The Mellotron Group

On 06/11/2010 19:45, fdoddy@aol.com wrote:

> What sets mellotron sounds apart is the apparent lack of all things 
> modern that all other samplers have.  I recorded three sets of new 
> strings sounds before I figured out that POV, imperfections and 
> personality had to be played note by note.  The fourth time I hit it 
> pretty good, not great, just good.  No velocity switching, loops or 
> stereo samples, just raw audio.  Making new tron recordings is harder 
> than it seems.
>

This is maybe what I was driving at, Fritz. Is it worthwhile making new 
sounds for the Mellotron when the process is difficult, the market tiny 
and the likely use minimal?

I loved your angry strings 
<http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/tron/right.htm#_angrystrings> and chamber 
woodwinds <http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/tron/right.htm#_chamberwinds> 
and got them both almost immediately, but I was left wondering just how 
hard it is to knock together something in a digital sampler that sounded 
like the latter. The truth is, it took me barely any time at all. For 
less effort, less money and far less heartache I found myself with (more 
or less) the same sound, at least good enough to be indistinguishable in 
a mix.

Now how can  this be? We here are forever banging on about how no 
sampler really encapsulates the Mellotron (and I agree that nothing 
really does) so how can it be the case that a $200 VST sampler will do 
the same job? It's because (I believe) the heart of the instrument is in 
the old sounds and the way in which they are reproduced. What makes a 
Mellotron a Mellotron is the scratchy strings 
<http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/tron/right.htm#_mkiiviolins>, the 
disembodied choir <http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/tron/right.htm#_8choir> 
and the raspy brass 
<http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/tron/right.htm#_mkiicombinedbrass>. In 
this, I agree with Mark to some extent. I'd have to say that the Mk II 
flute <http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/tron/right.htm#_mkiiflute> is 
actually quite a good lead (if you can bear the tuning) and that the old 
catgut cello <http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/tron/right.htm#_cello> is a 
sound you couldn't possibly mistake for anything else.

The rest of it - I dunno. Although the newest sounds are beautifully 
recorded, they just make the Mellotron sound like any other sampler. Is 
that what we want?

Mike