EHX releases the Mel 9

[Scruffie]

I've been waiting for this to come... not listened to the demo yet but i'm fairly sure I need it.

http://www.ehx.com/products/mel9

[Muadzin]

Another keyboard for guitar pedal from EHX? Hands up who didn't see that coming. I'm amazed they haven't released an uber all in one with presets pedal, like the Pog2, but I guess why get a guitar player's money only once when you can get it unlimited times with an endless series of variant pedals? The sounds on this variant sound tempting though. Of all the *9 series pedals this sounds the most interesting to me.

As usual though any Bill Ruppert vid is a joy to watch.

[Jebus]

I'm amazed they haven't released an uber all in one with presets pedal

That will follow after they have released couple more of these..

[selfdestroyer]

* selfdestroyer plays Strawberries Forever.... then returns it.

Looks like another one trick pony. I have used a EHX B9 from my aunt and it was fun for about a hour, then it sank in, I am not a keyboard player.

Cody

[culturejam]

I'm actually interested in this one. I had a Super Ego, and it was pretty cool, but the envelope required a ton of signal to trigger. It was difficult to do it accurately and consistently without a lot of gain/boost in front.

This one claims not to have that issue. If that's true, I definitely want it.

[matmosphere]

That demo sounds pretty nice. The most interesting one yet, imo.

[blearyeyes]

Great Idea. EHX keeps comming up with really interesting pedals. I agree that this one is the most interesting. Being a keyboard player as well mixing the effect under an acoustic is pretty cool. Their piano one is cool but why not just play the keys?

I remember when guitar synths first came out and guitar players would invariably want to hear the acoustic guitar sounds. Always got a blank stare when I suggested they buy a nice acoustic guitar instead. 

Gotta hand it to them though, coming up with innovative guitar pedals isn't easy.

[lincolnic]

I think this is pretty damn cool. Even if EHX has released pedals like this before, it makes me feel like there's still new things to be discovered. And that's always good.

[Muadzin]

I'm amazed they haven't released an uber all in one with presets pedal

That will follow after they have released couple more of these..

Yeah, that's what I expect will happen as well. 

Great Idea. EHX keeps comming up with really interesting pedals. I agree that this one is the most interesting. Being a keyboard player as well mixing the effect under an acoustic is pretty cool. Their piano one is cool but why not just play the keys?

Because its a different instrument and skill set to master, whereas any guitarist can stomp on a pedal? Besides, it saves on having to bring a keyboard around. Or hiring a keyboard player.

I remember when guitar synths first came out and guitar players would invariably want to hear the acoustic guitar sounds. Always got a blank stare when I suggested they buy a nice acoustic guitar instead.

I can think of a few reasons though. It makes switching between an electric guitar sound and an accoustic guitar sound easy, especially when you need or want to have both in the same song. Acoustic verse followed by an electric chorus and solo? Try doing that with an acoustic. It also saves having to bring an additional guitar along, and sometimes logistics matter. A Boss Accoustic Simulator is a hell of a lot cheaper then a nice acoustic guitar, which saves money for more important stuff if that is your desire. And personally I just don't like the damn things. I have like 15 guitars (I think) and luckily none of them are acoustics.

[Cortexturizer]

I guess as any company they feel pressed to come up with new stuff all the time and with the admiration that the melotrone have gotten from the modern prog-rock crowd it's no surprise that their research department have done their job.

I haven't tried the B9 and others but I feel that I would've had the same experience like selfdestroyer had - interesting for an hour and then it would've just started to bother me, so a polar opposite impression after an hour nonetheless. Haha.

But hey, whatever sells.

[raulduke]

Its cool n'all, but it doesn't sound much like a mellotron to me.

The appeal of the mellotron (IMO) is the tape loops, and all the grit, grime, warble and 'character' that you get in the old recordings.

The old tape loops have real character, and some companies have already put a lot of effort into plugins that let you play the original recordings (see here: http://www.gforcesoftware.com/products/m-tron-pro).

I can see people will find cool uses for it, but as a mellotron emulation its a bit of a  from me.

[Muadzin]

In the end though its a guitar pedal that tries to make a guitar sound like a keyboard. So keyboardish. Methinks its a little too much to expect it to actually sound 100% like the real thing, just like I've yet to hear a decent guitar sound coming from any keyboard. So if your plan is to get the occasional weird sound from your guitar and/or can't play keyboard and are not that picky in the quality of your keyboardish sound, this may be a good buy for you. If you're a keyboard tone purist however then yes, this will not be the mellotron replacement that will make your old mellotron finally see retirement.

And then again this may be one of those pedals that languishes in obscurity until someone famous picks it up, creates a signature sound with it and makes everybody want one. Kinda like how once you could score an original TS-808 for next to nothing, until a certain Stevie Ray Vaughan came along.

[blearyeyes]

My first thought was: "Well we went for strings but its kinda cheesy sounding...hmmm."
"ITS A MELOTRON! That's  the ticket! " (Not dissing the Mellotron. Knights in White Satin, Major Tom and all that)

[peAk]

Its cool n'all, but it doesn't sound much like a mellotron to me.

The appeal of the mellotron (IMO) is the tape loops, and all the grit, grime, warble and 'character' that you get in the old recordings.

The old tape loops have real character, and some companies have already put a lot of effort into plugins that let you play the original recordings (see here: http://www.gforcesoftware.com/products/m-tron-pro).

I can see people will find cool uses for it, but as a mellotron emulation its a bit of a  from me.

I own M-Tron Pro and I absolutely love it. That said, all gforce stuff is great.

[selfdestroyer]

Its cool n'all, but it doesn't sound much like a mellotron to me.

The appeal of the mellotron (IMO) is the tape loops, and all the grit, grime, warble and 'character' that you get in the old recordings.

The old tape loops have real character, and some companies have already put a lot of effort into plugins that let you play the original recordings (see here: http://www.gforcesoftware.com/products/m-tron-pro).

I can see people will find cool uses for it, but as a mellotron emulation its a bit of a  from me.

I own M-Tron Pro and I absolutely love it. That said, all gforce stuff is great.

I own their suite also. I use the heck out the VSM.

Cody