Mellotronists

Jon,

Touche! Mea culpa...

Rick

JS wrote:

>  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!
> Jon E Salley
> MiloJohnson@...
> M400 #886
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Rick Blechta
> To: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.comSent: Sunday, March 24, 2002 7:56
> PMSubject: Re: [Mellotronists] change of perspective
>  Well, 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
>