Mellotronists

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

----- Original Message -----
From: <fdoddy@...>
> The honorable Mr. Blechta wrote:
> "I feel the same way about the original flute and the Ian McDonald flute.
There is NO comparison as a voice."
>
> This is why I like you guys so much. (Are ya feelin' the love?) I love
the original flutes because of their crappy character. They sit in a mix
incredibly well and they generally don't get along with well-tempered
synthesizers so they force me to play guitars( another out-of-tune
instrument) against them.
>
> Ricky also penned the following:
> "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! "
>
> They're done and will be in the hands of the Streetly men within the
month! I used first chair NY Philharmonic players ( 3 good ones, not 3 old
fossils) Think classic 3 violins vibrato and swell, m300 transparency, and
modern recording techniques. Martin, the answer to your question is yes,
they are in tune. I have used a SampleCell version of these strings on a
few adverts and even those have gotten excited responses from other
composers. I'm sure their conversion to Mellotron format will enhance them
further. Martin, do you require anything other than a DAT of these sounds,
i.e EQ, compression etc? Let me know.

Rock on, Fritz! Rock on! Great to hear this.

>
> I have a bunch of new tunes with Medieval Woodwinds used in a very freaky
manner. Talk about a beautiful ugly sound....

ooh....I'm gettin' all a-quiver!
--
Cheers,
SDM -- a 21st century schizoid man
www.systemstheory.net
www.thecleanersystem.com