The Mellotron Group

Ahhhh, Clay! So you've BEEN there? Do TELL!!! And all this time I thought it was just Urban Legend! HA!

Frank, as always, thank you for your sage advice - on the magnetometer, tape (and tape path) cleaning and the auto upholstry idea for the cover! As it happens, my girlfriend lives right around the corner from a good place, so that'll be easy! The tape cleaning does sound lengthy and tedious, but I have a good solution for that, too. I've just set my 5 cats on it, and they'll be licking tapes til I get the motor fixed! It'll keep 'em off the mixing console, too!

"Digital Mellotrons." Hmmm. Y'know, most of us still appreciate the quirkiness and depth of vinyl records, but we all listen to CDs. Even now, records still sound better, clicks, pops and all, but we usually opt for convenience and ease of use. I think there's a correlation. When I first heard that inimitable blast of Giant Heavenly Mellotrons from The Court of the Crimson King, (yes, after of course, "Strawberry Fields," but that only made Mellotrons a curiosity. K.C. frikkin' ran ya DOWN with 'em!), I didn't immediately take note how they worked or how the sound was produced... I fell in love with the SOUND! (How shallow, I know. I know.) Now I'd love nothing more than to bring my Mellotron with me to some shows - because there IS the Mystique of the damn thing, no refuting it. But it's big, and wrestling it into my SUV, while do-able, would be a challenge for my arms & back, and tough with lotsa guitar equipment in there, too. So if players stop taking them out because they're big & heavy compared to a light little thing you can throw in the back seat (now there's an analogy, but I ain't goin' there!), then for the Original Producers to come up with that lighter, easier solution, with even MANY more choices of the Best Sounds, isn't that a good thing? No, we don't get the individuality, the quirks; we can't use "vibrato" on the keys (how many 'boards do THAT, huh?!?), but we DO get The Sound we all fell in love with originally. So who's to say what's "better?" It depends on the situation, I guess, and the Digitals vs. Originals at least give us a choice. I suspect if I were hired for a session to play Mellotron, and showed up with a little sample player, there'd be Trouble. Such is The Mystique, even if the end result sounded identical. But to head out with The BEATUNES (my Beatles Tribute band), & add the 'tron parts they actually used a lot of, well, I can't deny it'd be awfully nice to lighten an already-heavy load, and use less room on the stage. I am a "purist;" I fully concur with real Mellotrons vs samplers, but in the real world, maybe I'm grateful for the choice, anyway. And if it says "Mellotron" on the name plate, at least we're supporting the fine Streetly people and all who've believed, and stayed the course through SUCH a roller coaster over the years, and that's got to be a good thing, too, right? My humble 2-cents/pence. Thoughts, anyone?

Thanks to you all for the ever-present humor! As for Degrees: I've got 98.6 of 'em, and I've had 'em all my life! And as was said, as long as you've got those - and are still above ground - there's hope!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, everyone! Much to be thankful for... right now I'm so glad to have my cats. They're good for dusting, too!

Cheers!

Berington

Berington Van Campen
Van Campen Productions / V.C.MusiCorp / BEATUNES Beatles Tribute
VCMusiCorp1@yahoo.com
(626) 458-4474 Home/Office
www.myspace.com/berington
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www.myspace.com/VCMusiCorpScoring

Speaking of cats, many years ago when I bought my FX Console from Peter Csanky of Fludd, I decided that the standard MkII tapes in it (leads and rhythms) was not as much use to me as 2 sets of 400 tapes, so I could have choir, cello and church organ as well as brass, violins and flute. (Basically, Mellotronics told me to take a hike when I approached them about a custom set of MkII tapes.)

When the two tape sets arrived, I began to remove the old sets so that I could keep them for possible later use. I only got a little way into the job when I had to leave for a gig. The tapes had been mostly removed from the springs but were hanging in their loops.

That night, our two cats got into the tapes. There was shredded tape everywhere. We were finding pieces around the house for months. The cats seemed to poop it and puke it for a week, and as much as I wanted them to die for their sins, they didn't. ;)

Just a word of warning...

Rick