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2003-08-07 by Michael Peters
"Optigan - the poor man's mellotron" - there's one currently on Ebay and I'm wondering if it's worth it. What do you think? They say that an Optigan is basically a toy and sounds crappy. Does it? The only thing I ever really heard played on an Optigan was Steve Hackett's piece 'Sentimental Institution'. I kind of liked that sound and it didn't sound very crappy. = michael peters = www.michaelpeters.de
2003-08-07 by Gene Stopp
The Orchestron on loan to me has a bunch of Optigan disks along with the Orchestron disks. The Optigan disks don't map to the Orchestron keys in the right sequence, but at least you can get a flavor of what an Optigan sounds like. There are rhythm tracks and melody tracks. The s/n ratio is awful. I suppose it depends on the condition of the disks. Very much like a phonograph, except lower fidelity (much lower). Pops and clicks all over the place. Think of a cartoon, where somebody goes up to a Victrola and puts the needle down. You could use an Optigan for the cartoon's soundtrack. It's like a caricature. The rhythms themselves fall into the "cheesy lounge music of the early sixties" category. We were such nerds back then. Now that it's 40 years later it's cool again. I kind of like it too. - Gene
-----Original Message----- From: Michael Peters [mailto:mpeters@...] Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2003 1:10 AM To: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com Subject: [Mellotronists] optigan recommendation? "Optigan - the poor man's mellotron" - there's one currently on Ebay and I'm wondering if it's worth it. What do you think? They say that an Optigan is basically a toy and sounds crappy. Does it? The only thing I ever really heard played on an Optigan was Steve Hackett's piece 'Sentimental Institution'. I kind of liked that sound and it didn't sound very crappy.
2003-08-08 by Mattias Olsson
I think they all fill different purposes....I started out the same way as you Gene with using Optigan discs in a Orchestron and then finally after looking for almost four years I got a hold of a Optigan 35011 in Germany...Oddly enough my band got a gig close enough in Wurzburg so I could pick it up in person which was great.... I use the loops as middle eight outro/intro stuff.....Tempo and pitch are the same so it can be a bit tricky unless you work with a computer...My favorite discs are the ones with really scratchy picking acoustic guitars....Lately I have been using the Organ lead sounds quite a lot. Apparently a lot of the Organs on Elvis Costellos Brutal Youth are supposed to be Optigan. The Orchestron is a lot more versatile as you can play it much like a really fast Mellotron. I have been using the vocal choirs and actually the Hammond B-3 disc a fair bit on stuff. The main thing is that Both the Orchestron and Optigan are really characteristic instruments almost more so than the Mellotron (....I´m ducking already....). They are instant moodsetters. And also just be flipping the discs upside down you have them playing backwards which is even more spooky.... Get one......but get one cheap...It´s bound to break down and for general purposes it´s pretty limited and an acquired taste but if you are into that kind of thing...It´s a lot easier to find one in the U.S than in Europe as only 200 were sold officially in Europe in Holland in 1974. // Mattias ----- Original Message -----
From: "Gene Stopp" <gene@...> To: <Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2003 10:41 PM Subject: RE: [Mellotronists] optigan recommendation? > The Orchestron on loan to me has a bunch of Optigan disks along with the > Orchestron disks. The Optigan disks don't map to the Orchestron keys in the > right sequence, but at least you can get a flavor of what an Optigan sounds > like. > > There are rhythm tracks and melody tracks. The s/n ratio is awful. I suppose > it depends on the condition of the disks. Very much like a phonograph, > except lower fidelity (much lower). Pops and clicks all over the place. > Think of a cartoon, where somebody goes up to a Victrola and puts the needle > down. You could use an Optigan for the cartoon's soundtrack. It's like a > caricature. > > The rhythms themselves fall into the "cheesy lounge music of the early > sixties" category. We were such nerds back then. Now that it's 40 years > later it's cool again. I kind of like it too. > > - Gene > > -----Original Message----- > From: Michael Peters [mailto:mpeters@...] > Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2003 1:10 AM > To: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com > Subject: [Mellotronists] optigan recommendation? > > > "Optigan - the poor man's mellotron" - there's one currently on Ebay and I'm > wondering if it's worth it. What do you think? They say that an Optigan is > basically a toy and sounds crappy. Does it? The only thing I ever really > heard played on an Optigan was Steve Hackett's piece 'Sentimental > Institution'. I kind of liked that sound and it didn't sound very crappy. > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > Mellotronists-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > >
2003-08-08 by Michael Peters
> Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 13:41:20 -0700 > From: Gene Stopp <gene@...> > > The Orchestron on loan to me has a bunch > of Optigan disks along with the Orchestron disks. you have an Orchestron? wow! I didn't know they really still exist. The images on the net that I found look like grainy b/w photos of flying saucers, as if hardly anyone has ever really seen such an instrument. Would you mind telling us about it? What kind of Orchestron is it? Can it do the magic choir sounds that I've heard on ancient Kraftwerk, Popol Vuh, and Amon Duul records? = michael peters = www.michaelpeters.de
2003-08-08 by Mattias Olsson
Hi ! I have one as well and there are pictures and films of mine at the Tokyo Mellotron studio. The Choirs on Trans europe express are a Orchestron as well some of the strings...All the " soft " padsy strings are Orchestron...There is some Mellotron as well but it is pretty easy to hear as the key clicks are pretty apparent....My Orchestron is a Model A which is according to Pea Hix from Optigan.com some weird model....It looks like a Model B but the pitch is unlimited. http://www.geocities.co.jp/HeartLand-Asagao/7669/photo.html Some films and pics...mellotron and Orchestron // Mattias ----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Peters" <mpeters@...> To: <Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 10:39 AM Subject: [Mellotronists] RE: optigan recommendation? > > Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 13:41:20 -0700 > > From: Gene Stopp <gene@...> > > > > The Orchestron on loan to me has a bunch > > of Optigan disks along with the Orchestron disks. > > > you have an Orchestron? wow! I didn't know they really still exist. The > images on the net that I found look like grainy b/w photos of flying > saucers, as if hardly anyone has ever really seen such an instrument. Would > you mind telling us about it? What kind of Orchestron is it? Can it do the > magic choir sounds that I've heard on ancient Kraftwerk, Popol Vuh, and Amon > Duul records? > > > = michael peters > = www.michaelpeters.de > > > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > Mellotronists-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > >
2003-08-08 by Bernie Kornowicz
Hi Mattias, Your Orchestron sure looks a lot different than this spiffy little unit at The Robot Hut: http://www.robothut.robotnut.com/orchestron.html Bernie --- In Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com, "Mattias Olsson" <mattias.olsson5@t...> wrote: > Hi ! > > I have one as well and there are pictures and films of mine at the Tokyo Mellotron studio. > The Choirs on Trans europe express are a Orchestron as well some of the strings...All the " soft " padsy strings are Orchestron...There is some Mellotron as well but it is pretty easy to hear as the key clicks are pretty apparent....My Orchestron is a Model A which is according to Pea Hix from Optigan.com some weird model....It looks like a Model B but the pitch is unlimited. > > http://www.geocities.co.jp/HeartLand-Asagao/7669/photo.html > > Some films and pics...mellotron and Orchestron > > // Mattias > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Michael Peters" <mpeters@c...> > To: <Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com> > Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 10:39 AM > Subject: [Mellotronists] RE: optigan recommendation? > > > > > Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 13:41:20 -0700 > > > From: Gene Stopp <gene@i...> > > > > > > The Orchestron on loan to me has a bunch > > > of Optigan disks along with the Orchestron disks. > > > > > > you have an Orchestron? wow! I didn't know they really still exist. The > > images on the net that I found look like grainy b/w photos of flying > > saucers, as if hardly anyone has ever really seen such an instrument. Would > > you mind telling us about it? What kind of Orchestron is it? Can it do the > > magic choir sounds that I've heard on ancient Kraftwerk, Popol Vuh, and Amon > > Duul records? > > > > > > = michael peters > > = www.michaelpeters.de > > > > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > > Mellotronists-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com > > > > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> > > > > >
2003-08-08 by Nic Lewis
At 10:39 08/08/03 +0200, Michael Peters wrote: > > Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 13:41:20 -0700 > > From: Gene Stopp <gene@...> > > > > The Orchestron on loan to me has a bunch > > of Optigan disks along with the Orchestron disks. > > >you have an Orchestron? wow! I didn't know they really still exist. The >images on the net that I found look like grainy b/w photos of flying >saucers, as if hardly anyone has ever really seen such an instrument. Would >you mind telling us about it? What kind of Orchestron is it? Can it do the >magic choir sounds that I've heard on ancient Kraftwerk, Popol Vuh, and Amon >Duul records? ohhh.......we'll be back to Birotrons soon- not as good as Orchestrons but a bit rarer <open can of worms> Anyone want to buy a refurbed Birotron? </open can of worms> Ebay's just not the place for this right now. Best Regards, Nic
2003-08-08 by Gene Stopp
The one in my setup is on "indefinite loan" since the owner doesn't have the space and he'd like it to be kept up for use in local sessions when the need arises. It's like what Mattias has, model A, which looks an awful lot like the model B on the Optigan website. Which reminds me - I have jpegs here on my computer at work. Anybody want to host my pics? I have Chamberlin guts pics too. Either that or remind me how to upload to the group pics. Or both. It can do the magic choir sounds! Or "charmingly sucky" choir sounds. Like Mattias says it's easy to play fast lines on it. Seems like the faster you play the poppier the sounds get. Something to do with velocity do doubt. Interesting to me is that even though the keys are electrical contacts, I still get that rumbling motor-driven something moving past a playback head feeling that we all know and love. Uh.... what's that, Nic? You... finished... one... ? And you're not going to throw it to the dogs? You blessed man! - Gene
-----Original Message----- From: Nic Lewis [mailto:nic@...] Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 12:47 PM To: Michael Peters; Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] RE: optigan recommendation? At 10:39 08/08/03 +0200, Michael Peters wrote: > > Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2003 13:41:20 -0700 > > From: Gene Stopp <gene@...> > > > > The Orchestron on loan to me has a bunch > > of Optigan disks along with the Orchestron disks. > > >you have an Orchestron? wow! I didn't know they really still exist. The >images on the net that I found look like grainy b/w photos of flying >saucers, as if hardly anyone has ever really seen such an instrument. Would >you mind telling us about it? What kind of Orchestron is it? Can it do the >magic choir sounds that I've heard on ancient Kraftwerk, Popol Vuh, and Amon >Duul records? ohhh.......we'll be back to Birotrons soon- not as good as Orchestrons but a bit rarer <open can of worms> Anyone want to buy a refurbed Birotron? </open can of worms> Ebay's just not the place for this right now. Best Regards, Nic Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ADVERTISEMENT To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: Mellotronists-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.