The Mellotron Group

Sorry this is going to be a bit of rant, so don't read any further!

I am not sure what the new sounds are trying to achieve. I have just listened to 
the new organ demo which sounds fantastic but doesn't sound like a mellotron to 
my ears, which admittedly aren't the greatest. To me that sounds exactly like a 
church organ I would not have picked that it was a mellotron. If the new samples 
are aiming for fidelity they are certainly succeeding but in that case why not 
use samples or the real thing?

Certainly if new samples sell and make money for Streetly they can only be a 
good thing for those of us that own trons and will be looking for replacement 
parts, but there really aren't that many sounds that are characteristic of the 
mellotron or aren't easily mistaken for anything else.

In my opinion there are  2.

The Mark II 3 violins
The 8 Choir

I would have added combined brass except there is at least one track where I 
mistook it for the real thing and some of the people on the list have long 
memories.

I suppose the Mark II flute is useful if you want to play "Strawberry Fields" 
but I can't think of any other use for it.

Essentially the mellotron has been mainly used as a "string, brass and choir 
machine" which explains why they fell out of production when there were 
reasonably reliable polyphonic  synthesizers available. The current resurgence 
in use is mainly due to the complete lack of anything new in popular music so 
that producers are looking for some 70's vintage sound to bring some sort of 
nostalgic feel to their music.

But anything that keeps Streetly going has to be good!

Mark




________________________________
From: Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com>
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sun, November 7, 2010 5:46:47 AM
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] New Sounds In General

   
In what may be a futile attempt, I will attempt to introduce some     discussion 
into this group.

Do you think there is any merit in recording and selling new       sounds for 
the Mellotron?


	* Pro this, I'd say that it expands the palette of sounds         available for 
the instrument, keeps it 'alive' and generates         revenue for those who 
want to sell it as a product.
	* Contra this, you could argue that it transforms the Mellotron         into 
just another sampler and that there are probably         better digital products 
out there for the job, plus the fact         that usually the Mellotron is sold 
to sound like a Melotron and         not like just any other instrument.
Discuss?

--  Mike Dickson, Edinburgh