M-Tron Pro Man

THIS MANUAL IS COPYRIGHT GFORCE SOFTWARE LTD 2008.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION.

ALL TRADEMARKS ARE ACKNOWLEDGED.

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The Mellotron® – A Brief History Gordon Reid© 2008. again unreliable: its mechanism would become charged
with static electricity, and its tapes were then prone
The earliest instrument to play back samples of existing sounds was probably the Singing Keyboard to wrapping themselves around the large drums that
(1936), which replayed optical recordings of waveforms (much like early cinema soundtracks) when formed part of the sound selection mechanism.
the player pressed its keys. This concept resurfaced many times between the mid-1930s and
mid-1970s, but the next important development in ‘sampling’ technology was driven by the invention Two years later, the Mark 2 and Model 300 made way
of magnetic recording tape, which made it possible for the recordings to be reversed, layered, filtered,
re-recorded… and more. The first instrument to take full advantage of this was Hugh Le Caine’s for an even cheaper instrument – the Model 400.
Special Purpose Tape Recorder (1954), which used a keyboard to control the playback of multiple
reels of tape. This was sensational stuff, and many avant-garde composers Costing just £795, this was smaller and lighter than any Mellotron® Model 400
made use of the Recorder. previous model, and its release presaged an explosion

in the number of players using Mellotrons. But it was in

the genre of progressive rock that the new keyboard became best known, and the huge popularity of

Meanwhile, a chap named Harry Chamberlin was also experimenting with a keyboard that could bands such as Genesis and Yes was due in no small part to the haunting sounds of its violins, choirs
replay magnetic tapes, but in a more conventional manner, with a constant replay speed and a
different pitch recorded on the tape under each key. It has now entered legend how a Californian and flutes. It was the heyday of ‘prog’ and audiences loved Mellotrons, but many keyboard players
window cleaner named Bill Fransen was intrigued by the sounds emanating from one of his
customers’ garages and, peering through a (newly cleaned?) window saw the inventor playing an disliked them intensely. Keith Emerson threw his into an orchestra pit, and Rick Wakeman was
early Chamberlin MusicMaster. It is also well documented that Fransen then introduced himself, and
ended up working as Chamberlin’s salesman. recently quoted as saying that there wasn’t a computer known that had enough memory to record

everything that he disliked about them.

Unfortunately, the MusicMaster hummed badly and proved to be very temperamental. Fransen was In 1974, a fan approached Wakeman and asked Birotron
keen to see it improved so, unbeknown to Chamberlin, he travelled to England to find the expertise whether he would be interested in a keyboard that
he needed, and subsequently placed an order for 70 matched replay heads with a company named was lighter and more reliable than a Mellotron, had no
Bradmatic, based in Birmingham, UK. Curious as to why anyone should require so many matched eight-second limit, and used 8-track tapes to produce
heads, the Bradley family (hence the company name) met and later joined forces with Fransen. a very similar sound. The fan was Dave Biro, and
However, none of them had the cash needed to fund the redesign or to manufacture the proposed his instrument was the prototype of the short-lived
instrument, so they advertised for financial support. Bandleader and radio broadcaster Eric Robinson Birotron. Wakeman was intrigued, and plunged a
replied, and development began. significant amount of money into its development.
Unfortunately, a significant technical oversight had
doomed the design from the start so, despite building a
handful of machines, Birotronics folded in 1979.

Fransen turned out to be a talented recording engineer, and the Eric Robinson Organisation owned A year earlier, Galanti had built a keyboard that, instead
the highly regarded IBC Studios which were used to record the sounds that would eventually be
installed within the keyboard. Shortly thereafter, the ERO was renamed Mellotronics Ltd, and its first of using tapes to replay the sounds, used optical discs
product, the Mellotron Mark 1 appeared in 1963. Costing £1,000, a huge sum at the time, it offered
many improvements over Chamberlin’s instruments, but remained rather unreliable. similar to those developed for Mattel’s Optigan (Optical

Organ). Called the Chilton Talentmaker, this was

withdrawn from sale when Mattel threatened to sue

It was to be another year before the first truly useable Mellotron was to appear. When it did, the the manufacturer for patent infringement. Two years
Mark 2 was a 350lb dual-manual monster comprising more than seventy 3/8” tape players, each
capable of playing a strip of tape lasting just eight seconds. It also contained a reverb unit, amplifiers, later, Mattel decided to develop its own, advanced disc
and speakers. It was 70-note polyphonic and was able to reproduce all manner of sounds including
orchestral strings, flutes, brass, guitars, organs, pianos and choirs, the last of which were famously player for professional use. This evolved into the Vako Optigan
described as sounding like “dead men singing”. A second and even more expensive version,
the Mark 2 FX Console, was designed for use as a sound effects machine in TV and film studios. Orchestron, another instrument designed specifically

to replace the Mellotron. Established by Dave van

Koevering (formerly of Moog Music) Vako Synthesizers Inc. started building a range of models in

1975, but they were commercial flops and, despite being used briefly by Yes and Kraftwerk, quickly

disappeared.

Mellotronics saw its instruments as modern-day organs, and sold them to clubs and theatres, while The final Mellotron also appeared in 1975. This was the Mark V, which was essentially two Model
others became celebrity toys. Despite this, the pop and rock community took the Mellotron to its 400s in a single case. But in 1976, the bubble burst. The advent of cheap string machines and
heart and, by 1967, everyone was experimenting with it. The Beatles had already recorded what polyphonic synthesisers made it simple for keyboard players to obtain lush, orchestral textures,
was eventually to become the most famous Mellotron performance of all time, the introduction to and the birth of punk rock meant that most of them no longer wanted to. Worse was to follow. When,
‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, but the band that deserves greatest credit for bringing the instrument to in 1977, Mellotronics’ US distributor collapsed while owing it a large sum of money, Mellotronics was
the world’s attention was The Moody Blues, whose hit ‘Nights unable to meet its financial obligations, and was liquidated.
in White Satin’ was perhaps the first to bridge the gap between
‘beat’ music and classical orchestration. Happily, Bradmatic – now known as Streetly Electronics – survived, and was able to continue
manufacturing. However, they couldn’t call their instruments Mellotrons because the name had
In 1968, a smaller and cheaper (£871) Mellotron appeared. been sold along with the physical assets of Mellotronics Ltd. Another name was needed,
Called the Model 300, this dispensed with one of the and thus the Novatrons were born.
keyboards and the internal speakers, and adopted a new tape
format with redesigned motors and electronics. Bands such Mellotron® Model 300
as Barclay James Harvest and Gentle Giant were influential
exponents of the new instrument but, unfortunately, it was

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There were four of these: the Model 400SM, the 400FX, the Mark V, and the T550, but only Within a short space of time rumours started to circulate of the M-Tron’s existence and we started
the T550 was a new product, the others being re-badged Mellotrons. (Manuals of the era receiving phone calls from people asking if we would make it commercially available and while our
stated that, “we are no longer able to use the name Mellotron” and asked owners to “substitute initial thought was, “Why?” the calls became more persuasive and eventually we decided to take
the new name Novatron in its place when reading this manual”.) the plunge. We contacted people behind the original instrument in both the UK and USA but neither
was particularly interested in working with us so the mantra that has raised its head so often over the
In the post-punk 1980s, there was a resurgence of interest in progressive rock, and many years “F*** it. We’ll do it ourselves” was once again mooted
bands championed the Mellotron again. Unfortunately, the advent of cheap digital samplers
meant that, for most players, it was obsolete. So, in 1986, Streetly Electronics went into Thus began our initial foray into the world of commercial software development and we were
voluntary liquidation, and the Mellotron died. obviously very pleased when the M-Tron went on to be one of the world’s highest selling plug-in
instruments, adorning countless records in the process. Indeed, as I write this verbiage the radio is
Except that… it didn’t. Interest in the Mellotron never waned, and numerous people playing a tune on which the Tron is very evident (A-Punk by Vampire Weekend). It always makes us
experimented with tape replay systems based upon it. Then, in 1991, an American named smile when things like this happen and we’ve lost count of the number of times one of us has leapt
Dave Kean purchased the rights to the Mellotron name and established Mellotron Archives. out of a chair while watching TV shouting “M-Tron” at either the advert or the incidental music. Family
Soon after, Martin Smith and John Bradley (the son of one of the Mellotron’s original and friends think it’s a variant on Tourette’s Syndrome.
designers, Les Bradley) reestablished Streetly Electronics. Both companies supplied
refurbished instruments, new tapes and spare parts but, by the middle of the 1990s, demand Nonetheless, time marches on and while the beauty of the M-Tron is in both the sounds and the
had reached the point where there were simply not enough vintage instruments to go around. simplicity of operation, the knowledge and expectations of even the most jaded computer musician
It was therefore inevitable that somebody would consider manufacturing Mellotrons again and, has increased exponentially since its release. Whereas back then, acronyms like ADSR and BPF
in 2002, Kean and his Swedish collaborator, Marcus Resch, started shipping the Mellotron were probably only known to the hardcore synthesis community, in these more enlightened times
Mk VI, a clone of the Model 400. Then, in 2006, Smith and Bradley launched the Model 4000, they’ve become a fundamental part of any computer musician’s daily language.
which combines a modified version of the tape replay mechanism designed for the Mark
2 in a case approximately the size (and convenience) of a Model 400. Amazingly, the best The M-Tron Pro is an attempt to answer the huge amount of feature requests and feedback we’ve
Mellotrons ever built are being built today, and the sounds they make are still as popular – and received over the years while simultaneously marrying those features behind the acronyms with a
as musically relevant – as at any time in the past five decades. high degree of immediacy.

Roland VP330 Plus If you’ve ever wanted to reverse a tape bank or quickly layer tapes to create your own bespoke sound
with more than a passing nod to the past, the M-Tron Pro was specifically designed to make this as
Yes we know this wasn’t a classic tape-playing instrument, but the VP330 choir is regarded effortless as possible. Conversely, if you want to use the original tones in al their lo-fi glory, ignoring
in many circles as a classic akin to that of the Melly. According to some sources Tony Banks the additional features the M-Tron Pro affords, simply close the lid and select from the hundreds of
used his on the Three Sides Live tour to help replace some of the old Tron sounds especially presets provided with the instrument.
during the ‘In The Cage’ Medley.
Put simply, the M-Tron Pro is the instrument for those learned musicians who want a simple yet
Released in 1979 the Strings from the VP330 has found favour with a raft of bands because powerful interface and feature-set, but who want the choice as to whether to take those classic
of its unique sounds. The VP330 tones here were recorded directly from one of Underworld’s sounds and either remain true to their original form, or transport them somewhere new and exciting.
coveted machines.
From our perspective, we quietly hope, in the same way as with the original M-Tron, people will use
M-Tron to M-Tron Pro the M-Tron Pro to explore new avenues and create new twists on those classic and nostalgic tones
that have shaped music in so many ways since the 1960s. It’d be nice to think we’ll be sitting in front
It’s fair to say that some of our best ideas have come from chatting in the car, often traveling to of the TV or radio in a few years time listening to a familiar but freshly carved sound shouting
and from studios or music shows and the original M-Tron was clear evidence of this. “M-Tron Pro” much to the resigned amusement of the family.

Since the days when we manufactured the Phat.Boy MIDI Controller, we’d always wanted to Enjoy.
bundle it with a software synth thus realizing a reasonably self-contained solution to instant
music making. We’d actually started a project to bring this to fruition but this was in the very Support developers not thieves.
early days of software instruments such as ReBirth and the Koblo 9000 and, put simply, our
technical expertise wasn’t good enough to match what little was already out there. If you’re reading this message then the chances are you paid for this copy of M-Tron Pro and please
accept our sincere thanks. All revenue from sales of our instruments go back into developing new products
One particular in-car chat turned to easier ways of fulfilling this and the M-Tron was conceived. and allows us to create tools that don’t necessarily conform to industry demands and expectations.
If our memories are correct it went along the lines of “No complex time stretching, no intricate
software filters to worry about - Just the sounds of a classic instrument. Easy!” As software users ourselves, we dislike intrusive copy protection and we firmly believe that legitimate
users shouldn’t have to jump through countless hoops before they begin to create music. However,
We then set to work and when we had something that we were pleased with we suddenly thanks to piracy, there may come a point when this has to be reappraised. So the message is simple
realized that we’d built an instrument based on an original instrument that was so terminally – If you want independent, free-thinking developers to continue a simple approach to installation and
un-hip at that time, it was hard to give them away. The bundle idea was abandoned and we protection, don’t steal their software.
viewed the entire episode as a learning exercise from which we ended up with a personal VST
Plug-In with which to adorn our own compositions. We sent a copy to some friends, some of whom Thank you.
were well known users of the original Melly, so that they could have access to these sounds too.

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Preservation and Sound Production Installing M-Tron Pro

The M-Tron Pro comes with over one hundred and Included on the Master DVD are multiple versions of the M-Tron Pro. The installer installs
forty tape banks. We also decided to take some of our ALL versions via a single installer; one for Mac and one for PC.
favourite sounds and re-master these at the world famous
Abbey Road Studios, London using their vintage EMI TG Insert the M-Tron Pro Master DVD into your DVD Drive and select the M-Tron Pro installer applicable
12410 analogue mixing desk, the Prism Maselec MEA2 to your machine type (PC or Mac) and install the instrument formats.
equalization unit and the unique EMI compressor. Mastering
engineer, Steve Rooke, has been with Abbey Road for over VERY IMPORTANT: Once this is complete you need to manually copy the folder called
27 years and has a wealth of experience working on tracks ‘M-Tron Pro Library’ to a suitable location.
by John Lennon, Paul McCartney and even the seminal
album Now That’s What I Call Music One. The library is very large in size (over 3.5GB) and you can copy it to an external hard drive
if necessary.
These re-mastered sounds have their own section and were
specifically engineered to add warmth without sacrificing Once the folder has finished copying to your hard drive, launch M-Tron Pro via your host or the
any of the overall character of the original sound. In essence Standalone version. The first time you open M-Tron Pro you will be prompted to locate the
they are a little cleaner than the original versions too and M-Tron Pro Library folder and then enter the Registration Code EXACTLY as you find it printed within
some cases a few notes have been re-pitched in order to your Quick Start Guide, including hyphens and letters in capitals.
replace some slightly more wobbly adjacent ones.
Finally, please take the time to register your instrument at www.gforcesoftware.com and check for
The combined total of both original, re-mastered and looped sounds is over two hundred tape banks the latest version. Registration is a prerequisite for receiving free technical support via the link on the
from which the huge patch quotient was created. website. Also if you lose your Quick Start Guide containing the serial number you can easily retrieve
it via your GForce Software account provided your instrument in registered.
The two rules that we tried to adhere to during all sound development were as follows:
Install locations Mac
Rule 1 – Preserve the sound.
• Standalone Instrument: Mac HD/Applications
The sounds of the M-Tron Pro come from a huge variety of sources and although in many cases
these tapes required a degree of cleaning-up due to their age and storage conditions, we have • Audiounit Instrument: Mac HD/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components
deliberately left in many imperfections rather than iron out too much of the instrument’s soul.
• VST Instrument: Mac HD/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins
As such you will find that, when played in isolation, the occasional note may sound a bit wobbly plus
there may be clicks, hum and even the odd bit of tape drop-out. This is entirely deliberate and when • RTAS Instrument: Mac HD/Library/Application Support/Digidesign/Plug-ins
played within the context of a track, this is exactly what adds to the unique soul, vibe and character of
the instrument. Install locations PC

Rule 2 – Preserve the note duration • Standalone Instrument: C:/Program Files/GForce/M-Tron Pro

The original idea with the M-Tron Pro was that everything that was originally looped would remain • VST Instrument: C:/Program Files/Vstplugins/M-Tron Pro
looped and everything that wasn’t originally looped would remain unlooped. For example, the Birotron
and Optigan had looped sounds and this should be preserved on the M-Tron Pro. Similarly, the • RTAS Instrument: C:/Program Files/Common Files/Digidesign/DAE/PlugIns
VP330 played a continuous note and those sounds should do the same on the M-Tron Pro.
Thanks to: Art Gillespie, Ian Legge, Klaus Hoffmann-Hock, Dale Davis, Putte, Ben Hall,
The Chamberlin and the Mellotron did not have looped sounds however and we feel it’s important to Stewart Sawney, Steve Rooke at Abbey Road Studios, Stefano Daino at DSP Quattro,
preserve this enforced limitation. Andrea Gozzi at Redmatica, Marc Weerts and Hans-Jorg Scheffler.

Thankfully, the vast majority of original M-Tron users agree with us, recognizing that part of the Melly’s Sound Design: Rick Wakeman, Dave Spiers, Chris Macleod, David Gamson, Ben Hall,
beauty is the limitation that forces the musician to adapt his style which, in turn, allows the music to breath. Davy Blakely, MarcJX8P, Howard Scarr and Dean Honer.
A clear example of this can be heard on Radiohead’s Exit Music - just listen to the clipped choir parts.

However, there is a small minority who think that this limitation is ‘retarded’ and, while we
wholeheartedly disagree, we have looped all of the Re-Mastered Sounds just for them.
The Re-Mastered section contains some of our favourite Melly sounds each of which were
re-mastered at the world famous Abbey Road studios. A full list of these sounds can be found
in the appropriate section of the manual.

More Tron information

www.Mellotron.com www.vemia.co.uk/Mellotron

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M-TRON PRO TAPE BANKS Birotron Woodwind 35 Notes. Single 8 second recordings of the
Birotron Woodwind.

Accordion Birotron Woodwind Looped 35 Notes. Looped recordings of the Birotron Woodwind.

Accordion Chords 16 accordion chords originally recorded from a MkII ‘Tron

G C Minor G# C Major Brass
A F Minor Bb G Minor
B B Dim C Bb Dim Brass 1 35 Notes. A trumpet and sax combination.
C# C# Dim D B Minor
D# B Major E A Minor Brass 2 35 Notes. Mixed Brass section comprising of trombone,
F F# Dim F# G Dim sax and trumpets.
G E Major G# E Minor
A F# Major Bb G Major Brass B Revised 35 Notes. The ‘Tron’s most famous brass in its ultimate, extremely
fat and powerful version.

Bass Accordion 17 Bass Accordion notes recorded from a MkII Melly. Brass+Trombone+Trumpets 35 Notes (1-18 Two Trombones 19-35 Two Trumpets).
English Accordion Ranging from G1 to B2 Like with his GC3 Brass it was George Chisholm who simply
bounced down two times a trombone and a trumpet recording
Full 35 notes of English Accordion recorded from a MkII ‘Tron. which ended up in a slightly phased but highly interesting
brass.

Combined Brass I 35 Notes. One of the Bradleys’ early 80’s recordings combining
several brass versions into a mighty blend.

Bass Combined Brass II 35 Notes. ‘Mr Tron himself’, Les Bradley, experimented a lot with
different combinations of live and synthesized brass. This version
Double Bass 35 Notes. Although this was found on a Tape Bank, it’s rumored is one of his fattest combined noises ever.
that this was made-to-order and as such is very rare.
Hofner Both French Horn 35 Notes. A mellow sort of ‘mystic’ brass sound that’s both very
Hofner Front 35 Notes. A Hofner Violin Bass recorded with both pick-ups. rare and highly sought after by the ‘Mellotronists’.

Hofner Rear 35 Notes. A Hofner Violin Bass recorded using only the Mixed Brass I 35 Notes. Recorded from a MK II Mellotron this combination of
front pick-up. Trombone, Sax and Trumpet has a different blend to many other
Mixed Brass Tape Banks we’ve heard.
35 Notes. A Hofner Violin Bass recorded sing only the rear pick-up.
Mixed Brass II 35 Notes. An amazing George Chisholm blend of a twice bounced
tenor saxophone and a trumpet for that ‘psychedelically’ phased
Birotron brass noise.

As alluded to in The Mellotron - A Brief History, the Birotron got round the non-looping limitation MkII Brass 35 Notes. Do you remember King Crimson’s or The Moody Blues’
of the Mellotron via a clever, but ultimately flawed, system of 8 track cartridges each playing impressively fat brass sound consisting of saxophone, trombone
a series of indefinite tape loops. We’ve included both looped and non-looped versions of the and a trumpet? Here it is.
same sounds - the later for those of you who recognize the beauty of an 8 second limitation.
All of these classic sounds are very rare. MkII Trombone 35 Notes. Mike Pinder’s sweet brass of the Moody Blues’ 60’s and
70’s recordings. Recorded via a vintage microphone for that lovely
Birotron Choir 35 Notes. Single 8 second recordings of the Birotron Choirs. old hollow sound.

Birotron Choir Looped 35 Notes. Looped recordings of the Birotron Choirs. Muted Brass 35 Notes. Another recording using a vintage microphone for total
authenticity. One of the Moody Blues’ ingredients for their early
Birotron Organ 35 Notes. Single 8 second recordings of the Birotron Organ. orchestral sound.

Birotron Organ Looped 35 Notes. Looped recordings of the Birotron Organ. Sax Trumpet Trombone 35 Notes. A mixed brass section comprising of trombone, tenor
sax and trumpet. While the components are the same as in ‘Mk II
Birotron Strings 35 Notes. Single 8 second recordings of the Birotron Strings. Brass’ this later brass combination sounds completely different.

Birotron Strings Looped 35 Notes. Looped recordings of the Birotron Strings.

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Solo Trumpet 35 Notes. Having been one part of many different brass blends the Male Female Choir 35 Notes. A split male and female choir.
Trombone+Trumpets ‘Solo Trumpet’ never made it into the Hall of Fame like the ‘Flute’ Mixed Choir (Male choir notes 1-17, Female choir notes 18-35).
or the famous ‘Violins’ did, but in the right hands this uncommon
sound offers some stunning possibilities. St Peters Choir Ah 35 Notes. An eminently useable hybrid male and female choir.
St Peters Choir Oo Sometimes known as 8 Choir because it features four male and
35 Notes. Recorded from a MkII Mellotron. four female voices in unison.
Tripled 8 Choir
Chamberlin 25 Notes. Superb harp glissandos and arpeggios. 35 Notes. Recorded in early 2003 at St Peter’s Church,
Caversham, UK.
Harp Arpeggios 24 Notes. Featuring some of our favourite ‘Tron sounds of all time.
Harp Rolls Small Harp arpeggios and rolls. 35 Notes. These modern recordings help drag the ‘Tron kicking
and screaming into the 21st century. An interesting change to the
Solo Female Voice 35 Notes. An ethereal solo female voice. usual ‘Tron choirs, and unique to the M-Tron and M-Tron Pro.
Wine Glass
25 Notes. Fantastic! Not least because the age of these tapes has 35 Notes. Imagine 24 male and female voices of the 70’s most
created some very wobbly wine glasses indeed! famous choir at your fingertips. Definitely one of our favourite
ever Mellotron sounds.

Effects

Bill and Vincent Effects 25 Notes. Contrary to what you might think, this is not some old
prog band but two motifs. One used on The Beatles ‘Bungalow
Choirs Bill’ and another that sounds like something out of a Vincent Price
horror movie. We’ve pitched these so that they’re immediately
15 Choir transposable from their original keys.
Augmented 8 Choir
Black Sabbath Choir 35 Notes. A rare 15 voice Male and Female voice choir. Black Sabbath Effects 35 Notes. Some absolutely classic motifs and effects recorded
Boys Choir An interesting alternative to the famous 8 choir. from the Black Sabbath tape banks. The ‘Wizard’s Bell’ anyone?
Choir 1
35 Notes. The rare and powerful double Genesis 8 Choir Roxy Music Effects 27 Notes. Actually known as the Roxy Music II tape bank, this
Choir 2 from 1980. contained orchestral motifs that were probably recorded to use
Choir 3 on tour.
Classical Choir 35 Notes. A great choir mix recorded from the Black Sabbath
Combined Choir tape bank. Sound Effects 1 35 Notes. Originally compiled from the BBCs sound library for the
Custom Male Voice MkII Sound FX version, these effects became popular with
35 Notes. A Fifteen voice boys choir originally recorded TV and Radio stations all over the world.
at St John’s Wood Church in the UK.
Tape Hiss 35 Notes. Some vintage Melly tape hiss. Useful for adding that
35 Notes. Male Choir recorded from an M400 believed to have vintage vibe to your own patches.
belonged to Tangerine Dream. The tapes for this were labeled
‘mannenchor’. Vinyl Noise 35 Notes. Self-explanatory.

35 Notes. An M400 female choir, recorded as above. These tapes Flutes 35 Notes. Probably the most recognisable flute sound of all time.
were labeled ‘Damenchor’. Instantly nostalgic.
Flutes
35 Notes. This time an M400 boys choir, recorded as above. MkII Flute 35 Notes. A vintage microphone recording of a 1965 MkII. The
sound used for The Beatles’ ‘Strawberry Fields’ and Pink Floyd’s
35 Notes. This unique and solemn choir consists of six males and Second Flute ‘Julia Dream’.
two females and sounds like the Russian State Choir.
35 Notes. This is a real rarity of the 80’s and was intended
35 Notes. Four female voices in combination with a mixed choir. to bolster the ‘Tron against the emerging digital samplers.
Reportedly, the sound was recorded in the very early 60’s but was
35 Notes. Never being a part of the ‘Tron’s stock library this overlooked in favour of the flute sound we all recognize today.
custom made choir sound offers an interesting single male voice
with some even more interesting intonation on some notes.

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Guitars 35 Notes. A deep vibrato sound from a baritone guitar, somewhat Optigan Optigan Cha Cha
reminiscent of Twin Peaks or Wichita Lineman.
Danelectro Baritone Optigan Bossa Nova Style A series of 110 BPM Optigan loops from
E-Bow 35 Notes. The E-Bow is a guitar gizmo invented by Greg Heet our Cha Cha Cha disc assigned as
in 1969 and allows a guitarist to vibrate strings via an electro A series of 110 BPM Optigan loops from follows:
E-Bow Looped magnetic field. The result sounds not dissimilar to a string being our Bossa Nova Style disc assigned as
Gibson ES135 Vibrato bowed and has been used by a legion of guitarists from follows: G = Cha Cha Cha Effects 1
Gibson ES135 Steve Hackett (on ‘Carpet Crawlers’) to Robin Guthrie of the G# = Cha Cha Cha Effects 2
Vibrato Square Cocteau Twins. G = Bossa Nova Style Effects 1 A = Cha Cha Cha Effects 3
Guitar G# = Bossa Nova Style Effects 2 Bb = Cha Cha Cha Effects 4
Mandolin 35 Notes. A slightly different set to the above and with the added A = Bossa Nova Style Effects 3 B = Cha Cha Cha Effects 5
MkII Guitar advantage of infinite sustain. Bb = Bossa Nova Style Effects 4
B = Bossa Nova Style Effects 5 C1 = C Major Loop
35 Notes. A wonderful vibrato guitar tone, again, reminiscent of D1 = D Major Loop
Twin Peaks. C1 = C Major Loop E1 = E Major Loop
D1 = D Major Loop F1 = F Major Loop
35 Notes. The same guitar as above only with choppier square E1 = E Major Loop G1 = G Major Loop
wave modulation. F1 = F Major Loop A2 = A Major Loop
G1 = G Major Loop Bb2 = Bb Major Loop
35 Notes. A unique steel string guitar sound. A2 = A Major Loop
Bb2 = Bb Major Loop C2 = C Minor Loop
35 Notes. A plucked mandolin sound recorded from a Mk II. D2 = D Minor Loop
Immediately reminiscent of the theme from ‘The Godfather’. C2 = C Minor Loop E2 = E Minor Loop
D2 = D Minor Loop F2 = F Minor Loop
35 Notes. A totally unusual 1960s guitar with a special plucked E2 = E Minor Loop G2 = G Minor Loop
electric bass on the low keys. F2 = F Minor Loop A3 = A Minor Loop
G2 = G Minor Loop Bb3 = Bb Minor Loop
Mixed tape banks A3 = A Minor Loop
Bb3 = Bb Minor Loop C3 = C Diminished Loop
Bassoon+Flute 35 Notes. This beautiful soft and moody sound fits perfectly D3 = D Diminished Loop
to any mediaeval song. C3 = C Diminished Loop E3 = E Diminished Loop
D3 = D Diminished Loop F3 = F Diminished Loop
Church Organ + 8 Choir 35 Notes. The mighty St John’s Wood pipe organ in conjunction E3 = E Diminished Loop
with the 70’s most famous female and male voices. F3 = F Diminished Loop

Mandolin + D6 Clavi 35 Notes. A rather unusual (but beautiful) combination of the
MkII’s Mandolin layered with Hohner’s famous wiry Clavinet.

Orchestra Moog 35 Notes. Fat orchestra with a big Moog bottom.

Strings+Choir 35 Notes. Another great basis for fat orchestral power-chords.
This combination features 12 Violins, Viola, Cello, plus 4 female
and 4 male voices.

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Optigan Optigan Easy Does It Orchestra 35 Notes. A dark and powerful orchestral sound recorded
directly from the Black Sabbath tape banks.
Optigan Classic Guitar A series of 110 BPM Optigan loops from Black Sabbath Orchestra
our Easy Does It Style disc assigned as Halfspeed ‘Tron 35 Notes. Formerly only possible in the studio by layering
A series of 110 BPM Optigan loops from follows: different sounds and then setting the tape machine to half
our Classic Guitar disc assigned as G = Easy Does It Effects 1 Megatron speed, this combination of eight fat string, brass and pipe
follows: G# = Easy Does It Effects 2 organ recordings will blow your mind. Mike Pinder of the
A = Easy Does It Effects 3 Orchestra Moody Blues knew this only too well.
G = Classic Guitar Effects 1 Bb = Easy Does It Effects 4
G# = Classic Guitar Effects 2 B = Easy Does It Effects 5 35 Notes. Imagine having ten of the ‘Tron’s most famous
A = Classic Guitar Effects 3 and powerful orchestral sounds in unison under your fingers.
Bb = Classic Guitar Effects 4 C1 = C Major Loop A complete orchestra with violins, violas, cellos, flutes, brass,
B = Classic Guitar Effects 5 D1 = D Major Loop choirs and a church organ. Mega!
E1 = E Major Loop
C1 = C Major Loop F1 = F Major Loop 35 Notes. One of the ultimate symphonic ‘Tron powertool sounds.
D1 = D Major Loop G1 = G Major Loop
E1 = E Major Loop A2 = A Major Loop Organ 35 Notes. A powerful Hammond C3 through a slow spinning Leslie.
F1 = F Major Loop Bb2 = Bb Major Loop Think Arthur Brown’s ‘Kingdom Come’ – a real prog monster.
G1 = G Major Loop Hammond C3 Slow
A2 = A Major Loop C2 = C Minor Loop Megatron Organ 35 Notes. A hybrid organ sound created by layering a more recent
Bb2 = Bb Major Loop D2 = D Minor Loop MkII Church Organ recording of a church organ together with old ‘Tron tapes. Big and
E2 = E Minor Loop powerful.
C2 = C Minor Loop F2 = F Minor Loop MkII Organ No 2
D2 = D Minor Loop G2 = G Minor Loop Pipe Organ 35 Notes. We only know of the 1970 track from King Crimson’s
E2 = E Minor Loop A3 = A Minor Loop called ‘Lizard’ where this rarely heard organ was used. A great
F2 = F Minor Loop Bb3 = Bb Minor Loop organ for those psychedelic recordings such as The Electric
G2 = G Minor Loop Prune’s ‘Mass in F-Minor’.
A3 = A Minor Loop C3 = C Diminished Loop
Bb3 = Bb Minor Loop D3 = D Diminished Loop 35 Notes. A beautiful sacral Hammond sound with a slow Leslie
E3 = E Diminished Loop which in the wrong hands can sound like a UK seaside pier organ.
C3 = C Diminished Loop F3 = F Diminished Loop Try to remember the Genesis ‘Seven Stones’ intro instead.
D3 = D Diminished Loop
E3 = E Diminished Loop 35 Notes. Undoubtedly used in Yes recordings at some time.
F3 = F Diminished Loop
Piano 35 Notes. Sounds like the ‘vicar’s piano’ but Pink Floyd liked it on
their 1968 ‘It Would Be So Nice’ single.
MkII Piano

8

Remastered Rhythms 16 Notes. A selection of Samba rhythms and motifs recorded from
a MkII Tron.
From our perspective we were thrilled to be able to take some of our favourite sounds into Rhythm 1
Abbey Road Studios and re-master them with the help of resident mastering engineer Looped versions of Rhythm 1
Steve Rooke. Rhythm 1 Looped
Rhythm 2 17 Notes. A selection of Viennese Waltz rhythms and motifs
From your perspective the re-mastered sounds should be considered as original sounds but recorded from a MkII Tron.
with added warmth and some of the rougher edges removed. Rhythm 2 Looped
Rhythm 3 Looped versions of Rhythm 2
Original tape banks were re-recorded through the exclusive vintage EMI TG 12410 analogue
mixing desk, the Prism Maselec MEA2 equalization unit and the EMI compressor. We then Rhythm 3 Looped 17 Notes. A selection of Slow Waltz rhythms and motifs recorded
smoothed out many of the sounds further by either applying a consistent note length across the Rhythm 4 from a MkII Tron.
entire tape bank or, in extreme cases, re-pitching and replacing some slightly wobbly notes.
Rhythm 4 Looped Looped versions of Rhythm 3
Throughout the entire process we were very mindful not to iron out all the character of the Rhythm 5
sounds by making them too clean or sterile. To this end Steve’s 27 years of expertise as a 17 Notes. A selection of Bossa Nova rhythms and motifs recorded
mastering engineer, mostly in the same studio, and using the same desk, was invaluable. Rhythm 5 Looped from a MkII Tron.
Rhythm 6
Brass 1 Cello Choir 1 Choir 2 Looped versions of Rhythm 4
Clarinet Combined Brass Double String Section Flute Rhythm 6 Looped
M300 Strings 2 MkII Flute MkII Guitar MkII Violins Rhythm 7 18 Notes. A selection of Slow Foxtrot rhythms and motifs recorded
Orchestra Orchestra Moog Pipe Organ Strings 1 from a MkII Tron
Tripled 8 Choir Vibes Viola and Cello Rhythm 7 Looped
Looped versions of Rhythm 5
Remastered Looped Saxophone
18 Notes. A selection of Dixieland rhythms and motifs recorded
We’ve already explained our feelings about looped Mellotron sounds in the Preservation MkII Tenor Sax from a MkII Tron.
and Sound Production section of the manual. In short we say that the Melly’s eight-second
note limitation is a good thing. It forces the musician to think about playing from a different Saxophone Looped versions of Rhythm 6
perspective and it also allows the music to breathe. Saxophones
17 Notes. A selection of Foxtrot rhythms and motifs recorded from
Thankfully the vast majority of ‘Tron users agree with us, but for the minority who don’t, this Tenor Sax a MkII Tron.
section is for you. The sounds here are exactly the same as the Remastered section but here
they are all looped. Some of them are slightly experimental, such as the looped MkII Guitar Looped versions of Rhythm 7
and infinitely looped Vibes. We’re hoping that this will encourage users to be courageous and
not fall into the obvious traps when using these sounds. 35 Notes. Another microphone recording, this time of a very rarely
heard saxophone played in the style of its time.
With regards the looped Choirs and Strings in this section, please, if you insist on using these,
try and use them creatively without simply holding down block chords over sixteen or thirty-two 35 Notes. Singular.
bars. This simply kills the essence of the Tron sound and is neither big nor clever.
35 Notes (1-18 Two Tenor 19-35 Two Altos). This breathy split
sound appeared in the late seventies when Streetly Electronics Ltd
published it as track C of their late frame number 40.

35 Notes. Obviously the breathiest saxophone in the ‘Tron’s
library, ‘Tenor Sax’ was responsible in the Mk II for some
old-school saxy moods.

9

Split tape banks Megatron Strings 35 Notes. A hybrid string section created by layering a more recent
MkII Vintage Violins recording of tremolo strings with old Melly string recordings.
AccBass Violins Brass 35 Notes. (Accordion Bass Notes 1-12 Violins and Brass Notes
13-35). A vintage microphone recording of a Mk II with a faithful MKII Violin Orchestra 35 Notes. This was taken form Eberhard Schoener’s MKII and
recreation of the Genesis ‘Watcher Of The Skies’ string, brass and is one of the best ‘Tron 3 violin recordings we’ve encountered.
bass accordion pad. MkII Violins Interestingly, all copies from the original master-tapes could be
tailored with an equalizer to personal taste, so the differences
Genesis Split 35 Notes. (Accordion Bass Notes 1-12 Violins and Church Organ Sad Strings could be quite big.
13-35) This sound should fulfill the Genesis and Tony Banks fan’s Solo Viola
dream of a fat bass foundation and a Leslied Hammond Organ in String Section 35 Notes. These multi-layered violins offer a warm, thick
unison with the marvelous violins that were so typical of Genesis Strings 1 string sound you can only get from two MkII vintage ‘Trons
from ‘Trespass’ to ‘Selling England By The Pound’. Strings 2 simultaneously. If you’re looking for the full 60s/70s Progressive
Strings 3 Rock violins magic, this is the place to start.
Moog Bass and Bells 35 Notes (Moog Bass notes 1-18 Tubular Bells notes 19-35). Viola and Cello
A custom made tape for Frank Zappa’s band. A real rarity. Violins 1 35 Notes. A vintage microphone recording from an original MkII
Melly. This famous 3 Violins sound offers the magical hollow
Split Boys Choir 35 Notes (1-18 Boys Choir 19-35 Moog Brass). God knows who Violins 2 strings sound of the mid 60’s. Reminiscent of Traffic, John Lennon,
ever was in need of this unusual custom split. Anyway, it is an Brian Auger, Rolling Stones, Manfred Mann etc.
interesting noise you certainly not come across again. Yes Strings
17 Notes. Beautiful Mk II Cello and Violin Moving Chord motifs
Strings 35 Notes. This rare recording of a full-bodied string sound adds recorded directly from a MkII. One of our favourite ‘Tron sounds.
pure violin power to every song.
16 Violins 35 Notes. Presumably, one of the lost ‘master-tapes’ recordings.
Cello 35 Notes. This favourite of King Crimson was originally recorded
by the cellist Reg Kirby who played on Beatles tracks including 35 Notes. Two string sections somewhat out of time with each other.
Cello+Strings ‘Eleanor Rigby’. The first five notes of this sound are actually
Combined Violins a double bass due to his refusal to retune his cello during the 35 Notes. Recorded from a Mk II and consisting of three Violins,
Double String Section recording sessions. Viola and Cello.
M300 Solo Violins
M300 Strings I 35 Notes. A mixture of the aforementioned ‘Tron cello sound and 35 Notes. More of a Strings and Brass hybrid sound really but as
strings. the tapes were marked Strings 2, we’ve kept this name.
M300 Strings II
M300 Violins 35 Notes. This master tool for symphonic patterns guarantees an 35 Notes. Recorded from a Mk II although the aficionado’s say this
unequalled orchestral string impact. originally comes from an M300.

35 Notes. Imagine the String Section’s wonderful combination of 35 Notes. An ultra-rare combination from the ‘lost master-tape’
violins, a viola and a deep cello being doubled. Viola and a slightly different cello recording.

35 Notes. This is a must-have sound. A wonderful alternative string 35 Notes. The famous 3 Violins recorded from the line-out of a
recording derived from the M300. modified MkII. This is the bone-fide classic string sound featured
on countless records since 1964. The Moody Blues’ Mike Pinder
35 Notes. This unusual combination taken from the rare M300 used this sound in his Mk II Tron for every Moody Blues album he
(only about 60 were ever made) belongs to the cream of string recorded, processing it with EQ and an EMT plate reverb.
highlights.
35 Notes. A slightly different recording of the famous 3 Violins
35 Notes. Barclay James Harvest’s moody trademark strings. tape. Interestingly, due to wear and tear and different storage
conditions etc…, two copies of the same tape bank can sound
35 Notes. Like all M300 sounds, the layered violins of the violin very different when played from a Mellotron.
section sound so clear and natural that it’s sometimes difficult to
tell if there were real string players or a Melly. 35 Notes. A full-bodied unicat especially recorded for Patrik Moraz’
live shows with Yes. Never heard on any recordings.

10

Synth 35 Notes. Recorded from Tangerine Dream’s collection of Woodwind 35 Notes. One of the rare and hardly used Mellotron sounds.
custom tapes. Very nice for King Crimson-like songs.
ARP Country Guitar Bassoon
ARP Fuzz Guitar 35 Notes. Again, taken from Tangerine Dream’s custom tapes and 35 Notes. It’s a Melly clarinet and it’s very nice Self-explanatory really.
ARP Trombone featured on many of their recordings during the 1970’s. Clarinet
SynthBrass Oboes 35 Notes. Oboes recorded directly from a Mk II.
35 Notes. The final sound from Tangerine Dream’s collection of Woodwind 1
SynthTrumpet custom tapes. A recording of the ARP Pro-Soloist. Woodwind 2 35 Notes. A typical Mellotron woodwind sound.

35 Notes. In the late 60s and early 70s when the first monophonic Woodwind 3 35 Notes. If you were always amazed by King Crimson’s
synthesizers became popular these recorded sawtooth waves of a woodwind performance then here comes your chance: at the low
synth transferred to a Mellotron revealed a glimpse of the future in keys a bassoon, later an oboe both accompanied by a clarinet.
terms of polyphony.
35 Notes. A deep bassoon in combination with a flute, a clarinet
35 Notes. Reminiscent of the ARP Trombone much loved by and an oboe make you feel like being with the Knights of the Round
Tangerine Dream, this synthesized trumpet sound with its oscillator Table at King Arthur’s court in Camelot. Let the jesters enter!
slide coupled with the M400’s inaccuracies is a unique relic of the
times when all synths were referred to as Moogs or Arps.

Vibes 35 Notes. Recorded from a set of tapes that had clearly seen
better days. We’ve been surprised at the number of people
Vibes 1 who love this dirty old vibe sound.

Vibes 2 35 Notes. A remastered vibes sound. Basically, the same tape
bank as Vibes 1 but with extensive equalization and
front-end grafting to reinstate the initial sharp attack lost
by years of tape stretching.

VP330

VP330 Choir 35 Notes. A mixed male and female vocal tone much loved by
early synth pioneers.

VP330 Choir Looped A looped version of the above.

VP330 Ensemble 35 Notes. A mixed choir combined with the instantly recognisable
sound of the Roland Ensemble.

VP330 Ensemble Looped A looped version of the above.

VP330 Male 35 Notes. A male only tone, again, much used by early synth pioneers.

VP330 Male Looped A looped version of the above.

VP330 Rhythm 1 35 Notes. An interesting vocoder rhythmic pattern.

VP330 Rhythm 1 Looped A looped version of the above.

VP330 Rhythm 2 35 Notes. A second vocoder rhythmic pattern.

VP330 Rhythm 2 Looped A looped version of the above.

VP330 Swell 35 Notes. A single note vocoded swell.

VP330 Swell Looped A looped version of the above.

11

PATCH MANAgEMENT OVERVIEW. SOUND SELECTION

A Patch consists of a combination of up to two layers of samples from the various tape banks LAYER A
and these layers are referred to as LAYER A and LAYER B. Think of them as similar to two
oscillators of a synthesizer with the difference being that Layers A and B operate as if they Click and hold within the Layer A window to see the list of
were two separate instruments, each having independent fine-tuning, pan, filter and available tape banks. Scroll to the tape bank you want to
filter & amplitude envelope settings. load and release the mouse button. There will be a short
delay and the screen will tell you that the samples are
Patch Loading loading. Once the load is complete the name of the tape
bank will be displayed in the Layer A window.
Loading a Patch loads tape banks into either or both
Layers, along with their individual settings and global NB. When Layer A is selected and active, all the
effects. To load a Patch click on the Patch Selection corresponding controls will illuminate red. If a particular parameter or control doesn’t have
Window and select from the list of Patches. a red illumination, it is global and not layer specific eg Delay and Ensemble effects

In the case of each instrument category, Choirs, Strings Layer B
etc…, Patches have been organised so that you can
quickly see the variations of each tape bank as follows: Click and hold within the Layer B window to see the list of
available tape banks. Scroll to the tape bank you want to
Strings 1 Basic = A basic mono instance of the Strings 1 load and release the mouse button. There will be a short
tape bank loaded into Layer A. delay and the screen will tell you that the samples are
loading. Once the load is complete the name of the tape
Strings 1 Wide Basic = Strings 1 tape bank loaded into bank will be displayed in the Layer B window.
Layer A and Layer B with a little advance start on one layer to give the illusion of a stereo
signal. There may be some envelope settings applied too, such as Envelope Attack and NB. When Layer B is selected and active, all the
Release times. corresponding controls will illuminate red. If a particular parameter or control doesn’t have
a red illumination, it is global and not layer specific eg Delay and Ensemble effects
Strings 1 Wide Dyn = Strings 1 tape bank loaded into Layer A and Layer B with a little
advance start on one layer to give the illusion of a stereo signal. There may be some envelope SOLO BUTTON
settings applied too such as Attack and Release times. Additionally, the layers will be
programmed to respond to velocity and possibly dynamic response of the filter. Each Layer has an associated Solo Button and clicking
on this solo’s that layer. This is ideal for quick editing of
As a rule the more esoteric and complex sounds will be in the folders corresponding to the individual layers.
appropriate Sound Designer, while the more traditional Mellotron type sounds will be in the
Instrument Folders. LINK BUTTON

Patch Saving It’s possible to link both Layer A and Layer B controls so that a parameter
change affects both layers. For example, if you want to set up an identical
Saving a Patch saves all the current interface settings. To save a Patch simply click on the attack time for Layers A and B, click the Link button and alter the attack time
Patch Save Button, name your Patch accordingly and click on OK. to suit. You will hear the alterations affect both Layer A and Layer B at the
same time.
NB. Patches are always saved to the User Folder, which you will see in the drop-down list.
You cannot save user sounds to any other location but you can create folders within the User
Folder to catalogue your own patches effectively.

Editing Patches

If you take an existing patch and edit any part of it you will see the gold Patch Selection text
change to red. This is to remind you that the patch is edited and that you will need to save it
before recalling a saved patch.

Of course you can choose to ignore this and not save the edited patch, but the moment you do
this your edits will vanish. Simple eh?

12

HALF SPEED BUTTON LFO

Some users of the original instrument, such Mike Pinder, LFO SPEED
used half-speed to get a deeper, fuller sound from their
tape collection. This effectively drops the pitch by an This control determines the vibrato speed. Use this in conjunction with the
octave and is useful in the context of the M-Tron Pro for Amount knob to create pitch movements. Layer A and Layer B can have
helping create some fresh and distinctive tones. independent LFO Speed settings.
When the LFO Sync button is activated, the LFO Speed knob will display
TAPE REVERSE BUTTON a range from 16/4 (a four bar cycle) to 1/32 (a 32nd note cycle) when you
move-over this knob.
Selecting this reverses the selected tape bank and plays
from end to beginning. Wonderful for creating things like LFO AMOUNT
backwards Pianos and Guitars. Use in conjunction with
the Attack Start Knob to fine-tune the reverse time. This control determines the vibrato amount or depth and is used in
conjunction with the LFO Speed knob to help create pitch movements.
ATTACK START KNOB Layer A and Layer B can have independent LFO Amount settings.

This sets the attack start time for the loaded tape bank from between 0 and 2 LFO SYNC
seconds. You can use this in a multitude of ways as follows:
The LFOs can be synchronized so that they modulate precisely in time with
1. To remove the recorded attack ‘ramp-in’ of the tape bank. Then adjusting the your track. To activate LFO sync press this button and whenever you move
envelope’s attack parameters will allow you to create your own attack ‘ramp’. the mouse over the LFO Speed knob you will see the current setting.
The Sync ranges from 16/4 (a four bar cycle) to a 32nd note cycle.
2. To widen the sound of the Patch when layering the same tape bank.
Off-setting the attack start of one Layer will open the sound of the Patch markedly. FILTER

3. Use in conjunction with the Tape Reverse Button to create a more usable sound. We have carefully modeled the M-Tron Pro filter to suit the tape bank sound. Given the organic
Some tape banks have a decay that finishes with the sound almost inaudible. When nature of these sounds the last thing you want is self-oscillation. The filter does not self
reversed, it can take time for the note to become audible. Turning the Attack Start Knob oscillate when the resonance is turned up full.
moves the start point within the audible signal.
CUTOFF
DETUNE KNOB
This determines the frequencies that the filter allows to pass through
This sets the fine tune range for the selected Layer from between +100 depending on which filter mode is selected. For example, selecting
and -100 Cents. Layer A and Layer B can have independent Detune highpass mode allows you to filter the low frequencies while allowing the
settings. high frequencies to pass through (See FILTER MODE).

PAN KNOB RESONANCE

Sets the Pan position for the currently selected Layer. Using this, it’s This boosts the point at which the cutoff frequency is set
possible to create big, wide sounds. Try panning Layer A to the left and (See FILTER CUTOFF knob).
Layer B to the right.

LEVEL KNOB

Adjusts the volume level for the selected Layer. Layer A and Layer B can
have independent volumes.

13

FILTER MODE AMPLITUDE ENVELOPE

This selects the specific filter modes from the following: AMPLITUDE ATTACK
Lowpass
This mode allows the low frequencies to pass through while progressively Used to alter the Attack Time of the Amplitude Envelope.
filtering the higher frequencies as you rotate the cutoff knob anti-clockwise. Please be aware though, that in order to retain vital characteristics
Highpass of some instruments we have retained the start points of certain
Selecting this mode allows the high frequencies to pass through while progressively filtering instrument tape banks. Therefore an immediate attack may not
the lower frequencies as you rotate the cutoff knob anti-clockwise. always be possible.
Bandpass
This allows the selected band of frequencies to pass through while filtering out anything AMPLITUDE DECAY
outside the selected range.
Used to alter the Decay Time of the amplitude envelope.
FILTER ENVELOPE
AMPLITUDE SUSTAIN
FILTER AMOUNT
Used to alter the Sustain Level of the amplitude envelope
This slider determines the filter amount applied to the filter between 0% and 100%
envelope.
AMPLITUDE RELEASE
FILTER ATTACK
Used to alter the Release Time of the amplitude envelope.
Used to alter the Attack Time of the filter envelope.
Please be aware though, that in order to retain vital characteristics VELOCITY
of some instruments we have retained the start points of certain
instrument tape banks. Therefore an immediate attack may not VOLUME
always be possible.
This determines the amount of dynamic control over volume (or amplitude).
FILTER DECAY When set to zero, all velocities play at a constant volume. Turning the knob
clockwise introduces progressively dynamic control over volume, meaning
Used to alter the Decay Time of the filter envelope. the harder you play the louder the notes and the softer you play the quieter
the notes will sound.
FILTER SUSTAIN
FILTER
Used to alter the Sustain Level of the filter envelope between 0% and 100%
This determines the amount of dynamic control over filter cutoff. When
FILTER RELEASE set to zero, all velocities play at a fixed cutoff amount. Turning the knob
clockwise introduces progressively dynamic control over the filter, meaning
Used to alter the Release Time of the filter envelope. the harder you play the more the filter opens.

AFTERTOUCH

This allows you to set the amount of aftertouch or (channel pressure) in
relation to the filter. To use this you will need a keyboard that transmits
channel aftertouch control messages.

14

DELAY ENSEMBLE

The M-Tron Pro’s delay is a global effect and can be The M-Tron Pro Ensemble is modeled from a variety
used to add a little more depth or shimmer to an overall of vintage ensemble units and adds fixed pan
patch. positions for each voice to help give the patch some
width. There are some things to consider when using
LEFT DELAY TIME KNOB this effect. For example, if you have two layers active
with their sounds panned hard left and right, the more
This knob allows you to adjust the delay time of the ensemble you add, the more you will lose the clearly
left channel. This is variable between 0 and 2000 defined pan positions. This is because the pan positions of the ensemble voices begin to
milliseconds when unsynchronized and 1/32nd of a beat dominate the higher the ensemble mix. In these cases simply be mindful that full-on ensemble
and 1 Bar when synchronized via the Delay Sync Button. settings may not be as effective as more subtle ones.
ENSEMBLE WET/DRY MIX KNOB
LEFT DELAY FEEDBACK KNOB Balances the dry and effect level. Turned clockwise this knob increases the amount of
ensemble effect applied to the sound.
Determines how many delay repeats occur on the left ENSEMBLE VOICE DETUNE KNOB
channel. Here you can determine the amount of detune between each voice. The larger the detune
value, the more chorused the sound.
RIGHT DELAY TIME KNOB ENSEMBLE VOICE SELECTION SWITCH
This selects the number of voices used in the ensemble section. Note that the higher the voice
This allows adjustment of the delay time of the right setting, the increase the load on your computer’s CPU. Also excessive detuning with 8 voices
channel. As with the Left Delay Time Knob this is variable might make the sound a little sickly, as if you’ve swallowed too much sugar!
between 0 and 2000 milliseconds when unsynchronized
and 1/32nd of a beat and 1 Bar when synchronized via KEYBOARD CONTROLS
the Delay Sync Button.
MASTER TUNE KNOB
RIGHT DELAY FEEDBACK KNOB
Sets the global tune of the instrument.
Determines how many delay repeats occur on the right channel.
VOLUME
DELAY DRY/WET MIX KNOB
Sets the global volume of the instrument.
This simply mixes the level between the dry signal and the wet (delay) signal. Anywhere over
halfway will cause the delays to sound at a higher level to the original, dry signal.

DELAY SYNC BUTTON

The Delay can be synchronized so that it repeats precisely in time with your track. To activate
Delay Sync press this button and, now, whenever you move the mouse over the Delay Time
knobs you will see the current setting.

DELAY CROSSFEEDBACK (CF) BUTTON

This feeds the left delay into the right channel and vice versa in order to achieve a ping-pong
type delay effect.

PITCHBEND KNOB

This sets the pitchbend range for each layer from between 0 and 12 semitones.
Because this is a per-layer setting it’s possible to set completely different
amounts for both Layer A and Layer B. One of our favourite things is to set one
layer with a pitch bend range of +12 and the other layer set to +7.

When you mouse-over the Pitchbend knob you will see the amount of
pitchbend range indicated in semitones. Once you move the mouse away
from the knob this will fade.

15

MODULATION Legal Notices

Although there is no modulation wheel on the M-Tron Pro interface, moving the mod wheel All product names used in this product are trademarks of their respective owners, and are
on your keyboard controller will affect the LFO pitch modulation parameters. This affects in no way associated or affiliated with GForce Software Ltd. These trademarks of other
each Layer and takes effect from the point that you have set the LFO Amount. Increasing the manufacturers are used solely to identify the products of those manufacturers whose tones
modulation wheel on your keyboard controller, progressively adds modulation. If you already and sounds were studied and or recorded during development of the M-Tron Pro.
have a degree of pitch modulation applied to either layer, returning the mod wheel to zero will
return pitch modulation to the Patch set values. The PC Standalone version of M-Tron Pro was built using libraries from Portaudio and
Portmidi
Again, one of our favourite things is to have slightly different mod rates for each layer so that
when you use it in earnest, the effect is somewhat, epic. http://www.portaudio.com/

Automation http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~music/portmusic/portmidi/

PortAudio Portable Real-Time Audio Library - Copyright(c) 1999-2000 Ross Bencina
and Phil Burk”

PortMidi Portable Real-Time MIDI -Copyright(c) 1999-2000 Ross Bencina and Phil Burk,
Copyright(c) 2001-2006 Roger B. Dannenberg”

The M-Tron Pro provides access to MIDI Automation via the MIDI CC Button. Clicking on this
reveals a wealth of Red, Green and Grey boxes.

The Red and Green boxes correspond to Layer A and Layer B respectively, and here it’s
simple to assign a controller to a parameter.

First, click in the box of the required parameter and you will see it start to pulsate. Then move
the appropriate knob or slider on a connected controller. The controller will make contact with
the parameter, the box will stop pulsating and the corresponding CC number will be inserted in
that box.

It’s possible to assign the same controller and CC Number to multiple parameters. For
example, if you wanted to use CC74 for both Layer A and Layer B filter cutoff, click on the
corresponding Red and Green boxes until they both pulsate and then move the knob or slider
that transmits CC74 on your controller. The two boxes will show the number 74 and this CC
will now control the filter cutoff on both Layers.

You can also get more adventurous if you wish and there’s nothing to stop you assigning the
same controller knob or slider to multiple parameters such as filter cutoff and filter amplitude
release.

The Grey boxes correspond to the global parameters and with these only a single controller is
necessary.

When you have finished making your controller assignments and wish to return to the M-Tron
Pro’s main panel, click on the MIDI CC Button once more.

To delete an assigned CC please use the following commands:

Mac - Cmd-Click

PC – Ctrl-Click

16