The Mellotron Group

Knowing how much you all love country music I thought
I would share these thoughts with you. The other day
my ipod decided it was about time I heard Bobby
Gentry's Ode to Billie Joe, I hadn't much noticed much
before but it has a quite simple string accompniment
with some nice slides. I know at least some of you are
probably old enough to remember this song.

Anyway my thoughts are:

1) Could you play the string part on a tron with all
the slides?
2) Would it sound better or worse?
3) What string parts on well known songs would sound
better on a tron?

some more examples

Ride a white swan by T-rex ( another group favourite I
would expect)
Need your love so bad Fleetwood Mac, obviously not the
original Little Willie John version.

Mark

PS is the correct term for slides on a tron pitch dives?


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Alas still tronless, if anybody knows how to do glides
in m-tron please let me know.

And just a little bit off topic, does anybody know
exactly what is going on in the song, I've never been
quite sure

Mark
--- MAinPsych@aol.com wrote:

>
> I believe glide is what's accepted, although glide,
> slide, who cares, we all
> know what you mean.
>
> I pulled up OTBJ on YouTube and gave a listen
> through headphones. It depends
> . . . if you want to play it live it appears doable,
> but you'll have to omit
> any cello/double bass part because 1) it remains
> constant in pitch while the
> upper strings simultaneously have the upward glide,
> and 2) you don't have
> enough hands to play lower strings on a different
> keyboard and still play upper
> strings and use the pitch control at the same
> time!!! If you're thinking of
> recording it, then the obvious answer is . . . use 2
> tracks! I think a Mellotron
> could do the song right, but what do I know? Good
> luck with that descending
> run at the end of the song.
>
> Frank Samagaio
>
> In a message dated 11/20/2007 1:30:23 AM Eastern
> Standard Time,
> markpringnz@yahoo.com writes:
>
> Knowing how much you all love country music I
> thought
> I would share these thoughts with you. The other day
> my ipod decided it was about time I heard Bobby
> Gentry's Ode to Billie Joe, I hadn't much noticed
> much
> before but it has a quite simple string accompniment
> with some nice slides. I know at least some of you
> are
> probably old enough to remember this song.
>
> Anyway my thoughts are:
>
> 1) Could you play the string part on a tron with all
> the slides?
> 2) Would it sound better or worse?
> 3) What string parts on well known songs would sound
> better on a tron?
>
> some more examples
>
> Ride a white swan by T-rex ( another group favourite
> I
> would expect)
> Need your love so bad Fleetwood Mac, obviously not
> the
> original Little Willie John version.
>
> Mark
>
> PS is the correct term for slides on a tron pitch
> dives?
>
>
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's
> new at http://www.aol.com
>

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--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, Rick Blechta <rick@...> wrote:

>
>
> On Nov 20, 2007, at 1:30 AM, Mark Pring wrote:
>
> > PS is the correct term for slides on a tron pitch dives?
>
> Mark, sliding between two notes (or more) is correctly called
> portamento. Only singers and string instruments (especially the bowed

ones) can really do this.

A Trombone can do portamento fairly well can't it?

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, "ceccles_ca" <ecclesreinson@...> wrote:

>
> A Trombone can do portamento fairly well can't it?

You're right. That is the exception in the wind section (as well as for the slide trumpet, an
instrument of no repute whatsoever. People like Martinge and Dickson would be attracted to
slide trumpets). I try not to think about trombones (and the musicians who play them), so it
completely slipped my mind in my original answer.

So there it is: trombones, alone in the wind section, can play a true portamento.

Q: A trombone player and a snake are found squashed on a highway. What is the difference
between them?

A: The snake was far more likely to have been on his way to a gig.

Rick

Money is the main problem, I am hoping to get a real
tron in 3-4 years hopefully. So meanwhile if anyone
knows how to make m-tron produce a sound like Woolly's
M300 on BJH live I would be grateful. Actually advice
on how to make an M400 or M4000 make that sound would
be welcome. When I had a go on an M4000 the strings
didn't sound that like it. I certainly hope I don't
have to get an M300! ( Well of course I would love one
and if that was the only sound it made, I would be
happy)

Mark
--- lsf5275@aol.com wrote:

> Mark,
>
> I can hook you up with a Tron.
>
> Frank
>
>
>
> **************************************Check out
> AOL's list of 2007's hottest
> products.
>

(http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)

>

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--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, lsf5275@... wrote:

>
>
> In a message dated 11/20/2007 9:29:21 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> markpringnz@... writes:
>
> Money is the main problem, I am hoping to get a real
> tron in 3-4 years hopefully. So meanwhile if anyone
> knows how to make m-tron produce a sound like Woolly's
> M300 on BJH live I would be grateful. Actually advice
> on how to make an M400 or M4000 make that sound would
> be welcome. When I had a go on an M4000 the strings
> didn't sound that like it. I certainly hope I don't
> have to get an M300! ( Well of course I would love one
> and if that was the only sound it made, I would be
> happy)
>
> Mark
>
>
>
> Mark,
>
> fork over 200 bucks and buy the Pinder CD-ROM from mellotron.com.

They are

> the best samples around and I'm sure M300 Strings are there.
>

The M300 Strings on the Pinder CD are mislabeled. They aren't the
M300A 2 Violins and M300B Solo Violin, but M300 Cello and M300 Viola
(at least that's what the samples are labeled and that's what
they sound like). The M-Tron has 2 versions each of the M300A and
M300B. One set sounds better than the other and they both sound
similar to the M300A and M300B I have on a Streetly tape frame.

Bernie

 

--- MAinPsych@aol.com wrote:
I think you are probably right but I think they sound
pretty awful now at least on the Maestoso live album
"Fiddling Meanly" and they don't sound quite right on
the studio albums, I am not sure what has happened to
them. His original M300 disappeared from storage,
anybody know where it is?

>
> Well, Wooly's main string sound was the M300A
> strings which is currently in
> his 400, unless Martin knows differently.
>
> Frank 1
>
>
>
> **************************************Check out
> AOL's list of 2007's hottest
> products.
>

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>

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Right, like you're going to get me to admit to that...

Nice try,
johnb

Mark Pring wrote:

>
>
> His original M300 disappeared from storage,
> anybody know where it is?
>
> _,_._,___

Sorry Martin, I don't understand, can you put it very,
very simply, what equipment would I need and what
would I need to do with it?

Is there anyway I can achieve the same effect with
software and samples. I just don't have the expertise
in electronics and audiotechnology of most of the
group.

Thanks Mark
--- tronbros@aol.com wrote:

>
>
> In a message dated 21/11/2007 02:29:12 GMT Standard
> Time,
> markpringnz@yahoo.com writes:
>
> So meanwhile if anyone
> knows how to make m-tron produce a sound like
> Woolly's
> M300 on BJH live I would be grateful. Actually
> advice
> on how to make an M400 or M4000 make that sound
> would
> be welcome.
>
>
> It's all down to the spring reverb in the M300 and
> the ability to leave it
> ringing while the direct signal is almost removed.
> It can be done on a desk
> with a good spring in the system.
>
> Best,
>
> Martin
>
> 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.net_
> (http://pjc56@earthlink.net/)
>
>
>
>
>

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Thanks very much Martin, I'm off to try that with
M-tron, will still want a real one! I understand that
Woolly got round the cyling problems of the M300 by
never changing staions, so I think that would only
give him 2 voices, what was the other one?

Mark
--- tronbros@aol.com wrote:

> Hi Mark,
>
> A reverberated sound has a mixture of the dry source
> signal and the wet
> signal from the reverb unit be it a spring, plate or
> whatever. Woolly almost
> eliminated the dry signal and used the wet signal
> returning from the spring as
> his sound. That's what gives the BJH violins that
> enormous distance. This
> was easily achievable with the M300 as the dry
> signal had a control and the
> reverb had a seperate one. You just turned down the
> one and turned the other
> bugger up!
>
> Best,
>
> Martin
>
> 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.net_
> (http://pjc56@earthlink.net/)
>
>
>
>
>

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Hi Martin
Still sounds crap alas, but definitely more ethereal
crap.

I'll be in touch eventually.

Mark

--- tronbros@aol.com wrote:

>
>
> In a message dated 21/11/2007 08:23:32 GMT Standard
> Time,
> markpringnz@yahoo.com writes:
>
> Thanks very much Martin, I'm off to try that with
> M-tron, will still want a real one! I understand
> that
> Woolly got round the cyling problems of the M300 by
> never changing staions, so I think that would only
> give him 2 voices, what was the other one?
>
>
> He only used violins live but cycled in the studio
> and used clarinet, drum
> roll(She Said), vibes(Happy Old World).
>
> 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.net_
> (http://pjc56@earthlink.net/)
>
>
>
>
>

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Sadly, Jimmy, they were brand new, untouched red lens caps. They had
found a couple thousand in an unmarked box in the back room of the
Carrol County Band & Instrument Supply...

john b

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, JMoore6397@... wrote:
>
> At least it wasn't it a m400 they threw off that bridge or was Rick
Wakeman
> there with them lurking in the background??????
> Good to see all you gents already on the list
> A special BIG THANK YOU to Mr. Clay as wall
>

> Jimmy Moore
>
>
>
> **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's
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>