Electro-Harmonix MEL9 User manual

MEL9
Tape Replay Machine
Congratulations on purchasing the Electro-Harmonix MEL9 Tape Replay Machine.
Now any electric guitar player can have access to nine magically quirky, dark and
unique Mellotron®sounds. No more extra devices such as special and
cumbersome 13-pin MIDI pickups! In addition to electric guitar, you can trigger
the MEL9 with any instrument that produces an electrical output, such as a
keyboard or a bass, down to 55 Hz or A1.
The polyphonic MEL9 has superior tracking; you can create single notes or
chords with ease. The MEL9 will follow guitar bends, dive bombs, slurs, and any
other guitar expression/performance techniques you can throw at it!
WARNING: Your MEL9 comes equipped with an Electro-Harmonix 9.6DC-200BI power
supply (same as used by Boss®& Ibanez®: 9.6 Volts DC 200mA). The MEL9 requires
100mA at 9VDC with a center negative plug. Using the wrong adapter or a plug with the
wrong polarity may damage your MEL9 and void the warranty.
GETTING STARTED
Connect the supplied power adapter to the 9V power jack. Plug your instrument
into the INPUT jack; connect your amp to the EFFECT OUTPUT jack. Set the DRY
knob to minimum (fully counterclockwise) and set the other top row knobs to 12
o’clock. Select a preset (“ORCHESTRA” is a good starting point) and step on the
footswitch to turn on the LED. Play your instrument and adjust controls to your
liking.
Mellotron is a registered trademark of David Kean, M. Resch AB and
Markus Resch.

CONTROLS
DRY VOL KNOB
The DRY VOL knob controls the volume of the untreated instrument level on the
EFFECT OUTPUT jack.
EFFECT VOL KNOB
The EFFECT VOL knob controls the overall volume of the selected preset at the
EFFECT OUTPUT jack.
ATTACK KNOB
Use the ATTACK knob to set the volume swell speed, or the speed at which the
effect begins to be heard. Turn the ATTACK knob down (fully counterclockwise)
for a fast attack with minimum swell. Turn the knob up to increase the amount
of swell and to have the notes fade in more gradually.
NOTE: When using the BRASS preset, the ATTACK knob adjusts the speed of a
filter sweep. This adjustment controls how quickly the BRASS sound gets bright.
SUSTAIN KNOB
The SUSTAIN knob controls the amount of time a sound continues to play after
you stop playing. When the SUSTAIN knob is turned down (fully counter-
clockwise), the fadeout time is at its minimum setting. Turn the knob up to
increase the fadeout time.
NOTE: When using the BRASS preset, the SUSTAIN knob adjusts the amount of
“lip buzz”―characteristic of brass instruments such as trumpet―heard at the
onset of new notes. “Lip buzz” is a subtle addition to the BRASS preset, and at
times you may have difficulty hearing the impact on the sound produced by
adjusting the SUSTAIN knob.
PRESET KNOB
Turn the white numbered knob to select a preset sound.
DRY OUTPUT JACK
The DRY OUTPUT jack outputs the signal present at the INPUT jack through a
buffer circuit. In either EFFECT or BYPASS mode, the dry signal is always present
at the DRY OUTPUT jack.
EFFECT OUTPUT JACK
The EFFECT OUTPUT jack sends the mix set by the DRY and EFFECT volume
controls.
BYPASS FOOTSWITCH
Press the BYPASS footswitch to toggle the MEL9 OUTPUT jack between buffered
BYPASS and EFFECT mode. The status LED lights when you are in EFFECT mode.

PRESET DESCRIPTIONS
1. ORCHESTRA –This sound represents a full orchestra—including an octave
below the normal guitar—and produces a gigantic, full sound.
2. CELLO –This sound of a solo cello includes the cello’s natural vibrato.
3. STRINGS –Presenting the sound of a small four-piece string section,
including natural vibrato.
4. FLUTES –This preset presents the classic solo flute sound heard on many
recordings.
5. CLARINET –This sound of a solo clarinet sounds great both as a solo (played
monophonically) instrument and when playing chords.
6. SAXOPHONE –This funky vintage British solo saxophone sound is perfect
for playing Beatles-like rock lines. It blends great with an overdriven guitar.
7. BRASS –This preset is a trumpet-like sound, and when playing chords it
produces a great brass section sound. As noted earlier, the ATTACK and
SUSTAIN knobs work differently for this preset than for other presets. The
ATTACK knob controls a filter sweep for brass synthesizer sounds and the
SUSTAIN knob adds the “lip buzz” characteristic of trumpet/brass sounds.
8. LOW CHOIR –This sound is a full low-voiced choir made up of many voices.
9. HIGH CHOIR –This sound is a higher-voiced choir made up of many voices.
NOTES AND SPECIFICATIONS
Buffered bypass
Input impedance: 1M
Output impedance (for both output jacks): 500
Current draw: 100mA

TIPS ON GETTING OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE FROM THE MEL9
1. The MEL9 is generally best used as the first pedal in an effects chain. Place
modulation, delay, and reverb effects after the MEL9. The unit will not
perform well if placed in the effects loop of a guitar amp.
2. If a guitar’s pickup has a weak output, performance can be improved by
putting a clean boost or a compressor in front of the MEL9. Avoid placing a
distortion or overdrive in front of the MEL9. Placing distortion or overdrive in
front of the MEL9 will muddy up the input signal and cause the tracking to
be unstable. If you want to add overdrive or distortion, place it after the
MEL9.
3. The MEL9 tracking response is limited depending on the preset chosen, and
the type of electronic instrument you use to trigger the effect. On guitar, the
usable range for these sounds goes up to about the 23rd fret on the high-E
for some presets, and to only the 16th fret for others. On bass guitar, the
MEL9 tracks only about as low as the open A-string.
4. The MEL9 imitates Mellotron®sounds, so the MEL9 will only sound as real
for any of the nine instruments as the Mellotron®does. For example, the
FLUTE preset is the same as the Mellotron’s flute which is a recording of a
real flute.
5. Pay attention to performance gestures (vibrato, trills, slides, and so on) and
the settings for ATTACK and SUSTAIN. If you want to mimic a Mellotron®,
play pianistically with as little guitar inflection as possible. If you want to
simulate an actual sound such as a cello, adapt your performance gestures
to help mimic the actual sound. Otherwise, let your creativity guide your
approach to playing the MEL9. And that means you should feel free to go
wild by combining atypical performance techniques with traditional sounds.
So what if an actual clarinet does not let you bend a note up a whole tone
or more? Now you can go for it!

- WARRANTY INFORMATION -
Please register online at http://www.ehx.com/product-registration or complete and return
the enclosed warranty card within 10 days of purchase. Electro-Harmonix will repair or
replace, at its discretion, a product that fails to operate due to defects in materials or
workmanship for a period of one year from date of purchase. This applies only to original
purchasers who have bought their product from an authorized Electro-Harmonix retailer.
Repaired or replaced units will then be warranted for the unexpired portion of the original
warranty term.
If you should need to return your unit for service within the warranty period, please contact
the appropriate office listed below. Customers outside the regions listed below, please
contact EHX Customer Service for information on warranty repairs at [e-mail] or +1-
718-937-8300. USA and Canadian customers: please obtain a Return Authorization
Number (RA#) from EHX Customer Service before returning your product. Include  with
your returned unit  a written description of the problem as well as your name, address,
telephone number, e-mail address, RA#, and a copy of your receipt clearly showing the
purchase date.
United States & Canada
EHX CUSTOMER SERVICE
ELECTRO-HARMONIX
c/o NEW SENSOR CORP.
55-01 2ND STREET
LONG ISLAND CITY, NY 11101
Tel: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Europe
JOHN WILLIAMS
ELECTRO-HARMONIX UK
13 CWMDONKIN TERRACE
SWANSEA SA2 0RQ
UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
To hear demos on all EHX pedals visit us on the web at www.ehx.com
Email us at [email protected]

FCC COMPLIANCE
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B
digital device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This
equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
 Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
 Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
 Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
 Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
Modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment under FCC rules.