The Mellotron Group

You can take the M4000D and manipulate it to be idiosyncratic in certain  
ways. But those idiosyncrasies will be the same to every sound. The  
character of a Mellotron is derived from how it plays its tapes, variances from  
frame to frame, tape age, keyboard adjustment, etc. It makes each one unique.  
Every M4000D will be exactly like every other one. Not a bad thing really,  
but a little soulless. When I think of a Mellotron, I think of a tape  
replay machine. The Mellotron sounds that come out of an iPad are no different  
except the way they are accessed. The sampling rate may be different but the  
concept is the same.The iPad delivers the sounds but imparts no character 
to  them.
 
 
In a message dated 7/19/2011 8:37:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
tron400@yahoo.com writes:

 
 
 
Looks like my last reply didn't make it.

The last frame I bought has  tuned Cello/M400 Violins/Flute. Sure, the 
Violins are MkII Violins EQ'd for  the M400, but the EQ, as well as the tuning, 
was done by Streetly, so there's  a degree of authenticity there (like 100%).

I'd love to play around  with an M4000D for a few days. It seems to be a 
practical machine for those  who don't want to own a tape replay machine and a 
good supplement to an M400.  But I don't think electronics can ever 
accurately imitate the  electromechanical idiosyncracies of a Mellotron.

Bernie

--- In  _newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com_ 
(mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com) ,  "Charles" <charel196@...> wrote:
>
> so if you bought a new  tape rack and played an E Major chord and the 
fifth was recorded out of tune,  you'd prefer that over buying a digital unit 
with all the notes properly tuned  and de-noised?
> Even your Mellotron library was recorded and EQ'd with  someone else's 
idea of how it should sound.
> I just don't get it, I  guess.
> 
> 
> --- In _newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com_ 
(mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com) ,  "tron400" <tron400@> wrote:
> >
> > 
> >  
> > It's one thing to alter the sound of your Mellotron or samples,  but 
it's another thing to have someone else decide for you how it should  
fundamentally sound.
> > 
> > Bernie
> > 
>  > --- In _newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com_ 
(mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com) ,  "Charles" <charel196@> wrote:
> > >
> > >  
> > > do you think Mike Pinder never did any "tampering" to make  his units 
sound "better"? Geeezus....to me the M4000D is the outgrowth of all  the 
years of addressing the complaints about exactly what was wrong with the  tape 
system by all the major artists (tuning, noise, etc.)
> > >  Do you think if Harry Chamberlin had this technology at his disposal 
he would  have used tapes?
> > > It may not be a "real Mellotron/Chamberlin"  in the eyes of the 
hardcore obsessives but for me it's a completely normal  development in the 
lineage and deserves the name.
> > >
>  >
>