Mellotron

[Androo]

Im looking to either emulate a mellotron (mainly for the Led Zep No Quarter sound) or get a free vst, if no free vsts that are good how do i emulate the sound..chorus..tremelo etc?

(bloody credit crunch and christmas means im rooked)

[muzines]

I think there are some free samplesets if you google around... I've never bothered as the GForce Mtron Pro is fab... but not free...

[The Elf]

Unless I'm having a medication-induced moment of madness there's no Mellotron on 'No Quarter'!

Which sound are you thinking of?

[Androo]

oh sorry not no quarter i forget the name of the song it was late 70s

[The Elf]

Just don't want to see you go hunting for the wrong thing, dude!

'No Quarter' features an electric piano through a phaser, though I don't know which piano.

Typical Mellotron might be something like the strings on 'The Rain Song'.

[geefunk]

Where's HollowSun when you need him...?

[Grantsos]

It was the hohner electric I think.

[The Elf]

It was the hohner electric I think.

Yes, I've read that somewhere, but it sounds much more Wurlitzer to me!

[The Elf]

Typical Mellotron might be something like the strings on 'The Rain Song'.

Or just listen to the introduction to Genesis' 'Watcher of the Skies' - now THAT'S Mellotron!!

[Grantsos]

It does sound very wurli-esque. I haven't used an electra, but I'd say a soft touch on a (real) wurli would be 99% usable substitution (the electra did use "reeds")... Through the modulated filter (not phaser AFAIK).
Great track. The intro kills me.

[chris...]

Where's HollowSun when you need him...?

HollowSun Tron samples are here.

They are not free, but hopefully represent good value.

[Androo]

no i know mellotron..looking for this kind of sound

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aby4hmTxp5M

[Jim Y]

If you do want Mellotron, Nanotron VSTi is the best I know of that is for free...
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/1462.html
I find it works best effected by a suitably vintage signal chain, then it can be very convincing.

Jim

[Martin Walker]

no i know mellotron..looking for this kind of sound

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aby4hmTxp5M

Yep, that most definitely sounds like sampled Mellotron on that track.

Interesting timing too - thanks for the link!

Martin

[The Elf]

Gotcha. That keyboard part sounds like Mellotron strings with maybe an outside chance there's some brass mixed in - it's hard to tell for sure over Youtube.

Like that track. Definitely my kind of music. Thanks!

[Grantsos]

It's a string machine, I think(filtered a bit maybe).
Arp Solina, Logan, Roland they all have that distinctive, slightly grinding sound on the low notes, and nice silky fizz in the top end - due to the ensemble effect. You can get fairly close with the VSM plugin. But the real machines are bl**dy magic, if you can find one.
Are you using logic?
You can get a vague approximation by loading a sawtooth synth patch, high and low passing it, then running through an enseble effect (maybe a dash of overdrive before the ensemble.)

[The Elf]

It's a string machine (filtered a bit maybe).

Nooooooo!

It's *definitely* Mellotron (a sample of one, that is) - I use those strings all the time! In fact, I'm playing it right now!

[Grantsos]

Could be, I'm using macbook speakers, and thought I could hear that rich chorusing on the low notes.

[The Elf]

Could be, I'm using macbook speakers, and thought I could hear that rich chorusing on the low notes.

I hear it too. The top end is very obvious as the standard 'vintage' strings, but there could be some brass in there - it really is hard to tell.

Just had another listen. I think it's the 'Orchestra' patch from M-Tron, where the vintage strings and brass (+ cellos?) are layered. Sounds spot on.

[Androo]

what you guys havent heard Opeth before? Check out Damnation album a lot of the others are death metal

[Scramble]

Sounds like Mellotron strings to me (the Opeth clip, that is).

[hollowsun]

Definitely Tron strings.

There's the DASH-Signature 'MELLOTRONIX' which uses my Tron samples under licence. A very reasonable €35/$45...

http://www.dashsignature.com/products/dashsound/hqs4.htm

Windows and OSX VST and OSX AU. The library comes with a free player for them.

SOS said of them in their review of my original sample set...

"I found the overall character of these samples to be superb. In comparison to my extensive personal collection of Mellotron sounds garnered from numerous sources, this set beat mine hands down for sheer presence and clarity within a mix."

They would give the 3 violins/strings sound that I think the OP is after and lots more besides.

I shall say no more for fear of breaching the advertising rule!!

[SunShineState]

I think JP Jones played a Fender Rhodes on No quarter, but the Mellotron strings one is The Rain Song...

[The Elf]

I think JP Jones played a Fender Rhodes on No quarter, but the Mellotron strings one is The Rain Song...

Doesn't at all sound like a Fender Rhodes to me. Wikipedia says it was a 'Hohner Electra-Piano'.

[Stevedog]

Some classic Mellotron