EH Mel9 Tape Replay Machine

[JD01]

Ray, that's a really cool sounding pedal. Definitely the sort of thing that I really want even though i don't need it and have no use for it.

[itsnotkcearl]

Interesting stuff, I love their pedals, some really leftfeild stuff. They got organs and other similar keyboards in the same type of pedal. I just got their iron lung pedal and Im enjoying it

[Armistice]

Ray, that's a really cool sounding pedal. Definitely the sort of thing that I really want even though i don't need it and have no use for it.

I'm keeping my options open... I can always drive down and borrow ray's...

Or subcontract ray to play it for me...

[rayc]

I'm keeping my options open... I can always drive down and borrow ray's...
Or subcontract ray to play it for me...

David,
I'd already decided that, once I'd worked it out and done a few things, I'd post it up to you to play with for a while.
I figure having it around would mean I'd overuse it and it'd clutter up stuff - I have very little restraint.
Does that make sense?

[Armistice]

I'm keeping my options open... I can always drive down and borrow ray's...
Or subcontract ray to play it for me...

David,
I'd already decided that, once I'd worked it out and done a few things, I'd post it up to you to play with for a while.
I figure having it around would mean I'd overuse it and it'd clutter up stuff - I have very little restraint.
Does that make sense?

Shit, sorry ray! Didn't see this... I'd be happy to give it a home for a bit when you're tired of it! I'll be heading down south (long story) a bit more frequently over the next little while, so easy enough to pickup/deliver if you don't want to trust it to the post. Or whatever..

[rayc]

Whatever 's convenient David.

[rayc]

UPDATE.
I tried a 4 string bass through the Mel9 as well as a 'cello with bug bridge pickup:
Bass - interestingly worked better for some sounds than others - a definite winner for flute and cello but even with those it needs to be 5th fret & higher and forget the bottom E string altogether.
'Cello - pretty much the same as bass though there were far more artifacts in the sounds. I used a compressor, (recommended for any instrument going in), to even & boost the signal.
With both instruments the Mel9 could detect the low notes of the E string/C string and 1st positions on the A OK but selected higher octaves to express them.
It's definitely requires time to find the sweet spot on the input instrument and then the sweet spot of the emulated instrument. I tried, as much as possible, to work within the true range of the emulated instrument but heaps of synthy fun can be had with other notes as well.

[rayc]

I've had a couple or three months to play around with the thing and get to know how to record with it. Playing without recording is easy - particularly when the dry & effects lines are blended, but recording takes a bit more to get the sounds to sit nicely in a mix and then there's dealing with expectations of folk - it doesn't sound like "real" string samples an an expensive synth but like Mellotron recordings of instruments.
In the box trickery is pretty easy though - a Fender Twin Reverb amp sim with LOTs of spring reverb, top end rolled off, the twin;'s native cab, a dynamic mic close to the simulated grill and you're on your way. If you have a Fender Twin or similar amp you're well ahead.
The other thing is TIME. I've begun to work out playing techniques to suit the types of voices - as well as the attack & sustain settings. It doesn't matter whether a pick or fingers is used but the compressor in front of the Mel9 is important.
Here is a recent mix I did using those bits & bobs above:

SPC1811151017gd.mp3