The Mellotron Group

I have been amusing myself trying to play Dance of the Fire Witch from "In the court of..", can anybody play trills on a mellotron? Mine isn't in the greatest of shape and the keyboard is a bit of a compromise between touch and reliabilty of getting the note to play, so the action is a bit heavy. On a tron in good condition is it possible? I can't remember having heard one recorded.

Mark

Yes, (echo helps)

> I have been amusing myself trying to play Dance of the Fire Witch from "In
> the court of..", can anybody play trills on a mellotron? Mine isn't in the
> greatest of shape and the keyboard is a bit of a compromise between touch
> and reliabilty of getting the note to play, so the action is a bit heavy.
> On a tron in good condition is it possible? I can't remember having heard
> one recorded.
>
> Mark
>
>
>
>
>
>

Well actually I'm not that good at playing trills on the piano and my mellotron certainly won't play them on it's own. ( Sparky's Magic Mellotron anyone? ). I can't think of a recording which features a trill played on a mellotron. I would be interested to hear how fast a trill can be played. Anybody feel like posting an example?

Mark

--- On Sun, 8/3/08, lsf5275@aol.com <lsf5275@aol.com> wrote:

From: lsf5275@aol.com <lsf5275@aol.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Cheap trills
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, August 3, 2008, 4:31 PM

In a message dated 8/2/2008 10:52:02 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, markpringnz@ yahoo.com writes:

On a tron in good condition is it possible? I can't remember having heard one recorded.

Mark

What? Yours cant do that? I'm pretty sure everyone else's can.

Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read reviews on AOL Autos.

From: Mark Pring <markpringnz@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Cheap trills
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Saturday, August 2, 2008, 11:41 PM

Well actually I'm not that good at playing trills on the piano and my mellotron certainly won't play them on it's own. ( Sparky's Magic Mellotron anyone? ). I can't think of a recording which features a trill played on a mellotron. I would be interested to hear how fast a trill can be played. Anybody feel like posting an example?

Mark

--- On Sun, 8/3/08, lsf5275@aol. com <lsf5275@aol. com> wrote:

From: lsf5275@aol. com <lsf5275@aol. com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Cheap trills
To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
Date: Sunday, August 3, 2008, 4:31 PM

In a message dated 8/2/2008 10:52:02 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, markpringnz@ yahoo.com writes:

On a tron in good condition is it possible? I can't remember having heard one recorded.

Mark

What? Yours cant do that? I'm pretty sure everyone else's can.

Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read reviews on AOL Autos.

Thanks Bruce, very impressive, I think my problem is combination of my
fingers and some fairly knackered pinchrollers and pressure pads.

Mark

-- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Bruce Daily <pocotron@...> wrote:

>
> Hey Mark-
> Go to Streetly's 'tron sound library, and check out Mr. Dickson's

New 'Cello (Pizzicato) sound sample. Not a trill, but certainly an
indication of how fast a well-tuned 'tron can be.

> The new frames can return tapes to the starts quite rapidly (mine

does), so a rapid trill could be possible.

>
> -Bruce D.
>
>
> --- On Sat, 8/2/08, Mark Pring <markpringnz@...> wrote:
>
> From: Mark Pring <markpringnz@...>
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Cheap trills
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Saturday, August 2, 2008, 11:41 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Well actually I'm not that good at playing trills on the piano and

my mellotron certainly won't play them on it's own. ( Sparky's Magic
Mellotron anyone? ). I can't think of a recording which features a
trill played on a mellotron. I would be interested to hear how fast a
trill can be played. Anybody feel like posting an example?

>
> Mark
>
> --- On Sun, 8/3/08, lsf5275@aol. com <lsf5275@aol. com> wrote:
>
> From: lsf5275@aol. com <lsf5275@aol. com>
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Cheap trills
> To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
> Date: Sunday, August 3, 2008, 4:31 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
> In a message dated 8/2/2008 10:52:02 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

markpringnz@ yahoo.com writes:

> On a tron in good condition is it possible? I can't remember having

heard one recorded.

>
> Mark
>
>
>
> What? Yours cant do that? I'm pretty sure everyone else's can.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read

reviews on AOL Autos.

>

To be fair, pizzicato strings are almost all attack and very little
sustain, which means that your fingers do not have to remain on the key
for very long which in turn means that you dont tend to get that *click*
when you slap down a key on a tape that is halfway through a rewind. the
real 'playing time' on the new cello pizz is about a second, if that.
Some of the higher notes are quite a bit less.

There is one piece I am trying to record right now, however, which
appears to be /impossible/ to play on the Mellotron in any normal way
because of the instrument used, the attack rate of the instrument and
the sheer rate and repetition of the notes. I have /sort of/ solved this
by detuning the instrument by a whole octave via the motor control card
and playing at half speed to have it replayed back at double speed. It
will affect the timbre a little, but the sound is buried enough in the
mix to prevent it being too obvious. On the other hand there are a
couple of climbing string flourishes which involve about a dozen notes
played in rapid succession which sound absolutely fine. I suppose it's
all a matter of picking your moment and cheating only when you have to.

You'll all no doubt be hearing the new recordings soon enough. :-)

Mike

markpringnz wrote:

>
> Thanks Bruce, very impressive, I think my problem is combination of my
> fingers and some fairly knackered pinchrollers and pressure pads.
>
> Mark
>
> -- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>, Bruce Daily
> <pocotron@...> wrote:
> >
> > Hey Mark-
> > Go to Streetly's 'tron sound library, and check out Mr. Dickson's
> New 'Cello (Pizzicato) sound sample. Not a trill, but certainly an
> indication of how fast a well-tuned 'tron can be.
> > The new frames can return tapes to the starts quite rapidly (mine
> does), so a rapid trill could be possible.
> >
> > -Bruce D.
> >
> >
> > --- On Sat, 8/2/08, Mark Pring <markpringnz@...> wrote:
> >
> > From: Mark Pring <markpringnz@...>
> > Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Cheap trills
> > To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>
> > Date: Saturday, August 2, 2008, 11:41 PM
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Well actually I'm not that good at playing trills on the piano and
> my mellotron certainly won't play them on it's own. ( Sparky's Magic
> Mellotron anyone? ). I can't think of a recording which features a
> trill played on a mellotron. I would be interested to hear how fast a
> trill can be played. Anybody feel like posting an example?
> >
> > Mark
> >
> > --- On Sun, 8/3/08, lsf5275@aol. com <lsf5275@aol. com> wrote:
> >
> > From: lsf5275@aol. com <lsf5275@aol. com>
> > Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Cheap trills
> > To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
> > Date: Sunday, August 3, 2008, 4:31 PM
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 8/2/2008 10:52:02 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> markpringnz@ yahoo.com writes:
> > On a tron in good condition is it possible? I can't remember having
> heard one recorded.
> >
> > Mark
> >
> >
> >
> > What? Yours cant do that? I'm pretty sure everyone else's can.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read
> reviews on AOL Autos.
> >
>
>

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dickson
<mike.dickson@...> wrote:

> playing at half speed....replayed back at double speed.

A technique Mike Oldfield used a lot to record lead guitar and
keyboard bits.

> I suppose it's all a matter of picking your moment and cheating only

when you have to.

True. I only *cheat* when I have to and I have to most of the time.

Clay

ceccles_ca wrote:

> > playing at half speed....replayed back at double speed.
>
> A technique Mike Oldfield used a lot to record lead guitar and
> keyboard bits.

If Mike Oldfield did it then it must be a bad idea. This is the man who
gave us 'Moonlight Shadow', after all.

> True. I only *cheat* when I have to and I have to most of the time.

Depressingly I've just found another instance where I may have to be a
cheat too. Bugger.

--
Mike Dickson, Edinburgh

Free Music Project: http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson
Or http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Mike Dickson
<mike.dickson@...> wrote:

> Depressingly I've just found another instance where I may have to be

a cheat too. Bugger.

>
> --
> Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
>

With all of the sequencer used by Isao Tomita, Larry Fast, Ultravox,
Depeche Mode etc...they must all be considered huge cheaters. I guess
there's good cheating and bad cheating.

Clay

Depressingly I've just found another instance where I may have to be a
cheat too. Bugger.

Shouldn't you be used to it by now? ; )

Look forward to hearing it Mike. You have solved another problem for me as I have noticed an intermittent click when playing and couldn't work out what was causing it. Unfortunately my tron has started to pick up Radio Sport a bit disconcerting when playing some miserable string passage to be interupted by the latest rugby scores.

Mark

--- On Mon, 8/4/08, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Cheap trills
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, August 4, 2008, 11:30 PM

To be fair, pizzicato strings are almost all attack and very little
sustain, which means that your fingers do not have to remain on the key
for very long which in turn means that you dont tend to get that *click*
when you slap down a key on a tape that is halfway through a rewind. the
real 'playing time' on the new cello pizz is about a second, if that.
Some of the higher notes are quite a bit less.

There is one piece I am trying to record right now, however, which
appears to be /impossible/ to play on the Mellotron in any normal way
because of the instrument used, the attack rate of the instrument and
the sheer rate and repetition of the notes. I have /sort of/ solved this
by detuning the instrument by a whole octave via the motor control card
and playing at half speed to have it replayed back at double speed. It
will affect the timbre a little, but the sound is buried enough in the
mix to prevent it being too obvious. On the other hand there are a
couple of climbing string flourishes which involve about a dozen notes
played in rapid succession which sound absolutely fine. I suppose it's
all a matter of picking your moment and cheating only when you have to.

You'll all no doubt be hearing the new recordings soon enough. :-)

Mike

markpringnz wrote:
>
> Thanks Bruce, very impressive, I think my problem is combination of my
> fingers and some fairly knackered pinchrollers and pressure pads.
>
> Mark
>
> -- In newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
> <mailto:newmellotro ngroup%40yahoogr oups.com> , Bruce Daily
> <pocotron@.. .> wrote:
> >
> > Hey Mark-
> > Go to Streetly's 'tron sound library, and check out Mr. Dickson's
> New 'Cello (Pizzicato) sound sample. Not a trill, but certainly an
> indication of how fast a well-tuned 'tron can be.
> > The new frames can return tapes to the starts quite rapidly (mine
> does), so a rapid trill could be possible.
> >
> > -Bruce D.
> >
> >
> > --- On Sat, 8/2/08, Mark Pring <markpringnz@ ...> wrote:
> >
> > From: Mark Pring <markpringnz@ ...>
> > Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Cheap trills
> > To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
> <mailto:newmellotro ngroup%40yahoogr oups.com>
> > Date: Saturday, August 2, 2008, 11:41 PM
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Well actually I'm not that good at playing trills on the piano and
> my mellotron certainly won't play them on it's own. ( Sparky's Magic
> Mellotron anyone? ). I can't think of a recording which features a
> trill played on a mellotron. I would be interested to hear how fast a
> trill can be played. Anybody feel like posting an example?
> >
> > Mark
> >
> > --- On Sun, 8/3/08, lsf5275@aol. com <lsf5275@aol. com> wrote:
> >
> > From: lsf5275@aol. com <lsf5275@aol. com>
> > Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Cheap trills
> > To: newmellotrongroup@ yahoogroups. com
> > Date: Sunday, August 3, 2008, 4:31 PM
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > In a message dated 8/2/2008 10:52:02 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> markpringnz@ yahoo.com writes:
> > On a tron in good condition is it possible? I can't remember having
> heard one recorded.
> >
> > Mark
> >
> >
> >
> > What? Yours cant do that? I'm pretty sure everyone else's can.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read
> reviews on AOL Autos.
> >
>
>

Hi Mark - are you sure that's not a tape set?

Mark Pring wrote:

>
> Unfortunately my tron has started to pick up Radio Sport a bit
> disconcerting when playing some miserable string passage to be
> interupted by the latest rugby scores.
>
> Mark
>
> ---
>

Its not the radio waves its the rugby- it gets into everything, very
aggressive. i met a guy in NSW
and it was broadcasting directly out of him , it's all he could talk
about. Put one of those china dolls with the hula skirts on top of your
tron, that will ward it away.

>
> In a message dated 8/4/2008 9:38:33 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> markpringnz@yahoo.com writes:
>
> Unfortunately my tron has started to pick up Radio Sport a bit
> disconcerting
> when playing some miserable string passage to be interupted by the latest
> rugby scores.
>
> Mark
>
>
>
>
>
> Ahhh, Mellotron as radio. Been there. This is what always works for me.
>
> When ever that happens I wrap my Mellotron in Aluminum Foil and then in
> Neoprene. Then I liberally sprinkle it with talc and put it in it's
> Protectomuff.
> I then bake it at 325 degrees for two and a half hours. Once done, let it
> sit for an hour, remove the protectomuff and shove it down a flight of
> stairs.
> Then, I make it stay out in the yard all night.
>
> Precisely at dawn, remove the neoprene and foil and wheel it back into the
> studio.
>
> This works every time.
>
> Frank
>
>
>
> **************Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your
> budget?
> Read reviews on AOL Autos.
> (http://autos.aol.com/cars-BMW-128-2008/expert-review?ncid=aolaut00050000000017
> )
>

Rugby is the official religion of New Zealand. I also seem to pickup the local taxi firm as well at times, is there some way of tuning it into Concert FM?

--- On Tue, 8/5/08, Thomas C. Doncourt <tomdcour@amnh.org> wrote:

From: Thomas C. Doncourt <tomdcour@amnh.org>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Cheap trills
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, August 5, 2008, 2:14 PM

Its not the radio waves its the rugby- it gets into everything, very
aggressive. i met a guy in NSW
and it was broadcasting directly out of him , it's all he could talk
about. Put one of those china dolls with the hula skirts on top of your
tron, that will ward it away.

>
> In a message dated 8/4/2008 9:38:33 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> markpringnz@ yahoo.com writes:
>
> Unfortunately my tron has started to pick up Radio Sport a bit
> disconcerting
> when playing some miserable string passage to be interupted by the latest
> rugby scores.
>
> Mark
>
>
>
>
>
> Ahhh, Mellotron as radio. Been there. This is what always works for me.
>
> When ever that happens I wrap my Mellotron in Aluminum Foil and then in
> Neoprene. Then I liberally sprinkle it with talc and put it in it's
> Protectomuff.
> I then bake it at 325 degrees for two and a half hours. Once done, let it
> sit for an hour, remove the protectomuff and shove it down a flight of
> stairs.
> Then, I make it stay out in the yard all night.
>
> Precisely at dawn, remove the neoprene and foil and wheel it back into the
> studio.
>
> This works every time.
>
> Frank
>
>
>
> ************ **Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your
> budget?
> Read reviews on AOL Autos.
> (http://autos. aol.com/cars- BMW-128-2008/ expert-review? ncid=aolaut00050 000000017
> )
>

With my back I'd never get the tron upstairs.

--- On Tue, 8/5/08, lsf5275@aol.com <lsf5275@aol.com> wrote:

From: lsf5275@aol.com <lsf5275@aol.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Cheap trills
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, August 5, 2008, 2:04 PM

In a message dated 8/4/2008 9:38:33 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, markpringnz@ yahoo.com writes:

Unfortunately my tron has started to pick up Radio Sport a bit disconcerting when playing some miserable string passage to be interupted by the latest rugby scores.

Mark

Ahhh, Mellotron as radio. Been there. This is what always works for me.

When ever that happens I wrap my Mellotron in Aluminum Foil and then in Neoprene. Then I liberally sprinkle it with talc and put it in it's Protectomuff. I then bake it at 325 degrees for two and a half hours. Once done, let it sit for an hour, remove the protectomuff and shove it down a flight of stairs. Then, I make it stay out in the yard all night.

Precisely at dawn, remove the neoprene and foil and wheel it back into the studio.

This works every time.

Frank

Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read reviews on AOL Autos.