Mellotronists

Hello all,

Despite the fact that I don't actually own a machine myself, I think this 
list is a great idea and am happy to be able to attend. I play keyboards in 
a folk rock/prog/americana band where I use, among other things, GMedia's 
M-Tron as well as a number of hi-q multisampled 'Tron soundfonts I've 
procured via the Web (I'm compiling these things, if anyone is interested), 
and I've got to say - while keeping in mind that there's a limit to the 
degree of faithfulness with which you can reproduce an analog tape signal 
digitally - the M-Tron gets pretty close to the original. Now, this is 
really what I am wondering about: You see, I would like to know if any of 
you guys out there have any good tips on how to EQ and reverb (distort, 
etc.) the various tape sounds (physical tapes or M-Tron clones) in order to 
attain the various 'classic' moods (i.e. earliest King Crimson, Celeste, The 
Moody Blues). I've realized that I'm just not sufficiently experienced to 
recreate these sounds myself without external assistance. For instance, I've 
been struggling at getting my M-Tron 'Violins' (i.e. '3 violins') to sound 
as warm and pleasant as those Celeste laid down on _Principe di un Giorno_. 
Could it be that many of these bands recorded their 'Tron parts using 
microphones instead of the line out?

I hope someone is able to help me with this thing!

Thanks in advance!

Dagfinn

_________________________________________________________________
MSN Hotmail http://www.hotmail.com Med markedets beste SPAM-filter. Gratis!

--- In Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com, "Dagfinn Hobaek" 
<captain_yossarian@h...> wrote:
"...good tips on how to EQ and reverb (distort, etc.) the various 
tape sounds in order to attain the various 'classic' moods..."

We should have a "Frequently Asked Questions" place in our Yahoo 
group files area.

Fritz had some great "processing/mixing" tips typed up for TrontoII.
Hey Fritz... Could you send that up to our group files?

Frank's Mellotron book has some good tips in it.

EQ?  Most of the 'tron signal is in the 2 Khz band.  On a 10 band EQ, 
if you cut 2 Khz out completely, not much is left!  Experiment with 
trimming at 2 Khz.  Try trimming off above 2 Khz and a plate reverb 
for the Pinder / Clarke 3V sound.

A delay of .030 to .070 of a second, 50% wet with a tiny bit of dark 
reverb for a Banks SEBTP / Lamb choir sound.

Another nice effect.... Delay one stereo channel .030 to .070 of a 
second and boost the gain on the delayed channel about 20% higher 
than the non-delayed channel.  Add a pinch of cathedral reverb. (or 
maybe 2 pinches!) Great for choir.  I would like to try this with a 
stereo PA system.

Clay

Thanks for the tip! A general Mellotron FAQ is a great idea. There must be 
multitudes of ways to record and mix a 'Tron, and I would think that the 
exchange of tips and ideas on this theme would be a welcome activity for all 
who are hooked on the sound of this beautiful instrument.

Dagfinn


>From: "ceccles_ca" <clay123@...>
>To: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [Mellotronists] Re: Mixing the Mellotron
>Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2004 18:24:46 -0000
>
>--- In Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com, "Dagfinn Hobaek"
><captain_yossarian@h...> wrote:
>"...good tips on how to EQ and reverb (distort, etc.) the various
>tape sounds in order to attain the various 'classic' moods..."
>
>We should have a "Frequently Asked Questions" place in our Yahoo
>group files area.
>
>Fritz had some great "processing/mixing" tips typed up for TrontoII.
>Hey Fritz... Could you send that up to our group files?
>
>Frank's Mellotron book has some good tips in it.
>
>EQ?  Most of the 'tron signal is in the 2 Khz band.  On a 10 band EQ,
>if you cut 2 Khz out completely, not much is left!  Experiment with
>trimming at 2 Khz.  Try trimming off above 2 Khz and a plate reverb
>for the Pinder / Clarke 3V sound.
>
>A delay of .030 to .070 of a second, 50% wet with a tiny bit of dark
>reverb for a Banks SEBTP / Lamb choir sound.
>
>Another nice effect.... Delay one stereo channel .030 to .070 of a
>second and boost the gain on the delayed channel about 20% higher
>than the non-delayed channel.  Add a pinch of cathedral reverb. (or
>maybe 2 pinches!) Great for choir.  I would like to try this with a
>stereo PA system.
>
>Clay
>
>

_________________________________________________________________
MSN Hotmail http://www.hotmail.com Med markedets beste SPAM-filter. Gratis!

there was a thread a while back about "that sound", principally concerning 
the successful reproduction of the hair-on-back-of-neck strings usually 
associated with late 60s prog heavyweights, which prompted me to experiment with some 
of the suggestions therein & steer away from modern multi-effects devices.

by good fortune- bidding on something on e-bay & then being offered 
first-refusal on some of the guy's other stuff because I am such a good customer (it 
says here), I snagged a GBS. this is a 1 metre long plastic drain pipe with 
several accutronics springs in it, along with all the electronics to run them as a 
true-stereo reverb. now that the real "great british spring" is upon us, I 
decided to run 1098 through this contraption & see what happened.
it made "that sound".
I may even bolt the GBS onto the cabinet permanently.
it also makes a fantastic noise if you knock it over- like a thunderbolt 
hitting some shopping trollies.

aye.

duncan/r.m.i.

I believe a question came up about Fritz's document that discussed 'tron 
recording.

http://www.kleonard.com/mellotron/tronto0901/learned.htm
http://www.kleonard.com/mellotron/tronto0901/recording.htm

...kl...
M400 #805 - wants to be recorded more
M400 #1037 - working but not yet recorded

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