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Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-11-30 by lsf5275@aol.com

A nice article about the M4000 and then a referral to watch a movie that hardly mentions Streetly (if at all)and is mostly about Chamberlins.
New Mellotron M4000 Finds Home With Chicago Psych Rocker
18Sep10
Send to a Friend | Feed for this Entry | Filed under: Keyboard Synthesizers, Samplers

Mellotrons have a checkered history. They’re known for their unique sound and place in electronic music, but they’re also known for their limitations and temperamentality.

But, while the sound of the Mellotron has been captured in samples and software, there’s still something about a real tape-based Mellotron that appeals to a lot of musicians.

And, for some keyboardists, it’s hard for them to imagine playing their music without a Mellotron.

Chicago-based psychedelic rocker Jim Licka, right, recently added a new Mellotron M4000, from Streetly Electronics, to his arsenal. Licka leads a psychedelic/ambient/rock band Umbra and the Volcan Siege.

Why a new Mellotron?

“I think the Mellotron is the most dynamic and influential instrument invented,” says Licka.”I love it every time I play it and hear it.”

The Mellotron M4000 is the newest in a the Mellotron family of electro-mechanical, polyphonic sample-playback keyboards. Psychedelic and progressive rock bands used the Mellotron extensively in the ’60s and ’70s and the instrument features on album like George Harrison’s Wonderwall Music, King Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King and Architecture & Morality by Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark.

More recently, the Mellotron has seen a resurgence of interest, especially with prog and metal groups.

“It sends me to a place that’s special and sacred,” adds Licka. “It makes me feel alive and I feel lucky to own one. I think that keeps me coming back for more and more and it’s the most amazing sound ever.”

Licka, who also plays guitar and Moog synthesizer with Umbra and the Volcan Siege, ordered his Mellotron M4000 in 2007, after visiting Streetly’s Staffordshire, England, headquarters and testing a prototype. An older model Mellotron is featured on the most recent Umbra and the Volcan Siege EP, 2009’s The Beginning of the End.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Mellotron, a great place to start is Dianna Dilworth’s excellent Mellotron documentary Mellodrama.

Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-11-30 by tron400

Interesting article, but I'd like to know exactly what the limitations of a Mellotron are. It is what it is.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, lsf5275@... wrote:
>
> A nice article about the M4000 and then a referral to watch a movie that
> hardly mentions Streetly (if at all)and is mostly about Chamberlins.
>
>
>
> _New Mellotron M4000 Finds Home With Chicago Psych Rocker_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/)
> 18Sep10
>
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/)
> _Send to a Friend_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/) | _Feed for this Entry_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/feed/) | Filed under: _Keyboard Synthesizers_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/keyboard-synthesize
> rs/) , _Samplers_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/samplers/)
>
>
> Mellotrons have a checkered history. They’re known for their unique sound
> and place in electronic music, but they’re also known for their limitations
> and temperamentality.
> But, while the sound of the Mellotron has been captured in samples and
> software, there’s still something about a real tape-based Mellotron that
> appeals to a lot of musicians.
> And, for some keyboardists, it’s hard for them to imagine playing their
> music without a Mellotron.
> Chicago-based psychedelic rocker Jim Licka, right, recently added a new
> _Mellotron M4000_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/09/18/streetly-electronics-introduces-a-new-mellotron/) , from _Streetly Electronics_
> (http://www.mellotronics.com/) , to his arsenal. Licka leads a
> psychedelic/ambient/rock band _Umbra and the Volcan Siege_ (http://www.myspace.com/umbrachicago)
> .
> Why a new Mellotron?
> “I think the Mellotron is the most dynamic and influential instrument
> invented,” says Licka.”I love it every time I play it and hear it.”
> The Mellotron M4000 is the newest in a the Mellotron family of
> electro-mechanical, polyphonic sample-playback keyboards. Psychedelic and progressive
> rock bands used the Mellotron extensively in the ’60s and ’70s and the
> instrument features on album like George Harrison’s Wonderwall Music, King
> Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King and Architecture & Morality by
> Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark.
> More recently, the Mellotron has seen a resurgence of interest, especially
> with prog and metal groups.
> “It sends me to a place that’s special and sacred,” adds Licka. “It makes
> me feel alive and I feel lucky to own one. I think that keeps me coming
> back for more and more and it’s the most amazing sound ever.”
> Licka, who also plays guitar and Moog synthesizer with Umbra and the Volcan
> Siege, ordered his Mellotron M4000 in 2007, after visiting Streetly’s
> Staffordshire, England, headquarters and testing a prototype. An older model
> Mellotron is featured on the most recent Umbra and the Volcan Siege EP, 2009’
> s The Beginning of the End.
> If you’re interested in learning more about the Mellotron, a great place to
> start is Dianna Dilworth’s excellent _Mellotron documentary Mellodrama_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/02/12/mellodrama-mellotronchamberlin-d
> ocumentary-trailer/) .
>

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by fdoddy@aol.com

I LOVE limitations!

fd



-----Original Message-----
From: tron400 <tron400@yahoo.com>
To: newmellotrongroup <newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tue, Nov 30, 2010 9:11 am
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?



Interesting article, but I'd like to know exactly what the limitations of a Mellotron are. It is what it is.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, lsf5275@... wrote:
>
> A nice article about the M4000 and then a referral to watch a movie that
> hardly mentions Streetly (if at all)and is mostly about Chamberlins.
>
>
>
> _New Mellotron M4000 Finds Home With Chicago Psych Rocker_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/)
> 18Sep10
>
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/)
> _Send to a Friend_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/) | _Feed for this Entry_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/feed/) | Filed under: _Keyboard Synthesizers_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/keyboard-synthesize
> rs/) , _Samplers_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/samplers/)
>
>
> Mellotrons have a checkered history. They’re known for their unique sound
> and place in electronic music, but they’re also known for their limitations
> and temperamentality.
> But, while the sound of the Mellotron has been captured in samples and
> software, there’s still something about a real tape-based Mellotron that
> appeals to a lot of musicians.
> And, for some keyboardists, it’s hard for them to imagine playing their
> music without a Mellotron.
> Chicago-based psychedelic rocker Jim Licka, right, recently added a new
> _Mellotron M4000_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/09/18/streetly-electronics-introduces-a-new-mellotron/) , from _Streetly Electronics_
> (http://www.mellotronics.com/) , to his arsenal. Licka leads a
> psychedelic/ambient/rock band _Umbra and the Volcan Siege_ (http://www.myspace.com/umbrachicago)
> .
> Why a new Mellotron?
> “I think the Mellotron is the most dynamic and influential instrument
> invented,” says Licka.”I love it every time I play it and hear it.”
> The Mellotron M4000 is the newest in a the Mellotron family of
> electro-mechanical, polyphonic sample-playback keyboards. Psychedelic and progressive
> rock bands used the Mellotron extensively in the ’60s and ’70s and the
> instrument features on album like George Harrison’s Wonderwall Music, King
> Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King and Architecture & Morality by
> Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark.
> More recently, the Mellotron has seen a resurgence of interest, especially
> with prog and metal groups.
> “It sends me to a place that’s special and sacred,” adds Licka. “It makes
> me feel alive and I feel lucky to own one. I think that keeps me coming
> back for more and more and it’s the most amazing sound ever.”
> Licka, who also plays guitar and Moog synthesizer with Umbra and the Volcan
> Siege, ordered his Mellotron M4000 in 2007, after visiting Streetly’s
> Staffordshire, England, headquarters and testing a prototype. An older model
> Mellotron is featured on the most recent Umbra and the Volcan Siege EP, 2009’
> s The Beginning of the End.
> If you’re interested in learning more about the Mellotron, a great place to
> start is Dianna Dilworth’s excellent _Mellotron documentary Mellodrama_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/02/12/mellodrama-mellotronchamberlin-d
> ocumentary-trailer/) .
>

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by Mark Pring

I would say the same of the ukulele, it's a wonderful instrument, great fun to play, narrow range, some keys easy to play, others difficult, you can become a virtuoso or just play the 3 chords and have fun. Light portable, cheap, no power needed cost $30. Are there any tron ukulele tapes?

Mark

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, fdoddy@aol.com <fdoddy@aol.com> wrote:

From: fdoddy@aol.com <fdoddy@aol.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 1:36 PM

I LOVE limitations!

fd



-----Original Message-----
From: tron400 <tron400@yahoo.com>
To: newmellotrongroup <newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tue, Nov 30, 2010 9:11 am
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?



Interesting article, but I'd like to know exactly what the limitations of a Mellotron are. It is what it is.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, lsf5275@... wrote:
>
> A nice article about the M4000 and then a referral to watch a movie that
> hardly mentions Streetly (if at all)and is mostly about Chamberlins.
>
>
>
> _New Mellotron M4000 Finds Home With Chicago Psych Rocker_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/)
> 18Sep10
>
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/)
> _Send to a Friend_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/) | _Feed for this Entry_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/feed/) | Filed under: _Keyboard Synthesizers_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/keyboard-synthesize
> rs/) , _Samplers_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/samplers/)
>
>
> Mellotrons have a checkered history. Theyâre known for their unique sound
> and place in electronic music, but theyâre also known for their limitations
> and temperamentality.
> But, while the sound of the Mellotron has been captured in samples and
> software, thereâs still something about a real tape-based Mellotron that
> appeals to a lot of musicians.
> And, for some keyboardists, itâs hard for them to imagine playing their
> music without a Mellotron.
> Chicago-based psychedelic rocker Jim Licka, right, recently added a new
> _Mellotron M4000_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/09/18/streetly-electronics-introduces-a-new-mellotron/) , from _Streetly Electronics_
> (http://www.mellotronics.com/) , to his arsenal. Licka leads a
> psychedelic/ambient/rock band _Umbra and the Volcan Siege_ (http://www.myspace.com/umbrachicago)
> .
> Why a new Mellotron?
> âI think the Mellotron is the most dynamic and influential instrument
> invented,â says Licka.âI love it every time I play it and hear it.â
> The Mellotron M4000 is the newest in a the Mellotron family of
> electro-mechanical, polyphonic sample-playback keyboards. Psychedelic and progressive
> rock bands used the Mellotron extensively in the â60s and â70s and the
> instrument features on album like George Harrisonâs Wonderwall Music, King
> Crimsonâs In the Court of the Crimson King and Architecture & Morality by
> Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark.
> More recently, the Mellotron has seen a resurgence of interest, especially
> with prog and metal groups.
> âIt sends me to a place thatâs special and sacred,â adds Licka. âIt makes
> me feel alive and I feel lucky to own one. I think that keeps me coming
> back for more and more and itâs the most amazing sound ever.â
> Licka, who also plays guitar and Moog synthesizer with Umbra and the Volcan
> Siege, ordered his Mellotron M4000 in 2007, after visiting Streetlyâs
> Staffordshire, England, headquarters and testing a prototype. An older model
> Mellotron is featured on the most recent Umbra and the Volcan Siege EP, 2009â
> s The Beginning of the End.
> If youâre interested in learning more about the Mellotron, a great place to
> start is Dianna Dilworthâs excellent _Mellotron documentary Mellodrama_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/02/12/mellodrama-mellotronchamberlin-d
> ocumentary-trailer/) .
>


RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by Gary Brumm

Really Bernie?....You don’t know what the limitations are?

You’re kidding right?

J

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of tron400
Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 4:05 AM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?



Interesting article, but I'd like to know exactly what the limitations of a Mellotron are. It is what it is.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, lsf5275@... wrote:
>
> A nice article about the M4000 and then a referral to watch a movie that
> hardly mentions Streetly (if at all)and is mostly about Chamberlins.
>
>
>
> _New Mellotron M4000 Finds Home With Chicago Psych Rocker_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/)
> 18Sep10
>
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/)
> _Send to a Friend_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/) | _Feed for this Entry_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/feed/) | Filed under: _Keyboard Synthesizers_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/keyboard-synthesize
> rs/) , _Samplers_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/samplers/)
>
>
> Mellotrons have a checkered history. They’re known for their unique sound
> and place in electronic music, but they’re also known for their limitations
> and temperamentality.
> But, while the sound of the Mellotron has been captured in samples and
> software, there’s still something about a real tape-based Mellotron that
> appeals to a lot of musicians.
> And, for some keyboardists, it’s hard for them to imagine playing their
> music without a Mellotron.
> Chicago-based psychedelic rocker Jim Licka, right, recently added a new
> _Mellotron M4000_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/09/18/streetly-electronics-introduces-a-new-mellotron/) , from _Streetly Electronics_
> (http://www.mellotronics.com/) , to his arsenal. Licka leads a
> psychedelic/ambient/rock band _Umbra and the Volcan Siege_ (http://www.myspace.com/umbrachicago)
> .
> Why a new Mellotron?
> “I think the Mellotron is the most dynamic and influential instrument
> invented,” says Licka.”I love it every time I play it and hear it.”
> The Mellotron M4000 is the newest in a the Mellotron family of
> electro-mechanical, polyphonic sample-playback keyboards. Psychedelic and progressive
> rock bands used the Mellotron extensively in the ’60s and ’70s and the
> instrument features on album like George Harrison’s Wonderwall Music, King
> Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King and Architecture & Morality by
> Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark.
> More recently, the Mellotron has seen a resurgence of interest, especially
> with prog and metal groups.
> “It sends me to a place that’s special and sacred,” adds Licka. “It makes
> me feel alive and I feel lucky to own one. I think that keeps me coming
> back for more and more and it’s the most amazing sound ever.”
> Licka, who also plays guitar and Moog synthesizer with Umbra and the Volcan
> Siege, ordered his Mellotron M4000 in 2007, after visiting Streetly’s
> Staffordshire, England, headquarters and testing a prototype. An older model
> Mellotron is featured on the most recent Umbra and the Volcan Siege EP, 2009’
> s The Beginning of the End.
> If you’re interested in learning more about the Mellotron, a great place to
> start is Dianna Dilworth’s excellent _Mellotron documentary Mellodrama_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/02/12/mellodrama-mellotronchamberlin-d
> ocumentary-trailer/) .
>

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by Mark Pring

George played the banjolele, similar but not quite the same, I'll volunteer for the recording sessions if Martin will pay my fare back.

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com> wrote:

From: Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 2:08 PM


On Nov 30, 2010, at 8:05 PM, Mark Pring wrote:

Are there any tron ukulele tapes?

No. George Formby forbade it.

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by john barrick

How do you hold a note for eight seconds on a Uke? The sustain can't be that good.

On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 7:37 PM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:

George played the banjolele, similar but not quite the same, I'll volunteer for the recording sessions if Martin will pay my fare back.

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com> wrote:

From: Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com>

Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 2:08 PM



On Nov 30, 2010, at 8:05 PM, Mark Pring wrote:

Are there any tron ukulele tapes?

No. George Formby forbade it.


Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by Mark Pring

I was thinking of a regular strum and chord progressions rather than single notes.

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, john barrick <barrickjohn262@gmail.com> wrote:

From: john barrick <barrickjohn262@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 4:05 PM

How do you hold a note for eight seconds on a Uke? The sustain can't be that good.

On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 7:37 PM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:

George played the banjolele, similar but not quite the same, I'll volunteer for the recording sessions if Martin will pay my fare back.

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com> wrote:

From: Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com>

Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 2:08 PM



On Nov 30, 2010, at 8:05 PM, Mark Pring wrote:

Are there any tron ukulele tapes?

No. George Formby forbade it.



Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by Pomeroy RH Ranch

I have banjo on the left hand of my M2 - it does a single pluck, waits a beat and then does a constant double-pick for the remaining 5+ seconds.

On 11/30/2010 7:05 PM, john barrick wrote:

How do you hold a note for eight seconds on a Uke? The sustain can't be that good.

On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 7:37 PM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:
George played the banjolele, similar but not quite the same, I'll volunteer for the recording sessions if Martin will pay my fare back.

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com> wrote:

From: Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com>

Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 2:08 PM



On Nov 30, 2010, at 8:05 PM, Mark Pring wrote:

Are there any tron ukulele tapes?

No. George Formby forbade it.


Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by lsf5275@aol.com

Many people don't know this, but Bernie used to know much more about Mellotrons than he does now. He fell down the stairs a while back and when he awoke, he immediately changed his email address and promptly erased all of the knowledge associated with the old one.
Be patient. He's coming along just fine.
Frank
In a message dated 11/30/2010 8:29:33 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, gabru@comsec.net writes:

Really Bernie?....You don’t know what the limitations are?

You’re kidding right?

J

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of tron400
Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 4:05 AM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?



Interesting article, but I'd like to know exactly what the limitations of a Mellotron are. It is what it is.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, lsf5275@... wrote:
>
> A nice article about the M4000 and then a referral to watch a movie that
> hardly mentions Streetly (if at all)and is mostly about Chamberlins.
>
>
>
> _New Mellotron M4000 Finds Home With Chicago Psych Rocker_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/)
> 18Sep10
>
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/)
> _Send to a Friend_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/) | _Feed for this Entry_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/feed/) | Filed under: _Keyboard Synthesizers_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/keyboard-synthesize
> rs/) , _Samplers_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/samplers/)
>
>
> Mellotrons have a checkered history. They’re known for their unique sound
> and place in electronic music, but they’re also known for their limitations
> and temperamentality.
> But, while the sound of the Mellotron has been captured in samples and
> software, there’s still something about a real tape-based Mellotron that
> appeals to a lot of musicians.
> And, for some keyboardists, it’s hard for them to imagine playing their
> music without a Mellotron.
> Chicago-based psychedelic rocker Jim Licka, right, recently added a new
> _Mellotron M4000_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/09/18/streetly-electronics-introduces-a-new-mellotron/) , from _Streetly Electronics_
> (http://www.mellotronics.com/) , to his arsenal. Licka leads a
> psychedelic/ambient/rock band _Umbra and the Volcan Siege_ (http://www.myspace.com/umbrachicago)
> .
> Why a new Mellotron?
> “I think the Mellotron is the most dynamic and influential instrument
> invented,” says Licka.”I love it every time I play it and hear it.”
> The Mellotron M4000 is the newest in a the Mellotron family of
> electro-mechanical, polyphonic sample-playback keyboards. Psychedelic and progressive
> rock bands used the Mellotron extensively in the ’60s and ’70s and the
> instrument features on album like George Harrison’s Wonderwall Music, King
> Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King and Architecture & Morality by
> Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark.
> More recently, the Mellotron has seen a resurgence of interest, especially
> with prog and metal groups.
> “It sends me to a place that’s special and sacred,” adds Licka. “It makes
> me feel alive and I feel lucky to own one. I think that keeps me coming
> back for more and more and it’s the most amazing sound ever.”
> Licka, who also plays guitar and Moog synthesizer with Umbra and the Volcan
> Siege, ordered his Mellotron M4000 in 2007, after visiting Streetly’s
> Staffordshire, England, headquarters and testing a prototype. An older model
> Mellotron is featured on the most recent Umbra and the Volcan Siege EP, 2009’
> s The Beginning of the End.
> If you’re interested in learning more about the Mellotron, a great place to
> start is Dianna Dilworth’s excellent _Mellotron documentary Mellodrama_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/02/12/mellodrama-mellotronchamberlin-d
> ocumentary-trailer/) .
>

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by lsf5275@aol.com

There is no sustain on a Ukulele. That's why people like to strum them. Although it's true that there are a few mighty good Ukulele pickers.
In a message dated 11/30/2010 10:05:38 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, barrickjohn262@gmail.com writes:

How do you hold a note for eight seconds on a Uke? The sustain can't be that good.

On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 7:37 PM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:

George played the banjolele, similar but not quite the same, I'll volunteer for the recording sessions if Martin will pay my fare back.

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com> wrote:

From: Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com>

Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 2:08 PM



On Nov 30, 2010, at 8:05 PM, Mark Pring wrote:

Are there any tron ukulele tapes?

No. George Formby forbade it.


Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by john barrick

I was joking, Mark.

On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 9:26 PM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:

I was thinking of a regular strum and chord progressions rather than single notes.

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, john barrick <barrickjohn262@gmail.com> wrote:

From: john barrick <barrickjohn262@gmail.com>

Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 4:05 PM


How do you hold a note for eight seconds on a Uke? The sustain can't be that good.

On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 7:37 PM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:

George played the banjolele, similar but not quite the same, I'll volunteer for the recording sessions if Martin will pay my fare back.

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com> wrote:

From: Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com>

Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 2:08 PM



On Nov 30, 2010, at 8:05 PM, Mark Pring wrote:

Are there any tron ukulele tapes?

No. George Formby forbade it.




Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by john barrick

So you could finally do that cover of Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter that you've wanted to undertake?

On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 9:26 PM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:

I was thinking of a regular strum and chord progressions rather than single notes.

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, john barrick <barrickjohn262@gmail.com> wrote:

From: john barrick <barrickjohn262@gmail.com>

Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 4:05 PM


How do you hold a note for eight seconds on a Uke? The sustain can't be that good.

On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 7:37 PM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:

George played the banjolele, similar but not quite the same, I'll volunteer for the recording sessions if Martin will pay my fare back.

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com> wrote:

From: Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com>

Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 2:08 PM



On Nov 30, 2010, at 8:05 PM, Mark Pring wrote:

Are there any tron ukulele tapes?

No. George Formby forbade it.




Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by Mark Pring

So was I, John.

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, john barrick <barrickjohn262@gmail.com> wrote:

From: john barrick <barrickjohn262@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 6:48 PM

I was joking, Mark.

On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 9:26 PM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:

I was thinking of a regular strum and chord progressions rather than single notes.

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, john barrick <barrickjohn262@gmail.com> wrote:

From: john barrick <barrickjohn262@gmail.com>

Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 4:05 PM


How do you hold a note for eight seconds on a Uke? The sustain can't be that good.

On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 7:37 PM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:

George played the banjolele, similar but not quite the same, I'll volunteer for the recording sessions if Martin will pay my fare back.

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com> wrote:

From: Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com>

Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 2:08 PM



On Nov 30, 2010, at 8:05 PM, Mark Pring wrote:

Are there any tron ukulele tapes?

No. George Formby forbade it.





Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by Mark Pring

I probably can, and quite possibly will, I've had the uke for 2 weeks, I can play 5 or 6 chords, I've written 4 songs since I got it, which is twice what I've written in the last 30 years. The uke really seems to lend itself to song writing, it is so easy to pick it up try out a few chord progressions and the songs seem to follow. It is easy to play, cheap, portable and fun. There are a lot of people on youtube using it for songs. It is a very accessible instrument, an instrument for the people, you don't need to be a "good" musician to make music with it and it isn't easy to take it seriously although I sure some people will.

Mark

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, john barrick <barrickjohn262@gmail.com> wrote:

From: john barrick <barrickjohn262@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 6:49 PM

So you could finally do that cover of Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter that you've wanted to undertake?

On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 9:26 PM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:

I was thinking of a regular strum and chord progressions rather than single notes.

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, john barrick <barrickjohn262@gmail.com> wrote:

From: john barrick <barrickjohn262@gmail.com>

Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 4:05 PM


How do you hold a note for eight seconds on a Uke? The sustain can't be that good.

On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 7:37 PM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:

George played the banjolele, similar but not quite the same, I'll volunteer for the recording sessions if Martin will pay my fare back.

--- On Wed, 1/12/10, Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com> wrote:

From: Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com>

Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 2:08 PM



On Nov 30, 2010, at 8:05 PM, Mark Pring wrote:

Are there any tron ukulele tapes?

No. George Formby forbade it.





Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by markpringnz

Although if Streetly want me, I'm ready!

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mark Pring <markpringnz@...> wrote:
>
> So was I, John.
>
> --- On Wed, 1/12/10, john barrick <barrickjohn262@...> wrote:
>
> From: john barrick <barrickjohn262@...>
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 6:48 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Â
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I was joking, Mark.
>
> On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 9:26 PM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@...> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Â
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I was thinking of a regular strum and chord progressions rather than single notes.
>
> --- On Wed, 1/12/10, john barrick <barrickjohn262@...> wrote:
>
>
> From: john barrick <barrickjohn262@...>
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
>
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 4:05 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Â
>
>
>
>
>
>
> How do you hold a note for eight seconds on a Uke? The sustain can't be that good.
>
> On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 7:37 PM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@...> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Â
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> George played the banjolele, similar but not quite the same, I'll volunteer for the recording sessions if Martin will pay my fare back.
>
>
>
> --- On Wed, 1/12/10, Rick Blechta <rick@...> wrote:
>
>
> From: Rick Blechta <rick@...>
>
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
>
> Received: Wednesday, 1 December, 2010, 2:08 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Â
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Nov 30, 2010, at 8:05 PM, Mark Pring wrote:
> Are there any tron ukulele tapes?
>
>
> No. George Formby forbade it.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Â
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Â
>

Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by tron400

If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are they?

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, lsf5275@... wrote:
>
> Many people don't know this, but Bernie used to know much more about
> Mellotrons than he does now. He fell down the stairs a while back and when he
> awoke, he immediately changed his email address and promptly erased all of the
> knowledge associated with the old one.
>
> Be patient. He's coming along just fine.
>
> Frank
>
>
> In a message dated 11/30/2010 8:29:33 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> gabru@... writes:
>
>
>
>
>
> Really Bernie?....You don’t know what the limitations are?
> You’re kidding right?
> J
>
>
>
> From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of tron400
> Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 4:05 AM
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Interesting article, but I'd like to know exactly what the limitations of
> a Mellotron are. It is what it is.
>
> Bernie
>
> --- In _newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com_
> (mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com) , lsf5275@ wrote:
> >
> > A nice article about the M4000 and then a referral to watch a movie that
> > hardly mentions Streetly (if at all)and is mostly about Chamberlins.
> >
> >
> >
> > _New Mellotron M4000 Finds Home With Chicago Psych Rocker_
> > (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/) )
> > 18Sep10
> >
> > (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/) )
> > _Send to a Friend_
> > (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/) ) |
> _Feed for this Entry_
> > (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/feed/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/feed/) ) | Filed
> under: _Keyboard Synthesizers_
> >
> (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/keyboard-synthesize_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/keyboard-synthesize)
> > rs/) , _Samplers_
> >
> (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/samplers/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/samplers/) )
> >
> >
> > Mellotrons have a checkered history. They’re known for their unique
> sound
> > and place in electronic music, but they’re also known for their
> limitations
> > and temperamentality.
> > But, while the sound of the Mellotron has been captured in samples and
> > software, there’s still something about a real tape-based Mellotron
> that
> > appeals to a lot of musicians.
> > And, for some keyboardists, it’s hard for them to imagine playing
> their
> > music without a Mellotron.
> > Chicago-based psychedelic rocker Jim Licka, right, recently added a new
> > _Mellotron M4000_
> >
> (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/09/18/streetly-electronics-introduces-a-new-mellotron/_ (http://www.synth
> topia.com/content/2009/09/18/streetly-electronics-introduces-a-new-mellotron/) ) , from _Streetly Electronics_
> > (_http://www.mellotronics.com/_ (http://www.mellotronics.com/) ) , to his
> arsenal. Licka leads a
> > psychedelic/ambient/rock band _Umbra and the Volcan Siege_
> (_http://www.myspace.com/umbrachicago_ (http://www.myspace.com/umbrachicago) )
> > .
> > Why a new Mellotron?
> > â€Å"I think the Mellotron is the most dynamic and influential instrument
> > invented,” says Licka.”I love it every time I play it and hear it.â€
> 
> > The Mellotron M4000 is the newest in a the Mellotron family of
> > electro-mechanical, polyphonic sample-playback keyboards. Psychedelic
> and progressive
> > rock bands used the Mellotron extensively in the ’60s and ’70s and
> the
> > instrument features on album like George Harrison’s Wonderwall Music,
> King
> > Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King and Architecture &
> Morality by
> > Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark.
> > More recently, the Mellotron has seen a resurgence of interest,
> especially
> > with prog and metal groups.
> > â€Å"It sends me to a place that’s special and sacred,” adds Licka. â
> ہ"It makes
> > me feel alive and I feel lucky to own one. I think that keeps me coming
> > back for more and more and it’s the most amazing sound ever.”
> > Licka, who also plays guitar and Moog synthesizer with Umbra and the
> Volcan
> > Siege, ordered his Mellotron M4000 in 2007, after visiting Streetly’s
>
> > Staffordshire, England, headquarters and testing a prototype. An older
> model
> > Mellotron is featured on the most recent Umbra and the Volcan Siege EP,
> 2009’
> > s The Beginning of the End.
> > If you’re interested in learning more about the Mellotron, a great
> place to
> > start is Dianna Dilworth’s excellent _Mellotron documentary
> Mellodrama_
> >
> (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/02/12/mellodrama-mellotronchamberlin-d_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/02/12/mellodrama-mellotronchamberlin-d)
> > ocumentary-trailer/) .
> >
>

RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by John Wright

Use an Ebow. 8-)
John
#911

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of john barrick
Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 10:06 PM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

How do you hold a note for eight seconds on a Uke? The sustain can't be that good.

On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 7:37 PM, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by Mike Dickson


On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:

If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are they?


  1. Tuning
  2. Range
  3. Voices
  4. Recording quality
  5. Timbre
  6. White noise
  7. Tape audio artefacts
  8. Tape transport
  9. Playing position

Give me a shout if you want more.

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by lsf5275@aol.com

Mellotrons can't drive. There's one. Although you can urinate in them, they don't flush. There's another. I can go on and on...
In a message dated 12/1/2010 8:20:46 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, tron400@yahoo.com writes:



If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are they?

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, lsf5275@... wrote:
>
> Many people don't know this, but Bernie used to know much more about
> Mellotrons than he does now. He fell down the stairs a while back and when he
> awoke, he immediately changed his email address and promptly erased all of the
> knowledge associated with the old one.
>
> Be patient. He's coming along just fine.
>
> Frank
>
>
> In a message dated 11/30/2010 8:29:33 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> gabru@... writes:
>
>
>
>
>
> Really Bernie?....You don’t know what the limitations are?
> You’re kidding right?
> J
>
>
>
> From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of tron400
> Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 4:05 AM
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Interesting article, but I'd like to know exactly what the limitations of
> a Mellotron are. It is what it is.
>
> Bernie
>
> --- In _newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com_
> (mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com) , lsf5275@ wrote:
> >
> > A nice article about the M4000 and then a referral to watch a movie that
> > hardly mentions Streetly (if at all)and is mostly about Chamberlins.
> >
> >
> >
> > _New Mellotron M4000 Finds Home With Chicago Psych Rocker_
> > (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/) )
> > 18Sep10
> >
> > (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/) )
> > _Send to a Friend_
> > (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/) ) |
> _Feed for this Entry_
> > (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/feed/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/feed/) ) | Filed
> under: _Keyboard Synthesizers_
> >
> (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/keyboard-synthesize_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/keyboard-synthesize)
> > rs/) , _Samplers_
> >
> (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/samplers/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/samplers/) )
> >
> >
> > Mellotrons have a checkered history. They’re known for their unique
> sound
> > and place in electronic music, but they’re also known for their
> limitations
> > and temperamentality.
> > But, while the sound of the Mellotron has been captured in samples and
> > software, there’s still something about a real tape-based Mellotron
> that
> > appeals to a lot of musicians.
> > And, for some keyboardists, it’s hard for them to imagine playing
> their
> > music without a Mellotron.
> > Chicago-based psychedelic rocker Jim Licka, right, recently added a new
> > _Mellotron M4000_
> >
> (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/09/18/streetly-electronics-introduces-a-new-mellotron/_ (http://www.synth
> topia.com/content/2009/09/18/streetly-electronics-introduces-a-new-mellotron/) ) , from _Streetly Electronics_
> > (_http://www.mellotronics.com/_ (http://www.mellotronics.com/) ) , to his
> arsenal. Licka leads a
> > psychedelic/ambient/rock band _Umbra and the Volcan Siege_
> (_http://www.myspace.com/umbrachicago_ (http://www.myspace.com/umbrachicago) )
> > .
> > Why a new Mellotron?
> > â€Å"I think the Mellotron is the most dynamic and influential instrument
> > invented,” says Licka.”I love it every time I play it and hear it.â€
> 
> > The Mellotron M4000 is the newest in a the Mellotron family of
> > electro-mechanical, polyphonic sample-playback keyboards. Psychedelic
> and progressive
> > rock bands used the Mellotron extensively in the ’60s and ’70s and
> the
> > instrument features on album like George Harrison’s Wonderwall Music,
> King
> > Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King and Architecture &
> Morality by
> > Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark.
> > More recently, the Mellotron has seen a resurgence of interest,
> especially
> > with prog and metal groups.
> > â€Å"It sends me to a place that’s special and sacred,” adds Licka. â
> ہ"It makes
> > me feel alive and I feel lucky to own one. I think that keeps me coming
> > back for more and more and it’s the most amazing sound ever.”
> > Licka, who also plays guitar and Moog synthesizer with Umbra and the
> Volcan
> > Siege, ordered his Mellotron M4000 in 2007, after visiting Streetly’s
>
> > Staffordshire, England, headquarters and testing a prototype. An older
> model
> > Mellotron is featured on the most recent Umbra and the Volcan Siege EP,
> 2009’
> > s The Beginning of the End.
> > If you’re interested in learning more about the Mellotron, a great
> place to
> > start is Dianna Dilworth’s excellent _Mellotron documentary
> Mellodrama_
> >
> (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/02/12/mellodrama-mellotronchamberlin-d_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/02/12/mellodrama-mellotronchamberlin-d)
> > ocumentary-trailer/) .
> >
>

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by lsf5275@aol.com

For the more serious answer... see Mike Dickson. For complete nonsense, I'm your guy.
In a message dated 12/1/2010 12:01:43 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, lsf5275@aol.com writes:

Mellotrons can't drive. There's one. Although you can urinate in them, they don't flush. There's another. I can go on and on...
In a message dated 12/1/2010 8:20:46 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, tron400@yahoo.com writes:



If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are they?

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, lsf5275@... wrote:
>
> Many people don't know this, but Bernie used to know much more about
> Mellotrons than he does now. He fell down the stairs a while back and when he
> awoke, he immediately changed his email address and promptly erased all of the
> knowledge associated with the old one.
>
> Be patient. He's coming along just fine.
>
> Frank
>
>
> In a message dated 11/30/2010 8:29:33 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> gabru@... writes:
>
>
>
>
>
> Really Bernie?....You don’t know what the limitations are?
> You’re kidding right?
> J
>
>
>
> From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of tron400
> Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 4:05 AM
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Interesting article, but I'd like to know exactly what the limitations of
> a Mellotron are. It is what it is.
>
> Bernie
>
> --- In _newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com_
> (mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com) , lsf5275@ wrote:
> >
> > A nice article about the M4000 and then a referral to watch a movie that
> > hardly mentions Streetly (if at all)and is mostly about Chamberlins.
> >
> >
> >
> > _New Mellotron M4000 Finds Home With Chicago Psych Rocker_
> > (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/) )
> > 18Sep10
> >
> > (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/) )
> > _Send to a Friend_
> > (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/) ) |
> _Feed for this Entry_
> > (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/feed/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/feed/) ) | Filed
> under: _Keyboard Synthesizers_
> >
> (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/keyboard-synthesize_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/keyboard-synthesize)
> > rs/) , _Samplers_
> >
> (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/samplers/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/samplers/) )
> >
> >
> > Mellotrons have a checkered history. They’re known for their unique
> sound
> > and place in electronic music, but they’re also known for their
> limitations
> > and temperamentality.
> > But, while the sound of the Mellotron has been captured in samples and
> > software, there’s still something about a real tape-based Mellotron
> that
> > appeals to a lot of musicians.
> > And, for some keyboardists, it’s hard for them to imagine playing
> their
> > music without a Mellotron.
> > Chicago-based psychedelic rocker Jim Licka, right, recently added a new
> > _Mellotron M4000_
> >
> (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/09/18/streetly-electronics-introduces-a-new-mellotron/_ (http://www.synth
> topia.com/content/2009/09/18/streetly-electronics-introduces-a-new-mellotron/) ) , from _Streetly Electronics_
> > (_http://www.mellotronics.com/_ (http://www.mellotronics.com/) ) , to his
> arsenal. Licka leads a
> > psychedelic/ambient/rock band _Umbra and the Volcan Siege_
> (_http://www.myspace.com/umbrachicago_ (http://www.myspace.com/umbrachicago) )
> > .
> > Why a new Mellotron?
> > â€Å"I think the Mellotron is the most dynamic and influential instrument
> > invented,” says Licka.”I love it every time I play it and hear it.â€
> 
> > The Mellotron M4000 is the newest in a the Mellotron family of
> > electro-mechanical, polyphonic sample-playback keyboards. Psychedelic
> and progressive
> > rock bands used the Mellotron extensively in the ’60s and ’70s and
> the
> > instrument features on album like George Harrison’s Wonderwall Music,
> King
> > Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King and Architecture &
> Morality by
> > Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark.
> > More recently, the Mellotron has seen a resurgence of interest,
> especially
> > with prog and metal groups.
> > â€Å"It sends me to a place that’s special and sacred,” adds Licka. â
> ہ"It makes
> > me feel alive and I feel lucky to own one. I think that keeps me coming
> > back for more and more and it’s the most amazing sound ever.”
> > Licka, who also plays guitar and Moog synthesizer with Umbra and the
> Volcan
> > Siege, ordered his Mellotron M4000 in 2007, after visiting Streetly’s
>
> > Staffordshire, England, headquarters and testing a prototype. An older
> model
> > Mellotron is featured on the most recent Umbra and the Volcan Siege EP,
> 2009’
> > s The Beginning of the End.
> > If you’re interested in learning more about the Mellotron, a great
> place to
> > start is Dianna Dilworth’s excellent _Mellotron documentary
> Mellodrama_
> >
> (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/02/12/mellodrama-mellotronchamberlin-d_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/02/12/mellodrama-mellotronchamberlin-d)
> > ocumentary-trailer/) .
> >
>

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by Bruce Daily

Okay, here's another one-
9. Weight
-which directly transfers to one of its greatest downfalls, NO RESPECT FROM ROADIES OR OTHER TRANSPORTERS. It only takes one bad trip...
-Bruce D.


--- On Wed, 12/1/10, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, December 1, 2010, 7:20 AM


On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are they?

  1. Tuning
  2. Range
  3. Voices
  4. Recording quality
  5. Timbre
  6. White noise
  7. Tape audio artefacts
  8. Tape transport
  9. Playing position

Give me a shout if you want more.

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by Tom Doncourt

Yes, the condition one would find a mellotron in today would be tangental on how much it was 'toured". If you put it in a road case it couldn't fit into a car/station wagon. With just the muff cover I moved mine in a volkswagon rabbit and a datsun B210! By the 80's my muff cover looked like it was run over by a lawnmower. Despite the loving care I gave to my prize possession it was discovered when brought in for refurbishing that the frame was bent. Still, with a proper truck, a road case, a spare M4000 sitting at home and a helpful guitarist to load the "tour" tron from the stage to the case it would be the preferable way to go. I use the "Pinder" samples, a Nord and a real tron on my work tapes and I can hear and feel the difference- the real tron is considerably better.
On Dec 1, 2010, at 12:15 PM, Bruce Daily wrote:

Okay, here's another one-
9. Weight
-which directly transfers to one of its greatest downfalls, NO RESPECT FROM ROADIES OR OTHER TRANSPORTERS. It only takes one bad trip...
-Bruce D.


--- On Wed, 12/1/10, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, December 1, 2010, 7:20 AM


On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are they?

  1. Tuning
  2. Range
  3. Voices
  4. Recording quality
  5. Timbre
  6. White noise
  7. Tape audio artefacts
  8. Tape transport
  9. Playing position

Give me a shout if you want more.


RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by Gary Brumm

Thanks Mike, I think you’ve pretty much got it covered……You are defiantly an authority and not in denial J!

Cheers!

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mike Dickson
Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2010 6:20 AM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?


On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:

If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are they?

  1. Tuning
  2. Range
  3. Voices
  4. Recording quality
  5. Timbre
  6. White noise
  7. Tape audio artefacts
  8. Tape transport
  9. Playing position


Give me a shout if you want more.

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-01 by john barrick

Bernie - I know what you mean.

On Wed, Dec 1, 2010 at 12:51 PM, Gary Brumm <gabru@comsec.net> wrote:

Thanks Mike, I think you’ve pretty much got it covered……You are defiantly an authority and not in denial J!

Cheers!

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mike Dickson
Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2010 6:20 AM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?


On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:

If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are they?

  1. Tuning
  2. Range
  3. Voices
  4. Recording quality
  5. Timbre
  6. White noise
  7. Tape audio artefacts
  8. Tape transport
  9. Playing position


Give me a shout if you want more.


Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-02 by Bruce Daily

Oops, I meant number 10. Addition, not subtraction from Mr. Dickson's list. Sorry.
-Bruce D.


--- On Wed, 12/1/10, Bruce Daily <pocotron@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Bruce Daily <pocotron@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, December 1, 2010, 10:15 AM

Okay, here's another one-
9. Weight
-which directly transfers to one of its greatest downfalls, NO RESPECT FROM ROADIES OR OTHER TRANSPORTERS. It only takes one bad trip...
-Bruce D.


--- On Wed, 12/1/10, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, December 1, 2010, 7:20 AM


On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are they?

  1. Tuning
  2. Range
  3. Voices
  4. Recording quality
  5. Timbre
  6. White noise
  7. Tape audio artefacts
  8. Tape transport
  9. Playing position

Give me a shout if you want more.


RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-02 by Gary Brumm

…my toilet can’t drive but then again my car can’t flush….I try not to pee in my car….…. J

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of lsf5275@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 2010 9:01 AM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

Mellotrons can't drive. There's one. Although you can urinate in them, they don't flush. There's another. I can go on and on...

In a message dated 12/1/2010 8:20:46 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, tron400@yahoo.com writes:



If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are they?

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, lsf5275@... wrote:
>
> Many people don't know this, but Bernie used to know much more about
> Mellotrons than he does now. He fell down the stairs a while back and when he
> awoke, he immediately changed his email address and promptly erased all of the
> knowledge associated with the old one.
>
> Be patient. He's coming along just fine.
>
> Frank
>
>
> In a message dated 11/30/2010 8:29:33 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> gabru@... writes:
>
>
>
>
>
> Really Bernie?....You don’t know what the limitations are?
> You’re kidding right?
> J
>
>
>
> From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of tron400
> Sent: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 4:05 AM
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Interesting article, but I'd like to know exactly what the limitations of
> a Mellotron are. It is what it is.
>
> Bernie
>
> --- In _newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com_
> (mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com) , lsf5275@ wrote:
> >
> > A nice article about the M4000 and then a referral to watch a movie that
> > hardly mentions Streetly (if at all)and is mostly about Chamberlins.
> >
> >
> >
> > _New Mellotron M4000 Finds Home With Chicago Psych Rocker_
> > (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/) )
> > 18Sep10
> >
> > (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/) )
> > _Send to a Friend_
> > (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/email/) ) |
> _Feed for this Entry_
> > (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/feed/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/feed/) ) | Filed
> under: _Keyboard Synthesizers_
> >
> (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/keyboard-synthesize_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/keyboard-synthesize)
> > rs/) , _Samplers_
> >
> (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/samplers/_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/category/electronic-music-gear/samplers/) )
> >
> >
> > Mellotrons have a checkered history. They’re known for their unique
> sound
> > and place in electronic music, but they’re also known for their
> limitations
> > and temperamentality.
> > But, while the sound of the Mellotron has been captured in samples and
> > software, there’s still something about a real tape-based Mellotron
> that
> > appeals to a lot of musicians.
> > And, for some keyboardists, it’s hard for them to imagine playing
> their
> > music without a Mellotron.
> > Chicago-based psychedelic rocker Jim Licka, right, recently added a new
> > _Mellotron M4000_
> >
> (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/09/18/streetly-electronics-introduces-a-new-mellotron/_ (http://www.synth
> topia.com/content/2009/09/18/streetly-electronics-introduces-a-new-mellotron/) ) , from _Streetly Electronics_
> > (_http://www.mellotronics.com/_ (http://www.mellotronics.com/) ) , to his
> arsenal. Licka leads a
> > psychedelic/ambient/rock band _Umbra and the Volcan Siege_
> (_http://www.myspace.com/umbrachicago_ (http://www.myspace.com/umbrachicago) )
> > .
> > Why a new Mellotron?
> > â€Å"I think the Mellotron is the most dynamic and influential instrument
> > invented,” says Licka.”I love it every time I play it and hear it.â€
> 
> > The Mellotron M4000 is the newest in a the Mellotron family of
> > electro-mechanical, polyphonic sample-playback keyboards. Psychedelic
> and progressive
> > rock bands used the Mellotron extensively in the ’60s and ’70s and
> the
> > instrument features on album like George Harrison’s Wonderwall Music,
> King
> > Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King and Architecture &
> Morality by
> > Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark.
> > More recently, the Mellotron has seen a resurgence of interest,
> especially
> > with prog and metal groups.
> > â€Å"It sends me to a place that’s special and sacred,” adds Licka. â
> ہ"It makes
> > me feel alive and I feel lucky to own one. I think that keeps me coming
> > back for more and more and it’s the most amazing sound ever.”
> > Licka, who also plays guitar and Moog synthesizer with Umbra and the
> Volcan
> > Siege, ordered his Mellotron M4000 in 2007, after visiting Streetly’s
>
> > Staffordshire, England, headquarters and testing a prototype. An older
> model
> > Mellotron is featured on the most recent Umbra and the Volcan Siege EP,
> 2009’
> > s The Beginning of the End.
> > If you’re interested in learning more about the Mellotron, a great
> place to
> > start is Dianna Dilworth’s excellent _Mellotron documentary
> Mellodrama_
> >
> (_http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/02/12/mellodrama-mellotronchamberlin-d_
> (http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/02/12/mellodrama-mellotronchamberlin-d)
> > ocumentary-trailer/) .
> >
>

Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-02 by tron400

Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice. That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It is what it is.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...> wrote:
>
>
> On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> >
> > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article
> > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are
> > they?
> >
>
> 1. Tuning
> 2. Range
> 3. Voices
> 4. Recording quality
> 5. Timbre
> 6. White noise
> 7. Tape audio artefacts
> 8. Tape transport
> 9. Playing position
>
>
> Give me a shout if you want more.
>

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-02 by fdoddy@aol.com

werd...I'm with you Bernie.

Most folks also give a natural negative connotation to words like limitation, commercial. pop. Conversely, positive connotation is given to words like freedom, unique, analog.... blah blah blah.

Like you said, it is what it is.

....aaaand begin!


fritz




-----Original Message-----
From: tron400 <tron400@yahoo.com>
To: newmellotrongroup <newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Dec 2, 2010 12:03 pm
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?



Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice. That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It is what it is.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...> wrote:
>
>
> On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> >
> > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article
> > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are
> > they?
> >
>
> 1. Tuning
> 2. Range
> 3. Voices
> 4. Recording quality
> 5. Timbre
> 6. White noise
> 7. Tape audio artefacts
> 8. Tape transport
> 9. Playing position
>
>
> Give me a shout if you want more.
>

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-02 by Mike Dickson

What I listed are ipso facto the limitations of the Mellotron as an instrument. I don't think anyone here will disagree with any of them.

You liking them or not is a matter of taste.

Mike


On 02/12/2010 12:04, tron400 wrote:



Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice. That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It is what it is.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...> wrote:
>
>
> On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> >
> > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article
> > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are
> > they?
> >
>
> 1. Tuning
> 2. Range
> 3. Voices
> 4. Recording quality
> 5. Timbre
> 6. White noise
> 7. Tape audio artefacts
> 8. Tape transport
> 9. Playing position
>
>
> Give me a shout if you want more.
>


-- 
Mike Dickson, Edinburgh

Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/ 
Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson                  
Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson   
Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks

Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-02 by Charles

well it WAS called "Mellotronics LTD"

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...> wrote:
>
> What I listed are /ipso facto /the limitations of the Mellotron as an
> instrument. I don't think anyone here will disagree with any of them.
>
> You liking them or not is a matter of taste.
>
> Mike
>
>
> On 02/12/2010 12:04, tron400 wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's
> > comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only
> > for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice.
> > That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It
> > is what it is.
> >
> > Bernie
> >
> > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Mike Dickson
> > <mike.dickson@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> > > >
> > > > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > > > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article
> > > > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are
> > > > they?
> > > >
> > >
> > > 1. Tuning
> > > 2. Range
> > > 3. Voices
> > > 4. Recording quality
> > > 5. Timbre
> > > 6. White noise
> > > 7. Tape audio artefacts
> > > 8. Tape transport
> > > 9. Playing position
> > >
> > >
> > > Give me a shout if you want more.
> > >
> >
> >
>
> --
> Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
>
> Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
> Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
> Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
> Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
> Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
>

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-03 by lsf5275@aol.com

Thank you Bernie!
In a message dated 12/2/2010 12:03:58 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, tron400@yahoo.com writes:



Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice. That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It is what it is.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...> wrote:
>
>
> On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> >
> > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article
> > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are
> > they?
> >
>
> 1. Tuning
> 2. Range
> 3. Voices
> 4. Recording quality
> 5. Timbre
> 6. White noise
> 7. Tape audio artefacts
> 8. Tape transport
> 9. Playing position
>
>
> Give me a shout if you want more.
>

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-03 by lsf5275@aol.com

I'm not sure that Bernie has ever tasted one.
In a message dated 12/2/2010 5:38:24 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, mike.dickson@gmail.com writes:
What I listed are ipso facto the limitations of the Mellotron as an instrument. I don't think anyone here will disagree with any of them.

You liking them or not is a matter of taste.

Mike

Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-03 by tron400

Mike, it's not a matter of liking or disliking Mellotrons. I know that they were originally designed to imitate other instruments, but they don't seem to have been very successful there (except maybe in the hands of one member of this group :-). When I hear a TV commercial with Mellotron flute, I don't hear flutes, I hear a Mellotron. Same with the 3 violins. I don't hear violins, I hear another instrument altogether. The way Mellotrons have been used by prog rockers seems to have placed a stamp on Mellotrons as to how they are played by most people, making them unique instruments that don't sound like any other instrument. I don't think Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman or Fritz Doddy used Trons to substitute for orchestral instruments. I think they used them for the uniqueness of their sound and I think that uniqueness is what attracts people to Trons. So to me, because of the uniqueness of this instrument that does exactly what I want it to do and sounds exactly the way I want it to sound, it has no limitations for me.

Frank, sometimes they taste like wood, sometimes they taste like metal, sometimes they taste like iron oxide and on extremely rare occasions, they taste like plexiglass.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...> wrote:
>
> What I listed are /ipso facto /the limitations of the Mellotron as an
> instrument. I don't think anyone here will disagree with any of them.
>
> You liking them or not is a matter of taste.
>
> Mike
>
>
> On 02/12/2010 12:04, tron400 wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's
> > comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only
> > for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice.
> > That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It
> > is what it is.
> >
> > Bernie
> >
> > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Mike Dickson
> > <mike.dickson@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> > > >
> > > > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > > > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article
> > > > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are
> > > > they?
> > > >
> > >
> > > 1. Tuning
> > > 2. Range
> > > 3. Voices
> > > 4. Recording quality
> > > 5. Timbre
> > > 6. White noise
> > > 7. Tape audio artefacts
> > > 8. Tape transport
> > > 9. Playing position
> > >
> > >
> > > Give me a shout if you want more.
> > >
> >
> >
>
> --
> Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
>
> Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
> Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
> Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
> Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
> Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
>

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-03 by lsf5275@aol.com

And I imagine sometimes they might taste a bit like stale beer and cigarettes, or perhaps a bit like vomit or mouse poop. Some of the ones that have come into my shop have had some astonishingly weird stuff in them.
In a message dated 12/3/2010 10:59:42 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, tron400@yahoo.com writes:
Frank, sometimes they taste like wood, sometimes they taste like metal, sometimes they taste like iron oxide and on extremely rare occasions, they taste like plexiglass.

RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-03 by Gary Brumm

It is the limitations that make the instrument unique. Tony Banks and Rick Wakeman used them because they were the only “samplers” available

at the time. They did use them for orchestral instruments as evidenced by the arrangements played when they used real orchestras for those parts.

I can’t speak for Fritz but both Rick Wakeman and Tony Banks dumped (and /or burned) their Mellotrons and moved to newer technology long ago.

Both speak openly of their dislike for the instrument due to its limitations. That said, I like Mellotrons for what they are….a piece of musical history

that I grew up listening to and loving. The 7 second note limitation probably caused parts to be written around that “limitation” resulting in unique

passages that would otherwise be different. I have a lot of Mike Dickson’s material on my mp3 player and I really think he shows the instrument to

it’s fullest. I am with you Bernie, when I hear material with a Mellotron in it …I picture a Mellotron and not a flute, violin, etc.

Cheers,

Gary

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of tron400
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 7:59 AM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?



Mike, it's not a matter of liking or disliking Mellotrons. I know that they were originally designed to imitate other instruments, but they don't seem to have been very successful there (except maybe in the hands of one member of this group :-). When I hear a TV commercial with Mellotron flute, I don't hear flutes, I hear a Mellotron. Same with the 3 violins. I don't hear violins, I hear another instrument altogether. The way Mellotrons have been used by prog rockers seems to have placed a stamp on Mellotrons as to how they are played by most people, making them unique instruments that don't sound like any other instrument. I don't think Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman or Fritz Doddy used Trons to substitute for orchestral instruments. I think they used them for the uniqueness of their sound and I think that uniqueness is what attracts people to Trons. So to me, because of the uniqueness of this instrument that does exactly what I want it to do and sounds exactly the way I want it to sound, it has no limitations for me.

Frank, sometimes they taste like wood, sometimes they taste like metal, sometimes they taste like iron oxide and on extremely rare occasions, they taste like plexiglass.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...> wrote:
>
> What I listed are /ipso facto /the limitations of the Mellotron as an
> instrument. I don't think anyone here will disagree with any of them.
>
> You liking them or not is a matter of taste.
>
> Mike
>
>
> On 02/12/2010 12:04, tron400 wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's
> > comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only
> > for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice.
> > That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It
> > is what it is.
> >
> > Bernie
> >
> > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Mike Dickson
> > <mike.dickson@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> > > >
> > > > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > > > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article
> > > > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are
> > > > they?
> > > >
> > >
> > > 1. Tuning
> > > 2. Range
> > > 3. Voices
> > > 4. Recording quality
> > > 5. Timbre
> > > 6. White noise
> > > 7. Tape audio artefacts
> > > 8. Tape transport
> > > 9. Playing position
> > >
> > >
> > > Give me a shout if you want more.
> > >
> >
> >
>
> --
> Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
>
> Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
> Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
> Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
> Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
> Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
>

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-03 by Mark Pring

Definitely mouse poop!

--- On Sat, 4/12/10, lsf5275@aol.com <lsf5275@aol.com> wrote:

From: lsf5275@aol.com <lsf5275@aol.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Saturday, 4 December, 2010, 5:49 AM

And I imagine sometimes they might taste a bit like stale beer and cigarettes, or perhaps a bit like vomit or mouse poop. Some of the ones that have come into my shop have had some astonishingly weird stuff in them.
In a message dated 12/3/2010 10:59:42 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, tron400@yahoo.com writes:
Frank, sometimes they taste like wood, sometimes they taste like metal, sometimes they taste like iron oxide and on extremely rare occasions, they taste like plexiglass.


Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-03 by Bruce Daily

Hi all-
Messy new beginnings!
When I first took apart my 'tron for cleaning and fixin', I was pleased to find only dust, a bit of grime, and no mouse poop. But, after looking at the wood at the back end of the key rails, I determined that mice must've been in the machine at one time. I found divots on the key rail end tops that only could've been made from tiny rodentia teeth. The little bastards must've sat on the key springs and sampled each and every key!
Irony, in a way...
-Bruce D.


--- On Fri, 12/3/10, Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Friday, December 3, 2010, 10:28 AM

Definitely mouse poop!

--- On Sat, 4/12/10, lsf5275@aol.com <lsf5275@aol.com> wrote:

From: lsf5275@aol.com <lsf5275@aol.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Received: Saturday, 4 December, 2010, 5:49 AM

And I imagine sometimes they might taste a bit like stale beer and cigarettes, or perhaps a bit like vomit or mouse poop. Some of the ones that have come into my shop have had some astonishingly weird stuff in them.
In a message dated 12/3/2010 10:59:42 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, tron400@yahoo.com writes:
Frank, sometimes they taste like wood, sometimes they taste like metal, sometimes they taste like iron oxide and on extremely rare occasions, they taste like plexiglass.



Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-03 by Mike Dickson

Bernie -

You seem to be totally misunderstanding what I am trying to say. Maybe I am not expressing it properly.

It is a limitation of Bruckner's Ninth Symphony, Mahler's Tenth Symphony and Schubert's Seventh Symphony that they were all unfinished and had to be completed by lesser talents. Do I still like them? Yes, all of them and very much. Are they what I expect of those composers? No, not at all.

You're right that Banks et al didn't use the Mellotron as a 'substitute for orchestral instruments' because - to name one of the limitations I described - the recordings themselves were not worth a damn and don't sound like what they were supposed to represent. They sound like a Mellotron. So if one choses to use them as such a replacement for them (as was the original intention, more or less) then it fails pretty miserably. That it still sounds great is really neither here nor there. I am describing what limits the instrument as someone may wish it be used.

Yes, I know an accordion is limited if I chose to use it as a cheeseboard, but I am talking about using it within the context that it was designed to be uitilised.

You're confusing your subjective personal taste for the more objective matter of what the instrument can and cannot 'do'. That I think the former is the more important criterion is not really important to the discussion.

Mike



On 03/12/2010 15:59, tron400 wrote:



Mike, it's not a matter of liking or disliking Mellotrons. I know that they were originally designed to imitate other instruments, but they don't seem to have been very successful there (except maybe in the hands of one member of this group :-). When I hear a TV commercial with Mellotron flute, I don't hear flutes, I hear a Mellotron. Same with the 3 violins. I don't hear violins, I hear another instrument altogether. The way Mellotrons have been used by prog rockers seems to have placed a stamp on Mellotrons as to how they are played by most people, making them unique instruments that don't sound like any other instrument. I don't think Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman or Fritz Doddy used Trons to substitute for orchestral instruments. I think they used them for the uniqueness of their sound and I think that uniqueness is what attracts people to Trons. So to me, because of the uniqueness of this instrument that does exactly what I want it to do and sounds exactly the way I want it to sound, it has no limitations for me.

Frank, sometimes they taste like wood, sometimes they taste like metal, sometimes they taste like iron oxide and on extremely rare occasions, they taste like plexiglass.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...> wrote:
>
> What I listed are /ipso facto /the limitations of the Mellotron as an
> instrument. I don't think anyone here will disagree with any of them.
>
> You liking them or not is a matter of taste.
>
> Mike
>
>
> On 02/12/2010 12:04, tron400 wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's
> > comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only
> > for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice.
> > That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It
> > is what it is.
> >
> > Bernie
> >
> > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Mike Dickson
> > <mike.dickson@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> > > >
> > > > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > > > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article
> > > > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are
> > > > they?
> > > >
> > >
> > > 1. Tuning
> > > 2. Range
> > > 3. Voices
> > > 4. Recording quality
> > > 5. Timbre
> > > 6. White noise
> > > 7. Tape audio artefacts
> > > 8. Tape transport
> > > 9. Playing position
> > >
> > >
> > > Give me a shout if you want more.
> > >
> >
> >
>
> --
> Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
>
> Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
> Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
> Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
> Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
> Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
>


-- 
Mike Dickson, Edinburgh

Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/ 
Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson                  
Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson   
Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks

Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-03 by markpringnz

What can be said, can be said clearly the rest...
--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...> wrote:
>
> Bernie -
>
> You seem to be totally misunderstanding what I am trying to say. Maybe I
> am not expressing it properly.
>
> It is a limitation of Bruckner's Ninth Symphony, Mahler's Tenth Symphony
> and Schubert's Seventh Symphony that they were all unfinished and had to
> be completed by lesser talents. Do I still like them? Yes, all of them
> and very much. Are they what I expect of those composers? No, not at all.
>
> You're right that Banks /et al /didn't use the Mellotron as a
> 'substitute for orchestral instruments' because - to name one of the
> limitations I described - the recordings themselves were not worth a
> damn and don't sound like what they were supposed to represent. They
> sound like a Mellotron. So if one choses to use them as such a
> replacement for them (as was the original intention, more or less) then
> it fails pretty miserably. That it still sounds great is really neither
> here nor there. I am describing what /limits /the instrument as someone
> may wish it be used.
>
> Yes, I know an accordion is limited if I chose to use it as a
> cheeseboard, but I am talking about using it within the context that it
> was designed to be uitilised.
>
> You're confusing your subjective personal taste for the more objective
> matter of what the instrument can and cannot 'do'. That I think the
> former is the more important criterion is not really important to the
> discussion.
>
> Mike
>
>
>
> On 03/12/2010 15:59, tron400 wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Mike, it's not a matter of liking or disliking Mellotrons. I know that
> > they were originally designed to imitate other instruments, but they
> > don't seem to have been very successful there (except maybe in the
> > hands of one member of this group :-). When I hear a TV commercial
> > with Mellotron flute, I don't hear flutes, I hear a Mellotron. Same
> > with the 3 violins. I don't hear violins, I hear another instrument
> > altogether. The way Mellotrons have been used by prog rockers seems to
> > have placed a stamp on Mellotrons as to how they are played by most
> > people, making them unique instruments that don't sound like any other
> > instrument. I don't think Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman or Fritz Doddy used
> > Trons to substitute for orchestral instruments. I think they used them
> > for the uniqueness of their sound and I think that uniqueness is what
> > attracts people to Trons. So to me, because of the uniqueness of this
> > instrument that does exactly what I want it to do and sounds exactly
> > the way I want it to sound, it has no limitations for me.
> >
> > Frank, sometimes they taste like wood, sometimes they taste like
> > metal, sometimes they taste like iron oxide and on extremely rare
> > occasions, they taste like plexiglass.
> >
> > Bernie
> >
> > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Mike Dickson
> > <mike.dickson@> wrote:
> > >
> > > What I listed are /ipso facto /the limitations of the Mellotron as an
> > > instrument. I don't think anyone here will disagree with any of them.
> > >
> > > You liking them or not is a matter of taste.
> > >
> > > Mike
> > >
> > >
> > > On 02/12/2010 12:04, tron400 wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's
> > > > comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only
> > > > for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice.
> > > > That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It
> > > > is what it is.
> > > >
> > > > Bernie
> > > >
> > > > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>
> > > > <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Mike Dickson
> > > > <mike.dickson@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > > > > > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the
> > article
> > > > > > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are.
> > What are
> > > > > > they?
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > 1. Tuning
> > > > > 2. Range
> > > > > 3. Voices
> > > > > 4. Recording quality
> > > > > 5. Timbre
> > > > > 6. White noise
> > > > > 7. Tape audio artefacts
> > > > > 8. Tape transport
> > > > > 9. Playing position
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Give me a shout if you want more.
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
> > >
> > > Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
> > > Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
> > > Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
> > > Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
> > > Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
> > >
> >
> >
>
> --
> Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
>
> Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
> Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
> Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
> Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
> Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
>

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-03 by fdoddy@aol.com

Now I'm hungry for grilled Franks!!

Frank, sometimes they taste like wood, sometimes they taste like metal, sometimes they taste like iron oxide and on extremely rare occasions, they taste like plexiglass.

Bernie




-----Original Message-----
From: tron400 <tron400@yahoo.com>
To: newmellotrongroup <newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Fri, Dec 3, 2010 10:59 am
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?



Mike, it's not a matter of liking or disliking Mellotrons. I know that they were originally designed to imitate other instruments, but they don't seem to have been very successful there (except maybe in the hands of one member of this group :-). When I hear a TV commercial with Mellotron flute, I don't hear flutes, I hear a Mellotron. Same with the 3 violins. I don't hear violins, I hear another instrument altogether. The way Mellotrons have been used by prog rockers seems to have placed a stamp on Mellotrons as to how they are played by most people, making them unique instruments that don't sound like any other instrument. I don't think Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman or Fritz Doddy used Trons to substitute for orchestral instruments. I think they used them for the uniqueness of their sound and I think that uniqueness is what attracts people to Trons. So to me, because of the uniqueness of this instrument that does exactly what I want it to do and sounds exactly the way I want it t o sound, it has no limitations for me.

Frank, sometimes they taste like wood, sometimes they taste like metal, sometimes they taste like iron oxide and on extremely rare occasions, they taste like plexiglass.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...> wrote:
>
> What I listed are /ipso facto /the limitations of the Mellotron as an
> instrument. I don't think anyone here will disagree with any of them.
>
> You liking them or not is a matter of taste.
>
> Mike
>
>
> On 02/12/2010 12:04, tron400 wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's
> > comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only
> > for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice.
> > That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It
> > is what it is.
> >
> > Bernie
> >
> > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>;, Mike Dickson
> > <mike.dickson@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> > > >
> > > > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > > > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article
> > > > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are
> > > > they?
> > > >
> > >
> > > 1. Tuning
> > > 2. Range
> > > 3. Voices
> > > 4. Recording quality
> > > 5. Timbre
> > > 6. White noise
> > > 7. Tape audio artefacts
> > > 8. Tape transport
> > > 9. Playing position
> > >
> > >
> > > Give me a shout if you want more.
> > >
> >
> >
>
> --
> Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
>
> Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
> Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
> Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
> Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
> Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
>

RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-03 by Gary Brumm

There is often a grey area between the subjective vs the objective view of things (and people) especially if there is a passion involved.

Subjectively it can be difficult to define the right, wrong, good, bad, etc. in a way universally agreed upon. This is not usually so with an

objective view…..but it generates discussion and this is a discussion group so it’s all good.

Cheers,

Gary

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mike Dickson
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 11:59 AM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

Bernie -

You seem to be totally misunderstanding what I am trying to say. Maybe I am not expressing it properly.

It is a limitation of Bruckner's Ninth Symphony, Mahler's Tenth Symphony and Schubert's Seventh Symphony that they were all unfinished and had to be completed by lesser talents. Do I still like them? Yes, all of them and very much. Are they what I expect of those composers? No, not at all.

You're right that Banks et al didn't use the Mellotron as a 'substitute for orchestral instruments' because - to name one of the limitations I described - the recordings themselves were not worth a damn and don't sound like what they were supposed to represent. They sound like a Mellotron. So if one choses to use them as such a replacement for them (as was the original intention, more or less) then it fails pretty miserably. That it still sounds great is really neither here nor there. I am describing what limits the instrument as someone may wish it be used.

Yes, I know an accordion is limited if I chose to use it as a cheeseboard, but I am talking about using it within the context that it was designed to be uitilised.

You're confusing your subjective personal taste for the more objective matter of what the instrument can and cannot 'do'. That I think the former is the more important criterion is not really important to the discussion.

Mike



On 03/12/2010 15:59, tron400 wrote:



Mike, it's not a matter of liking or disliking Mellotrons. I know that they were originally designed to imitate other instruments, but they don't seem to have been very successful there (except maybe in the hands of one member of this group :-). When I hear a TV commercial with Mellotron flute, I don't hear flutes, I hear a Mellotron. Same with the 3 violins. I don't hear violins, I hear another instrument altogether. The way Mellotrons have been used by prog rockers seems to have placed a stamp on Mellotrons as to how they are played by most people, making them unique instruments that don't sound like any other instrument. I don't think Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman or Fritz Doddy used Trons to substitute for orchestral instruments. I think they used them for the uniqueness of their sound and I think that uniqueness is what attracts people to Trons. So to me, because of the uniqueness of this instrument that does exactly what I want it to do and sounds exactly the way I want it to sound, it has no limitations for me.

Frank, sometimes they taste like wood, sometimes they taste like metal, sometimes they taste like iron oxide and on extremely rare occasions, they taste like plexiglass.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...> wrote:
>
> What I listed are /ipso facto /the limitations of the Mellotron as an
> instrument. I don't think anyone here will disagree with any of them.
>
> You liking them or not is a matter of taste.
>
> Mike
>
>
> On 02/12/2010 12:04, tron400 wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's
> > comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only
> > for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice.
> > That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It
> > is what it is.
> >
> > Bernie
> >
> > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Mike Dickson
> > <mike.dickson@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> > > >
> > > > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > > > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article
> > > > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are
> > > > they?
> > > >
> > >
> > > 1. Tuning
> > > 2. Range
> > > 3. Voices
> > > 4. Recording quality
> > > 5. Timbre
> > > 6. White noise
> > > 7. Tape audio artefacts
> > > 8. Tape transport
> > > 9. Playing position
> > >
> > >
> > > Give me a shout if you want more.
> > >
> >
> >
>
> --
> Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
>
> Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
> Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
> Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
> Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
> Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
>



-- 
Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
  
Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/ 
Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson                  
Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson   
Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks

Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-03 by markpringnz

If you think about it, everything is objective, the world "out there" is only known by your thoughts, it can't be known objectively. Having said that the discussions and arguments can still be fun but they are really more like word games.

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Gary Brumm <gabru@...> wrote:
>
> There is often a grey area between the subjective vs the objective view of things (and people) especially if there is a passion involved.
> Subjectively it can be difficult to define the right, wrong, good, bad, etc. in a way universally agreed upon. This is not usually so with an
> objective view.....but it generates discussion and this is a discussion group so it's all good.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Gary
>
> From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mike Dickson
> Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 11:59 AM
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
>
>
>
> Bernie -
>
> You seem to be totally misunderstanding what I am trying to say. Maybe I am not expressing it properly.
>
> It is a limitation of Bruckner's Ninth Symphony, Mahler's Tenth Symphony and Schubert's Seventh Symphony that they were all unfinished and had to be completed by lesser talents. Do I still like them? Yes, all of them and very much. Are they what I expect of those composers? No, not at all.
>
> You're right that Banks et al didn't use the Mellotron as a 'substitute for orchestral instruments' because - to name one of the limitations I described - the recordings themselves were not worth a damn and don't sound like what they were supposed to represent. They sound like a Mellotron. So if one choses to use them as such a replacement for them (as was the original intention, more or less) then it fails pretty miserably. That it still sounds great is really neither here nor there. I am describing what limits the instrument as someone may wish it be used.
>
> Yes, I know an accordion is limited if I chose to use it as a cheeseboard, but I am talking about using it within the context that it was designed to be uitilised.
>
> You're confusing your subjective personal taste for the more objective matter of what the instrument can and cannot 'do'. That I think the former is the more important criterion is not really important to the discussion.
>
> Mike
>
>
>
> On 03/12/2010 15:59, tron400 wrote:
>
>
>
> Mike, it's not a matter of liking or disliking Mellotrons. I know that they were originally designed to imitate other instruments, but they don't seem to have been very successful there (except maybe in the hands of one member of this group :-). When I hear a TV commercial with Mellotron flute, I don't hear flutes, I hear a Mellotron. Same with the 3 violins. I don't hear violins, I hear another instrument altogether. The way Mellotrons have been used by prog rockers seems to have placed a stamp on Mellotrons as to how they are played by most people, making them unique instruments that don't sound like any other instrument. I don't think Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman or Fritz Doddy used Trons to substitute for orchestral instruments. I think they used them for the uniqueness of their sound and I think that uniqueness is what attracts people to Trons. So to me, because of the uniqueness of this instrument that does exactly what I want it to do and sounds exactly the way I want it to sound, it has no limitations for me.
>
> Frank, sometimes they taste like wood, sometimes they taste like metal, sometimes they taste like iron oxide and on extremely rare occasions, they taste like plexiglass.
>
> Bernie
>
> --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com<mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@><mailto:mike.dickson@> wrote:
> >
> > What I listed are /ipso facto /the limitations of the Mellotron as an
> > instrument. I don't think anyone here will disagree with any of them.
> >
> > You liking them or not is a matter of taste.
> >
> > Mike
> >
> >
> > On 02/12/2010 12:04, tron400 wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's
> > > comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only
> > > for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice.
> > > That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It
> > > is what it is.
> > >
> > > Bernie
> > >
> > > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com<mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>
> > > <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Mike Dickson
> > > <mike.dickson@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > > > > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article
> > > > > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are
> > > > > they?
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > 1. Tuning
> > > > 2. Range
> > > > 3. Voices
> > > > 4. Recording quality
> > > > 5. Timbre
> > > > 6. White noise
> > > > 7. Tape audio artefacts
> > > > 8. Tape transport
> > > > 9. Playing position
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Give me a shout if you want more.
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > --
> > Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
> >
> > Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
> > Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
> > Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
> > Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
> > Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
> >
>
>
>
> --
>
> Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
>
>
>
> Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
>
> Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
>
> Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
>
> Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
>
> Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
>

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-03 by Tony

I just like the crazy things, period.
Quirks and all, just want my double to total 3, hardest part for me is picking the sound set.
Tony
----- Original Message -----
From: tron400
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 10:59 AM
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?



Mike, it's not a matter of liking or disliking Mellotrons. I know that they were originally designed to imitate other instruments, but they don't seem to have been very successful there (except maybe in the hands of one member of this group :-). When I hear a TV commercial with Mellotron flute, I don't hear flutes, I hear a Mellotron. Same with the 3 violins. I don't hear violins, I hear another instrument altogether. The way Mellotrons have been used by prog rockers seems to have placed a stamp on Mellotrons as to how they are played by most people, making them unique instruments that don't sound like any other instrument. I don't think Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman or Fritz Doddy used Trons to substitute for orchestral instruments. I think they used them for the uniqueness of their sound and I think that uniqueness is what attracts people to Trons. So to me, because of the uniqueness of this instrument that does exactly what I want it to do and sounds exactly the way I want it to sound, it has no limitations for me.

Frank, sometimes they taste like wood, sometimes they taste like metal, sometimes they taste like iron oxide and on extremely rare occasions, they taste like plexiglass.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...> wrote:
>
> What I listed are /ipso facto /the limitations of the Mellotron as an
> instrument. I don't think anyone here will disagree with any of them.
>
> You liking them or not is a matter of taste.
>
> Mike
>
>
> On 02/12/2010 12:04, tron400 wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's
> > comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only
> > for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice.
> > That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It
> > is what it is.
> >
> > Bernie
> >
> > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Mike Dickson
> > <mike.dickson@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> > > >
> > > > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > > > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article
> > > > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are
> > > > they?
> > > >
> > >
> > > 1. Tuning
> > > 2. Range
> > > 3. Voices
> > > 4. Recording quality
> > > 5. Timbre
> > > 6. White noise
> > > 7. Tape audio artefacts
> > > 8. Tape transport
> > > 9. Playing position
> > >
> > >
> > > Give me a shout if you want more.
> > >
> >
> >
>
> --
> Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
>
> Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
> Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
> Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
> Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
> Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
>

RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-03 by Gary Brumm

Well that’s subjective…..

……… just kidding J !!

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of markpringnz
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 1:51 PM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

If you think about it, everything is objective, the world "out there" is only known by your thoughts, it can't be known objectively. Having said that the discussions and arguments can still be fun but they are really more like word games.

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Gary Brumm <gabru@...> wrote:
>
> There is often a grey area between the subjective vs the objective view of things (and people) especially if there is a passion involved.
> Subjectively it can be difficult to define the right, wrong, good, bad, etc. in a way universally agreed upon. This is not usually so with an
> objective view.....but it generates discussion and this is a discussion group so it's all good.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Gary
>
> From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mike Dickson
> Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 11:59 AM
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
>
>
>
> Bernie -
>
> You seem to be totally misunderstanding what I am trying to say. Maybe I am not expressing it properly.
>
> It is a limitation of Bruckner's Ninth Symphony, Mahler's Tenth Symphony and Schubert's Seventh Symphony that they were all unfinished and had to be completed by lesser talents. Do I still like them? Yes, all of them and very much. Are they what I expect of those composers? No, not at all.
>
> You're right that Banks et al didn't use the Mellotron as a 'substitute for orchestral instruments' because - to name one of the limitations I described - the recordings themselves were not worth a damn and don't sound like what they were supposed to represent. They sound like a Mellotron. So if one choses to use them as such a replacement for them (as was the original intention, more or less) then it fails pretty miserably. That it still sounds great is really neither here nor there. I am describing what limits the instrument as someone may wish it be used.
>
> Yes, I know an accordion is limited if I chose to use it as a cheeseboard, but I am talking about using it within the context that it was designed to be uitilised.
>
> You're confusing your subjective personal taste for the more objective matter of what the instrument can and cannot 'do'. That I think the former is the more important criterion is not really important to the discussion.
>
> Mike
>
>
>
> On 03/12/2010 15:59, tron400 wrote:
>
>
>
> Mike, it's not a matter of liking or disliking Mellotrons. I know that they were originally designed to imitate other instruments, but they don't seem to have been very successful there (except maybe in the hands of one member of this group :-). When I hear a TV commercial with Mellotron flute, I don't hear flutes, I hear a Mellotron. Same with the 3 violins. I don't hear violins, I hear another instrument altogether. The way Mellotrons have been used by prog rockers seems to have placed a stamp on Mellotrons as to how they are played by most people, making them unique instruments that don't sound like any other instrument. I don't think Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman or Fritz Doddy used Trons to substitute for orchestral instruments. I think they used them for the uniqueness of their sound and I think that uniqueness is what attracts people to Trons. So to me, because of the uniqueness of this instrument that does exactly what I want it to do and sounds exactly the way I want it to sound, it has no limitations for me.
>
> Frank, sometimes they taste like wood, sometimes they taste like metal, sometimes they taste like iron oxide and on extremely rare occasions, they taste like plexiglass.
>
> Bernie
>
> --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com<mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@><mailto:mike.dickson@> wrote:
> >
> > What I listed are /ipso facto /the limitations of the Mellotron as an
> > instrument. I don't think anyone here will disagree with any of them.
> >
> > You liking them or not is a matter of taste.
> >
> > Mike
> >
> >
> > On 02/12/2010 12:04, tron400 wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's
> > > comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only
> > > for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice.
> > > That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It
> > > is what it is.
> > >
> > > Bernie
> > >
> > > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com<mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>
> > > <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Mike Dickson
> > > <mike.dickson@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > > > > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article
> > > > > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are
> > > > > they?
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > 1. Tuning
> > > > 2. Range
> > > > 3. Voices
> > > > 4. Recording quality
> > > > 5. Timbre
> > > > 6. White noise
> > > > 7. Tape audio artefacts
> > > > 8. Tape transport
> > > > 9. Playing position
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Give me a shout if you want more.
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > --
> > Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
> >
> > Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
> > Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
> > Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
> > Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
> > Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
> >
>
>
>
> --
>
> Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
>
>
>
> Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
>
> Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
>
> Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
>
> Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
>
> Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
>

RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-03 by Gary Brumm

Crazy things can be good and imperfections can add character!

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Tony
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 2:08 PM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

I just like the crazy things, period.

Quirks and all, just want my double to total 3, hardest part for me is picking the sound set.

Tony

----- Original Message -----

From: tron400

Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 10:59 AM

Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?



Mike, it's not a matter of liking or disliking Mellotrons. I know that they were originally designed to imitate other instruments, but they don't seem to have been very successful there (except maybe in the hands of one member of this group :-). When I hear a TV commercial with Mellotron flute, I don't hear flutes, I hear a Mellotron. Same with the 3 violins. I don't hear violins, I hear another instrument altogether. The way Mellotrons have been used by prog rockers seems to have placed a stamp on Mellotrons as to how they are played by most people, making them unique instruments that don't sound like any other instrument. I don't think Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman or Fritz Doddy used Trons to substitute for orchestral instruments. I think they used them for the uniqueness of their sound and I think that uniqueness is what attracts people to Trons. So to me, because of the uniqueness of this instrument that does exactly what I want it to do and sounds exactly the way I want it to sound, it has no limitations for me.

Frank, sometimes they taste like wood, sometimes they taste like metal, sometimes they taste like iron oxide and on extremely rare occasions, they taste like plexiglass.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...> wrote:
>
> What I listed are /ipso facto /the limitations of the Mellotron as an
> instrument. I don't think anyone here will disagree with any of them.
>
> You liking them or not is a matter of taste.
>
> Mike
>
>
> On 02/12/2010 12:04, tron400 wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's
> > comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only
> > for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice.
> > That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It
> > is what it is.
> >
> > Bernie
> >
> > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Mike Dickson
> > <mike.dickson@> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> > > >
> > > > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > > > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article
> > > > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are
> > > > they?
> > > >
> > >
> > > 1. Tuning
> > > 2. Range
> > > 3. Voices
> > > 4. Recording quality
> > > 5. Timbre
> > > 6. White noise
> > > 7. Tape audio artefacts
> > > 8. Tape transport
> > > 9. Playing position
> > >
> > >
> > > Give me a shout if you want more.
> > >
> >
> >
>
> --
> Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
>
> Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
> Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
> Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
> Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
> Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
>

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-04 by Andy Thompson

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 7:58 PM
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?



Yes, I know an accordion is limited if I chose to use it as a cheeseboard, but I am talking about using it within the context that it was designed to be uitilised.

Sounds like a better use for it than the more usual one... (Ducks in expectation of minor flaming. Or maybe not?)
BTW, chaps, Dianna Dilworth's releasing a CD of some of the lesser known tracks from Mellodrama, along with the incidental music, which should be worth hearing.
Andy T.

Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-04 by tron400

I think this is the crux of the biscuit. Thankfully, I have no musical talent, so my subjective view of the Mellotron is limited. Therefore, I don't see any inherent limitations in them.

Bernie

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, "markpringnz" <markpringnz@...> wrote:
>
> If you think about it, everything is objective, the world "out there" is only known by your thoughts, it can't be known objectively. Having said that the discussions and arguments can still be fun but they are really more like word games.
>
> --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Gary Brumm <gabru@> wrote:
> >
> > There is often a grey area between the subjective vs the objective view of things (and people) especially if there is a passion involved.
> > Subjectively it can be difficult to define the right, wrong, good, bad, etc. in a way universally agreed upon. This is not usually so with an
> > objective view.....but it generates discussion and this is a discussion group so it's all good.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Gary
> >
> > From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mike Dickson
> > Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 11:59 AM
> > To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?
> >
> >
> >
> > Bernie -
> >
> > You seem to be totally misunderstanding what I am trying to say. Maybe I am not expressing it properly.
> >
> > It is a limitation of Bruckner's Ninth Symphony, Mahler's Tenth Symphony and Schubert's Seventh Symphony that they were all unfinished and had to be completed by lesser talents. Do I still like them? Yes, all of them and very much. Are they what I expect of those composers? No, not at all.
> >
> > You're right that Banks et al didn't use the Mellotron as a 'substitute for orchestral instruments' because - to name one of the limitations I described - the recordings themselves were not worth a damn and don't sound like what they were supposed to represent. They sound like a Mellotron. So if one choses to use them as such a replacement for them (as was the original intention, more or less) then it fails pretty miserably. That it still sounds great is really neither here nor there. I am describing what limits the instrument as someone may wish it be used.
> >
> > Yes, I know an accordion is limited if I chose to use it as a cheeseboard, but I am talking about using it within the context that it was designed to be uitilised.
> >
> > You're confusing your subjective personal taste for the more objective matter of what the instrument can and cannot 'do'. That I think the former is the more important criterion is not really important to the discussion.
> >
> > Mike
> >
> >
> >
> > On 03/12/2010 15:59, tron400 wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > Mike, it's not a matter of liking or disliking Mellotrons. I know that they were originally designed to imitate other instruments, but they don't seem to have been very successful there (except maybe in the hands of one member of this group :-). When I hear a TV commercial with Mellotron flute, I don't hear flutes, I hear a Mellotron. Same with the 3 violins. I don't hear violins, I hear another instrument altogether. The way Mellotrons have been used by prog rockers seems to have placed a stamp on Mellotrons as to how they are played by most people, making them unique instruments that don't sound like any other instrument. I don't think Tony Banks, Rick Wakeman or Fritz Doddy used Trons to substitute for orchestral instruments. I think they used them for the uniqueness of their sound and I think that uniqueness is what attracts people to Trons. So to me, because of the uniqueness of this instrument that does exactly what I want it to do and sounds exactly the way I want it to sound, it has no limitations for me.
> >
> > Frank, sometimes they taste like wood, sometimes they taste like metal, sometimes they taste like iron oxide and on extremely rare occasions, they taste like plexiglass.
> >
> > Bernie
> >
> > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com<mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@><mailto:mike.dickson@> wrote:
> > >
> > > What I listed are /ipso facto /the limitations of the Mellotron as an
> > > instrument. I don't think anyone here will disagree with any of them.
> > >
> > > You liking them or not is a matter of taste.
> > >
> > > Mike
> > >
> > >
> > > On 02/12/2010 12:04, tron400 wrote:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Mike, I think you and a few others misunderstand me. Frank Stickle's
> > > > comment about not being able to drive them is closest to it if only
> > > > for the absurdity. Pianos have limited range and only one voice.
> > > > That's the way they're designed. I don't see that as a limitation. It
> > > > is what it is.
> > > >
> > > > Bernie
> > > >
> > > > --- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com<mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>
> > > > <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com><mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Mike Dickson
> > > > <mike.dickson@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > On 01/12/2010 13:20, tron400 wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > If Mellotrons have limitations, everything has limitations. No one
> > > > > > ever mentions the limitations of a guitar or a piano, yet the article
> > > > > > mentions Mellotron limitations without saying what they are. What are
> > > > > > they?
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > 1. Tuning
> > > > > 2. Range
> > > > > 3. Voices
> > > > > 4. Recording quality
> > > > > 5. Timbre
> > > > > 6. White noise
> > > > > 7. Tape audio artefacts
> > > > > 8. Tape transport
> > > > > 9. Playing position
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Give me a shout if you want more.
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
> > >
> > > Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
> > > Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
> > > Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
> > > Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
> > > Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
> >
> >
> >
> > Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/
> >
> > Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
> >
> > Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson
> >
> > Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson
> >
> > Or http://www.myspace.com/mellotronworks
> >
>

Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Speaking of the M4000, what's with this?

2010-12-04 by lsf5275@aol.com

So using an M-400 as a breakfast table or a place to put your tea service is out?
In a message dated 12/4/2010 7:20:43 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, andy.thompson@virgin.net writes:
Yes, I know an accordion is limited if I chose to use it as a cheeseboard, but I am talking about using it within the context that it was designed to be uitilised.