MELLOTRON-CHAMBERLIN SAMPLE LIBRARY

[mikekehas]

Greatings...
Any Change for updating the library in order to get closer to the sound of a M4000D..
The sounds of a M4000d are 24bit uncompressed..audio
any thoughts???
Thanks in advance

ps: some split tape frames will be great

[mjbrands]

Hello mikekehas and welcome to the forum.

This is a forum of Nord users, not an official Clavia one, so you're not likely to get an official answer from them (though some Clavia folk do read this forum).

Personally I don't think they would use samples of the digital Mellotron, simply because the imperfect nature of the tape loops adds a certain character to what might otherwise be a cold, digital tone. Clavia licensed the use of samples of the original Mellotron loops (and probably was one of the first vendors to do so?) and might need to arrange for a new license to use the new samples (if Mellotron would license them, which they might not).

If you can get a hold of the samples yourself (or if you know someone why has access to a Mellotron M4000D) you could create your own Mellotron samples for your Electro (or Stage 2/Wave) using the Nord Sound Editor.

[mjbrands]

My post above is a bit stupid, in hindsight. The digital Mellotron will be using 24-bit samples of the same sounds (might be a more extensive library, don't know) which should have the same imperfections (and charm) as the Clavia ones. They might be of a higher quality.

[mikekehas]

the main diffence is that clavia used a sample which was transposed to the entire keybord and not 37 different samples...the digital mellotron uses all the 37 notes/samples for it

[Hanon_CTS]

the main diffence is that clavia used a sample which was transposed to the entire keybord

Hello mikekehas,
this information is not accurate.

I don't know exactly how many samples go into each instrument (.nsmp) of the Clavia "Mellotron" Sample library.
But a .nsmp made using a single "Mellotron" sample would be less than 500K and most of Clavia's are closer to 5 Meg.

I'm not arguing against the idea that the Mellotron M4000d's Mellotrons might perhaps sound better than the Nord instrument's.

Cheers, Hanon

[anotherscott]

Right. A single sample stretched over the whole board would sound awful. But they're not sampling every note either. Probably every 3 to 5 notes or so.

[mikekehas]

Right. A single sample stretched over the whole board would sound awful. But they're not sampling every note either. Probably every 3 to 5 notes or so.

unfortunatelly!!!!!!!!!!!!! so very true!!!!

[ThisPoison]

I was so impressed with the Mellotron samples for the Nords, I nearly bought a Wave just to give me access to them. (I only have a Stage Classic and Lead 2 from Nord, so nothing compatible).

I know there are many Mellotron samples and formats I can already use in plug-ins, romplers etc, but I wanted something more direct. I prefer to keep technical fiddling (which I also appreciate) seperate from playing, and the Wave seemed a reasonable compromise (allbeit slightly overkill due to the Wave's many other strengths).

On reading up on the Wave it was clear I wouldn't fit as many samples in as I might like (totally forgivable, as it's not it's aim) but I came very, very close to commiting.

However, after a long hard think lasting many months, my Mellotron M4000D arrived yesterday and I'm over the moon with it (much in the way I was those years ago when my Stage arrived).

I only have the sound samples on the Nord site to go by, but I still think they are a credit to Nord, and their availability to users as free samples is also another reason I will remain a loyal Nord user (and maybe even get a Wave 2 when my bank balance recovers).

There is something about the way the key by key samples on the M4000D interact with each other (and the A/B mix) that is strangely disconscerting. Haunting and beautiful, but disconscerting all the same.

Does the same "edge" come out through the Wave samples in normal use ?

[mjbrands]

There is something about the way the key by key samples on the M4000D interact with each other (and the A/B mix) that is strangely disconscerting. Haunting and beautiful, but disconscerting all the same.

Does the same "edge" come out through the Wave samples in normal use ?

Not that I ever noticed, but that isn't saying much. Could you post a sample of what you mean (short mp3 maybe)?

[ThisPoison]

Sorry, I wasn't really clear there (have not gone to sleep since it arrived !).

What I mean is that given that the source recordings are individual for each key, for dynamic and expressive instruments (woodwinds, brass, voices, strings etc) there is a clear note to note variation on the M4000D (as of course there should be given the intention to mimic the original Mellotrons, rather than the original instruments).

Attack, vibrato, tone, pitch etc all change subtly (and sometimes less than subtly) between the individual notes sampled, which to someone brought up on sampling and multisampling actually sound kind of odd to the ear.

For example here's the M400 "2 saxes" followed by the MK1 "Clarinet".

• M400 Saxes and MK1 Clarinet.mp3

You can hear the differences note to note, and these variations exist across all the tape sets (although not surprisingly they are less obvious on things like organs, clavichords etc).

I'm not complaining, as this is the intention of the M4000D - the result is haunting and strangely organic. I just wondered if the samples for the Nords lose this note to note variation or not, as there is that element of multisampling.

Cheers