In a message dated 04/06/2007 23:03:57 GMT Standard Time, tronbros@... writes:
The mellotron does things! I'm not about to describe in detail but it does things that no sampler has ever done. Unless the person programming understands that the mellotron does things then no sampler, however sophisticated will ever sound like a mellotron. Memotron, Mtron, Akai, Trubshaw 30 or the Grosvenor. It doesn't matter. The mellotron does things and modelling that will always be tricky. It's not just a question of a seemingly familiar timbre...........................it's SO much more.
Strange but true but in the early days of developing the instrument that finally became the M4000 Streetly tried and rejected...
1. A VST plug in - a sample replay job using the sounds from the library. Scrapped for several reasons, it would sound the same as any other sample replay plug-in, it would have been cracked in weeks and Streetly are not really in the business of selling software.
2. A table top keyboard using digital replay technology. Prototyped but rejected as a single note played on either would sound very similar but as soon as more than one note was played the 'real thing' sounded so much better. Without going into detail (don't bother asking as the results of the research is now a Streetly secret) each time you play a note on a tape replay instrument you get a 'performance' that is different each time even if it is the same note! Scrapped - just didn't sound good enough (but Streetly are fussy!).
So the realisation in the end was that the M4000 had to use tapes or else it would not have the characteristics that Streetly wanted the instrument to have.
In this case improving the technology was felt to be a step backwards.
Meanwhile I'm pleased that the other alternatives have been developed by others and that Streetly have stuck to their guns - the M4000 is an instrument that everyone who has been involved can be very proud of.
Norm
(who also uses M-tron and Vintage Keys depending on the assignment)