Mellotronists

well I think.... er.... what where we talking about? mind's gone blank.....

I was pretty sure it was a cube law too. the best way to find out how 
dangerous magnetism is (when it's going to be close to tape, anyway) is to experiment 
with something that doesn't matter. magnetism doesn't travel very well 
through air.
 
many tape-recorders from portable cassette machines to full-blown grown-up 
pro machines like nagras have speakers right under the tape-path, and quite a 
few of the cheaper cassette portables used permanent magnets as erase heads, 
moving them into position when required from as close as a few mm away. erasing 
tape is quite difficult, even with older formulations, while the new 'tron 
tapes are quite a bit hotter to start with.
I expect les must've tried it to be on the safe side, though.

as for perching other things on the 400's lid, you're more likely to 
encounter HF interference if anything; the pre-amp is pretty-well shielded against 
anything else. 1098 complained about a cheap midi controller once, but then who 
wouldn't?

duncan/1098, currently propping up a sick schaltwerk, and waiting for a 
second sh1000 to show up.