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Re: [newmellotrongroup] I washed my tron last night and now I can't do a thing with it

2009-09-30 by Mike Dickson

Mine is the same.I distinctly recall that when I was recording 'Water Through Fingers' on the fiorst Systems Theory album it was worse than ever. The coda to that track features over a dozen Mellotron sounds, and recording one was not a problem, but the next was in variably out of tune to the tune of (say) a quarter tone flat. If I turned the pitch up by a hint of smattering of a suggestion then it was playing a semitone sharp. Back down the same amount and it was still sharp. A tad further down and it was back where it started.

I gave up for the day and did it all again the next day. I recorded all tracks, one after another, with no pitch problems at all.

Mike

Mark Pring wrote:

I think the mellotron must be one of most infuriating instruments on the planet. I played it last night, it sounded terrible, I played it tonight it sounds great.

Is this just because it hasn't been fully restored or do newer restored trons do the same thing. Having read Mike's info on his website I know that mine isn't the only one to do this. Does the M4000 always play perfectly?

Mark

PS Did you know that Syd Barrett's "Wined and dined" seems to have the same harmonic structure to "Little Donkey" ?


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