Archive of the former Yahoo!Groups mailing list: The Mellotron Group

previous by date index next by date
previous in topic topic list next in topic

Subject: RE: [newmellotrongroup] New Sounds In General

From: Gary Brumm <gabru@comsec.net>
Date: 2010-11-07

Mark,
 
I think you have it right.  The Mellotron is a unique "classic" string, brass and choir machine but trying to go beyond that is athere is very little use to the machine that can't easily be done as well or better by most samplers.  It's really a great historical piece of equipment.  I love the classic sounds but as a practical matter it has been replaced by much improved technology.  That said I hope they are always around maintained by collectors like many on this list.  If Ihad material that could use one of the "classic three" sounds I would love to rent one for the session because the limitations of the machine tend to influence the way you play in a unique and often very cool way.....
 
Cheers,
 
Gary
 
 
From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mark [epdowd54@yahoo.com]
Sent: Saturday, November 06, 2010 2:31 PM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] New Sounds In General

 

Sorry this is going to be a bit of rant, so don't read any further!

I am not sure what the new sounds are trying to achieve. I have just listened to the new organ demo which sounds fantastic but doesn't sound like a mellotron to my ears, which admittedly aren't the greatest. To me that sounds exactly like a church organ I would not have picked that it was a mellotron. If the new samples are aiming for fidelity they are certainly succeeding but in that case why not use samples or the real thing?

Certainly if new samples sell and make money for Streetly they can only be a good thing for those of us that own trons and will be looking for replacement parts, but there really aren't that many sounds that are characteristic of the mellotron or aren't easily mistaken for anything else.

In my opinion there are  2.

The Mark II 3 violins
The 8 Choir

I would have added combined brass except there is at least one track where I mistook it for the real thing and some of the people on the list have long memories.

I suppose the Mark II flute is useful if you want to play "Strawberry Fields" but I can't think of any other use for it.

Essentially the mellotron has been mainly used as a "string, brass and choir machine" which explains why they fell out of production when there were reasonably reliable polyphonic  synthesizers available. The current resurgence in use is mainly due to the complete lack of anything new in popular music so that producers are looking for some 70's vintage sound to bring some sort of nostalgic feel to their music.

But anything that keeps Streetly going has to be good!

Mark

From: Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com>
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sun, November 7, 2010 5:46:47 AM
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] New Sounds In General

 

In what may be a futile attempt, I will attempt to introduce some discussion into this group.

Do you think there is any merit in recording and selling new sounds for the Mellotron?

  • Pro this, I'd say that it expands the palette of sounds available for the instrument, keeps it 'alive' and generates revenue for those who want to sell it as a product.
  • Contra this, you could argue that it transforms the Mellotron into just another sampler and that there are probably better digital products out there for the job, plus the fact that usually the Mellotron is sold to sound like a Melotron and not like just any other instrument.

Discuss?
-- Mike Dickson, Edinburgh