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Jan Hammer/Mark V/Freeman String Synth

Jan Hammer/Mark V/Freeman String Synth

2002-10-29 by charel196

I have been listening to THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS by Jan Hammer which is 
due out as a remastered CD shortly...just wanted to state that I think 
this is a fantastic piece of work and the Mark V Jan uses sounds 
amazing.He also used a Freeman String Symphoniser...what a rarity.I 
had read long ago that he ran the tron and the Freeman thru a Moog 
String Filter to get a more wooden acoustic quality.Jan's use of 
female voices is really nice as well.They don't sound like the stock 
female tape.
 Made me wonder just who had Mark Vs...there weren't that many 
made.There was Jan,T.Dream,Moraz,McCartney,Pinder,Klaus Schulze I 
believe had one,Neil Diamond's band,who else?Anyone?
  Anyone in this group have or ever owned a Freeman?It had a nice 
smooth tone compared to all the other string synths...wondered about 
reliability stories or comments.                      Charles

Re: [Mellotronists] Jan Hammer/Mark V/Freeman String Synth

2002-10-29 by Mark Glinsky

At 04:39 PM 10/29/2002 +0000, charel196 wrote:
>I have been listening to THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS by Jan Hammer which is
>due out as a remastered CD shortly...just wanted to state that I think
>this is a fantastic piece of work and the Mark V Jan uses sounds
>amazing.He also used a Freeman String Symphoniser...what a rarity.I
>had read long ago that he ran the tron and the Freeman thru a Moog
>String Filter to get a more wooden acoustic quality.Jan's use of
>female voices is really nice as well.They don't sound like the stock
>female tape.
>  Made me wonder just who had Mark Vs...there weren't that many
>made.There was Jan,T.Dream,Moraz,McCartney,Pinder,Klaus Schulze I
>believe had one,Neil Diamond's band,who else?Anyone?
>   Anyone in this group have or ever owned a Freeman?It had a nice
>smooth tone compared to all the other string synths...wondered about
>reliability stories or comments.                      Charles

I've always been a big fan of the Freeman String Symphoniser.
Bought my first one new in 1978 ($1100  !!).
A great place to hear one (without processing through the Moog String Filter)
is on Pete Sinfield's first solo album, "Still".  Now available on CD and 
called
"Stillusions".  It has such a nice smooth sound, as compared to the
chunky, churning sound of the ARP & Solina string ensembles.

However, I do believe I am going to sell my 2 Freeman String Symphonisers -
have to cut down on the clutter.

Am looking forward to the release of THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS on CD -
will be great to hear that again.

I believe Jan got one of the first, if not the first Moog String Filters 
from Bob,
and it was particularly for use with the Freeman, if I recall.

As far as Mk.V's go, there were 29 total.  Pinder had 2, Moraz, McCartney,
Hammer, Schulze, didn't T.Dream have 1 or 2 besides Schulze?
I seem to recall someone saying they had Joni Mitchell's Mk.V at some point.
Wakeman had an ersatz "Mk.V" made from putting 2 M400s together.
Geoff Downes perhaps?
Probably a couple of studios.


---------------------------------------------------------
Mark S. Glinsky  -  Arlington, TX
Email -  glinskym@...
http://www.markglinsky.com/ManualManor.html
"Be Seeing You...." - No. 6
---------------------------------------------------------

Re: [Mellotronists] Jan Hammer/Mark V/Freeman String Synth

2002-10-30 by J.K.Beresford

Of course Jimmy Page has the prototype MkVI.
John

To:             	Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com
From:           	"charel196" <charel196@...>
Date sent:      	Tue, 29 Oct 2002 16:39:56 -0000
Show quoted textHide quoted text
Subject:        	[Mellotronists] Jan Hammer/Mark V/Freeman String Synth

> I have been listening to THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS by Jan Hammer which is 
> due out as a remastered CD shortly...just wanted to state that I think 
> this is a fantastic piece of work and the Mark V Jan uses sounds 
> amazing.He also used a Freeman String Symphoniser...what a rarity.I 
> had read long ago that he ran the tron and the Freeman thru a Moog 
> String Filter to get a more wooden acoustic quality.Jan's use of 
> female voices is really nice as well.They don't sound like the stock 
> female tape.
>  Made me wonder just who had Mark Vs...there weren't that many 
> made.There was Jan,T.Dream,Moraz,McCartney,Pinder,Klaus Schulze I 
> believe had one,Neil Diamond's band,who else?Anyone?
>   Anyone in this group have or ever owned a Freeman?It had a nice 
> smooth tone compared to all the other string synths...wondered about 
> reliability stories or comments.                      Charles
> 
> 
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