Yes - The Ultimate VST Setup

[wagtunes]

If I'm going to do this, I want to do it right. I'm taking on a major project, attempting to do a Yes tribute CD. They're going to be original songs but in the style and, hopefully, sound of Yes, circa Fragile and Close To The Edge. I want to concentrate on that era to make this a little more manageable.

The lineup was as follows (Off of Wiki)

Fragile

Jon Anderson – lead and backing vocals
Steve Howe – electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals
Chris Squire – bass guitars, backing vocals, electric guitar
Rick Wakeman – Hammond organ, grand piano, RMI 368 Electra-Piano and Harpsichord, Mellotron, Minimoog
Bill Bruford – drums, percussion

Close To The Edge

Jon Anderson – lead vocals
Steve Howe – guitars, vocals
Chris Squire – bass guitar, vocals
Rick Wakeman – keyboards
Bill Bruford – drums, percussion

As you can see, CTTE info is sketchy.

As far as putting this together, this is the additional info I got on Steve Howe's guitars from those albums. I was not able to find much.

Electrics

Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster - Fragile
Gibson ES-345 – Close To The Edge

Acoustics

???

In starting my collection, I got Chris Squire out of the way earlier this week by getting MODO Bass. It's the closest I am going to come. Nothing else is even in the running.

For Rick Wakeman, I don't own any Mellotron emulations. I have the Arturia B3 and Minimoog **edit** and also just remembered I have Monark that came with Komplete. I need a Mellotron recommendation and if you think there is a B3 and Minimoog that will be significantly better than what I already have. I'm not spending hundreds of dollars on "marginal" improvements.

For Steve Howe, I need to know what acoustics he used on those albums. I have an idea but haven't been able to verify anything with any definitive certainty.

For Bill Bruford, I didn't even bother researching. Unless there is something unusual about his drum setup, I think any decent acoustic drum kit will work. But if you have suggestions on how to best emulate his sound, I'm all ears.

Any other information you want to add that you think will be relevant and helpful is greatly appreciated.

Like I said, I want to do this right but I'm going to need your help to pull this off.

[chk071]

You could try and get Monark from the market place here. I got mine for about 38 €. Could go cheaper than that too.

[wagtunes]

You could try and get Monark from the market place here. I got mine for about 38 €. Could go cheaper than that too.

You mean NI Monark? I got that with Komplete. Didn't even think of it.

[Examigan]

For the Mellotron there is this
http://www.uvi.net/en/vintage-corner/mello.html

Electra2 has Mellotron sounds in one of their soundsets (can't remember which one), and it's in one of the Synthmaster soundsets also.
https://soundcloud.com/kv331synthmaster ... bukata-art

[waltercruz]

Once in a while UVI Mello prices goes really down (or for free) on JRShop or in the UVI site itself, so you can try to grab it real cheap on market place. (I've a unregistered Digital Synsations from a previous UVI giveaway, if it was an Mello, I would give it to you).

BTW, open Monark, the classic patches, find a patch named "Close to The Bell"

[fmr]

The best Mellotron you can get, IMO, is this: http://www.gforcesoftware.com/products/m-tron-pro

Some data, according to Progarchives:
- Jon Anderson / lead vocals
- Steve Howe / guitars (12-string, electric, acoustic, Portuguese, console steel), electric sitar, vocals
- Rick Wakeman / Hammond, Mellotron, Minimoog, grand piano, RMI Electra-Piano, electric harpsichord, pipe organ at St Giles-without-Cripplegate church in London (1)
- Chris Squire / bass, vocals
- Bill Bruford / drums, percussion

[Examigan]

One more for Synthmaster
https://soundcloud.com/kv331synthmaster ... expansions

[srcodling]

The best Mellotron you can get, IMO, is this: http://www.gforcesoftware.com/products/m-tron-pro

I second this - love the Gforce strings and trons!!! Those two instruments inspired me to play chords again, instead of just layered mono lines that imply the chords...

[egbert101]

<delete>

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

If you are interested in the UVI mellotron, I could give you a good deal

[wagtunes]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Keep 'em coming. I also need suggestions for guitars. I have Strum Electric and Acoustic but quite honestly, I'm not happy with them. There has to be something better.

As for the Mellotron, I think I'm going to go with GForce. I really love the way that thing sounds.

[Examigan]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Keep 'em coming. I also need suggestions for guitars. I have Strum Electric and Acoustic but quite honestly, I'm not happy with them. There has to be something better.

As for the Mellotron, I think I'm going to go with GForce. I really love the way that thing sounds.

Ok, I thought you said you didn't want to spend much, so that's why I mentioned Synthmaster, but you probably already have the GForce Mellotron already. (?)

[fmr]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Keep 'em coming. I also need suggestions for guitars. I have Strum Electric and Acoustic but quite honestly, I'm not happy with them. There has to be something better.

As for the Mellotron, I think I'm going to go with GForce. I really love the way that thing sounds.

I'm not a guitarist, but I think you will have a hard time emulating those Howe solos. I was just watching a video of "And You And I", and the intro is made with an acoustic 12-string. The way he plays it, almost like an old lute, is difficult to achieve with a sample library where both paired strings are usually played simultaneously (while he plays them with a slow plectrum strumming, allowing the strings to sound one after the other).

Also, the solo is played in a tabletop guitar, and that solo also will not be easy to play in a keyboard )will requisre a very precise pitchbending. Besides, the sound, although not very different from a classic electric guitar, is still different. But I guess you could go for a classic sampled electric guitar wth long sustain. The regular electric guitar is a Gibson Les Paul.

[wagtunes]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Keep 'em coming. I also need suggestions for guitars. I have Strum Electric and Acoustic but quite honestly, I'm not happy with them. There has to be something better.

As for the Mellotron, I think I'm going to go with GForce. I really love the way that thing sounds.

Ok, I thought you said you didn't want to spend much, so that's why I mentioned Synthmaster, but you probably already have the GForce Mellotron already. (?)

No, I'll have to purchase GForce. I guess spending much is relative. GForce is only 119 pounds. That's not too bad. I just don't want somebody recommending some library or something that's like $300 or more like some of the EWQL stuff.

[wagtunes]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Keep 'em coming. I also need suggestions for guitars. I have Strum Electric and Acoustic but quite honestly, I'm not happy with them. There has to be something better.

As for the Mellotron, I think I'm going to go with GForce. I really love the way that thing sounds.

I'm not a guitarist, but I think you will have a hard time emulating those Howe solos. I was just watching a video of "And You And I", and the intro is made with an acoustic 12-string. The way he plays it, almost like an old lute, is difficult to achieve with a sample library where both paired strings are usually played simultaneously (while he plays them with a slow plectrum strumming, allowing the strings to sound one after the other).

Also, the solo is played in a tabletop guitar, and that solo also will not be easy to play in a keyboard )will requisre a very precise pitchbending. Besides, the sound, although not very different from a classic electric guitar, is still different. But I guess you could go for a classic sampled electric guitar wth long sustain. The regular electric guitar is a Gibson Les Paul.

Well, since I'm not going to do any cover songs, I won't worry if I can't play "And You And I" to the note perfect. I just need to come close to his "sound" in general.

Is there something like MODO Bass for guitar? That's really what I'm looking for.