I think it can possibly be compared to the old exotic sports car. You can buy a new car today that performs not only better but
is reliable as well…..however the driving experience is not duplicated…the smell of burning oil, the sound of the engine, etc.
I really enjoyed driving the old Ferraris but if I was looking for the ultimate performance as well as something I could drive
everyday it would not be my choice. I think Tony would understand this as he is both a Mellotron and Exotic car guy. What
makes one “better” than the other is subjective but in a mix after processing in the recording process I thing 99.9% of listeners
would be unable to tell the difference. Some of those that might be able to tell are on this list but even they would probably
be guessing to some extent. There is still enough of a market to support two Mellotron manufacturers although the price is
high and I would venture to guess the number sold is low. In low numbers the price is necessarily high….Imagine if someone
tried to manufacture B3s today….I am sure some could be sold but the price would be staggering. …..my 2 cents….fire away!
J
Gary
That's hardly the point. I'm not saying that samplers (ROMplers) have no place, I'm saying that they lack the character that a real Mellotron has. The real thing is far more organic. I like my records, tapes and CDs. I have perhaps a thousand or more recorded live performances. I enjoy them too. but once recorded, they sound the same every time I play them. Playing a CD has nothing to do with making music. Playing an instrument does, whether it is a M4000d or a M4000 or an M400. I prefer the latter.
Yeah,
and I bet you never buy records or CDs,
cos they sound the same every time you play them -
it's kinda lacking in soul compared to going to a gig.
--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, lsf5275@... wrote:
>
> You can take the M4000D and manipulate it to be idiosyncratic in certain
> ways. But those idiosyncrasies will be the same to every sound. The
> character of a Mellotron is derived from how it plays its tapes, variances from
> frame to frame, tape age, keyboard adjustment, etc. It makes each one unique.
> Every M4000D will be exactly like every other one. Not a bad thing really,
> but a little soulless. When I think of a Mellotron, I think of a tape
> replay machine. The Mellotron sounds that come out of an iPad are no different
> except the way they are accessed. The sampling rate may be different but the
> concept is the same.The iPad delivers the sounds but imparts no character
> to them.
>
>
> In a message dated 7/19/2011 8:37:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> tron400@... writes:
>
>
>
>
> Looks like my last reply didn't make it.
>
> The last frame I bought has tuned Cello/M400 Violins/Flute. Sure, the
> Violins are MkII Violins EQ'd for the M400, but the EQ, as well as the tuning,
> was done by Streetly, so there's a degree of authenticity there (like 100%).
>
> I'd love to play around with an M4000D for a few days. It seems to be a
> practical machine for those who don't want to own a tape replay machine and a
> good supplement to an M400. But I don't think electronics can ever
> accurately imitate the electromechanical idiosyncracies of a Mellotron.
>
> Bernie
>
> --- In _newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com_
> (mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com) , "Charles" <charel196@> wrote:
> >
> > so if you bought a new tape rack and played an E Major chord and the
> fifth was recorded out of tune, you'd prefer that over buying a digital unit
> with all the notes properly tuned and de-noised?
> > Even your Mellotron library was recorded and EQ'd with someone else's
> idea of how it should sound.
> > I just don't get it, I guess.
> >
> >
> > --- In _newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com_
> (mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com) , "tron400" <tron400@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > It's one thing to alter the sound of your Mellotron or samples, but
> it's another thing to have someone else decide for you how it should
> fundamentally sound.
> > >
> > > Bernie
> > >
> > > --- In _newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com_
> (mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com) , "Charles" <charel196@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > do you think Mike Pinder never did any "tampering" to make his units
> sound "better"? Geeezus....to me the M4000D is the outgrowth of all the
> years of addressing the complaints about exactly what was wrong with the tape
> system by all the major artists (tuning, noise, etc.)
> > > > Do you think if Harry Chamberlin had this technology at his disposal
> he would have used tapes?
> > > > It may not be a "real Mellotron/Chamberlin" in the eyes of the
> hardcore obsessives but for me it's a completely normal development in the
> lineage and deserves the name.
> > > >
> > >
> >
>