Super Manetron – iPad Demo of this Mellotron M400 sim
A demo and tutorial of this great Mellotron M400 simulator. Also some history and multi-tracking in Cubasis via Audiobus.
Time machine: Birotron B90
The rarest manufactured instrument – the extinct and impossible to find Birotron playing worn out mixed tapes of string section, brass, violas, choir, and flutes across the keyboard.
The Birotron (pronounced By-ro-tron) is a tape replay keyboard conceived by Dave Biro of Yalesville, Connecticut, USA, and funded by Rick Wakeman of the progressive-rock group Yes, and Campbell Soup Company-Pepperidge Farm Foods in the mid-late 1970s. A Mellotron-like instrument in the prototype stage, and intended for mass production – it was featured on a hit single and used on several albums and tours. It appeared in advertisements and received press in several newspapers as the next ‘latest and greatest’ keyboard instrument. It also received over 1000 advance orders from many prominent musicians worldwide including members of the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. Despite this success, it is now generally considered the world’s rarest keyboard instrument in the genres of pop/rock music. It also retains the highest selling price for any Mellotron related keyboard, and since its inception, has been one of the most difficult to find, seldom seen, and least recorded instruments in the entire world.
“The musician is Chris Dale who very kindly let me do the video.
So what did this instrument sound like with a decent set of unworn tapes???? That is a mystery…..Sadly we may never know.”
Twice the Pain at Half the Price
Featuring Hammond XK3-c, Leslie 3300, Moog Voyager, Arp 2600, D6 Clavinet, Mellotron Mk. VI
Mellotron M4000D Hands-On
We go hands-on with the digital Mellotron re-creation that the keyboard world is abuzz about. Boutique one-trick pony? Maybe, but it does that one trick so exceptionally well that it’s getting attention from the likes of Rami Jaffee (Wallflowers, Foo Fighters).
Some specifications:
It is a 24 bit digital uncompressed audio playback unit with ca 100 Mellotron and Chamberlin sounds built in. Extra cartridges will be available with 100 sounds each. It has a custom built full Mellotron style wood keyboard with depth sensitivity and polyphonic aftertouch out via MIDI. The front panel user inteface has 2 TFT-displays of high quality and are capable of showing pictures of the actual instruments. The dimensions of the cabinet are 34″x19.5″5.25″ (86x50x13.5cm) (WxDxH).
Here is some more info about the M4000D:
- Mellotron style wooden keyboard with depth sensitivity and polyphonic aftertouch via MIDI out.
- 100 original Mellotron and Chamberlin lead sounds included, with IMMEDIATE access.
- The sounds are taken from the original first-generation tape library giving the same sound quality as the original Mellotrons made in the 60s and 70s.
- It has our very advanced and in-house developed streaming technology for uncompressed 24 bit audio reproduction.
- The software and audio engine has taken 3 years to develop, but our concept of the digital Mellotron has been in development since the mid 90s. We bought parts of the original inventory from a company called ‘Mellotron Digital’.
- Furniture quality cabinet with hinged lid.
- Expansion slot gives you 100 extra sounds on special compact flash cards, all from the original archives. There will be ca 8 expansion cards released with a large variety of sounds.
- Two high-quality TFT displays and a backlit laser cut front panel.
- Our very advanced and in-house developed streaming technology for uncompressed 24 bit audio reproduction.
- Three gold plated balanced XLR outputs, all other connectors are gold plated for maximum reliablilty.
- Dimensions: 859x501x135 mm, weight 17.5 kg.
Synth Demo featuring the ARP 2600, Voyager, and Mellotron Mk. VI
Short, first take improv with Arp2600, Moog Voyager and Mellotron Mk. VI. Recorded in Ableton Live 9. Film edited in Sony Vegas Movie Studio 11.
Strawberry Fields Forever Cover by Super Manetron & GarageBand for iPad
http://www.insideout.co.jp/apps/
The applications that we used…..
– Super Manetron (Mellotron Simulator for iPhone /iPad) as Flute, Brass, Cello
– GarageBand for iPad as Giutar, Bass
– Sitar Piano as Sitar
– iLectric as Piano
Personnel:
Koya Matsuo – Voice
Junichiro Yamasaki – iPad
Super Manetron is the Mellotron for iPhone and iPod touch. Genuine sound sampled from Mellotron M400S (serial number 761) manufactured in the 70’s.
The Mellotron is an vintage sampling keyboard by analog tapes. The Mellotron had a strong impact on rock music, becoming a trademark sound of the progressive rock bands.
You can see an internal mechanism (tape running animation) and can enjoy simulation of Mellotron with eyes and an ear.
Features:
– Core MIDI compatible
– 35Kyes of sampled sounds from Mellotron M400S serial number 761 manufactured in the 70’s.
– 8 sec PCM full sampling sounds each Key
– Scrollable Keyboard & dual Keyboards with switchable key width
– No loop sounds (real performance feeling)
– Pre-loaded with 7 instruments including Flute, 3violins (Strings), Cello, Oboe, 8-voice Choir, Vibes, Brass
– 7 instrument sounds can be set as the favorite position of A,B,C position on setting screen
– A+B, B+C mix sounds position
– The sound of motor and tape rewind mechanical noise
– Tape running animation
– Pitch control by accelerometer
– Built-in Reverb that simulates spring reverb
– Original sounds source are recorded by 96KHz/24 bits
– Compiled under the supervision of Fumitaka Anzai (Famous vintage keyboard player & collector of Japan)
Synth Demo – With Mobius, ARP2600, Mellotron, Voyager
Random fooling around with Future Retro Mobius, ARP2600, Mellotron Mk. VI, Moog Voyager. Emphasis on some less familiar Mellotron sounds. Audio recorded in Ableton Live 9. Film editing in Sony Vegas Movie Studio 11.
Mellotron App for iPad: “Super Manetron” In App Store NOW!
http://www.insideout.co.jp/apps/
Super Manetron is the Mellotron for iPhone and iPod touch. Genuine sound sampled from Mellotron M400S (serial number 761) manufactured in the 70’s.
The Mellotron is an vintage sampling keyboard by analog tapes. The Mellotron had a strong impact on rock music, becoming a trademark sound of the progressive rock bands.
You can see an internal mechanism (tape running animation) and can enjoy simulation of Mellotron with eyes and an ear.
Features:
– Core MIDI compatible
– 35Kyes of sampled sounds from Mellotron M400S serial number 761 manufactured in the 70’s.
– 8 sec PCM full sampling sounds each Key
– Scrollable Keyboard & dual Keyboards with switchable key width
– No loop sounds (real performance feeling)
– Pre-loaded with 7 instruments including Flute, 3violins (Strings), Cello, Oboe, 8-voice Choir, Vibes, Brass
– 7 instrument sounds can be set as the favorite position of A,B,C position on setting screen
– A+B, B+C mix sounds position
– The sound of motor and tape rewind mechanical noise
– Tape running animation
– Pitch control by accelerometer
– Built-in Reverb that simulates spring reverb
– Original sounds source are recorded by 96KHz/24 bits
– Compiled under the supervision of Fumitaka Anzai (Famous vintage keyboard player & collector of Japan)
Mellotron arrives for iOS
Super Manetron is the Mellotron for iPhone and iPod touch. Genuine sound sampled from Mellotron M400S (serial number 761) manufactured in the 70’s. The Mellotron is an vintage sampling keyboard by analog tapes. The Mellotron had a strong impact on rock music, becoming a trademark sound of the progressive rock bands.
You can see an internal mechanism (tape running animation) and can enjoy simulation of Mellotron with eyes and an ear.
Features:
- Core MIDI compatible
- 35Kyes of sampled sounds from Mellotron M400S serial number 761 manufactured in the 70’s.
- 8 sec PCM full sampling sounds each Key
- Scrollable Keyboard & dual Keyboards with switchable key width
- No loop sounds (real performance feeling)
- Pre-loaded with 7 instruments including Flute, 3violins (Strings), Cello, Oboe, 8-voice Choir, Vibes, Brass
- 7 instrument sounds can be set as the favorite position of A,B,C position on setting screen
- A+B, B+C mix sounds position
- The sound of motor and tape rewind mechanical noise
- Tape running animation
- Pitch control by accelerometer
- Built-in Reverb that simulates spring reverb
- Original sounds source are recorded by 96KHz/24 bits
- Compiled under the supervision of Fumitaka Anzai (Famous vintage keyboard player & collector of Japan)
SPECIAL SALE! 50% OFF TILL NEXT MAJOR UPDATE!
We are going to support iPad as universal app in the next major update (2nd Quarter of 2013). 50% off till then.
The app is priced at $3.99
Vernal Season – modular systems and more in action
And here are the details:
The last few weeks I have been trying to make a video. Did many takes resulting in 3 takes which were acceptable but I was not convinced that one of the three was good enough. So this evening I decided to do something completely different which resulted in this improvisation. And I did this in 1 take.
The video begins with two 8-step sequences: one sequence on row 2 of the Doepfer MAQ16/3 which is driving the self-built Modular and one sequence on the Synthesizers.com Q960 which is driving the Rob Hordijk OSC HRM and the Ian Fritz Teezer Through-Zero VCO connected to the Blacet Miniwave. The bass is performed on the Clavia Nord Lead 1, the Mellotron strings sound is played on the Roland XP-80 and the Wurlitzer piano sound on the Waldorf Q Keyboard. Later on a 4 step sequence from row 1 of the MAQ16/3 driving the Creamware MiniMax ASB joins.
The video is filmed by my girlfriend Anne using my iPhone 4.
You can download/see/hear the video and music from my website.
DATAMASKIN
