The Mellotron Group

1) What happens if you continue to hold a key down
after 8 seconds? There doesn't seem to be any
mechanism fo releasing the tape from the capstan. Is
this the explanation for the notching of the tapes
over the capstan in #1565?
2) Listening to the 3 violin sounds in M-tron although
the violins start together they don't seem to end
together, is this true of the original tapes?

Mark


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Each recording is not a precise 8 second take so some stop early and some go on longer.

No, I meant that the violins don't end together on all
notes, that is that at the end of some notes it sounds
like that only one violin is playing, at least on
m-tron.

Mark
--- jonesalley <jonesalley@cox.net> wrote:

> I would imagine with that being a single-mic bedroom
> recording (if the apocryphal tale is true) that the
> note durations were counted off by Harry giving hand
> signals to the three ladies, as the click of a
> stopwatch would have been noticeable. It's actually
> kind of surprising that the note lengths are as
> close as they are. Have you ever timed the master
> note lengths and seen what kind of variation exists?
>
>
> Each recording is not a precise 8 second take
> so some stop early and some go on longer.

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Replying to myself again, a well known side effect of
Renaissance IPA, any ideas why the tapes are notched
over the capstan on #1565?

Mark

PS I think I might have persuaded a local vintage
electrician to take an interest in #1565 so might have
some power going through it soon.

--- Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com> wrote:

> No, I meant that the violins don't end together on
> all
> notes, that is that at the end of some notes it
> sounds
> like that only one violin is playing, at least on
> m-tron.
>
> Mark
> --- jonesalley <jonesalley@cox.net> wrote:
>
> > I would imagine with that being a single-mic
> bedroom
> > recording (if the apocryphal tale is true) that
> the
> > note durations were counted off by Harry giving
> hand
> > signals to the three ladies, as the click of a
> > stopwatch would have been noticeable. It's
> actually
> > kind of surprising that the note lengths are as
> > close as they are. Have you ever timed the master
> > note lengths and seen what kind of variation
> exists?
> >
> >
> > Each recording is not a precise 8 second
> take
> > so some stop early and some go on longer.
>
>
>
>
>

____________________________________________________________________________________

> Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page.
> http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs
>

____________________________________________________________________________________
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I know! Once I get some power into her do many hours
of work on the keyboard and sort out the motor
controller, tach head, new springs and God knows what
else, I'll order some new tapes. But why over the
capstan?

Mark
--- tronbros@aol.com wrote:

>
>
> In a message dated 06/03/2008 09:03:58 GMT Standard
> Time,
> markpringnz@yahoo.com writes:
>
> Replying to myself again, a well known side effect
> of
> Renaissance IPA, any ideas why the tapes are
> notched
> over the capstan on #1565?
>
>
>
>
> They are ancient!
>
> M
>
> Streetly Electronics - All Things Mellotronic
>
> _www.mellotronics.com_
> (http://www.mellotronics.com/)
>
> US Sales East: Jimmy Moore_ JMoore6397@aol.com_
> (http://JMoore6397@aol.com/)
> US Sales West: Paul Cox_ pjc56@earthlink._
> (http://pjc56@earthlink.net/)
>
>
>
>
>

____________________________________________________________________________________
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Thanks Martin, I'm going to sleep it off now, so no
more silly questions for a bit.

Mark
--- tronbros@aol.com wrote:

> Because the tapes are just touching the capstan and
> the constant revolution
> has worn the oxide and tape away.
>
> M
>
> Streetly Electronics - All Things Mellotronic
>
> _www.mellotronics.com_
> (http://www.mellotronics.com/)
>
> US Sales East: Jimmy Moore_ JMoore6397@aol.com_
> (http://JMoore6397@aol.com/)
> US Sales West: Paul Cox_ pjc56@earthlink._
> (http://pjc56@earthlink.net/)
>
>
>
>
>

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Yep. I have a vintage set of flute/3violins/'cello
with precisely the same wear marks, down to the clear
backing. If yours has worn to actual notches in the
sides above the capstan, you may enjoy tape lacing
sooner than you think. Fun, fun, fun. ;-)

The tapes still sound great!

-Bruce D.


--- tronbros@aol.com wrote:

> Because the tapes are just touching the capstan and
> the constant revolution
> has worn the oxide and tape away.
>
> M
>
> Streetly Electronics - All Things Mellotronic
>
> _www.mellotronics.com_
> (http://www.mellotronics.com/)
>
> US Sales East: Jimmy Moore_ JMoore6397@aol.com_
> (http://JMoore6397@aol.com/)
> US Sales West: Paul Cox_ pjc56@earthlink._
> (http://pjc56@earthlink.net/)
>
>
>
>
>

____________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________
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http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs

Rick Blechta wrote:

>
>
>
> On Mar 6, 2008, at 4:40 PM, Bruce Daily wrote:
>
>> Yep. I have a vintage set of flute/3violins/'cello
>> with precisely the same wear marks, down to the clear
>> backing. If yours has worn to actual notches in the
>> sides above the capstan, you may enjoy tape lacing
>> sooner than you think. Fun, fun, fun. ;-)
>>
>> The tapes still sound great!
>
> If you use the (patent pending) Streetly "Splice and Pull" method,
> throwing a new set of tapes on a 400 is not difficult, tedious, for
> sure, but not difficult. And it can be quite fun if you have someone to
> hold the pencil stuck through the tape spindle as you pull the tape
> through the frame, especially if they're especially good looking, a
> member of the opposite sex and naked.

I presume this is the name of your next music-cum-crime novel?
--
Cheers,
SDM -- a 21st century schizoid man
Systems Theory internet music project links:
official site <www.systemstheory.net>
MySpace MP3s <www.myspace.com/systemstheory>
CDBaby <www.cdbaby.com/systemstheory>
"Soundtracks For Imaginary Movies" CD released Dec 2004
"Codetalkers" CD coming Xmas 2007
NP: nothing

Wow, all three?

> music-cum-crime novel?

Attatched is a photo, this is what we are talking
about? I'm hoping the tapes will hold out long enough
for testing purposes, once 1565 is running I'll buy a
new tape frame then a new set of tapes to lace into
the old frame. As I am not expecting to use these
tapes could the notched areas be re inforced with
sellotape to prevent them snapping?

Mark


--- Rick Blechta <rick@rickblechta.com> wrote:

>
> On Mar 6, 2008, at 4:40 PM, Bruce Daily wrote:
>
> > Yep. I have a vintage set of flute/3violins/'cello
> > with precisely the same wear marks, down to the
> clear
> > backing. If yours has worn to actual notches in
> the
> > sides above the capstan, you may enjoy tape lacing
> > sooner than you think. Fun, fun, fun. ;-)
> >
> > The tapes still sound great!
>
> If you use the (patent pending) Streetly "Splice and
> Pull" method,
> throwing a new set of tapes on a 400 is not
> difficult, tedious, for
> sure, but not difficult. And it can be quite fun if
> you have someone
> to hold the pencil stuck through the tape spindle as
> you pull the tape
> through the frame, especially if they're especially
> good looking, a
> member of the opposite sex and naked.
>
> Putting a new set of tapes on a MkII (or an M4000, I
> suppose) is MANY
> times more tedious. It's made Martinge into what he
> is today.

____________________________________________________________________________________
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Attatched is a photo, this is what we are talking
about? I'm hoping the tapes will hold out long enough
for testing purposes, once 1565 is running I'll buy a
new tape frame then a new set of tapes to lace into
the old frame. As I am not expecting to use these
tapes could the notched areas be re inforced with
sellotape to prevent them snapping?

Mark, It needs some serious alignment.