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Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] The Clone Wars (was Memotron etc..)

From: Donald Tillman <don@...>
Date: 2007-06-04

> From: "Mark Wallis" <markstuartwallis@...>
> Sender: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com
> Mailing-List: list Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com; contact Mellotronists-owner@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Mon, 04 Jun 2007 17:34:16 +0000
>
> Let's not forget that we (Mellotron owners) are the lucky
> ones. There aren't that many of these machines on the planet so
> naturally demand outstrips supply.

Economics 101: If that were true, the price of Mellotrons would be
significantly higher than they were in their heyday. Yet they're
about the same price; significantly cheaper if you account for
inflation. So no, demand is not outstripping supply.

> Most of the folk that want one won't get to own one.
>
> Exclusivity is .. fascism.

What exclusivity? There are two companies building real live
Mellotrons right now. Compare that to the number of companies
building tone wheel organs, electric pianos, electric clavichords,
etc.

> Clones feed peoples' desire for the real thing.

I see absolutely nothing to indicate that.

At the same time digital samplers are the main reason that the
keyboard companies are no longer making tonewheel organs, electric
pianos, electric clavichords, etc.

And digital samplers have also completely halted the development of
new and more interesting keyboard instrument technologies.

So for fascism, it's hard to beat digital samplers. They steal the
sounds of other instruments, steal the names of the instruments for
the names of their products and patches, drive the instrument makers
out of business, keep new keyboard instruments from being developed,
demand that everything be delivered as a digital sampler. They've
even got you doing their propaganda for them.

(I'm joking, of course... well, somewhat.)

-- Don

--
Don Tillman
Palo Alto, California
don@...
http://www.till.com