Best cheap keys for Mellotron sound?

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 1:30 pm

I have a Yamaha S03 for every sound I want but mellotron.

Is there anything cheaper in a physical keyboard (not virtual, not an engine) than the EMU Proteus PK6 (around US$400 is the cheapest I can find one) what sounds good at that?

drumsound · Post by **drumsound** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 2:11 pm

The EMU vintage Keys module has good Mellotron sounds

kslight · Post by **kslight** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:02 pm

For $400 or less, the Alesis Fusion sounds great at many more things that just Mellotron, but has several excellent free sample libraries available (in addition to multiple synth engines)? Strange looking and maybe slightly obscure workstation, but it truly is an underrated gem.

Nick Sevilla · Post by **Nick Sevilla** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 4:14 pm

Sorry I have not a hardware unit that will do this, but;

http://www.gforcesoftware.com/

These are really good.

Jeff White · Post by **Jeff White** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 10:40 am

Though it is NOT a physical all-in-one keyboard and engine, I cannot say enough great things about the Roland Keyboards of the '60s & '70s Expansion Board. There are some good Tron sounds available on that card. Not everything, but definitely decent for live work. You can grab a used Roland JV 1080 for under $200 and the Keyboards of the '60s & '70s board for around $130. Add a MIDI cable to your favorite controller and there you go. I originally was in the same boat, but needed basic yet authentic organ sounds for live. After a little research I picked up a JV 1010 and the Keyboards of the '60s & '70s board for use with an old Oxygen controller. I decided that the JV 1010 did not provide user-friendly editing (it was originally created to be paired with software for editing). I ended up picking up a used JV 1080 and sold JV 1010. I'm planning on picking up a few more expansion cards this year, first and foremost the Vintage Synth board. And if you are going that way anyway, you could always find an older hardware sampler for cheap and load it up with legit samples. The Mike Pinder CD from back in the day was THE go-to sample set for Tron sounds.

With that said, I love the MTron Pro. It's all you will ever need, really.

Jeff

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 4:25 pm

Y'all know what a Luddite is?

When it comes to MIDI, I'm a Leddite, as in Led Zep didn't use that shite.

I just don't have the time, interest or memory capacity to learn alla that for one sound.

I just want plug 'n' play, what is why I bought the S03 (on someone's reco here, actually) and love it, missing only the cool Mellotron my guitarist gets on his Proteus.

Altho' I will say whoever owned my S03 before me did make nice user patches ...

accordion squeezist · Post by **accordion squeezist** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 11:17 am

Plug and play?
That's what midi is. Your guitar player can explain it.

Gregg Juke · Post by **Gregg Juke** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 11:44 am

Yeah vvv, you won't have to do any fancy MIDI programming to get sounds out of a module; just plug the cable in and start dialing through sounds. I consider myself pretty midiotic when it comes to that stuff, but I know how to sync a drum machine to a synth, and how to use an external synth module-- plug the MIDI cable in!!

GJ

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 4:19 pm

My guitar player can't explain it; trust me.

As far as that goes, I'm a guitar player - just a bloody lazy one.

Cables? MIDI cables?

Aiight, here's my story:

In the early 90's I hadda power-funk trio (think RHCP, Bad Brains, 24-7 Spies, etc.) and I built a simple MIDI pedal-board controller to a cuppla rack pieces (Midiverb, a DOD 128+, etc.)

It was such a PITA that I promised myself to never mess with the MIDI again; it's been about 20 years now and I haven't, and don't wanna start.

I just want a cuppla hundo $'s keyboard what'll do a decent Mellotron.

Izzat so much to ask?

Eh?

Izzit?

Gregg Juke · Post by **Gregg Juke** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 4:40 pm

Yes...

But seriously, out of the box, plug in, dial in, play. Or, get a Juno G used.

GJ

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 4:54 pm

Thanks!

drumsound · Post by **drumsound** » Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:52 pm

EMU did make a full keyboard version of the Vintage Keys, but it didn't last long.

trodden · Post by **trodden** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:39 pm

midi controller-->midi cable-->sound module (vintage keys, roland box described above, etc)

It doesn't get more plug and play than that. Well, you'll have to provide AC to your controller and to the sound module. I'm sure you can figure that out.

Or, get one of the many many soft synths/mellotron engines for whatever DAW you're using, if you're using a DAW, and it goes midi controller-->usb cable-->computer

done.

I have the EMU Vintage keys rack unit. I keep it around only for the mellotron sounds..

devnulljp · Post by **devnulljp** » Tue Jan 21, 2014 11:35 pm

Well, there's this

http://www.mysterycircuits.com/newmello ... loman.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx-TE_aapDQ

And there's the M4000D ... Bit spendy though

http://www.mellotron.com/digital-mellotron.html

vvv · Post by **vvv** » Wed Jan 22, 2014 4:27 am

If only!

Lookin' for a cheap Juno or Proteus ...

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Best cheap keys for Mellotron sound?

Best cheap keys for Mellotron sound?

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