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Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Chamberlin sounds

From: Chris Dale <unobtainiumkeys@gmail.com>
Date: 2011-05-25

If every note of the Male Voice and Female voice plays for 35 notes they must have been tuned up and down for MTron then.
 
 
I know that she was a professional singer with a soprano range. In a Chamberlin the lowest and highest notes are natural and are never tuned, hence the blank tapes (or sound effects) at each end of the keyboard. Same with the Male voice. 
You'll never get a Male or Female voice spanning all 35 keys unless it's new tapes that have been tuned or pitched up and down. 
 
Richard said that Harry strictly refused to varispeed anything at all, and that every single note was an actual take.
Harry thought varispeeding was cheating and removed the authenticity. This was one of their 'selling points' during sales pitches. 
 
 
 
On Wed, May 25, 2011 at 4:06 AM, markpringnz <markpringnz@gmail.com> wrote:
 

The female voice on M-Tron has very similar characteristics, I think M-tron was sampled off a Mark II but was originally a chamberlin sound, the upper and lower notes do sound weird, so I wonder if they have been tuned.



--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, "Thomas C. Doncourt" <tomdcour@...> wrote:
>
> Ack! I meant 35 notes.....maybe Markus added a few tuned up and down to
> the female Voice set but i don't think so.
>
> > My Female Voices have 25 notes...but the highest half octve or so doesn't
> > quite sound natural and the lowest notes sound like they have to shave
> > daily. The middle ground is beautiful though-just like the "Ambrosia
> > Singers"! The Male Voices on my original set were also 25 notes.
> >
> >
> >> I don't have access to my Chamberlins right now to check, but I know
> >> that
> >> the male voice does not go all the way up the keyboard and the female
> >> voice
> >> does not go all the way down.
> >>
> >> They mix in the middle though which is quite nice.
> >>
> >> Someone else with Male Voice on switch "A" and Female Voice on switch
> >> "B"
> >> would be able to help.
> >>
> >> Tom are you there?
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On Wed, May 25, 2011 at 6:11 AM, tron400 <tron400@...> wrote:
> >>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> A question about the Solo Female Voice: is it really 17 notes or 25
> >>> notes
> >>> as on the Pinder CD? Maybe the highest 8 notes have been tuned up for
> >>> the
> >>> CD?
> >>>
> >>> Bernie
> >>>
> >>> --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Bruce Daily <pocotron@>
> >>> wrote:
> >>> >
> >>> >    It is also interesting that the last two Chamberlin M1's on
> >>> eBay
> >>> had sequential serial numbers (86103 and 86104).
> >>> > Â
> >>> > Â -Bruce D.
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > --- On Tue, 5/24/11, Chris Dale <unobtainiumkeys@> wrote:
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > From: Chris Dale <unobtainiumkeys@>
> >>>
> >>> > Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Chamberlin sounds
> >>> > To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> >>> > Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2011, 1:08 AM
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > Â
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > I did studio work for Sylvia Massy (the owner of this Chamberlin)
> >>> many
> >>> years ago.
> >>> >
> >>> > I guess with most of them being located in the greater Los Angeles
> >>> area,
> >>> she didn't feel the need to keep it if she could rent one from
> >>> somebody.
> >>> >
> >>> > I don't think the Rhythmate will sell for anywhere near the $4500
> >>> listing
> >>> price. There just isn't the demand for them like there is for M1
> >>> models.
> >>> >
> >>> > I doubt this was the last M1 made (the pilot light is a much older
> >>> style
> >>> and the switches are not chrome) but should that actually be the case
> >>> it's
> >>> build year would be early 1981, and there might be some alternate or
> >>> unreleased sounds in it.
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > On Tue, May 24, 2011 at 10:30 AM, markpringnz <markpringnz@>
> >>> wrote:
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > Â
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > I see it went for $9000, buy now price.
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, "Charles" <charel196@>
> >>> wrote:
> >>> > >
> >>> > > another one on Ebay
> >>> > >
> >>> > >
> >>> http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-Vintage-Chamberlin-M1-M-1-Optigan-Mellotron-/330567982620?pt=Keyboards_MIDI&hash=item4cf7631e1c
> >>> > >
> >>> > > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, "Thomas C. Doncourt"
> >>> <tomdcour@> wrote:
> >>> > > >
> >>> > > > Mark, I can post note to note samples I made from the same
> >>> amplifier
> >>> and
> >>> > > > recording sytems if you like.. It might be better if I actually
> >>> played the
> >>> > > > same musical passages on the two instuments but I am away from
> >>> them
> >>> for
> >>> > > > the next week
> >>> > > >
> >>> > > > > Any chance of posting a recording?
> >>> > > > >
> >>> > > > > Mark
> >>> > > > > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, "Thomas C. Doncourt"
> >>> > > > > <tomdcour@> wrote:
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > > >> I can compare form an M1 and an M400 on the cello and 3
> >>> violins. I
> >>> can't
> >>> > > > >> say which I like better though... the M1 is brighter in both
> >>> cases
> >>> but
> >>> > > > >> the
> >>> > > > >> M400 seems fuller. Two slightly different sounding instruments
> >>> but
> >>> each
> >>> > > > >> with its purpose. The M1 sounds better to me with the tone
> >>> control
> >>> > > > >> nearly
> >>> > > > >> all the way up - the M400 I have the tone at less than half.
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > > >> > I would be interested to hear I direct comparison of the 3
> >>> violins
> >>> > > > >> played
> >>> > > > >> > on an M400 and a Chamberlin, has anybody on the list got a
> >>> working
> >>> > > > >> > Chamberlin, did Mattias sort his out?
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> > Mark
> >>> > > > >> > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, tronbros
> >>> <tronbros@>
> >>> wrote:
> >>> > > > >> >>
> >>> > > > >> >> Maybe different but not better. The M400 is capable of hifi
> >>> quality
> >>> > > > >> if
> >>> > > > >> >> given good source material. It is not the muffled lofi
> >>> beast
> >>> > > > >> everyone
> >>> > > > >> >> assumes. We have put excellent commercial recordings
> >>> through
> >>> them
> >>> > > > >> and
> >>> > > > >> >> they handle up to 16k, clear and precisely. Never
> >>> underestimate
> >>> the
> >>> > > > >> >> potential of a mellotron.
> >>> > > > >> >>
> >>> > > > >> >> Best,
> >>> > > > >> >>
> >>> > > > >> >> M
> >>> > > > >> >>
> >>> > > > >> >> mellotronics.co.uk
> >>> > > > >> >>
> >>> > > > >> >>
> >>> > > > >> >>
> >>> > > > >> >> On 22 May 2011, at 00:32, "markpringnz" <markpringnz@>
> >>> wrote:
> >>> > > > >> >>
> >>> > > > >> >> > Would these sound a lot different played through a
> >>> chamberlin? I
> >>> > > > >> would
> >>> > > > >> >> guess that they would.
> >>> > > > >> >>
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >> >
> >>> > > > >>
> >>> > > > >
> >>> > > > >
> >>> > > > >
> >>> > > >
> >>> > >
> >>> >
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
>