----- Original Message -----From: Rick BlechtaSent: Sunday, March 24, 2002 7:56 PMSubject: Re: [Mellotronists] change of perspectiveWell, Andy & Jon, I don't really agree.Would you play a piano made during Beethoven's time (the early days of piano-making), say a Broadwood, when you could have a Bechstein Concert Grand? I sure wouldn't! The Broadwood has a very interesting sound to be sure (I've played one) but it sure doesn't hold a candle to the modern instruments. I feel the same way about the original flute and the Ian McDonald flute. There is NO comparison as a voice. The original flute does not deserve so much hyperbole, Jon, at the risk of insulting you. The only thing worthwhile in it is the first octave, after that it loses most of its colour, the intonation goes WAY wonky and the attacks are dodgy. Come to think of it one of the low notes (low G?) has one of the WORST (slowest) attacks I've ever heard. Try playing that note in a fast passage! There won't be anything there. It takes too long to get started.
The 3 violins is a reasonably good sound and it's done its job over the year. I still like it and use it, but I find I'm losing it less and less. I would really like a new violin sound, though, personally. If the 3 violins makes grown men weep, imagine what would happen with an even better 3 violins!
Sorry. I guess I'm not a romantic, guys. The mellotron does it for me, the feel of the keyboard, the power that the instrument contains, but I also want the best quality recordings so it will sound even better.
Cheers!
Rick
JS wrote:
I think that an important fact being overlooked is that for the listener, and even for many players, the "Mellotron" is not just looked at as an audio playback device, but that the individual sounds are perceived is instruments in their own right. I'm sure I'll love other string sounds available, but they will not supplant the 3-violins sound, they will supplement it. In the same way, the "strawberry flutes" is an instrument in and of itself, a hypersonic, polyphonic flute with some odd voicing peculiarities, idiosyncrasies that are part of the character of the sound and no other sound will ever replace it. It seems to me that the sound of each Mellotron tape set is as unique an instrument as a piano, and it's almost like the physical machine is just the delivery device for the actual instrument.
Jon E Salley
MiloJohnson@...
M400 #886
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Message
Fw: [Mellotronists] change of perspective
2002-03-25 by JS
First, a note to everybody. You CAN'T offend me or
hurt my feelings, so have at it... I love the spirit of adversarial debate, and
take it as such. As a matter of fact, I'll sometimes play devil's advocate just
to be able to hear and evaluate both sides of something.
Now, then, down to business. I was not trying to
imply that any of the existing palette of Mellotron sounds was the be-all and
end-all of instruments, simply that each of them has taken on a life of its own
in the lexicon of music, particularly that proggy stuff we all love so
much. I can't wait to be able to install new sounds and to fall in love
with them, but the overwhelming individuality of the old sounds will never lose
its luster for me. Of course, I'm speaking as a man who has only
had his own Mellotron since November 11, 2002, so I really don't have
the perspective of some of the people on the list who have probably become so
accustomed to having that sound in their life that they may be a bit
unconsciously jaded (not a diss, please don't anybody interpret it as
such.) For me, every time I touch the keyboard and hear those sounds, it's
still practically the first time...
And actually, yes, I'd really like to have the sound of
primitive pianos and clavichords available to me as well.
I would also submit that any man who willfully goes as
far out of his way to preserve and restore a vintage keyboard as you have,
when there are so many perfectly cool modern toys out there,
IS a romantic, whether he chooses to admit it to
himself or not!