Mellotronists

Hi all
  I NEVER said I didn't love the real thing.I have been playing keys 
for 32 years,and grew up with all the tron bands major and minor.I 
got my M400 in 1972(#328).I used it on the road for all that time in 
conditions ranging from desert heat to arctic winters.I would use a 
real tron or Chamberlin(and HAVE) in a studio.I think I have paid my 
"tron dues".I was just thinking it would be nice to have something for 
all of us tronsound enthusiasts who prefer to leave their machines at 
home(or have sold theirs for numerous personal reasons)to use in live 
performances without the worries of tapes hassles,etc.And Don's 
mention of the Clavinova (which sucks as a piano)isn't taking into 
consideration all of the BETTER digital pianos(Korg,Rolands,etc.) that 
sound great.I didn't mean to imply that ANY digital instrument would 
recreate the true feel of the real thing.I knew about Hoffman's 
Kurzweil but that is still not a dedicated mellotron duplicate.It's a 
sampler dedicated to being a tron.As mentioned,I would love to see 
something like Korg's BX3 in a beautiful wooden case(MKII or 400 
style) and all,but doing tron/Chamberlin sounds ONLY...a stand 
alone.Something that looks and feels just like a tron but is totally 
digital.If  you have EVERY note sampled from every tape bank at 
highest bandwidth and only eight seconds long,just what is the 
difference aside from the mechanical feel of tapes moving under 
rollers?? The SOUNDS are there.You could probably even duplicate the 
bandwidth/signal to noise/distortion figures of the tron's output on 
the digital.
  Anyway,it's a moot point because such an instrument does not 
exist(yet).Just dreaming out loud for something I,for one,would 
buy.Just how much more could you improve the tape format without 
switching to digital?The MK6 looks beautiful.Where can it go from 
that? Who wouldn't want to have something onstage in their rig that 
sounds,looks,and feels just like a MKII but without the tape jamming 
worries and a fraction of the weight? Oh well.
 And yeah,you're right,most of the listening public has no clue about 
this stuff.By the way,I have NO kids and do have money.I do plan to 
own another "real thing" sometime,for home use only.                   
                                               peace  Charles