Mellotron Sounds & Such

[mojotele65]

The Nord samples are available in either looped or unlooped versions. As previously mentioned, the original Mellotron was only the octaves, and the samples replicate those 3 octaves effectively. More importantly, the samples are faithful to the originals. you wouldn't use a Trombone on sousaphone sample and play it 3 or 4 octaves up from middle C, nor would you choose a Cello sound and play it in the octave range of a violin. You play the samples in the natural octaves of the instrument sampled.

[Charlatan]

Yes but... IIRC Clavia has its own, proprietary sample format: quite compressed. So size half-matters.

I thought these were uncompressed wav files basically? So the Nord samples are heavily compressed and audibly so?

[maxpiano]

Yes but... IIRC Clavia has its own, proprietary sample format: quite compressed. So size half-matters.

I thought these were uncompressed wav files basically? So the Nord samples are heavily compressed and audibly so?

Lossless compression, no audible effect.

[Charlatan]

Here's another thread that references this issue: http://www.norduserforum.com/nord-elect ... t2707.html

Again, there's the allusion that Clavia's samples aren't note for note, as opposed to the M4000D where they all are. But these seem to be unconfirmed rumors. I'm just dying to know whether or not they are true.

[stiiiiiiive]

Honestly, I would give up finding out whether rumors are true or not and just let my ears decide.

[dhbp-nord]

Why not ask at the source instead of believing rumours -

http://www.nordkeyboards.com/support

DH

[dhbp-nord]

From the Keyboard Mag review at http://www.keyboardmag.com/gear/1183/me ... ewed/51195

"Many of these sounds have also been made available for Nord instruments, but only the M4000D and Mini have them at full 24-bit uncompressed audio fidelity."

So the question now becomes are you really willing to spend 1/2 the cost of a (far more versatile) Nord on just one (slightly better sounding) sound set, one that you probably cannot differentiate in a noisy live situation? List price on the MD4000 is $2000+ - that's a lot of coin for a limited use instrument unless you are playing in a very lucrative Genesis tribute gig

Again the specs don't mean a thing of you (don't) like the sound.

DH

[anotherscott]

That doesn't mean much, when sampling an acounstic piano you have to record a few seconds to get a complete waveform, from attack to end of decay; Mellotron tapes sounds instead are more repetitive and so easier to sample and loop also with shorter samples.

Easier to loop than a decaying piano, yes, but that doesn't mean that you're not losing some of the particular character of the original when you do so.

I even wonder if the original Mellotron tapes where recorded "one per note" or not and so they were also "stretched", anyone knows?

Note for note, no stretching. Stretching in an analog tape system makes no sense. Not to say it couldn't be done... one could theoretically drive different motors at different speeds, or use recorded copies of stuff played back at different speeds, but what would be the point? It would be a lot more effort and expense for inferior results, with no offsetting benefit. Digital is a whole different ball game, as it is not an expensive thing to do, and there was a very large benefit to be had, particularly when memory was very expensive (the stretched samples take no additional memory).

[Charlatan]

Honestly, I would give up finding out whether rumors are true or not and just let my ears decide.

Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of A/Bing them.

Why not ask at the source instead of believing rumours -

http://www.nordkeyboards.com/support

DH

Also, unfortunately, they require a serial number, which I don't have as I don't own a Nord.

[maxpiano]

.

I even wonder if the original Mellotron tapes where recorded "one per note" or not and so they were also "stretched", anyone knows?

Note for note, no stretching. Stretching in an analog tape system makes no sense. Not to say it couldn't be done... one could theoretically drive different motors at different speeds, or use recorded copies of stuff played back at different speeds, but what would be the point? It would be a lot more effort and expense for inferior results, with no offsetting benefit. Digital is a whole different ball game, as it is not an expensive thing to do, and there was a very large benefit to be had, particularly when memory was very expensive (the stretched samples take no additional memory).

That's why I quoted the term "stretched", I didn't mean it literally but I was thinking of the possibility they may have used the second method you mention (re-recording one note at different speed, to keep neighbor notes similar) though I knew it was pretty unlikely, thanks for the confirmation.

@Charlatan: besides the samples quality, if you are looking for a 100% faithful recreation of a Mellotron, with wow & flutter etc., you need to look at dedicated HW (or SW i.e. good Mellotron VSTs).

Nord Samples are probably stretched and/or looped (based on their size, though compressed) but for me are just very good to be used on a live keyboard such as the Nords are. When you play in a live band situation I bet no one would hear the missing details (if any) or the effect of stretched/looped samples.

PS: trying a simple calculation: 1 second of mono audio at 44.1KHz on 16 bits requires 88.2 Kbytes and the Mello tapes where 7-8 seconds long, so by multiplying 88.2*8*37 (keys) we get around 25-26 Mbytes; so either the compression has an average 10:1 ratio or...

PS2: if don't yet own one, you can write to Nord using the feedback form http://www.nordkeyboards.com/about-us/feedback or, as suggested there, ask the question to your local/country Distributor first.