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Subject: RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Astra plays the Novatron

From: Gary Brumm <gabru@comsec.net>
Date: 2010-06-27

Please feel free to elaborate……

 

g

 

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of gino wong
Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2010 5:05 PM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Astra plays the Novatron

 

 

I was kidding Gary, getting a big smile out of the latitude and irreverence.

 

On Sat, Jun 26, 2010 at 1:09 PM, Gary Brumm <gabru@comsec.net> wrote:

 

How are you disturbed Gino?

 

 

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of gino wong
Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2010 8:55 AM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com


Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Astra plays the Novatron

 

 

This thread is a little disturbing..

 

 

On Sat, Jun 26, 2010 at 2:01 AM, Paul Tillotson <felixkrull2u@comcast.net> wrote:

 

  Sorry, not meant for the whole list.

  PT

 

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Paul Tillotson
Sent: Friday, June 25, 2010 10:59 PM


To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Astra plays the Novatron

 

 

  I’ll put together a floppy of some Synergy sounds in the Ensoniq ASR X format. What are you after? Clinical single note stuff or short phrases that show off the Synergy like voicing? I’ve got 5 or 6 cartridges with a couple Carlos ones included. I’ve had this Synergy for 15 or so years. It needed servicing when I bought from a certified Synergy tech who discovered a slight keyboard velocity sensing irregularity when they were demoing it for me and I think it’s developed that symptom again. Otherwise it’s been very dependable.  There’s a lot of character to the sound.

  So you don’t have a Synergy but keep your Kaypro? Are you sure you don’t have any interface boards? J What were you doing at Music Technology?

     Thanks,

                PT

 

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Gary Brumm
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 9:27 AM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Astra plays the Novatron

 

 

My K series Kurzweils read the following: Standard MIDI Files, AIFF, WAVE Reads: ISO-9660, Roland 700 series, Akai S900, S950, S1000, S1100, and S3000, Ensoniq EPS/ASR file formats.  There is a 3.5 floppy built in that I was planning someday to replace with a flash reader.  I have not really used the sampling features

much.  I have been working with learning how to program the Kurzweil but it is a bit on the complicated side.  I have a K2000VPS, K2500RS, and K2600RS.  They

are beautiful sounding machines.

 

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Paul Tillotson
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2010 9:05 AM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Astra plays the Novatron

 

 

 I’m afraid my sampling formats are a little wacky: I use the Emu Sp 12 Turbo/ Linn 9000/ Sequential Studio 440/Ensoniq ASR X and some similar ilk. I’m one of those guys who needs to give a product 20 years to settle before it be trusted. I hear some of these new companies are coming up with a data storage formats to replace floppy disks.

  PT

 

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Gary Brumm
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 11:34 PM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Astra plays the Novatron

 

 

I don’t remember much about the Rev.2.  I don’t think a lot were made but you are correct about the chips. 

My P10 was basically 2 Rev. 3s in a single case.  There was a single manual 10 voice made early on but it overheated

and was never put into production.  As far as the Synergy goes I think I still have a Kaypro 10 CP/M machine in storage

with all of the software but not sure if I still have any interface boards.  I used to have a lot of parts and even several

empty keyboard beds.  When I had it set up you could build or modify waveforms on the screen and it was kind of like

a Fairlight.  It was a powerful keyboard for the time and far more advanced than the DX7 but it’s price and limited

production caused it to fail.  Also without the computer connected you had very little control over the voices. 

It’s design was based on the massive GDS synth.  The floating keyboard split was a very cool innovation

and in the right hands was a very useful feature that Stony Stockell , a brilliant (but slightly odd J) engineer, came up with. 

There are some Steely Dan and Hall & Oats recordings on which you will recognize a lot of the Synergy sounds…….

….and then there is Wendy (Walter) “Switched on Bach” Carlos……  Bob & Kat Stoll used one for some of the Carl Segan

Cosmos soundtrack as well.  It was a very well made instrument and it’s nice to see someone is still out there playing one. 

What format are you sampling in?  I would love to play with those old sounds.  I have a couple of Kurzweils (K2500RS, K2600RS)

that have sampling options and will read several formats.  If you would like to share a couple of them please let me know. 

 

Cheers,

 

Gary

 

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Paul Tillotson
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 10:03 PM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Astra plays the Novatron

 

 

  Rev 2s also have the same chips as the rev 1 and sound just as huge. I love mine along with my Synergy, which I’ve been playing and sampling over the last week or so. It’s such a great sounding instrument  and a blast to play. Wish I could program it: whatever happened to any of those proposed interfaces/programmers for the Synergy 1?

  Paul T

 M400 #1226

Prophet 5 #0896

DKS Synergy 1 #01628

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Gary Brumm
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 9:11 PM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Astra plays the Novatron

 

 

Tony,

 

The Rev.1 is the best sounding you will ever hear.  The problem was it was very unreliable.  I had a friend from high school, Riley Smith, who worked

at Sequential in San Jose and later went to Emu in Santa Cruz.  I was able to get factory trained at both places.  He got me the Rev.1 and later a Prophet 10

direct from the factory.  The Rev. 1 had been returned to the factory due to reliability issues and they sold it to me for $500. I also had a couple of Rev. 3s and

T8 but none compared to the Rev.1.  It sounded fat like a bunch of Mini Moogs.  They switched to a more dependable  IC for their VCO, VCA, VCF, etc. and

redesigned the main board after the Rev. 1 after which it became very dependable but lost some of it’s “balls” in the process.  I got training at the Emu factory

which was in a Victorian house in Santa Cruz during the Emulator days.  It was a fun place and they knew how to throw a party J.  A few years ago I bought a

couple of Emu Vintage Keys modules and noticed that my friend Riley had written the manual.  I also worked with  Music Technology during the development

of the Synergy and I owned a couple of those….but that’s another story…..Those were fun days…at least I think they were from what I remember. 

Man, there are some good drinking stories in there somewhere J.  I may know where a P10 is in NC but this guy almost never cuts loose of any gear.  He just stores

things forever.  It was likely only played a few times.  If I catch him in the right mood (not an easy thing to do) maybe I can get him to part with it.  As I recall there

were only about 600 or so P10s made.  I bought a Neve console from him several years ago and when I cracked the LARGE anvil case the leather was like new on

the arm rest and it looked perfect.  He had only used it for a couple of years and then stored it.  Anyhow…didn’t mean to get started in the old days stories….. :) .

 

Cheers,

 

Gary

 

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of tony1
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 8:18 PM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Astra plays the Novatron

 

 

I am impressed as I was the factory service tech for Hillsborough and Pinellas counties (Tampa/St Pete), for Sequential and most others when the Prophet 5 and 10s came out. And I'm looking for one of either right now.

 

Tony

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Gary Brumm

Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 8:04 PM

Subject: RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Astra plays the Novatron

 

 

My first Prophet 5 came from Eddie Jobson.  It was a Rev. 1 & Black. 

If this was the Sequential Circuits forum I bet somebody would be impressed … or at least give a $hit J

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of gino wong
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 4:18 PM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Astra plays the Novatron

 

Astra was good. They were well received

Eddie Jobson's mellotron shaped keyboard stand was a piss.

On Wed, Jun 23, 2010 at 6:36 PM, <lsf5275@aol.com> wrote:

 

Yes, but only a bit. My camera crapped out on me. I'll post it on my myspace page and perhaps You tube as well.

In a message dated 6/23/2010 4:14:11 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, got_a_guitar@yahoo.com writes:

 

Astra rules! Is there any footage of them using the Novatron?

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, lsf5275@... wrote:
>
> Flute, Strings, Choir
>
>
> In a message dated 6/23/2010 3:13:40 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> pocotron@... writes:
>
> Nice, Frank!
> Notice how neatly the Memotron sits on top of the Novatron.
> What voices were on the frame?
>