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.

Electro-Harmonix MEL9 Specifications

General

Input Impedance	1 MΩ
Current Draw	100 mA
Weight	1.5 lbs
Bypass	True Bypass
Controls	Volume, Sustain, Attack
Modes	Strings, Flute, Choir
Inputs	1 x 1/4"
Outputs	1 x 1/4" (dry out)
Power Supply	9V DC

Summary

GETTING STARTED

Initial Setup and Power Warning

Connect power adapter and instrument, set controls, and heed power supply warnings for safe operation.

CONTROLS

DRY VOL KNOB

Adjusts the volume of the untreated instrument signal at the effect output.

EFFECT VOL KNOB

Controls the overall volume of the selected effect preset.

ATTACK KNOB

Sets the volume swell speed or how quickly the effect begins to be heard.

SUSTAIN KNOB

Determines the time a sound continues to play after you stop playing.

PRESET KNOB

Selects one of the nine available preset sounds.

PRESET DESCRIPTIONS

NOTES AND SPECIFICATIONS

TIPS ON GETTING OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE FROM THE MEL9

Effects Chain Placement

Use MEL9 as the first pedal; avoid placing distortion/overdrive before it.

Pickup Output and Tracking

Improve performance with weak pickups using a boost/compressor; avoid front-end distortion.