The Mellotron Group

From: lsf5275@aol.com
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Recording and playing the M400
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, April 11, 2010, 7:27 AM

There is far more to getting proper sound from a Mellotron than just proper head azimuths. M-400s can be wonderful solo instruments when set up properly. I play my Black (now sold) M-400 all the time just by itself and can get lost in the sound. This also applies to the M4000.

Frank

In a message dated 4/10/2010 3:20:23 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, markpringnz@ yahoo.com writes:

Martin has sorted the headblock so it isn't an azimuth issue, and listening to tron solos they are often either a single melodic line eg. Seven Stones, Golf Girl, Exiles or a series of chord progressions eg Mocking bird, She said.

>
> See the A - MIX - B knob on the right side and the A and B selectors above.  Two independent voices at once?  YES. 
> http://www.mellotron.com/audities/images/DigitalMellotronDisplay2010-650.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> > I assume  that the new digital mellotron isn't going to allow you to play two independent voices at once , which is a shame as even a 25 note keyboard as on the Korg Micro X can be split to good effect.
>

From: ClayE
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Recording and playing the M400
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, April 11, 2010, 9:34 AM

See the A - MIX - B knob on the right side and the A and B selectors above. Two independent voices at once? YES.
http://www.mellotro n.com/audities/ images/DigitalMe llotronDisplay20 10-650.jpg

> I assume that the new digital mellotron isn't going to allow you to play two independent voices at once , which is a shame as even a 25 note keyboard as on the Korg Micro X can be split to good effect.

From: Mark Pring
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Recording and playing the M400
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, April 11, 2010, 7:19 AM

http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=jBnWypnFiQc

Last night I decided to give the synths a rest and record a simple piece on solo mellotron. You can hear it by clicking on the link above. I have a few observations. They are not meant as criticisms of the mellotron, I love mine and I am happy with how it plays and sounds.

1) The M400 was obviously designed for rock groups rather than home use and to be a backing rather than solo instrument. The Mark II and to a lesser extent the M300 are really home and solo machines. The raw sound output of an M400 seems to my ears to need an awful lot of processing, is this as much of an issue on a Mark II? Thinking back to the MarkII demo video it doesn't seem to be.

2) Playing my M400 as a solo keyboard it is really difficult to balance the right and left hands, the bass notes easily overwhelming the treble especially on the M300a strings and split choir a little less on the 3 violins and Mark II flute. It can be partially offset by equalisation and by not playing triads, I don't think it is a problem unique to #1565, Martin has sorted the headblock so it isn't an azimuth issue, and listening to tron solos they are often either a single melodic line eg. Seven Stones, Golf Girl, Exiles or a series of chord progressions eg Mocking bird, She said.

So to me the best use of M400's are either as a musical "filler" using chords or as single line solos they are not really full keyboard instruments like a piano or organ. I suspect that this is not true of Mark II's M300's and M5000's.

I assume that the new digital mellotron isn't going to allow you to play two independent voices at once , which is a shame as even a 25 note keyboard as on the Korg Micro X can be split to good effect.

Mark

PS I don't think I have ever managed to quite get rid of the smell of mouseshit from #1565, when it warms up I always have to play with a cat wrapped around my legs.

PPS I am thinking of eventually buying some good powered speakers and recording them with a microphone.

>
> See the A - MIX - B knob on the right side and the A and B selectors above. Two independent voices at once? YES. 
> http://www.mellotro n.com/audities/ images/DigitalMe llotronDisplay20 10-650.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> > I assume  that the new digital mellotron isn't going to allow you to play two independent voices at once , which is a shame as even a 25 note keyboard as on the Korg Micro X can be split to good effect.
>

-----Original Message-----
From: ClayE <ecclesreinson@rogers.com>
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sat, Apr 10, 2010 5:51 pm
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: Recording and playing the M400


  
    
                  
Ohhhh...You mean a split keyboard?  I think you will have to manage without that.  Hey Martin!  Have you ever made tapes with split sounds left and right?  Probably not a common request.

--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, "ClayE" <ecclesreinson@...> wrote:
>
> See the A - MIX - B knob on the right side and the A and B selectors above.  Two independent voices at once?  YES. 
> http://www.mellotron.com/audities/images/DigitalMellotronDisplay2010-650.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> > I assume  that the new digital mellotron isn't going to allow you to play two independent voices at once , which is a shame as even a 25 note keyboard as on the Korg Micro X can be split to good effect.
>


    
             

  
 
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>  
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> I've got bass accordion/cello split.  The low notes of the cello suck 
> and the high notes of the accordion swallow.
>
>
> fd
>

>  
>
> I've got bass accordion/cello split. The low notes of the  cello suck 
> and the high notes of the accordion  swallow.
>
>
> fd
>

>  
>
> I've got bass accordion/cello split.  The low notes of the cello suck 
> and the high notes of the accordion swallow.
>
>
> fd
>