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

Thanks Andy.

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Andy kinch <kinchmusic@...> wrote:
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> OK. But how does it really sound?
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> Well, if we are comparing a well engineered and adjusted M400 (which I'm lucky enough to own thanks to John and Martin) with Markus' digital equivalent, guess what? the tape based machine wins, no question in my book. The overall sound of the 400 has far more "grunt" than its digital cousin.
> BUT. I love my m400 so much I don't want to have to move it... ever! (that is until I eventually move house, whenever that will be). Even if I wanted to move it now, I can't ,due to where it is and the fact I would be trying to shift it on my own, with my dodgy back and all!
> The fact is, and it's no use denying it. Markus has done a terrific job of building his creation. The attention to detail and sheer quality of the workmanship is of a very high standard.
> OK, so people say why not just use computer software to create the sound? After all that's surely what the instrument is anyway. True, but I think our love affair with the tron has always be more than just the "sound". Like me, I bet most of us here would go down to the front of the stage at concerts just to see what this curious white box was. I have to say I'm blown away with the look of the Digital Mellotron (or whatever label you want to give it).
> Also, it gives me instant access to 100 Mellotron M1/Mk2/300/400/Chamberlain sounds. Any 2 can be stored together and mixed accordingly. I can have one sound either side of the stereo mix. I can move the attack of the start of the sound backwards and forwards in relation to the "virtual" head. I can control how fast the "tape" returns, so if you take your finger off while holding a chord, if you put it straight back on again the note starts midway along the "tape" instead of going back to the beginning. And of course the samples are full bandwidth 24 bit uncompressed, unlike the Memotron which was very compressed to these ears. No looping by the way!
> I was lucky enough to sell my Memotron just in time to transfer what I received for that accross to Markus who wanted payment in full straight away. Thankfully, he honoured the original price, rather than coming back to me for more cash as the price has gone up recently. Needless to say I've had to wait a very long time for him to develop the 100 sounds, which IMO was well worth the wait.
> In an ideal world, I would have had the space and the cash to buy an M4000 from John and Martin, but I would still have had the transportation problem.
> The only issues I have with Markus, are mainly concerned with the name. Even when I ordered it and discussed the order with him, I always referred to it as a Digital Mellotron, even here I refuse to call it an M4000D or whatever it's called.
> I struggled long and hard over whether the decision to buy it was the right one, just in case I upset anyone on this list. But I'm pleased I bought it. It fulfils a specific requirement I have.
> What I have for the (at the time) reasonable price I paid was very good value, and if anyone has a problem with that, they should get over it!
> I still love my 400 to bits. I just want to keep it that way.
> Thanks for listening.
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> Andy K
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Gary Brumm <gabru@...>
> To: newmellotrongroup <newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Thu, 1 Sep 2011 17:13
> Subject: RE: [newmellotrongroup] M4000 D
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> In a live or studio mix you would never hear the difference especially after the reverb and
> other processing that is commonly used on Mellotron tracks. It will almost certainly out
> sell the tape machines but most on this list will hate it no matter what it sounds like.
> Fire away…. J
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> From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of mellotronmadness
> Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2011 8:56 PM
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [newmellotrongroup] M4000 D
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> I hadn't seen this before, I think I can just tell the difference between the M4000D and the Mark VI. I don't suppose anybody on the list has been tempted?
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> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYKe7a7lc-E&feature=related
> < /div>
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> Mark
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