Mellotronists

<< Duncan - what about Stratosfear? Still rate its title track as their Best
Piece Ever. But then, maybe it's the closest they got to 'prog'.  :-) >>

just testing, andy. at least you had the good grace to avoid mention of 
"cyclone" with it's 'loop mellotron', whatever that might've been. great flute line 
in "big sleep". 

I've just been at the racks- 1098 hasn't had this much action in ages (npi), 
with edgar's old frame, once the best-behaving set I had, now by far the 
worst. this is since the streetly set-up, which optimised the machine towards the 
more usual tape thickness. I don't know what this stuff is but before my 
machine was fettled, it was the only set that gave good results. now it's the only 
one that doesn't. 

anyway, no great loss; the flute & brass I have elsewhere identical, while 
the orchestra.... well, steve likes it.... it actually sounds tons better 
sampled, which is weird- I think the combined effect of all those precious quirks 
(it's made of... lots of other noises... only les knows for sure...) makes for a 
tricky time in it's 'tron form, but a few choice notes into the sampler & it 
comes alive. same with "gothic", which btw is a terrific set. I have also 
rediscovered the clarinets- both regular & bass, & the oboe. it's no doubt a 
temperament thing.

I'm working my way through my nine frames & sampling them all properly again 
because we want to be able to use these sounds at all times, whether 1098 is 
with us or not. we're back in philly in may.... I'm going to burn flash-roms 
for an emu proteus module this time, so we don't have the fallibility of an 
actual sampler (w/ hard drive or carts to let us down) or the limitations of the 
alesis ram card, which only takes 8Mb. damn this is clever stuff.

duncan.