EMU ’Vintage Keys’
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Other music related lounges
Forum Name: Tech Talk
Forum Description: Discuss musical instruments, equipment, hi-fi, speakers, vinyl, gadgets,etc.
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4000
Printed Date: November 26 2024 at 01:07
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Topic: EMU ’Vintage Keys’
Posted By: Jim Garten
Subject: EMU ’Vintage Keys’
Date Posted: March 02 2005 at 08:55
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I seem to remember this unit coming out in the late 80s early 90s, and marketed as one of the best ways of getting decent Mellotron/Rhodes/Hammond sounds from a good midi keyboard.
These are now popping up on E-Bay for OK prices, and I'm interested in maybe adding one to my small setup. I don't need the Hammond sample obviously, but has anyone ever used one of these modules, in particular the Mellotron samples? Alternatively, does anyone know of another (reasonably priced) module with good Mellotron? Cheers, guys ------------- 
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Replies:
Posted By: sigod
Date Posted: March 02 2005 at 10:34
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I had one of these some time back and yes, they were great bits of kit
although the mellotron does sound a bit 'synthetic' in the higher
registers. On the software side have you tried the M-Tron? I'm told that's worth a look-see. ------------- I must remind the right honourable gentleman that a monologue is not a decision. - Clement Atlee, on Winston Churchill |
Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: March 03 2005 at 03:13
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Thanks, Si -
I'd prefer a rack mount if poss (generally because I'm a computer buffoon  ); you say the EMU sounded synthetic in the higher registers - as I remember, the original Mellotron only had a 3 octave range, so I guess if you go beyond those on a modern keyboard, it would sound wrong.
Within the original 3 octave range, though... good? -------------
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: sigod
Date Posted: March 03 2005 at 05:00
Yeah it was fine to my ears within that range. In an a/b test you can tell the difference between the real thing and the module but when it's seated in the overall mix, it always sounded great to me. ------------- I must remind the right honourable gentleman that a monologue is not a decision. - Clement Atlee, on Winston Churchill |
Jim Garten wrote:Posted By: James Lee
Date Posted: March 03 2005 at 05:39
I liked the Vintage Keys unit a lot...I used the add-on board for the Proteus, which had the same sound set, and many of the sounds were as perfect as a sampler could get them. I remember using the organ and electric piano sounds a lot more than the Mellotrons, though. There's a Wurlitzer on there that can't be beat!  ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/sollipsist/?chartstyle=kaonashi"> 
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Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: March 03 2005 at 07:04
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Thanks a lot guys - now, where's my wallet?
Damn - the wife's hidden it again! -------------
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: arcer
Date Posted: March 05 2005 at 07:40
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You just have to remember that with the Vintage Keys the samples on it are 16 bit and not of the highest quality compared to some modern stuff. On some stuff they do sound a bit 'off' - l;ike the Taurus pedals for excample. I'd still go for soft-synth M-Tron for just shy of 50 quid sterling, if you have a computer. You can run it as a VST or a standalone. It's really excellent. For Rhodes on computer, I'd be looking at Applied Acoustic Systems' Lounge Lizard which models the sounds of a rhodes beautifully or at Native Instruments' Elektrik Piano, which is a sample based rompler with the company's Intakt sampler as its front end. It's outstanding and give you two rhodes, a wurly ep200 and a hohner clavinet. But as an all-rounder the vintage keys is a good buy. You could also try picking up a Roland JV1010 with the 'keys of the 60s and 70s' card - has some lovely rhodes sounds and the mellotron strings aint too shabby either. These units are about five years old now and have been well superseded by Roland's XV series, but the JVs have some nice sounds. Again I think the samples are 16 bit. E-mu did do an update of the vintage keys unit with better sample quality a year or so ago and I don't think it was a massive hit - you might find one discounted at a music store somewhere or keep and eye on Ebay.
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