The Mellotron Group

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

From: Mark Pring

To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 12:53 AM

Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Mellotrons Live vs Studio

Just listening to some live Moody Blues track on Last FM, well actually Melancholy Man. Just got me thinking of the difference between the live and studio sound of the mellotron. I much prefer the live sound, not knowing much about recording, what do they do them in the recording studio to take most of the life out of them?

Mark

--- On Thu, 2/5/09, lsf5275@aol.com <lsf5275@aol.com> wrote:

From: lsf5275@aol.com <lsf5275@aol.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mellotrons Live vs Studio
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, February 5, 2009, 8:06 PM

Melancholy man might have had a Chamberlin on it as I recall. But he used the Mark II live.

Frank

In a message dated 2/5/2009 1:53:42 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, markpringnz@ yahoo.com writes:

Just listening to some live Moody Blues track on Last FM, well actually Melancholy Man.

Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.

>
> Certainly sounded like the Mark II 3 violins on the track I heard.

>
> --- On Thu, 2/5/09, lsf5275@... <lsf5275@...> wrote:
> From: lsf5275@... <lsf5275@...>
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mellotrons Live vs Studio
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Thursday, February 5, 2009, 8:06 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Melancholy man might have had a Chamberlin on it as I recall. But

> the Mark II live.
>
> Frank
>
>
> In a message dated 2/5/2009 1:53:42 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> markpringnz@ yahoo.com writes:
> Just
> listening to some live Moody Blues track on Last FM, well

> Man.
> Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on

>

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

From: Mark Pring
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2009 22:53:20 -0800 (PST)
To: <newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Mellotrons Live vs Studio

>
> Just listening to some live Moody Blues track on Last FM, well
> actually Melancholy Man. Just got me thinking of the difference
> between the live and studio sound of the mellotron. I much prefer the
> live sound, not knowing much about recording, what do they do them in
> the recording studio to take most of the life out of them?
>
> Mark
>
>

>
> I would imagine that the multiple overdubs that the studio albums have
> really dilute the raw sound of the live instrument, as do
> the musical sensibilities of the producer. Hearing that
> realtime audio of tape moving across heads and passing through amps
> and speakers has an immediacy that doesn't seem to translate to
> recording. That's why Mellotron samples don't sound like a
> Mellotron. They sound like samples of a Mellotron.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Mark Pring <mailto:markpringnz@yahoo.com>
> *To:* newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
> *Sent:* Thursday, February 05, 2009 12:53 AM
> *Subject:* [newmellotrongroup] Mellotrons Live vs Studio
>
> Just listening to some live Moody Blues track on Last FM, well
> actually Melancholy Man. Just got me thinking of the difference
> between the live and studio sound of the mellotron. I much prefer
> the live sound, not knowing much about recording, what do they do
> them in the recording studio to take most of the life out of them?
>
> Mark
>
>

> I'm with Mike on this one.....
>
> fritz
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...>
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thu, 5 Feb 2009 12:05 pm
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mellotrons Live vs Studio
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> The reason why Mellotron samples don't (usually) sound like a Mellotron
>
> is because people making the samples come up with their own judgements
>
> regarding eq, volume, pitching and the rest of it that makes it veer
>
> well away from the original sound. Some samplers interpolate the sounds
>
> (only recording every third note or so) whereas others take sounds they
>
> feel are 'ugly' (like the top D or second F on the flute) and

>
> with the note below it pitched up by a semi tone.
>
>
>
> I /have/ sampled my Mellotron strings, choir and brass faithfully
>
> without making any adjustments whatsoever and I would happily defy
>
> anyone to tell the real instrument from the samples. My problem is not
>
> with the samples, it's with the samplers.
>
>
>
> Mike
>
>
>
> Jon wrote:
>
> >
>
> > I would imagine that the multiple overdubs that the studio albums

>
> > really dilute the raw sound of the live instrument, as do
>
> > the musical sensibilities of the producer. Hearing that
>
> > realtime audio of tape moving across heads and passing through amps
>
> > and speakers has an immediacy that doesn't seem to translate to
>
> > recording. That's why Mellotron samples don't sound like a
>
> > Mellotron. They sound like samples of a Mellotron.
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > ----- Original Message -----
>
> > *From:* Mark Pring <mailto:markpringnz@...>
>
> > *To:* newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
>
> > <mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
>
> > *Sent:* Thursday, February 05, 2009 12:53 AM
>
> > *Subject:* [newmellotrongroup] Mellotrons Live vs Studio
>
> >
>
> > Just listening to some live Moody Blues track on Last FM, well
>
> > actually Melancholy Man. Just got me thinking of the difference
>
> > between the live and studio sound of the mellotron. I much prefer
>
> > the live sound, not knowing much about recording, what do they do
>
> > them in the recording studio to take most of the life out of them?
>
> >
>
> > Mark
>
> >
>
> >
>

>
> I'm with Fritz and Mike on this one.....
>
> Clay
>
> > I'm with Mike on this one.....
> >
> > fritz
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...>
> > To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>
> > Sent: Thu, 5 Feb 2009 12:05 pm
> > Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mellotrons Live vs Studio
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > The reason why Mellotron samples don't (usually) sound like a Mellotron
> >
> > is because people making the samples come up with their own judgements
> >
> > regarding eq, volume, pitching and the rest of it that makes it veer
> >
> > well away from the original sound. Some samplers interpolate the sounds
> >
> > (only recording every third note or so) whereas others take sounds they
> >
> > feel are 'ugly' (like the top D or second F on the flute) and
> replace it
> >
> > with the note below it pitched up by a semi tone.
> >
> >
> >
> > I /have/ sampled my Mellotron strings, choir and brass faithfully
> >
> > without making any adjustments whatsoever and I would happily defy
> >
> > anyone to tell the real instrument from the samples. My problem is not
> >
> > with the samples, it's with the samplers.
> >
> >
> >
> > Mike
> >
> >
> >
> > Jon wrote:
> >
> > >
> >
> > > I would imagine that the multiple overdubs that the studio albums
> have
> >
> > > really dilute the raw sound of the live instrument, as do
> >
> > > the musical sensibilities of the producer. Hearing that
> >
> > > realtime audio of tape moving across heads and passing through amps
> >
> > > and speakers has an immediacy that doesn't seem to translate to
> >
> > > recording. That's why Mellotron samples don't sound like a
> >
> > > Mellotron. They sound like samples of a Mellotron.
> >
> > >
> >
> > >
> >
> > >
> >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> >
> > > *From:* Mark Pring <mailto:markpringnz@...>
> >
> > > *To:* newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>
> >
> > > <mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> <mailto:newmellotrongroup%40yahoogroups.com>>
> >
> > > *Sent:* Thursday, February 05, 2009 12:53 AM
> >
> > > *Subject:* [newmellotrongroup] Mellotrons Live vs Studio
> >
> > >
> >
> > > Just listening to some live Moody Blues track on Last FM, well
> >
> > > actually Melancholy Man. Just got me thinking of the difference
> >
> > > between the live and studio sound of the mellotron. I much prefer
> >
> > > the live sound, not knowing much about recording, what do they do
> >
> > > them in the recording studio to take most of the life out of them?
> >
> > >
> >
> > > Mark
>

--- On Fri, 2/6/09, tronbros@aol.com <tronbros@aol.com> wrote:

From: tronbros@aol.com <tronbros@aol.com>
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Mellotrons Live vs Studio
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Friday, February 6, 2009, 7:43 AM

This one crops up on a regular basis.:

Mark Pring wrote:
>
> Just listening to some live Moody Blues track on Last FM, well
> actually Melancholy Man. Just got me thinking of the difference
> between the live and studio sound of the mellotron. I much prefer the
> live sound, not knowing much about recording, what do they do them in
> the recording studio to take most of the life out of them?
>
> Mark
>

Pinder rolled off all the top end, sent the MKII through speakers in a room which was then miked up and the sound then went to an EMT plate on a particularly wet setting. He did lots of overdubs and judicious footpedal work for his definitive sweeping effect. Apart from the pedal work, the rest can't be imitated on stage easily, hence the rawness live.

Best,

M

Streetly Electronics - All Things Mellotronic
www.mellotronics. com
US Sales East: Jimmy Moore JMoore6397@aol. com
US Sales West: Paul Cox pjc56@earthlink