Mellotronists

Ken Leonard wrote:

> I also like the 3-violins on Prof. Korb's original set (about 30 years old
> now), but those sounds were a result of some tampering here in the States.
>
> Have you read the story about the tape remasters on Dave Kean's
> site? (www.mellotron.com) The BBS that came in with #805 is a Kean
> set. I don't know if its vintage is pre- or post-remastering, but the
> middle C flute is a little bit off (and probably others---still very
> usable, though).
>
> ...kl...M400 #805 - the one playing me is more off, actually

__________________________________________________________________________

Hi KL and gang,

When KM/KL came to visit in 1998 (formation of "MONEYPIT").
I demonstrated my original tapes from 1973,supplied with new M400/681. Still doing
quite well to this day. The ones KL alluded to were from Sound Sales,circa
1978-ish.

The 3-violins were EQ'd very bright,almost shrill at times. But the Flutes/Choir
had some
"tracking" background noises,from adjacent sounds on the master. Of course,back
then
I didn't know/care about that. The tapes themselves had one rippled edge,due to
cutting
jig at Sound Sales (razor blade on Ampex deck) getting dull.

Question for all you M400 owners out there. Have any of you seen/owned a tapeframe
that appears to have 3/8" Fluon guides(whitish Teflon colour) in turnbuckles? JB
told me
this was very early when tapeframes had S/N's ( as they now do from Streetly).
If yes, please share that with us. My original tapeframe with these is #120 . The
20th frame??

I have compiled my favorite "Mellotron Moments" on a 90-min. cassette and I keep
those
in both my car/van. They include all those mentioned so-far. And of course add to
those
the majestic opening intro to "Watcher...........". Another for yours-truly
is "Voyage", the ultimate Tron/Moodies/pitch-bend piece ever composed.
And I also had to add a nice selection of Tron-choirs used by Isao Tomita as well.

Some 26 years ago, I heard a "spoof" of "YES" played by a local band out of
Easton,PA.
Probably came from Lafayette College. Anyway, their tune was named "I Stood Up,
I Fell Down" . Would be similar to PDQ Bach's renditions of "Sonatas for Chamber
Pot
and Water-Closet.".....Heh-heh!.....

Cheers All, Jerry Korb ( ..have to admit,I'm getting nuttier with age!.....)

In a message dated 5/11/02 4:50:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time, jkorb@... writes:

Question for all you M400 owners out there. Have any of you seen/owned a tapeframe
that appears to have 3/8" Fluon guides(whitish Teflon colour) in turnbuckles? JB
told me
this was very early when tapeframes had S/N's ( as they now do from Streetly).
If yes, please share that with us. My original tapeframe with these is #120 . The
20th frame??

Some of you who attended the September 2002 Workshop in TRONto may recall I was lacing new tapes on two frames, one of which has the Fluon guides and MkII-style bars, not screws, that hold the tapes in place. That particular frame has TF141 etched on the top front.

Frank Samagaio
M400 #908

<< Question for all you M400 owners out there. Have any of you seen/owned a
tapeframe
that appears to have 3/8" Fluon guides(whitish Teflon colour) in
turnbuckles? JB
told me this was very early when tapeframes had S/N's ( as they now do from
Streetly).
If yes, please share that with us. My original tapeframe with these is #120 .
The
20th frame?? >>

tf118 is here; it came from streetly last year with a new set of tapes on it
(piano, plucked piano and the 8-voice choir). it has the old-style tape
retention, the only one of my eight frames like this, but the turnbuckles
look the same as the rest of them. where does the serial number live on the
later frames, or don't they have one? mine just have mellotron stickers
and/or luggage labels listing the sounds, the client and the date. none of
them is earlier than 1975. my original frame has a tiny metal tag bolted to
one edge, with "B.B." stamped on it, and "mr ball" written in chinagraph on
the first tape. hmm..... dave ball, I wonder? (soft cell- did they use a
'tron, ever?)

best-behaved tapeset *before* last year's pitstop was edgar froese's frame
from 1977 (orchestra, flute, gc brass); now they all behave..... well, we
haven't had the front off since the machine came back from streetly in
woolly's nissan. it used to be open all the time for pulling stuck tapes
down. I think it's something to do with right angles...

d/400nr1098

-----Original Message-----
From: ferrograph@... [mailto:ferrograph@...]
Sent: 12 May 2002 17:58
To: jkorb@...; Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Mellotronists] .... Tape question.....Tape stories and
Misc....


Duncan


best-behaved tapeset *before* last year's pitstop was edgar froese's frame
from 1977 (orchestra, flute, gc brass); now they all behave..... well, we
haven't had the front off since the machine came back from streetly in
woolly's nissan. it used to be open all the time for pulling stuck tapes
down. I think it's something to do with right angles...


Something to do with desperatly needing a service! :-) I seem to remember
when we had ours next to each other, mine was quiet as a quiet thing, while
yours sat there and whined (bit like me, then). And presumably your tape
problem at Jodrell Bank was not unconnected with this state of affairs,
either...

So, what's happening with r.m.i.? After missing last year's lone gig, I'd
quite like to see you play again - anything in the pipeline?

Andy T.
M400 #1145

http://freespace.virgin.net/andy.thompson/


p.s. np - IEM - 'IEM'.