GForce has introduced M-Tron MkII, a new virtual instrument, for Mac & Windows, described as a “celebration of the insanely rare and highly coveted original dual manual ’trons”, namely the Mellotron MkI/MkII and Chamberlin Musicmaster.
M-Tron MkII is a new and distinct product from M-Tron Pro. M-Tron MkII was designed specially for producers and composers who want access to the tones of the original dual manual Chamberlin, Mellotron MkI & MkII instruments, with special emphasis on the Rhythms and Accompaniments.
Features:
- Rhythms, Accompaniments & Lead sounds from the 1960’s dual-manual Chamberlin & Mellotron MkI & MkII.
- 132 tape-banks, several of which have never been previously released.
- Over 4500 individual samples curated from The Streetly Archives.
- Unique and authentic user interface with over 150 Patches.
- Rhythm / Accompaniment & Lead mode, plus Dual Rhythm / Accompaniment mode.
- Parallel Trigger option for Rhythms, Accompaniments or both.
- Rhythm & Accompaniment Host Sync, Transposition, Tape Half Speed, Tape 2s-Rewind Time, Tape Reverse and Pan.
- Individual key edit control (tape start, detune, tape pan, key click), & key edit presets save and recall.
- Chord Finder visual-aid for playing matched Rhythms and Accompaniments.
- Use one 88-note keyboard or two separate smaller keyboards to control each manual.
- Reverb (modern or spring) and Delay effects.
- Unlooped tape-banks for an authentic MkII playing experience.
Here’s a demo by Marius Leicht:
Pricing and Availability:
M-Tron MkII is available now, with an intro price of £199.99, Ex. VAT (normally £249.99).
When you have an existing product the Bunkulator, the last thing you want to name a new product is the Bunkulator mk 2 because you will spend more time explaining that the Bunkulator mk 2 is a “new and distinct product” and not an upgrade than you will spend talking about its features and how great it is.
Existing owners of the Bunkulator will be pissed that they don’t get an upgrade code.
In short: The name of this plugin is terrible.
highly coveted? I guess GForce will find out soon enough….very expensive niche VST
I saw someone making samples, with an akai mpc i think, of 1950-1960 vinyl records. Will bring a person maybe close to what Gforce released?
I think I see what they’re doing with the pricing.
Essentially you’re buying an exclusive sample pack. Those that get in first could release their tunes based off the tapes before the market becomes saturated.
After that you’re left with a beautiful virtual incarnation of a something that’s been available in free and commercial forms for quite some time.
The ex VAT pricing also indicates that it’s not priced for home users……yet.
Years ago I had a drum loop I purchased legally from GForce get copy striked on Youtube and they refused to intervene or help me in any way. Never bought from them again after that.
The fault lies with Youtube not GForce. Youtube will flag preset loops and prominent noises from hit songs loaded in their Content ID database. Post anything using GarageBand’s “Vintage Funk Kit 03” loop and you’ll be quickly ensnared by their content filter.
Nah, if you sell something as “copyright free” and then don’t have the proper mechanisms in place to ensure people don’t copyright it, you’re just selling a fraudulent product.
nah, you are barking at the wrong tree. 😉
your troubles with youtube have nothing to do with Gforce or the software you bought from them.
I’m a long-time M-Tron player who loves it, but this feels like more of a purist item than an expansive tool. I can get those amusing, grainy things going with two or three tracks of M-Tron. They do fairly refer to this as an addition on their site, so it strikes me as more of a collector’s novelty. Check out their various libraries if you want to beef up your options.
Does this mean I have to sit in the lotus position and talk in a blissed-out tone to get the most of this plugin?
boutique software- that’s new!
Other than the nostalgia factor, I don’t understand why anyone would want or use a Mellotron / Mellotron sounds in their music. In its day, it was innovative and useful, but there are reasons that the Mellotron went away when better things came along. The cheesy sounds work if you are in a tribute band and want to authentically recreate the Mellotron sounds from back in the day, but other than that, in this day and age, just about anything else sounds / works better in a song IMHO.
if you so into be unique, you can use the sounds as a raw material, layer them and process them till they are not so recognized, they are very musical so this trick worked for many in the past, this is what most who tried to find something new did at that time.
Mellotrons went away? Tell that to my 4 1/2 year old Mellotron.
The production of the original Mellotrons ended long ago, many decades ago. There is a reason for this. Any resurrection of the instrument is largely due to nostalgia. Music acts that used a Mellotron back in the day (Genesis, Yes, etc) stopped using them long ago when better things come along. I have a DVD copy of the interesting documentary Mellodrama: The Mellotron Movie. In this documentary, Tony Banks says that he was glad when he could stop using the Mellotron when better things came along. Most people who use a Mellotron nowadays or Mellotron software do so to try to recapture that nostalgia from back in the day. As I mentioned, IMHO, in this day and age, just about anything else works / sounds better in a song than a Mellotron.
You’re right about the practical aspects of the physical machine being wholly obsolete, but the SOUND of the ‘Tron is enormously useful and relevant. It DOES require some imagination however; there are ways to re-contextualize, mix and process the ‘Tron that creates a haunting, “ghost-in-the-machine” quality that simply can’t be faked any other way. It’s not about cheesy rhythms and horn riffs; it’s about a deeply emotional connection to the players of the instruments that the original tapes mysteriously captured. You can feel the “soul”. Now, granted – it takes WORK. You can’t just pop up a preset and play something and have that happen. You have to arrange for it, set it up, re-contextualize it to make it modern. But if you’ve got the patience, and the skill, there’s nothing else that even comes close. See my post below for more.
Mellotron didn’t go away the company is still thriving.
Got to digitalmellotron.com and read all about the process of their transformation into the modern instruments which are easier to upkeep, perform onstage with, and market. There is also a series on their YouTube channel called Home Tapes with loads of artists using them in their respective genres. While initially it’s fun to discover all the retro stuff (as an avid Beatles fanatic I went straight for the flutes) after awhile that burns away and you discover with just a little nudge from a pedal/plugin or 2 just how experimental and weird you can get. It has been an absolute boon to my creativity and a total game changer.
Production of the original Mellotrons ended in 1986. The Mellotron was resurrected decades later.
i think the point here as with all g-force products is they recreate instruments that are completely unobtainable for most and make them available, i think this is very important even if looked at as a way to archive this instrument. even if it’s not for everyone i don’t see how it hurts to have the option.
If you like cheesy rhythms, like I do, you can get iOptigan for free. It’s great fun.
Additional fun available for a couple of extra bucks.
https://apps.apple.com/be/app/ioptigan/id1143470101
The Mellotron is a HUGELY underrated and untapped resource. I’ve built a virtual orchestra from multiple instances / libraries, with 1st violins, violas, cello, horns, trumpets, etc – all very carefully EQ’d, processed and placed the way they would be in a “real” orchestra. This gives me the ability to write pieces that evoke something deeply emotional – it’s like an orchestra from the distant future, but captured through 1940’s-era technology. A total time-displacement effect that is simultaneously nostalgic and futuristic. And I’m not alone. Check out maverick pioneer BT’s song from his last album, where he uses a ‘Tron orchestra in the intro and other sections of this amazing track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr0muk8CHOE
In all seriousness is Geforce even relevant anymore?
As a massive vintage synth nut, an original ‘Tron is the one instrument I don’t have (or want) – but not because the sound isn’t relevant!! It’s because there’s so many great libraries like the G-Force instruments that work much better than an original, while sounding exactly the same. It was a sampler after all, so samples of the instrument are all you need, while the sound of an actual ‘Tron degrades the more you play it because the tapes wear out. I’m super excited about this release, although I wish it were more affordable.