http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=media.video&ID=e03375f577afcec30ec69e9b8b078b04 - http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=media.video&ID=e03375f577afcec30ec69e9b8b078b04

It's pretty awesome - I midi it out from my main keyboard. To be honest a lot of the sounds you'd never think of using but the holy trinity of strings/flute/choir are indispensible.

 

Only problem is, my main recording software is not VST compatible so I have to do rough mixes and then play the 'tron parts in other software. Still worth the effort though, and at £35/$60 or whatever, worth every penny/cent.

 

And it weighs about 10 grams and never breaks down

 

Do you know this site?

http://www.fxpansion.com/ - http://www.fxpansion.com/

 

They have a soft VST to RTAS. Is pretty cool and maybe solve your problem with VST plugins.

 

Yes, It's quite annoying the first time that you get an hand on a mellotron.It's quite a disconnected feeling that you have.I remember myself,trying the instrument for the first time more than 10 years ago at my friend flat(on a Mark V)and was very uncomfortable with the playing.At the time,I didn't have my M400 and remember saying to my friend that I will never be able to play the instrument properly and was rethinking about owning an instrument that is so difficult to play.At the time,I begun paying for it and my friend had begun refurbishing it to me.After saying that to my friend, he said "Don't bother, it take 3-4 weeks of intense practice to get rid of this disconnected feeling and after it will be ok".He was right and today it's second nature.I even don't count 8 seconds anymore,I know the tapes is near the end just by the feeling on my fingers.But you are right to say it's difficult to play compared to an ordinary keyboards or synthesizers.

 

Speaking of M-Tron,I totally agree that it's a good product and totally agree that it's the second best option after buying a genuine machine but it will never replace a real one.The difference is simple, a real mellotron is an electro-mechanical machine that use pinch rollers and each time you play a note, the pinch roller of that specific note stop at a random place,so the next time you play that exact same note, it will sound different from the previous time you had play that note.On the M-Tron, it's always the same sampling of that note so you don't have the pinch rollers randomness.The M-Tron is ok when you play in a live situation but you get screwed when you recording with it.The secret of a good mellotron sound recording is when that sound is double-tracked.All the great recording of the 60's-70's(Yes,Genesis,King Crimson,Moody Blues and so on...)uses that technique and it's the secret of a "goose bumps" mellotron tracks.When the mellotronist done double-tracking on those classics 60's-70's tracks,he actually perform two separate performance of the same track(and not simply a copy of the first performance put on another track).On a real mellotron,because of the randomness of the pinch rollers,when you redone the same performance for the double-tracking,it will produce a sort of natural delay between the 2 performances and it's the secret of that "goose bump" sound.On the M-Tron, it's always the same sampling, so when you double-tracked it,it will always be the same performance, you will also had phase cancellation.Sorry to be such a purist,but i think an album like "In the Court of the Crimson King"will not have the same effect if it had been done on the M-tron if it was available at the time.The M-Tron is a good alternative(the best yet) but not on albums recordings.

 

And for JMoog who said that a Mellotron is an unreliable instrument,that's false.A mellotron can be an unreliable instrument if you don't take care of it.Rick Wakeman and Tony Banks hate the mellotrons because they don't take care of theirs at the time.

 

By the way, I have made nice pictures from the Mellotron M400 I played on (I can only play some chords, I am absolutely no keyboard player, I play acoustic guitar) and will put thse on the Forum when I open a thread about my Mellotron adventure  !

 

That's the same principle,Erik.If you set the 3 oscillators of a Minimoog the same,it's sure it will sound thinner than if they are set differently.For a mellotron recording,it's even more critical because a singled-tracked mellotron track can sound dull and thin.

 

For the photos,I'm interested seing them.Did you know the serial number of the mellotron you've played and did you know the owner.Last year,I was helping a guy wich I made contact via the Air mailing list who lives in Holland and want to brought an M400.He was asking me if I know somebody near his area that was able to sell him a machine.I knew an artist and collector named Cosmic Hoffmann who live in Germany so I told him his adress that I found on his website.Not knowing the geographical aspect of the area(never went to Europe,sadly), he told me that Cosmic Hoffmann live near the Germany/Holland border and in fact it was maybe 30 min. of driving from where he live in Holland.Cosmic had one on sale but unfortunatly, the deal didn't work(I think the guy didn't know the real value of a mellotron in 2005) and instead, he done a mellotron shape case for his sampler to sit in(a bit like Musical Box had done for their concerts).So,it is Cosmic Hoffmann mellotron that you played?

Cosmic Hoffmann owned many Mellotrons but I have heard that he has sold most of these  .. A trip to him is one of my plans because I know somebody who is a friend of Klaus Hoffmann and Germany is not far away fromHolland, we are neighbours!

 

You also wrote pierreolivier that "On the M-Tron, it's always the same sampling, so when you double-tracked it,it will always be the same performance, you will also had phase cancellation." - This is correct in theory. When I double track parts while recording with the M-Tron I use slightly different EQ settings on each of the two tracks and by doing that I get two performances with different qualities and characteristics. A lot of times I will also drop one of the two tracks slightly in pitch which produces a much "fatter" sound. When using these methods I have never had any problems with phase cancellation. I agree if you recorded the M-Tron "dry" without effects or EQ then phase cancellation could be issue.

 

I also agree with you pierreolivier when you say that the M-Tron program could never replace a real Mellotron. I would love to own a real Mellotron but with being married and having my first child due in two months I think it will be a long time before I get one.

 

That's very clever to detune slightly your second performance when you're recording.You're doing something to improve the program and your recordings.But what happen when using a real mellotron is more than that,it's physical and mechanical and no samplings or M-Tron that are available on the market can deal with the randomness of the pinch rollers.I know that future mellotron emulations will developped this fact and uses an algorithm and use multi-sampling on each notes.If those samplings developped,it will be a lot closer to the real machine.But for now,those samplers are not on the market already.

 

I agreed with you,a mellotron today is very expensive.When I brought mine 10 years ago,I was fortunate to be able buying it.But on the other hand,I remember that when I brought it,I had to make a fast decision because they're was another guy who wanted it.At the time,I was working at minimum wages and made regular payments to the seller in order to own it.If I was buying it today,I don't think I will be able buying it.I make the wise decision 10 years ago and I'm happy with it today.I'm 35 years old today and live in appartement with my girlfriend(don't have child) and today,I don't have that money to put on a instrument.Last year,I pass on a minimoog because I didn't have the money and was very wise because today minimoog prices are a lot more lower than the  last couple of years.There will be other opportunities.

BTW, congradulation JMoog for the baby to come.