Mellotronists

> From: ferrograph@...
   > Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 08:18:31 EDT
   > 
   > I expect you think we're all crazy hanging on to this low-tech
   > way of doing things, but sometimes low-tech is just better.

I guess I can think of tons of examples where the application of
technology doesn't offer an improvement.  Or even makes things
worse.

Take guitars for instance.  I don't have any hard marketing data in
front of me but I'm guessing the three most popular and highly
regarded guitars are the Fender Strat, the Gibson Les Paul and the
Fender Telecaster.  In that order.  Consistantly for the last 25 years
or so.  Those instruments came out in 1954, 1953 and 1948
respectively, and have barely changed over their production life.
That's old.  Guitars with technological breakthroughs, say the
Steinberger, haven't really made it.

It's also true in other fields, say cooking.  Great chefs generally
don't use electric stoves or microwave ovens -- they cook over
low-tech flames.  (What could be lower-tech than a flame?)

   > all this talk of dummy 'trons on stage...

I understand that most grand pianos used in show biz (stage shows, tv,
etc.) are really piano shaped shells with a Kurzweil or the equivalent
inside.  

Sure, it's tough to properly mic a piano.  But this whole
one-instrument-in-the-cabinet-of-another thing is pretty weird.

  -- Don

-- 
Don Tillman
Palo Alto, California, USA
don@...
http://www.till.com