I think there is another reason that we all spend money on
trons - a reason that we sort of haven't discussed yet.
It has less to do with sound and more to do
with history.
Consider that the mellotron is not only just another musical
instrument to be played. It's also a marvel of mechanical engineering that
was borne out of adventurous inspiration by someone who toiled for years at
getting the design right. The inventors deserve some recognition for that.
It also helped to make some completely new and interesting
music, the likes which had not been seen before because the tape playback
technology was waiting to be explored in pop culture as opposed to the
years already spent in laboratories (see Hugh LeCaine - Dripsody).
Most importantly - It also wasn't planned to be a
"limited production run" on purpose. If the demand and financial resources
were there, then more of them would have been made and developed, and this holds
true of the machines that are being made now as well. Fine art is what's being
made.
In other words the mellotron ( and chamberlin)
weren't intended to be "false demand collectables", (products made in
short supply on purpose to drive up demand / encourage desirability) The
mellotron/chamberlin were made (business-wise) in a more innocent time and the
setbacks that befell the Bradleys and Chamberlins are what ended the
original production run.
So, these keyboards have attained "true classic" status
because of "natural life circumstances" - what happened in the engineering world
(creation of new parts), the music world (methods of making music with
pre-recorded tapes ), and the shortcomings in the business / financial worlds of
Les Bradley / Harry Chamberlin.
For me, the combination of the above makes having these
instruments more inherently appreciated because there's historical aspects other
than convenience and sound quality involved.
So given the above I, like Jimmy, would rather bring my Tron
or Chamberlin to studios / live gigs because:
- the machines have a presence onstage, they don't
look like anything else, nor should they
- they're fun to watch operate, especially for an audience
who has never seen one work before
- the people who ask about them are always thankful for being
able to witness one in performance and (if they ask questions) - come away
educated with a new appreciation for the sound, the mechanical design, and the
inventors / developers who really got screwed over badly and deserve a longer
moment in the sun.
The Memotron, while being a convenient tool, doesn't
have those attributes. It's technology is merely a clone of
everything else, it may or may not stand out on stage, and most importantly -
its' selling point is the reverence of the mellotron - an
instrument you just might be able to buy used for $1000 more if you're
lucky.
On the other hand, if someone wants the "approximate
mellotron sound" for their musical projects, and all that matters is the "sound"
then that's fine. This is the right choice for them. Especially - if they can't
afford the maintenance time, space, expense etc. then it's quite understandable.
But - it's NOT a mellotron.
Because I can't watch the programming physically
operate, I still don't know if I like the entire concept of treating
"manufactured collectables" the same as "collectable by circumstance" , the
origin and legitimacy of the sounds are questionable (especially chamberlin
sounds in any greatly mass produced product - where did they get the
chamberlin?), and I didn't see it's inventors come up with something truly
unique / lose their family savings to fund
it..............................
It's not a replacement for me.
Chris
