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It is the limitations that make the instrument unique. Tony Banks and Rick Wakeman used them because they were the only “samplers” available
at the time. They did use them for orchestral instruments as evidenced by the arrangements played when they used real orchestras for those parts.
I can’t speak for Fritz but both Rick Wakeman and Tony Banks dumped (and /or burned) their Mellotrons and moved to newer technology long ago.
Both speak openly of their dislike for the instrument due to its limitations. That said, I like Mellotrons for what they are….a piece of musical history
that I grew up listening to and loving. The 7 second note limitation probably caused parts to be written around that “limitation” resulting in unique
passages that would otherwise be different. I have a lot of Mike Dickson’s material on my mp3 player and I really think he shows the instrument to
it’s fullest. I am with you Bernie, when I hear material with a Mellotron in it …I picture a Mellotron and not a flute, violin, etc.
Cheers,
Gary
From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of tron400
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 7:59 AM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
Mike, it's not a matter of liking or disliking Mellotrons. I know that they were originally designed to imitate other instruments, but they don't seem to have been very successful there (except maybe in the hands of one member of this group :-). When I hear a TV commercial with Mellotron flute, I don't hear flutes, I hear a Mellotron. Same with the 3 violins. I don't hear violins, I hear another instrument altogether. The way Mellotrons have been used by prog rockers seems to have placed a stamp on Mellotrons as to how they are played by most people, making them unique instruments that don't sound like any other instrument. I don't think Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman or Fritz Doddy used Trons to substitute for orchestral instruments. I think they used them for the uniqueness of their sound and I think that uniqueness is what attracts people to Trons. So to me, because of the uniqueness of this instrument that does exactly what I want it to do and sounds exactly the way I want it to sound, it has no limitations for me.
Frank, sometimes they taste like wood, sometimes they taste like metal, sometimes they taste like iron oxide and on extremely rare occasions, they taste like plexiglass.
Bernie
--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...> wrote:
>
> What I listed are /ipso facto /the limitations of the Mellotron as an
> instrument. I don't think anyone here will disagree with any of them.
>
> You liking them or not is a matter of taste.
>
> Mike
>
>
> On 02/12/2010 12:04, tron400 wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's
> > comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only
> > for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice.
> > That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It
> > is what it is.
> >
> > Bernie
> >
> > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Mike Dickson
> > <mike.dickson@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> > > >
> > > > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > > > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article
> > > > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are
> > > > they?
> > > >
> > >
> > > 1. Tuning
> > > 2. Range
> > > 3. Voices
> > > 4. Recording quality
> > > 5. Timbre
> > > 6. White noise
> > > 7. Tape audio artefacts
> > > 8. Tape transport
> > > 9. Playing position
> > >
> > >
> > > Give me a shout if you want more.
> > >
> >
> >
>
> --
> Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
>
> Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
> Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
> Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
> Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
> Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
>