Recording - November 2014 - 59

nine more custom blends of multiple sounds with specialized effects
for mixed-ensemble work and gorgeous pad timbres.
While the recorded sounds are
period-accurate, complete with
tape wobble and uneven treble,
Toontrack has taken liberties with
authenticity in order to turn the
notoriously limited Tron into a
more modern instrument. There
are controls for tuning/transposition by octave and semitone, even
though the original only had a
coarse tuning knob that controlled
motor speed. The plug-in adds
features the original never had, like user-settable velocity curves (heck, any dynamic
sensitivity at all!), sustain and sostenuto
pedals, and a 64-note range vs. the original's 35. Oh, and the samples are looped
to sustain indefinitely, rather than stopping
after 8 seconds like the original did when a
note ran out of tape!
A great-sounding but user-friendly effects
section offers four control knobs; exactly
which effects are included in the chain varies
from preset to preset. The list includes tape
delay, plate reverb, EQ, Leslie rotating speaker simulation, autopan, phasing, and more,
and rounds out the sound engine nicely; you
can name and save presets with your own
effects settings, too. The result is a modern

parts but also complementary string
parts with simple sustained voicings suitable for playing Mellotoon's string,
brass, and choir sounds. Bring up two
instances of EZkeys in your DAW and
load keyboard parts into one and string
parts into the other, and the result is a
perfectly orchestrated throwback to the
flower-power generation with sweet
strings underlying your keys. You can
use one of EZkeys' other instruments to
play the keyboard parts, or assign them
to Mellotoon; the Vibes preset on top of
the 3 Violins preset was instant Abbey
Road!
take on the Mellotron that's more than just a
fun adjunct to a keyboard-arrangement program; it's a beautifully playable instrument
that will enhance any DAW.
Keys & Strings MIDI Pack
We mentioned earlier that Toontrack lets
you add to your library of Song Blocks with
MIDI Packs, libraries of new melodies,
chords and structures in a variety of genres.
Keys & Strings is the first one to take advantage of the Mellotoon as an EZkeys sound
source; it provides breakdowns and variations for eight songs in a variety of genres
from 1960s retro pop to Alt-Americana.
What makes this library special is that as
its name implies, it offers not only keyboard

They're playing your Toon
With the addition of Mellotoon and the
Keys & Strings MIDI Pack, EZkeys has taken
a step out of the solo-keyboard focus it's had
up until now and become much more useful
for building up complete arrangements.
Whether you need a session keyboardist,
education on chords and voice leading, or
just a cool new virtual instrument with a
warm retro vibe, these new expansions
make EZkeys an even greater value.
Prices: EZkeys Mellotoon, $179 as full
product or $89 as Sound Expansion;
EZkeys MIDI Keys & Strings, $29
More from: Toontrack, www.toontrack.com
http://www.toontrack.com http://www.antelopeaudio.com http://www.antelopeaudio.com
Recording - November 2014

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