What Is Soul?
To be fair, If you'd dropped this machine in my lap before I played a real
Mellotron I'd have kissed you. With tongues.. It's the sounds that matter
and I can remember getting excited when I played a Vintage Keys module and
got 3 violins and the 8 choir in my ears in 1996, a year before I finally
saw and bought a real tron but already worshipping the sounds that I knew
came from this mythical beast. I recorded the thing at college and managed
to get 'the tingle' so it can't have been that sterile.
Mellotrons-the 'host' machines- just happen to be 'special' too, like
B.S.A. motorcycles or tonewheel Hammonds, and the idea of a dedicated
machine that feels right to Mellotronists and plays sounds from the
Mellotron library.. is bloody great, snobbery aside. Isn't that what every
variation on the original theme has been about since the MkII, especially
the digital attempts of the 1980s?
Essentially - CONCEPTUALLY- it IS a Mellotron. And I think I want to try
one. Even though I own a really nice, restored, reliable, magical, early
M400. I think these guys should get a big hug, 'cos they're obviously true
believers.
The scene has NEVER looked so healthy for the Mellotron 'sonic tradition'.
Everyone who wants to use the sounds- and it's the sounds that got us all in
the first place- CAN in some form and the machine itself has a future. I
don't think the Memotron is any threat to Streetly's or DK/MR because those
who want new tape-based trons will buy them if and when we can. If Streetly
had made the Memotron you'd all have bought one. I'm just glad that SOMEBODY
did it- with respect too, and it looks like a nice job was made. I would
definitely like a closer look.
I bet it would sound great through a valve Watkins Copicat, with proper use
of a swell pedal.
Regarding the 'soul' aspect.. surely the sounds come from real live wowing/
fluttering tron tapes in the first place- and as far as I'm aware every note
recorded onto the real live moving tapes in MY M400 has sat inside a
computer at some point... so it's down to what you make of it.
I know for a fact that it's perfectly possible to make a Mellotron sound
crap. You just have to play and articulate crappily. it's THAT easy!
Love and Scones,
Mark
M400 no151
www.MySpace.com/markstuartwallis
>From: Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...>
>Reply-To: mike.dickson@...
>To: Bernie <kornowicz@...>
>CC: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] Memotron Video Clip
>Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2007 23:05:02 +0100
>
>Bernie wrote:
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WU1x_4yFD4
> >
> > I can't put my finger on it, but something seems to be missing. Soul?
> >
>Reverb, probably. :-)
>
>--
>
>Mike Dickson (tron@...) M400 #996
>The Official Cynic of Streetly Electronics
>Streetly Sample Library http://www.blackcat.demon.co.uk/tron/
>
>
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