Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: Mellotronists

Title:  memotron deciphered.

Hi Guys

I've finally sorted out what the sounds in the Memotron are:

'Vintage' means original untouched sounds as sampled direct from a Tron -
complete with drop-outs, speed variations, irregularities between notes,
etc.

'Studio' means they've taken all these wonderful idiosyncracies out.

The Vintage set ships with it, Studio is an additional 79 Euros.

Observe this message which I have noticed on several websites:

"Hi Troniacs!
Oh boy, how interesting to read all those different opinions about the
MELLOTRON, the M-Tron and the brand new MEMOTRON.
Dare I say that I had 35 Mellotrons and more than a hundred tape frames in
over thirty years of my musicianship? Half of the M-Tron's library, the
MELLOZONE samples and the complete MEMOTRON library stem from my machines.
I am happy that the often so mistreated MELLOTRONS are back on stage and
that their marvellous sounds can be heard (in old and new songs) on the
radio again. Maybe some of my publications about the MELLOTRON in various
musical papers helped a bit.
Let's be honest: there are actually at an absolute maximum only 1900 M 400s
(including the new MkVI) and maybe some hundred other Tron models on this
planet. What about all those ten thousands or more musicians who want(ed)
those mellotronic noises for their compositions and performances? Keep them
away from the sounds that often became part of their musical life and
inspiration? Absolutely: NO!
Nowadays technology has improved considerably, enabling sounds and
possibilities no one would have dreamed of forty years ago. So why not use
it? Do you hate DVDs because they lack your video tapes' drop-outs? As times
are constantly changing musicians do no longer need to carry 65 or 180 kilos
to produce only three sounds on stage.
The main idea behind G-Media's M-Tron was to give all those younger (and
older) guys who could (or would) never afford to buy the real thing the
chance to add mellotronic flavours to their computer-created music and
believe me, they did it and created a lot of interesting music!
The MEMOTRON makers have a different approach. They know that the original M
400 is heavy to transport (and for most of its users hard to adjust and
repair). So they created an instrument which gives the player a bit of the M
400's flair without its bulkiness, but with a programmable (stereo) effects
unit, MIDI in/out, a CD-Rom drive for the library CDs, a Compact Flash card
for your personal sound combinations, for 'dramatic sound effects' a
"one-octave-down" switch, a volume pedal input (for the authentic MELLOTRON
feel) and the capability to use M-Tron sounds besides the MEMOTRON'S own
library (= different from the M-Tron!) which presently is the best you can
find on the market!
Some guys who only played the prototype at last year's Frankfurt Music Fair
or at the NAMM Show did not have the chance to listen to the final version
of the actual sounds that will come with the machine. Unlike the M-Tron the
MEMOTRON uses a sample rate of 32 kHz which is more than enough to cover the
MELLOTRON's up to 10 kHz (+- 3dB) frequency width.
The MEMOTRON library uses completely different samples than in any other
library before published. It is divided into two parts:
The 'VINTAGE' collection faithfully reproduces the original MELLOTRON sounds
of Genesis, Yes, King Crimson with all the typical oddities, a pinch of tape
noise and pitch inaccuracy added plus the tiny differences between each key
in volume (including the wow, flutter and occasional attack clicks) of let's
say a 1964 MkII, a 1968 M 300 or a 1970 M 400. You will be amazed how
realistic the MEMOTRON can sound when it comes to reproduce a superb
sounding vintage MELLOTRON.
The 'STUDIO' collection has the producer in mind who wants to add those
famous warm MELLOTRON sounds to his productions but who is not interested in
hard tape endings or background hum noises (think of the 60Hz hum in the
famous 'Violins'). The 'STUDIO' collection presents an ideal MELLOTRON with
proper sound endings and a considerably reduced background noise level where
the mighty choirs and all the other orchestral instruments create such an
enormous sound impact that simply blows your mind in its clear power and
perfect intonation - but with a character (so often missed in present-day
samples) you won't believe until you have heard it yourself. For sure Les
Bradley would have liked it.
Last but not least - the MEMOTRON enables the musician to blend all sounds
of its (still expanding) library with each other for an unequalled variety.
A creative tool for the working musician and the lover of those (unlooped -
of course) 8 seconds long noises that make our hearts warmer.
Have fun with the instrument of your choice (be it vintage or modern) but
use those marvellous sounds for your music and keep your minds open.
Yours mellotronically

Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock (MIND OVER MATTER / COSMIC HOFFMANN) www.mindala.de
(Mr Mellotron, April 10, 2006)"

Who is 'Mr Mellotron', any ideas?

I recently e-mailed Manikin Electronic who make the Memotron.  I asked them:

1 - Do you have a distributor in the UK?
Their reply:  Not yet but you can order direct from us.
(From Germany?  Not likely.  I want to see one first.)

2 - What other samples can be loaded into it besides those that come with
it?
Their reply:  M-Tron Tape Banks.
(Sounds encouraging.)

3 - Will there be a rackmount version?
Their reply:  Not sure yet but possibly.
(That would be good.  After all, there would be no point in selling my K1 to
buy a Memotron - what sort of master keyboard only has 35 keys?  But if I
could slot one in the rack ...!)

Steve Tebble
Bristol, England

Still saving for M4000...