Mellotronists

I had heard somewhere that even though the Mk VI racks are compatable
with an M-400, it's not an absolute exact match...so I guess this
means the tracking is ever so slight and may make a difference with
reproducing the sounds...true or rumour?

The package deal would be great if someone wants a Mellotron with
extra racks, but I kinda wish the seller would offer the option of
selling the racks separate. Understandable tho' to offer it all as a
package deal and I'd do the same. (try and find a Leslie speaker on
eBay w/o the organ...!) It seems however that Optigan seller separate
the unit from the discs.

In a message dated 20/10/2005 23:17:49 GMT Standard Time,  
mellotrongirl@... writes:

I had  heard somewhere that even though the Mk VI racks are compatable
with an  M-400, it's not an absolute exact match...so I guess this
means the  tracking is ever so slight and may make a difference with
reproducing the  sounds...true or rumour?



The real problem is the metric threads against BA threads.   There is a bit 
of a 'piss fit' going on(a none offensive brit  phrase).  M4 will fit into 4BA 
but 4BA binds in M4 or vice versa.   It's a bit early in the morning.
 
Martin

STREETLY ELECTRONICS - All things Mellotronic
_www.mellotronics.co.uk_ (http://www.mellotronics.co.uk/) 
www.mellotronics.com

US East Coast  Agent - Jimmy Moore _JMoore6397_ (mailto:JMoore6397) @...
US West Coast Agent - Paul  Cox _pjc56@..._ 
(mailto:pjc56@...)

When Gordon Reid reviewed the MkVI beside his own M400 in Sound on Sound a
couple of years ago he said the differences to the frame were the thumb
screw threads as Martin said and the length which made one of the separator
pins catch on something in the M400. This wouldn't make any difference to
the tracking or the sound. What did make a difference in Gordon's opinion
was the apparent difference in azimuth between Streetly and MA recordings
and hence the machines themselves. Why this is I don't know as I would have
thought an azimuth of 90 degrees to the tape path was pretty standard across
all tape machines. Also Gordon said that MA's tapes were slightly wider that
Streetly's and so had a tendency to bind in the guide combs on M400s. So for
people like Mattias who use MA frames in Streetly machines do they find the
same or was this just a problem with the machine Gordon reviewed or has
Markus changed things to suit all machines?
Talking of frames, when I was at Streetly the other day the guy's showed me
their new ones which did look very nice indeed.

John

-----Original Message-----
From: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com [mailto:Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of mellotrongirl
Sent: 20 October 2005 23:16
To: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Mellotronists] Re: But no bees...

I had heard somewhere that even though the Mk VI racks are compatable
with an M-400, it's not an absolute exact match...so I guess this
means the tracking is ever so slight and may make a difference with
reproducing the sounds...true or rumour?

The package deal would be great if someone wants a Mellotron with
extra racks, but I kinda wish the seller would offer the option of
selling the racks separate. Understandable tho' to offer it all as a
package deal and I'd do the same. (try and find a Leslie speaker on
eBay w/o the organ...!) It seems however that Optigan seller separate
the unit from the discs.






 
Yahoo! Groups Links

Hi gang!

Must have been lurking for years....

I've been using the MarkVI frames since '92 and they fit as fine
as my old original frames into my #1599 M400. So, from my point of 
view, You have picked up a rumour somewhere...

I'll try to stay out of the lurking darkness from now on. :-)

/Lennart


--- In Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com, "mellotrongirl" 
<mellotrongirl@h...> wrote:

>
> I had heard somewhere that even though the Mk VI racks are compatable
> with an M-400, it's not an absolute exact match...so I guess this
> means the tracking is ever so slight and may make a difference with
> reproducing the sounds...true or rumour?
> 
> The package deal would be great if someone wants a Mellotron with
> extra racks, but I kinda wish the seller would offer the option of
> selling the racks separate. Understandable tho' to offer it all as a
> package deal and I'd do the same. (try and find a Leslie speaker on
> eBay w/o the organ...!) It seems however that Optigan seller separate
> the unit from the discs.
>

Hi again!

To me it's quite obvious that all manufactured tape heads are 
optimized to work in a 90 deg. azimuth angle. Everything else
seems to be either an initial, non correctable, mistake or a way
to make the product look unique to the customers.


Take care!
/Lennart


   
--- In Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com, "John Beresford" 
<j.k.beresford@s...> wrote:
>
> When Gordon Reid reviewed the MkVI beside his own M400 in Sound on 
Sound a
> couple of years ago he said the differences to the frame were the 
thumb
> screw threads as Martin said and the length which made one of the 
separator
> pins catch on something in the M400. This wouldn't make any 
difference to
> the tracking or the sound. What did make a difference in Gordon's 
opinion
> was the apparent difference in azimuth between Streetly and MA 
recordings
> and hence the machines themselves. Why this is I don't know as I 
would have
> thought an azimuth of 90 degrees to the tape path was pretty 
standard across
> all tape machines. Also Gordon said that MA's tapes were slightly 
wider that
> Streetly's and so had a tendency to bind in the guide combs on 
M400s. So for
> people like Mattias who use MA frames in Streetly machines do they 
find the
> same or was this just a problem with the machine Gordon reviewed 
or has
> Markus changed things to suit all machines?
> Talking of frames, when I was at Streetly the other day the guy's 
showed me
> their new ones which did look very nice indeed.
> 
> John
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com 
[mailto:Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com]
> On Behalf Of mellotrongirl
> Sent: 20 October 2005 23:16
> To: Mellotronists@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [Mellotronists] Re: But no bees...
> 
> I had heard somewhere that even though the Mk VI racks are 
compatable
> with an M-400, it's not an absolute exact match...so I guess this
> means the tracking is ever so slight and may make a difference with
> reproducing the sounds...true or rumour?
> 
> The package deal would be great if someone wants a Mellotron with
> extra racks, but I kinda wish the seller would offer the option of
> selling the racks separate. Understandable tho' to offer it all as 
a
> package deal and I'd do the same. (try and find a Leslie speaker on
> eBay w/o the organ...!) It seems however that Optigan seller 
separate

> the unit from the discs.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>

Just a couple of points...
 
The azimuth used by Streetly of old was a non standard alignment for  
whatever reason.  Commercial azimuth will deliver a very dull result with  Streetly 
tapes then and now.  We have preserved this setting as the bulk of  machines 
had it and we see no reason to change.  
 
Regarding thread sizes, we still use BA as 2500 machines were built using  
that standard.  Metric will run in BA, hence Markus's frames will fit in  M400s 
but BA will tend to bind in metric.   
 
Our new  machines will also have BA threads and non standard azimuth as our 
goal is to  maintain the standards applied to the bulk of machines 
manufactured.  We  therefore don't have to run two alternatives and our products will suit 
the vast  majority that survive.
 
Old fashioned or what!
 
Martin

STREETLY ELECTRONICS - All things  Mellotronic
_www.mellotronics.co.uk_ (http://www.mellotronics.co.uk/) 
www.mellotronics.com

US East Coast  Agent - Jimmy Moore _JMoore6397_ (mailto:JMoore6397) @...
US West Coast Agent - Paul  Cox _pjc56@..._ 
(mailto:pjc56@...)