Mellotronists

In a message dated 05/06/2006 20:54:13 GMT Daylight Time,  
steve@...-online.co.uk writes:
Dear All,
Steve Tebble is having e-mail problems so he asked me to forward this to  the 
list. I hope he gets any replies...
 
Norm

Title:  memotron deciphered.

Hi Guys

I've finally  sorted out what the sounds in the Memotron are:

'Vintage' means  original untouched sounds as sampled direct from a Tron -
complete with  drop-outs, speed variations, irregularities between  notes,
etc.

'Studio' means they've taken all these wonderful  idiosyncracies out.

The Vintage set ships with it, Studio is an  additional 79 Euros.

Observe this message which I have noticed on  several websites:

"Hi Troniacs!
Oh boy, how interesting to read all  those different opinions about the
MELLOTRON, the M-Tron and the brand new  MEMOTRON.
Dare I say that I had 35 Mellotrons and more than a hundred tape  frames in
over thirty years of my musicianship? Half of the M-Tron's  library, the
MELLOZONE samples and the complete MEMOTRON library stem from  my machines.
I am happy that the often so mistreated MELLOTRONS are back on  stage and
that their marvellous sounds can be heard (in old and new songs)  on the
radio again. Maybe some of my publications about the MELLOTRON in  various
musical papers helped a bit.
Let's be honest: there are actually  at an absolute maximum only 1900 M 400s
(including the new MkVI) and maybe  some hundred other Tron models on this
planet. What about all those ten  thousands or more musicians who want(ed)
those mellotronic noises for their  compositions and performances? Keep them
away from the sounds that often  became part of their musical life and
inspiration? Absolutely:  NO!
Nowadays technology has improved considerably, enabling sounds  and
possibilities no one would have dreamed of forty years ago. So why not  use
it? Do you hate DVDs because they lack your video tapes' drop-outs? As  times
are constantly changing musicians do no longer need to carry 65 or  180 kilos
to produce only three sounds on stage.
The main idea behind  G-Media's M-Tron was to give all those younger (and
older) guys who could  (or would) never afford to buy the real thing the
chance to add mellotronic  flavours to their computer-created music and
believe me, they did it and  created a lot of interesting music!
The MEMOTRON makers have a different  approach. They know that the original M
400 is heavy to transport (and for  most of its users hard to adjust and
repair). So they created an instrument  which gives the player a bit of the M
400's flair without its bulkiness,  but with a programmable (stereo) effects
unit, MIDI in/out, a CD-Rom drive  for the library CDs, a Compact Flash card
for your personal sound  combinations, for 'dramatic sound effects' a
"one-octave-down" switch, a  volume pedal input (for the authentic MELLOTRON
feel) and the capability to  use M-Tron sounds besides the MEMOTRON'S own
library (= different from the  M-Tron!) which presently is the best you can
find on the market!
Some  guys who only played the prototype at last year's Frankfurt Music Fair
or  at the NAMM Show did not have the chance to listen to the final version
of  the actual sounds that will come with the machine. Unlike the M-Tron  the
MEMOTRON uses a sample rate of 32 kHz which is more than enough to  cover the
MELLOTRON's up to 10 kHz (+- 3dB) frequency width.
The  MEMOTRON library uses completely different samples than in any  other
library before published. It is divided into two parts:
The  'VINTAGE' collection faithfully reproduces the original MELLOTRON sounds
of  Genesis, Yes, King Crimson with all the typical oddities, a pinch of  tape
noise and pitch inaccuracy added plus the tiny differences between  each key
in volume (including the wow, flutter and occasional attack  clicks) of let's
say a 1964 MkII, a 1968 M 300 or a 1970 M 400. You will be  amazed how
realistic the MEMOTRON can sound when it comes to reproduce a  superb
sounding vintage MELLOTRON.
The 'STUDIO' collection has the  producer in mind who wants to add those
famous warm MELLOTRON sounds to his  productions but who is not interested in
hard tape endings or background  hum noises (think of the 60Hz hum in the
famous 'Violins'). The 'STUDIO'  collection presents an ideal MELLOTRON with
proper sound endings and a  considerably reduced background noise level where
the mighty choirs and all  the other orchestral instruments create such an
enormous sound impact that  simply blows your mind in its clear power and
perfect intonation - but with  a character (so often missed in present-day
samples) you won't believe  until you have heard it yourself. For sure Les
Bradley would have liked  it.
Last but not least - the MEMOTRON enables the musician to blend all  sounds
of its (still expanding) library with each other for an unequalled  variety.
A creative tool for the working musician and the lover of those  (unlooped -
of course) 8 seconds long noises that make our hearts  warmer.
Have fun with the instrument of your choice (be it vintage or  modern) but
use those marvellous sounds for your music and keep your minds  open.
Yours mellotronically

Klaus Hoffmann-Hoock (MIND OVER MATTER /  COSMIC HOFFMANN) www.mindala.de
(Mr Mellotron, April 10, 2006)"

Who  is 'Mr Mellotron', any ideas?

I recently e-mailed Manikin Electronic  who make the Memotron.  I asked them:

1 - Do you have a  distributor in the UK?
Their reply:  Not yet but you can order direct  from us.
(From Germany?  Not likely.  I want to see one  first.)

2 - What other samples can be loaded into it besides those that  come with
it?
Their reply:  M-Tron Tape Banks.
(Sounds  encouraging.)

3 - Will there be a rackmount version?
Their  reply:  Not sure yet but possibly.
(That would be good.  After  all, there would be no point in selling my K1 to
buy a Memotron - what sort  of master keyboard only has 35 keys?  But if I
could slot one in the  rack ...!)

Steve Tebble
Bristol, England

Still saving for  M4000...