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SampleTron

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Overview

Authentic recreations of rare vintage keyboards with greater power and control capabilities.

SampleTron virtual instrument software from IK Multimedia and Sonic Reality offers some of the most unique, musically useful tones you can imagine. Combines the authentic recreation of "Tron" sounds such as Mellotrons, Chamberlins, and Optigans with the powerful SampleTank engine to take those nostalgic sounds into the new millennium. SampleTron allows you to manipulate, process, and stretch all these gritty, emotional, and quirky lo-fi sounds. The SampleTron virtual instrument was made for many styles including hip-hop, electronic, and classic rock. The sounds in the IK SampleTron package are diverse, powerful, and inspiring. You'll be creating everything from the nostalgic sounds used by The Beatles, Moody Blues, Genesis, Yes and other high-profile bands of the 60's and 70's to the modern production of artists like Kanye West, Smashing Pumpkins, and Beck. You can even create new sonic creations never heard before.

The "Tron" sound
The unique, easily recognizable, and instantly classic sound of the "Tron" instruments started with the Chamberlin keyboards in the 1950's, and peaked with the Mellotron 400, in the 1970's. This precursor to today's samplers uses tapes to play back prerecorded sounds at the touch of the keys. They are large and easily broken, but have such a unique sound, it's difficult not to love the nostalgic tone and instant 'vintage' gratification that comes from hearing one.

Whether you know it or not, you've heard the sound of a Mellotron or one of its siblings. Just about every famous artist or band has used one in a song at one point or another. Possibly the most famous example of the "tron" sound can be heard in the opening bars of "Strawberry Fields Forever". This is the classic "Tron" strings that is still widely used by artists today. Mellotrons have been used in countless songs, and just about all genres, from '60s and '70s rock, to alternative and hip-hop. It's an instrument that works with just about everything.

One of the amazing things about the "Tron" instruments is that, although relatively few have been made, they still bear a large relevance in today's music. In fact, they are in such high demand, that the makers of the original Mellotrons, Streetly Music, began making them again in 2007 (although with some upgrades to 'modernize' them). Unfortunately, for most of us, these hand-made keyboards are out of all but the most die-hard enthusiast's price-range. However, if you want that sound now, IK Multimedia SampleTron gives you a much more affordable way to get it.

Features

  • Contains over 600 presets from 17 rare and vintage Mellotrons, Chamberlins, and their derivatives
  • Includes "loop" and "non-loop" modes for greater flexibility and authenticity
  • Chromatic samples capture the complete, authentic tone of each instrument
  • Works as a standalone application, as well as a plug-in
  • Fully compatible with Mac OS X (Universal Binary), and Windows (XP/Vista)
  • Supported plug-in formats: VST, RTAS, and AU
  • 16 part multitimbral
  • 256 notes polyphony
  • 16 individual stereo outputs
  • Mix view and full mix parameters control
  • 32 DSP-based multi-effects (see Effects List)
  • Range Control allows for creating complex splits and layers
  • Total sound editing with full access to 50 Synth-Sampler engine controls
  • Instrument browsing
  • BPM syncable LFOs
  • Portamento Time control
  • Zone feature for single sample accurate editing
  • Part Volume/Pan controls
  • Expanded easy to use full MIDI control
  • Part and Combi preset save features
  • Convenient back-up function
  • Search function
  • Sounds can be read by SampleTank 2
  • 3 Synth Engines: Newly enhanced STRETCH, Pitch-Shift/Time-Stretch, Traditional Resampling
  • 3 performance modes: Poly, Mono, Legato 1-2
  • SampleTron-specific Macro Controls
    • Sustain: Allows the samples to stop (more authentic), or loop continuously (more easily playable)
    • Tone: Makes the sound brighter or darker, much like the "Tone" knob on the Mellotron
    • Key Release: Switches between the abrupt cutoff of the classic "trons", and a more natural cutoff for optimal performance
    • Noise Resonance: Controls how much noise is heard in the sound
    Effects list:
    • Reverb, Spring Reverb, Reverb Delay, Ambience, Delay
    • Filter, Envelope Filter, Multi Filter, Wah-Wah
    • Chorus, Multi Chorus, Phaser, Flanger, Envelope Flanger
    • AM Modulation, FM Modulation
    • Auto Pan, Tremolo, Rotary Speaker
    • Lo-Fi, Distortion, Phonograph, Crusher, Overdrive
    • Pre Amp, Tone Control, Cabinet
    • Parametric EQ, Channel Strip, Compressor, Limiter, Slicer

    Add the sound of Mellotrons, Chamberlins, Optigans, and your own created "Tron" sounds with this collection. Order today!

    Specs

    SampleTron Specifications:

    System requirements
    • Power PC-based Macintosh:
    • Minimal: 866MHz G4 processor, 512MB of RAM, Mac OS X 10.4 or later
    • Suggested: dual 1.25GHz G4 or G5 processor, 1GB of RAM, Mac OS X 10.4 or later
    • Supported Plug-in formats: AU, VST, RTAS
    • Intel-based Macintosh:
    • Minimal: 1.5GHz Intel Core Solo processor, 512MB of RAM, Mac OS X 10.4.4 or later
    • Suggested: 1.66GHz Intel Core Duo processor, 1GB of RAM, Mac OS X 10.4.4 or later
    • Supported Plug-in formats: AU, VST, RTAS
    • Windows:
    • Minimal: Pentium 1GHz/Athlon XP 1.33GHz, 512MB of RAM, Windows XP/Vista or later
    • Suggested: Pentium 2.4GHz/Athlon XP 2.4GHz, 1GB of RAM, Windows XP/Vista or later
    • Supported Plug-in formats: VST, RTAS
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