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Related Manuals for Arturia Mellotron V
Summary of Contents for Arturia Mellotron V
- Page 1 USER MANUAL...
- Page 2 Jason CHENEVAS-PAULE MANUAL Fernando M RODRIGUES Vincent LE HEN (editor) Jose RENDON (Author) Minoru KOIKE Holger STEINBRINK Stephan VANKOV Charlotte METAIS Jack VAN © ARTURIA SA – 2019 – All rights reserved. 11 Chemin de la Dhuy 38240 Meylan FRANCE www.arturia.com...
- Page 3 Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Arturia. The software described in this manual is provided under the terms of a license agreement or non-disclosure agreement. The software license agreement specifies the terms and conditions for its lawful use.
- Page 4 This manual covers the features and operation of the Mellotron V. Be sure to register your software as soon as possible! When you purchased Mellotron V you were sent a serial number and an unlock code by e-mail. These are required during the on- line registration process.
- Page 5 Mellotron V runs as a stand-alone virtual instrument, as well as a plug-in in all major formats inside your DAW. It has easy MIDI learn functionality for hands-on control of most parameters, and as a plug-in also allows parameter automation for greater creative control.
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Page 6: Table Of Contents
Audio and MIDI Settings: MacOS ................................... 12 2.3.3. Mellotron V as a plug-in ......................................12 MELLOTRON V OVERVIEW........................... 13 3.1. What can we do with Mellotron V?......................... 13 3.1.1. The original Mellotron limitations ..................................13 3.1.2. The Mellotron V main features..................................14 3.2. - Page 7 Start (Sample Playback Start Point)................................51 7.2.11. End (Sample Playback End Point) ................................. 51 7.2.12. Sample Envelope........................................52 7.2.13. Loop (Sample Loop)......................................53 Mellotron V Effects..............................55 8.1. FX Page ..................................... 55 8.1.1. In ................................................55 8.1.2. Out............................................... 56 8.1.3.
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Page 8: Welcome To The Mellotron
That company was created in the UK by the people who were supplying the tape heads to Chamberlin. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - WELCOME TO THE MELLOTRON... -
Page 9: Whos' Who Of Mellotron Users
(in the beginning, the band played with a real orchestra). The famous swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz (Yes, The Moody Blues) also used the Mellotron, and its follower Novatron (Novatrons were rebranded Mellotrons). Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - WELCOME TO THE MELLOTRON... -
Page 10: Does A Mellotron Make Sense In This Day And Age
So, it is natural to think that any sound that would be recorded on a tape and played through that mechanism would acquire that same personality. We at Arturia set out to capture and provide this authentic, sought-after experience of the Mellotron, without all the headaches and hassles of maintaining the hardware instrument. - Page 11 You have a macro envelope control, and you can use MIDI velocity to control the volume, after-touch to control the flutter effect, and the modulation wheel to control tape track mixing. So, do you want a Mellotron or what? Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - WELCOME TO THE MELLOTRON...
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Page 12: Arturia's Secret Ingredient: Tae
TAE®’s software algorithms result in spot-on emulation of analogue hardware. This is why the Mellotron V offers an unparalleled quality of sound, as do all of Arturia’s virtual synthesizers and plug-ins. Linear frequency spectrum of an oscillator modeled with TAE®... -
Page 13: Arturia's Mellotron V
1.5. Arturia's Mellotron V With Mellotron V, we have accurately modeled the sound and charm of the famous original instrument, while extending its functionality and providing modern features for music performers and producers. Its primary role is to play the old Mellotron tapes, as faithfully as the original. We even kept the tape duration limit of eight seconds, to preserve the fidelity. -
Page 14: Activation And First Start
Win 7+ 10.10+ You can use the Mellotron V as an AAX, Audio Unit, VST2 or VST3 plug-in (64-bit only). 2.2. Activate the Arturia Mellotron V license Once the software has been installed, the next step should be to activate your license, so that you can use it without limitations. -
Page 15: Initial Setup
2.3. Initial Setup The first time you launch Mellotron V in standalone mode, you'll be asked to define the Audio settings (and MIDI settings) for the instrument. These settings can be accessed at any time, by clicking the Arturia menu at the top left, then click Audio Settings. We will cover all the... - Page 16 You can specify more than one MIDI device at once. Tempo defines the internal tempo used by the Mellotron V to play time sync • elements when in standalone mode, like synchronized effects. When used as a plug-in, the instrument will always synchronize to the host tempo.
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Page 17: Audio And Midi Settings: Macos
Windows. 2.3.3. Mellotron V as a plug-in Mellotron V comes in VST2, VST3, AU and AAX plug-in formats for use in all major digital audio workstations (DAW) including Live, Logic, Cubase, Pro Tools and others. Unlike the hardware, you can load as many instances as you find useful. The Mellotron V also has some other big advantages over hardware: •... -
Page 18: Mellotron V Overview
(the flutes, the violins and the choirs, especially, marked their presence in countless records), and there were no alternatives for playing orchestral sounds on stage, except hiring a real orchestra. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - MELLOTRON V OVERVIEW... -
Page 19: The Mellotron V Main Features
Since user samples can also be used with the Mellotron V, you will be glad to hear that the instrument may reproduce them as if each note was played by its own tape. Internal rhythms, like vibrato, or even rhythmic phrases are preserved throughout the keyboard. -
Page 20: Getting Hands-On With The Mellotron V
A/B and B/C. However, in Mellotron V you will also have the possibility of mixing between two tracks dynamically, by controlling the mixing through MIDI or using the modulation wheel, for example, and you will also have an extra "All"... -
Page 21: Using The "Tapes
• Load the "Default" preset again; • If Mellotron V is not in Open Lid mode, click the double arrow button in the Upper Panel to put it in that mode; ♪: Open Lid Mode is the advanced mode of the Mellotron V. Besides giving access to advanced parameters, it also gives access to many important editing pages, that will be needed if you want to assemble your own sounds and/or use your own samples. -
Page 22: Using Your Own Sounds
3.2.3. Using your own sounds Now that you have learned how to create your own sounds using the factory "tapes" that come with the Mellotron V, it's time to keep going, now using your own sounds: • Let's get back to the Default preset, and load it once again;... -
Page 23: Using The Effects
Also, if you want to Bypass an effect, just click the "switch" on the upper right, to turn that slot Off. And that's it. We traveled through many of the main features of the Mellotron V. You are now ready to use the instrument, and create some great sounds with it. But you may want to add some MIDI control... -
Page 24: Automating The Mellotron V With Midi
3.2.5. Automating the Mellotron V with MIDI So, let's prepare the Mellotron V to be used with a MIDI controller, or automated through your DAW: • You may leave the instrument exactly where we were just now. Click the MIDI socket icon in the Upper Toolbar;... -
Page 25: User Interface
The Mellotron V has a small virtual keyboard in the main instrument panel. This keyboard is a mock-up of the original M400 keyboard, with just 35 keys, spanning from G1 to F4. This was the range of the original Mellotron M400. The Mellotron V can play a much larger range though. -
Page 26: The Upper Toolbar
4.3. The Upper Toolbar The plug-in GUI (Graphical User Interface) has the usual Arturia toolbar that runs across the top edge, with the Arturia logo / plug-in name on the left (the colored part), followed by the Library button and the preset filters. - Page 27 After selecting this option the default path to these files will appear in the window, but you can navigate to whichever folder you are using to store presets. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - USER INTERFACE...
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Page 28: Preset Library Browser And Manager
4.3.1.6. Resize Window options The Mellotron V window can be resized from 50% to 200% of its original size without any visual artifacts. On a smaller screen such as a laptop, you might want to reduce the interface size, so it doesn't dominate the display. -
Page 29: Preset Selection Filter
4.3.5. Effects (FX) Button The FX button is only visible when the Mellotron V has the Advanced control panel opened (Open Lid mode). For more information about the Effects, please read the... -
Page 30: Advanced (Double Arrow) Button
This button opens the Advanced control panel (Open Lid mode). This is the control panel which houses the advanced editing options and extra features added by Arturia to expand the functionality found on the original units. This extra control panel contains several very important pages. -
Page 31: Midi Learn Assignment
There’s a pop-up window that displays which two things are being linked and an Unassign button that will disconnect the two. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - USER INTERFACE... - Page 32 ♪: Pitch Bend, Mod Wheel and Aftertouch are reserved MIDI controllers that cannot be assigned to other controls. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - USER INTERFACE...
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Page 33: Midi Controller Configuration
This is a quick way to set up different hardware MIDI keyboards or controllers with Mellotron V without having to build all the assignments from scratch each time you swap hardware. Mellotron V with the MIDI controller... -
Page 34: The Lower Toolbar
What it does is take the best advantage of the available screen space to display the Mellotron V GUI elements. Usually, with this you will be able to access the Arturia menu and choose a zoom set that fits your screen. -
Page 35: Preset Browser And Management Tools
The order the results are displayed can be inverted by clicking the arrow buttons to the right of the column titles (Featured, Type, etc.). Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - PRESET BROWSER AND MANAGEMENT TOOLS... - Page 36 Notice that, when you select more than one tag, and the filter narrows the choices in other categories (like Banks and Types), the choices that don't have any preset that fits in the selected tags will become gray (unavailable). Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - PRESET BROWSER AND MANAGEMENT TOOLS...
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Page 37: Search Results Window
Results list. Use as many of the sorting and filtering features as you need and you will find the exact sound you want every time. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - PRESET BROWSER AND MANAGEMENT TOOLS... -
Page 38: Tag Category Windows
Mellotron V features three tag categories: Types, Styles and Banks. You can give a preset more than one tag in the Style category, but only one in the Type category. The Bank category is automatically written according to the Bank the preset is saved on. -
Page 39: The Preset Info Section
Bank or Type. You can even add new Styles by clicking the + sign at the end of that list. Click Save when you are done. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - PRESET BROWSER AND MANAGEMENT TOOLS... -
Page 40: Edit Information For Multiple Presets
♪: If you want to alter the information for a Factory preset you must first use the Save As command to re-save it as a User preset. After this the Info section will gain Edit and Delete buttons at the bottom of the window. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - PRESET BROWSER AND MANAGEMENT TOOLS... -
Page 41: Preset Selection: Other Methods
The left and right arrows in the toolbar cycle up and down through the preset list: either the full list, or the filtered list that resulted from the use of one or more search terms. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - PRESET BROWSER AND MANAGEMENT TOOLS... -
Page 42: Playlists
To delete an entire playlist, click the x at the end of the playlist row. This will only delete the playlist; it will not delete any of the presets inside the playlist. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - PRESET BROWSER AND MANAGEMENT TOOLS... -
Page 43: Mellotron V Control Panel
6.1.1. On/Off Button In the original, this button would turn the instrument On or Off. In Mellotron V the button is just a cosmetic detail. It doesn't perform any function. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - MELLOTRON V CONTROL PANEL... -
Page 44: Track Selector
Arturia wanted to remain faithful to the emulated instrument. With this control, the Mellotron V can be pitched up or down a whole tone (two semitones). The control is continuous, and accepts any value between -2.00 and +2.00. By default it is positioned at 0.00. -
Page 45: Advanced Control Panel (Open Lid Mode)
Upper Toolbar. This extra control panel gives access to many very important windows and add-ons that bring a lot of extra power and flexibility to the Mellotron V. Let's take a look at the extra controls that we can access when we are in Open Lid mode: Mellotron V Advanced control panel 6.2.1. -
Page 46: Flutter
To add an extra degree of realism, we have this parameter, which will recreate those noises. By default, the parameter is positioned at 0.00 (no noises), but can be raised all the way up to 1.00. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - MELLOTRON V CONTROL PANEL... -
Page 47: Noise Floor
Mellotron. This noise is produced by the instrument all the time, and can be heard through the output. In the Mellotron V, we give the user the option to get this constant noise or not. The heard noise is actually a recording of the noise produced by a real Mellotron. -
Page 48: Tape Track Page
Advanced panel is open (Open Lid mode), has a much larger extension than the Mellotron keyboard that appears in the main panel. This is because the Mellotron V has a much bigger play range than the original Mellotron, and allows to map more than one sound per track. -
Page 49: Tapes And Samples Management
Max. 2 factory samples + 6 user samples combined. This Tape Tracks page has a much wider range than the original Mellotron. However, the original "tapes" that ship with the Mellotron V will span just the 35 note range that the original instrument was capable of. -
Page 50: Mapping Tapes And Samples
Notice that the mouse pointer changes to a hand with a pointing finger. Now double click. This will open the following dialog box: Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - TAPES AND SAMPLES MANAGEMENT... -
Page 51: Sample Browser
This is the dialog box where we select sounds to load. The scrolling list in the lower part contains all the original "tapes" that ship with the Mellotron V. You can scroll the list up and down until you find the sound you want. -
Page 52: Edit/Exit Button
The Edit button is located at the right of the Tracks page. This is the button that gives access to the Sample Editing page. When that page is opened, the button changes to Exit. When we press the Exit button, it closes the Sample Editing page, and the Mellotron V gets back to the Tracks page. -
Page 53: Load Button
Beware though that the Mellotron V still plays the Track that's selected by the fader. If you want to hear the edits you're making, ensure that the fader is set to the corresponding track. -
Page 54: Waveform Window
Waveform Editing window. Notice the Sample Start handler positioned at 0.094, the Loop Start handler positioned at 0.202, and the Loop End handler positioned at 0.901. The values are displayed in the respective fields below Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - TAPES AND SAMPLES MANAGEMENT... -
Page 55: Pan
(by creating another region with the same sampler, and transposing that region up or down). ♪: Extreme transpositions may degrade the quality of sample playback. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - TAPES AND SAMPLES MANAGEMENT... -
Page 56: Tune
That's what Stretch does. It allows to use your own samples as if they were tape frames from the original Mellotron. Default for Stretch is On, but it can be turned Off, in which case the Mellotron V sample playback will behave like any regular sampler (slowing down in lower regions and speeding up in higher regions). -
Page 57: Sample Envelope
7.2.12. Sample Envelope Although the Mellotron V has a macro envelope, each sound region can have its own envelope, which will work in addition to that macro envelope. For more information about the Macro Envelope please read the respective entry [p.40]. -
Page 58: Loop (Sample Loop)
However, in Mellotron V we can overcome that limitation. This is done by defining loop points, and defining a loop playback mode. By default, this parameter is Off, which means the Mellotron V will behave like the original (when the sample reaches the end, it stops playing). - Page 59 7.2.13.2. End (Loop End Point) Works the same way as the Loop End Handler [p.50]. Any editing performed in this field will be reflected by that handler. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - TAPES AND SAMPLES MANAGEMENT...
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Page 60: Mellotron V Effects
The original Mellotron was usually played through some external amplifiers, and further processed through several external effects. Being an Arturia instrument, we didn't want it to go out alone, therefore, an assortment of high-quality effects and also a couple of amplifiers were added, to further polish the original sound. -
Page 61: Out
If you drag the effect over an empty slot, it will simply be placed in that slot, and the previous slot will become empty. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects... -
Page 62: Processor Preset Library
You can also save changes to the current preset, or choose "Save As" to save the settings under a new name. This looks and works like the main Save and Save As options in the Arturia menu. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects... -
Page 63: Pedal Effects
8.2. Pedal Effects The Mellotron V FX window has four "pedal" effects slots. Each slot can be filled with the effect of your choice, selected among a collection of twelve included with the instrument. To load (or replace) an effect, click the title field of the slot you want to load the effect into (if empty, it will display None ). -
Page 64: Chorus
Will switch the Chorus output between mono and stereo. Shape Shape of the LFO wave that will modulate the delayed signal. Dry/Wet Controls the balance between processed and unprocessed sound. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects... -
Page 65: Flanger
Filters the frequencies above the cutoff point, to avoid a sound too harsh. HP Filter Filters the frequencies below the cutoff point to avoid too much bass in the sound. Dry/Wet Controls the balance between processed and unprocessed sound. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects... -
Page 66: Phaser
Controls the speed of the LFO that will modulate the phasing effect. Amount Controls the amount of modulation applied by the LFO. Sync This switch synchronizes the modulation speed through MIDI. Dry/Wet Controls the balance between processed and unprocessed sound. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects... -
Page 67: Compressor
Manual volume gain (make up) amplification to compensate for the reduction due to Out Gain compression. Make Up A switch that turns On/Off automatic gain (make up) compensation. Dry/Wet Controls the balance between processed and unprocessed sound. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects... -
Page 68: Delay
Filters the frequencies above the cutoff point, to avoid a sound too harsh. HP Filter Filters the frequencies below the cutoff point to avoid too much bass in the sound. Dry/Wet Controls the balance between processed and unprocessed sound. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects... -
Page 69: Distortion
Controls the balance between processed and unprocessed sound. Overdrive: The Overdrive effect is well known from guitar players, and adds a kind of "fuzziness" to the sound. This effect is modeled after a "solid-state" circuit. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects... - Page 70 Usually, this type of distortion enriches the spectrum with high-frequency content and can produce complex frequencies out of simple waveforms. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects...
- Page 71 In this case, it approaches the distortion guitar pedals. Controls Description Drive Controls the distortion intensity. Out Gain Controls the volume of the processed signal output. Dry/Wet Controls the balance between processed and unprocessed sound. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects...
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Page 72: Equalizer
Controls the gain/attenuation (between -15 dB and 15 dB) of the High Shelf band. HighShelf Frequency Controls the shelf frequency of the High Shelf band (between 1 kHz and 10 kHz). Scale Controls the depth of the equalization effect. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects... -
Page 73: Reverb
Filters the frequencies above the cutoff point, to avoid a sound too harsh. HP Filter Filters the frequencies below the cutoff point to avoid too much bass in the sound. Dry/Wet Controls the balance between processed and unprocessed sound. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects... -
Page 74: Stereo Pan
When this switch is On, the low frequencies are not modulated by the effect (become mono). Mono Dry/ Controls the balance between processed and unprocessed sound. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects... -
Page 75: Analog Delay
Controls the rate of the LFO modulation source. When Sync is on, the rate is synced through Rate MIDI with the host, and expressed in musical values. Depth Controls the amount of modulation. Dry/Wet Controls the balance between processed and unprocessed sound. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects... -
Page 76: Limiter
Release Controls the time it takes the audio to recover from limiting. Output Controls the output gain, after limiting. Level Dry/Wet Controls the balance between processed and unprocessed sound. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects... -
Page 77: Tape Echo
♪: Remember that you can change the order of the effects by drag-and drop them between the slots. The dragged effect will change place with the one that was in that slot. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects... -
Page 78: Amps
8.3. Amps Besides the effects "pedals" the Mellotron V includes two amplifiers. In the old days, Mellotrons, like the other electric keyboards, would many times be played through amplifiers, like guitar amplifiers or even Leslie cabinets. For added realism, we added a modeled guitar amplifier and also a modeled Leslie cabinet. -
Page 79: Rotary Speaker
Mellotron V to help recreating that sound. The Mellotron V Rotary Speaker amplifier has many controls, divided by two panels. In the Main panel we have: Fast (accelerates the rotation effect), Brake (stops the rotation, forcing a mono signal), Stereo, Balance, Drive, Dry/Wet. -
Page 80: Room Simulator (Convolution Reverb)
This impulse is a reference audio signal recorded in an acoustic room or space (or through a hardware processor), this way capturing the audio signature of that room, space or hardware processor. Arturia - User Manual Mellotron V - Mellotron V Effects... - Page 81 Since the impulses are crucial to get a good convolution effect, we have a good choice, spanning acoustic rooms, plate reverbs, spring reverbs, and even modern hardware. The Mellotron V Room Simulator has just a few controls, since there isn't much to control in a processor of this type: Room, Dec. Start, Duration, Dry/Wet.
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Page 82: Software License Agreement
The License is not a sale of the original SOFTWARE. 2. Grant of License Arturia grants you a non-exclusive license for the use of the software according to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. You may not lease, loan or sub- license the software. - Page 83 (a) return of the purchase price or (b) replacement of the disk that does not meet the Limited Warranty and which is returned to Arturia with a copy of your receipt. This limited Warranty is void if failure of the software has resulted from accident, abuse, modification, or misapplication.
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