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Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Chamberlin M2 on ebay. Sell your house and buy this one

From: Chris Dale <unobtainiumkeys@gmail.com>
Date: 2014-02-07

See - you've proved my point!! :)


On Fri, Feb 7, 2014 at 7:58 AM, <fdoddy@aol.com> wrote:
 

I tried to buy a Chamberlin once, but having virtually no experience in big band, I couldn't get the damn thing to work.  Very frustrating indeed.

fritz


Having said that - the Chamberlin was designed strictly for big band music. So it's meant to be approached and played in a different way and of course, you're not going to get the same results if you're using it the way you would a Mellotron. If you listen to Harry's playing or any of the older Chamberlin users in the 60's, you'll hear the phrasing is quite different than a Mellotron and made to sound more like a real big band.



-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Dale <unobtainiumkeys@gmail.com>
To: newmellotrongroup <newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Fri, Feb 7, 2014 2:52 am
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Chamberlin M2 on ebay. Sell your house and buy this one

 

Well considering the last sales prices for Chamberlin M1s are about $12,000, the price for this isn't exactly that far out of line.

$12,000 times 2 is still $24,000. He's selling this for $27,000


The real question is whether it would sell for that much, and is it better to have this than two M1's?
For me, having two M1's is better.


I'm saying this because I've played an M2 before.


In fact, I was in the process of buying an M2 several years ago in my hometown, when it was suddenly sold from underneath me after I made a passing remark about my purchase to someone on the phone.

I know who all the 'culprits' were (and are) and I know where they all live :)

I didn't need to bother with any 'revenge' though, because it turned out this M2 was far too long for where I was going to have to put it. And it isn't an easy instrument to transport or make room for.
 

And that's how I subsequently wound up with two M1 Chamberlins (from different sellers).

And in the end, it was the right decision for me. I didn't want to be restricted to two M1's side by side, just to access the battery of sounds from the two keyboards. I didn't really have the room, and I couldn't bring it to concerts that easily, which is what I had to do. 

I remember loaning an M1 to Discipline for their concert in Detroit, Michigan when my Mellotron was not working well, and recall being glad I didn't have to lug an M2 over the border and back. 


Tom is right. The Chamberlin does have more clarity and high end, but that's because of the recordings more than anything else. If you listen to the Ian McDonald Flute, you'll get a similar quality from the Mellotron.  And except for the plucked sounds, the high end does sound better when it's rolled off a bit. Sometimes the high end is too shrill, but this depends on the sound.

Having said that - the Chamberlin was designed strictly for big band music. So it's meant to be approached and played in a different way and of course, you're not going to get the same results if you're using it the way you would a Mellotron. If you listen to Harry's playing or any of the older Chamberlin users in the 60's, you'll hear the phrasing is quite different than a Mellotron and made to sound more like a real big band.

The Mellotron almost always stands out in recordings, the Chamberlin - not as much, because it was designed to sound and be played like the instruments it emulates, which is why it's less documented. Because of this aspect - the two instruments (in my opinion) are not replacements for each other. The seller also mentions the M2 is the holy grail of tape replay instruments because of it's rarity. That's not exactly true, the Birotron would hold that title. 


It will be interesting to see if this sells for the high price. It might, but in my opinion, a Chamberlin M1 is all you need and it would be cheaper and easier to move.  If I didn't already have one, and I had the disposable money (and more importantly - the space), then I might consider purchasing this. But in truth - the M1 is what you need if you really like Chamberlins. 
I say this now, after weighing the aspects of using both the M2 and two M1's. I don't know if this really helps anyone here considering this purchase, but I would ask 'do you have the space to play it and be able to service it?'. 
That would be the #1 consideration. 

Vance on this list has one. Are you out there Vance?