Mellotronists

Before I found out that I was still co-owner of an M400S that had 
been in storage for almost 20 years, I had a similar experience. My 
first keyboard was an Alesis QS6.1 that had Tron strings and flute. 
Adding the Classic Keyboards Q-Card gave me some other Tron samples. 
This is what got me interested n Trons again. Next was the M-Tron. 
In comparison, the Alesis samples sounded terrible. I guess it's all 
relative. When I had nothing to compare to, the Alesis samples 
sounded great.

Then came the M400, followed by more samples to make up for the 
sounds the M400 didn't have: Crime Sounds, the Pinder CD and several 
others. While the Pinder CD was the best, it still couldn't match 
the sound quality of my M400. Some of the sounds pop or click at the 
beginning, as do some of the Memotron sounds, leading me to believe 
that the start positions of those tapes were not optimum.

For someone who is Tronless, sure, the other options are fine. If I 
didn't have the real thing, I would settle for a Memotron and I'm 
sure I wouldn't notice the sterility of the sound. I also agree that 
it's possible to get a better recorded sound with samples than with 
the real thing. We've all heard horribly-recorded Trons.

Bernie (still a "Prog" snob)


--- In Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com, "Mark Wallis" 
<markstuartwallis@...> wrote:
>
> What Is Soul?
> 
>   To be fair, If you'd dropped this machine in my lap before I 
played a real 
> Mellotron I'd have kissed you. With tongues.. It's the sounds that 
matter 
> and I can remember getting excited when I played a Vintage Keys 
module and 
> got 3 violins and the 8 choir in my ears in 1996, a year before I 
finally 
> saw and bought a real tron but already worshipping the sounds that 
I knew 
> came from this mythical beast. I recorded the thing at college and 
managed 
> to get 'the tingle' so it can't have been that sterile.
> 
>   Mellotrons-the 'host' machines- just happen to be 'special' too, 
like 
> B.S.A. motorcycles or tonewheel Hammonds, and the idea of a 
dedicated 
> machine that feels right to Mellotronists and plays sounds from 
the 
> Mellotron library.. is bloody great, snobbery aside. Isn't that 
what every 
> variation on the original theme has been about since the MkII, 
especially 
> the digital attempts of the 1980s?
> 
> Essentially - CONCEPTUALLY-  it IS a Mellotron. And I think I want 
to try 
> one. Even though I own a really nice, restored, reliable, magical, 
early 
> M400. I think these guys should get a big hug, 'cos they're 
obviously true 
> believers.
> 
>   The scene has NEVER looked so healthy for the Mellotron 'sonic 
tradition'. 
> Everyone who wants to use the sounds- and it's the sounds that got 
us all in 
> the first place- CAN in some form and the machine itself has a 
future. I 
> don't think the Memotron is any threat to Streetly's or DK/MR 
because those 
> who want new tape-based trons will buy them if and when we can. If 
Streetly 
> had made the Memotron you'd all have bought one. I'm just glad 
that SOMEBODY 
> did it- with respect too, and it looks like a nice job was made. I 
would 
> definitely like a closer look.
> 
> I bet it would sound great through a valve Watkins Copicat, with 
proper use 
> of a swell pedal.
> 
> Regarding the 'soul' aspect.. surely the sounds come from real 
live wowing/ 
> fluttering tron tapes in the first place- and as far as I'm aware 
every note 
> recorded onto the real live moving tapes in MY M400 has sat inside 
a 
> computer at some point...  so it's down to what you make of it.
> 
>    I know for a fact that it's perfectly possible to make a 
Mellotron sound 
> crap. You just have to play and articulate crappily. it's THAT 
easy!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Love and Scones,
> 
> Mark
> 
> M400 no151
> 
> www.MySpace.com/markstuartwallis
> 
> 
> >From: Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...>
> >Reply-To: mike.dickson@...
> >To: Bernie <kornowicz@...>
> >CC: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com
> >Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] Memotron Video Clip
> >Date: Sun, 03 Jun 2007 23:05:02 +0100
> >
> >Bernie wrote:
> > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WU1x_4yFD4
> > >
> > > I can't put my finger on it, but something seems to be 
missing. Soul?
> > >
> >Reverb, probably. :-)
> >
> >--
> >
> >Mike Dickson (tron@...) M400 #996
> >The Official Cynic of Streetly Electronics
> >Streetly Sample Library http://www.blackcat.demon.co.uk/tron/
> >
> >
> 
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