulator came out, we were psyched, and 
when the Mirage came out we were REALLY psyched. Perspective is 
everything.

Oh, and Jimmy? It was EIGHT seconds, not seven. ;)

mike

-- 
"You sank my Jenga ship!" "Jenga ship? We're playing CONNECT FOUR!"
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Mike Metlay * ATOMIC CITY * PO Box 17083 * Boulder CO 80308-0083 USA
metlay@... *  1-800-924-ATOM  * http://www.atomiccity.com