Here are 5 free vst virtual mellotron instruments http://blog.wavosaur.com/5-free-mellotron-vst/
Nothing wrong with the EHX pedal, but nothing overly great with it either and it cost a fair amount of money for a somewhat limited usefulness (IMO) pedal. I personally think there is far more playing control using a midi keyboard (you can even turn an Ipad etc into a wireless midi controller) than trying to play what are basically keyboard parts on guitar. I've tried lots of guitar to midi convertors, guitar synths etc, and while I'm basically a hack on keyboard, and less of a hack on guitar, I just never find parts translate well.
Stuff that is easy to play on guitar is a pain to try to play on keys, and simple chords that you'd play on the keyboard (two hand parts) are difficult to reproduce on the guitar, essentially you can't really play left and right hand parts on a guitar neck.
Again, not knocking the EHX pedal, but I'd certainly try the virtual instruments out, even via iPad etc. If playing keys isn't your thing, I'd look for a keyboard player. In groups I've been in, I've found it works way easier than trying to do ambient stuff, organ sounds etc on guitar.
Its like yeah, you can get a B3 type pedal and kinda get that sound, but compared to a keyboard player who actually has the right sound and chops, no comparison
Agreed. But sometimes you either don't have a keys player, or he's playing something else (for example piano) and you still want a simple string/horn/B3 type sound - not virtuoso parts, just something to fill in the sound. I'm joining a new soul/r&b group and there are a few songs where having something like this could come in handy. Certainly better than lugging an extra set of keys for me to play... ;-)Again, not knocking the EHX pedal, but I'd certainly try the virtual instruments out, even via iPad etc. If playing keys isn't your thing, I'd look for a keyboard player. In groups I've been in, I've found it works way easier than trying to do ambient stuff, organ sounds etc on guitar.
Its like yeah, you can get a B3 type pedal and kinda get that sound, but compared to a keyboard player who actually has the right sound and chops, no comparison
I just simply love massive ambient synth chord tones to play the guitar over for solos. That really is my simple goal. I'm not really into full-on synth keyboard playing that much. Just accompanying synth tones to guitar.
Have you tried some of the ambient pads and shimmer type of presets floating around here?
IIRC, they use the multidelay block to create pads underneath a conventional amp tone.
M@'s Organ preset is very good. Pretty close to the EHX organ pedals, and the pitch block settings can be changed.
But sometimes you either don't have a keys player, or he's playing something else (for example piano) and you still want a simple string/horn/B3 type sound - not virtuoso parts, just something to fill in the sound