The Mellotron Group

That's hardly the point. I'm not saying that samplers (ROMplers) have no  
place, I'm saying that they lack the character that a real Mellotron has. The 
 real thing is far more organic. I like my records, tapes and CDs. I have 
perhaps  a thousand or more recorded live performances. I enjoy them too. but 
once  recorded, they sound the same every time I play them. Playing a CD 
has nothing  to do with making music. Playing an instrument does, whether it 
is a M4000d or a  M4000 or an M400. I prefer the latter. 
 
 
In a message dated 7/20/2011 12:30:18 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
feline1@feline1.co.uk writes:

 
 
 
Yeah, 
and I bet you never buy records or CDs, 
cos they sound the  same every time you play them -
it's kinda lacking in soul compared to  going to a gig.

--- In _newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com_ 
(mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com) ,  lsf5275@... wrote:
>
> 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@...  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) _  
> (mailto:_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) _  
> (mailto:_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) _  
> (mailto:_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.
> >  > >
> > >
> >
>