ROAD TEST
Electro-Harmonix Mel9 Tape Replay Machine
By Kevin Young
Generally speaking , any smallfootprint piece of gear that adds Mellotron options to your sound palette – for guitar , bass , or keyboard – is a welcome addition to your rig , and the Electro-Harmonix ( EHX ) Mel9 Tape Replay Machine definitely falls into that category . Not only does the pedal provide a variety of classic Mellotron sounds ; it does so with impressive ease of use , which can ’ t be said for some other solutions I ’ ve tried out over the years .
Background For those unfamiliar with the original instrument , the Mellotron was a keyboard instrument favoured by bands ranging from The Beatles to Led Zeppelin , The Rolling Stones , The Moody Blues , and Genesis – classic sounds from classic rock , but the instrument has remained an important ( if primarily digitally recreated ) sound in pop and modern rock to this day .
Think of the Mellotron as an old school – really old school – sampler , but one that used loops of analog tape to recreate the sound of the instruments it mimicked . So every key you press on the original instrument runs a tape loop that ’ s then amplified and , given the medium of analog tape in such an application , provides a very distinctive sound .
In Use Regardless of your gig , the ability to layer a Mellotron over an existing patch can add warmth and ambience to flesh out the overall sonic picture . For me , the Mel9 would most likely be used as a studio tool primarily , but only because I ’ m using other Mellotron sounds assigned to specific keyboard zones for specific songs during performance .
For guitarists , bass players , or anyone doing a solo gig playing guitar or keys who ’ s looking for a pedal to augment their onstage sound , the EHX Mel9 is a lock . Classic sound with no hassle whatsoever .
The Mel9 is a polyphonic pedal that uses the same technology as previous EHX offerings like the B9 and C9 Organ Machines and Key9 Electronic Piano Machine pedals . In all , it provides nine indispensible Mellotron sounds : Orchestra , Cello , Strings , Flute , Clarinet , Saxophone , Brass , Low Choir , and High Choir , all with five-note polyphony and a range that spans from A1 to A5 .
The Mel9 sports a 1 / 4-in . input and two 1 / 4-in . outs – Dry and Effect – so by adjusting the Dry and Effect volume knobs , you can alter the balance and level of the source ’ s dry sound against that of the pedal ’ s Mellotron sound . It also provides Attack and Sustain control knobs for the Effect out that operate as you might expect . And , incidentally , when you ’ re on the Brass setting with full attack ( the knob set all the way to the right ), the pedal provides a cool sound I can only describe as “ lip noise ” to the initial attack .
You may find more nuanced Mellotron sounds in a multi-sampled recreation in both the software and hardware keyboard worlds , but in my experience , nothing as immediately flexible and user friendly as this box .
And that ’ s not to suggest that the Mel9 doesn ’ t recreate classic Mellotron sounds extremely well . It does , and given the variables the original instrument presented , the pedal is an ambitious undertaking , but like the other , similar EHX offerings mentioned earlier , the Mel9 does a great job recreating the vibe and tonal complexity of the original instrument .
The pedal does require a fair bit of volume to work to its full potential and some people have suggested putting a compressor in line ahead of the pedal , which sounds like a good idea , though it ’ s probably more relevant for bass and guitar players than a keyboard player .
Summary In the final analysis , each individual sound is specific enough – for example , Flute sounds a fair bit like the classic “ Strawberry Fields Forever ” sound – to use when trying to recreate particular textures in well-known material , but general enough to allow players to impart a unique texture to their sounds and songs without someone in the audience thinking you ’ ve ripped the sound directly from a familiar album . That may not matter to you , but , in my opinion , makes the pedal that much more useful for adding subtle textures underneath dry sounds , or as a standalone sound generator for live and recording applications alike .
The Mel9 retails for just under $ 300 CDN , and within just five minutes of plugging it in and playing around , I felt it was worth that and more .
Kevin Young is a Toronto-based musician and freelance writer .
22 • CANADIAN MUSICIAN