The Mellotron Group

>
> I assume you haven't got CM10 in your tron, mine is never ever in tune, I
> mainly use mine these days for "ambient atonal crap" where it works just
> fine. Still love it.
> 
> Mark
> 
> On Fri, Feb 3, 2012 at 8:59 AM, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@...> wrote:
> 
> > **
> >
> >
> > ..and this was most definitely *one of those days*.
> >
> > I got home quickly enough because I had the germ of a musical good idea
> > going on in my head and needed to get it down quickly so I wouldn't lose
> > it. All it would need is piano and Mellotron and that's it.  After that I
> > could take it easy.
> >
> > However.
> >
> > First the Mellotron was flat on all counts.  Tuning it up made no
> > difference.  So tune it *way* up and then back it down.  Now it's sharp
> > all round, even when it was wound down beneath where the pitch control was
> > before.  Then I get it to approximate with the piano...just about.  Then I
> > start.  Then I stop.  It's flat again.  Repeat as above.  Great  Start
> > again.  Now it's about a quarter-tone sharp, despite being where it was on
> > the dial when it was flat before.  Then it went flat as I played.  Then it
> > was tuned up.  Then it went sharp.  Notice that *at no time* did the
> > bastard thing ever pass through correct tuning; it went from Sharpville to
> > Flatborough without even passing anywhere close to what I was after.
> >
> > Okay..screw this.  Try the flutes.  Never has there been a worse idea, not
> > even when Archduke Franz Ferdinand said *'to hell with the
> > expense...let's go on holiday to Sarajevo...'*. If the strings are bad
> > then the flutes are going to be worse.  I mean way worse.  I mean it didn't
> > even sound like C#1 was playing the same note any more than once every five
> > minutes.
> >
> > Walked away.  Let it run.  Must be a temperature thing.  Yes...that's it.
> >
> > *The fuck it was.  *I came back to find the strings were flat and they
> > were staying that way, always *suggesting* that they were in tune when in
> > fact they were about as out of tune as those wailing high notes on *'I
> > Will Always Love You'* just before the vibrato mercifully kicks in.
> >  Repeat as above.  Sharp.  Then flat.  Then sharp *and* flat.  The
> > probably neither.  Then musical limbo.
> >
> > I suspect the M400 was trying to tell me that my *germ of a musical good
> > idea* was actually garbage.
> >
> > You'll just never know.  Sat down.  Played Angry Birds.  Forgot.
> >
> > --
> > Mike Dickson, Edinburgh
> >
> >  
> >
>

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com>
To: newmellotrongroup <newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Feb 2, 2012 2:59 pm
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] One Of These Days...


  
    
                  
..and this was most definitely one of those days.  


I got home quickly enough because I had the germ of a musical good idea going on in my head and needed to get it down quickly so I wouldn't lose it. All it would need is piano and Mellotron and that's it.  After that I could take it easy.


However.


First the Mellotron was flat on all counts.  Tuning it up made no difference.  So tune it way up and then back it down.  Now it's sharp all round, even when it was wound down beneath where the pitch control was before.  Then I get it to approximate with the piano...just about.  Then I start.  Then I stop.  It's flat again.  Repeat as above.  Great  Start again.  Now it's about a quarter-tone sharp, despite being where it was on the dial when it was flat before.  Then it went flat as I played.  Then it was tuned up.  Then it went sharp.  Notice that at no time did the bastard thing ever pass through correct tuning; it went from Sharpville to Flatborough without even passing anywhere close to what I was after.  


Okay..screw this.  Try the flutes.  Never has there been a worse idea, not even when Archduke Franz Ferdinand said 'to hell with the expense...let's go on holiday to Sarajevo...'. If the strings are bad then the flutes are going to be worse.  I mean way worse.  I mean it didn't even sound like C#1 was playing the same note any more than once every five minutes.


Walked away.  Let it run.  Must be a temperature thing.  Yes...that's it.


The fuck it was.  I came back to find the strings were flat and they were staying that way, always suggesting that they were in tune when in fact they were about as out of tune as those wailing high notes on 'I Will Always Love You' just before the vibrato mercifully kicks in.  Repeat as above.  Sharp.  Then flat.  Then sharp and flat.  The probably neither.  Then musical limbo.


I suspect the M400 was trying to tell me that my germ of a musical good idea was actually garbage.  


You'll just never know.  Sat down.  Played Angry Birds.  Forgot.



-- 
Mike Dickson, Edinburgh

-----Original Message-----
From: mettalliccasucks <mickey___mouse___@hotmail.com>
To: newmellotrongroup <newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Feb 2, 2012 4:29 pm
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] Re: One Of These Days...


  
    
                  


I've always kept my tron in a smoke-free room but it was seldom reliable and never sounded good when it needed to.  It was making me crazy. 

Then I followed a local musician's advice in this youtube video and it has definitely breathed new life into my ailing tron.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T2LeYdA52U

Now I keep the tron in a smoke-filled room and it always sounds better than I can ever remember.

From: fdoddy@aol.com 
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2012 4:34 PM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com 
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] One Of These Days...

  

yeah, I've had those days with my tron.  I usually blame myself, but I was raised catholic. I think it's the humidity and barometric pressure.

Before my 2600 was recently serviced, I would have nightmare days getting the bastard to play nicely.  I have a duophonic keyboard and it does quirky things when you play it as opposed to triggering it via MIDI to CV.  Normally, I like those quirky things, but sometimes it just won't do what I ask it to, and I've already rebuilt the keyboard.

fritz



-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com>
To: newmellotrongroup <newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Feb 2, 2012 2:59 pm
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] One Of These Days...


  
..and this was most definitely one of those days.  

I got home quickly enough because I had the germ of a musical good idea going on in my head and needed to get it down quickly so I wouldn't lose it. All it would need is piano and Mellotron and that's it.  After that I could take it easy.

However.

First the Mellotron was flat on all counts.  Tuning it up made no difference.  So tune it way up and then back it down.  Now it's sharp all round, even when it was wound down beneath where the pitch control was before.  Then I get it to approximate with the piano...just about.  Then I start.  Then I stop.  It's flat again.  Repeat as above.  Great  Start again.  Now it's about a quarter-tone sharp, despite being where it was on the dial when it was flat before.  Then it went flat as I played.  Then it was tuned up.  Then it went sharp.  Notice that at no time did the bastard thing ever pass through correct tuning; it went from Sharpville to Flatborough without even passing anywhere close to what I was after.  

Okay..screw this.  Try the flutes.  Never has there been a worse idea, not even when Archduke Franz Ferdinand said 'to hell with the expense...let's go on holiday to Sarajevo...'. If the strings are bad then the flutes are going to be worse.  I mean way worse.  I mean it didn't even sound like C#1 was playing the same note any more than once every five minutes.

Walked away.  Let it run.  Must be a temperature thing.  Yes...that's it.

The fuck it was.  I came back to find the strings were flat and they were staying that way, always suggesting that they were in tune when in fact they were about as out of tune as those wailing high notes on 'I Will Always Love You' just before the vibrato mercifully kicks in.  Repeat as above.  Sharp.  Then flat.  Then sharp and flat.  The probably neither.  Then musical limbo.

I suspect the M400 was trying to tell me that my germ of a musical good idea was actually garbage.  

You'll just never know.  Sat down.  Played Angry Birds.  Forgot.


-- 
Mike Dickson, Edinburgh

On 2 Feb 2012, at 22:22, Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com> wrote:

> And now...it's playing sweetly again as though it hadn't happened. 
> 
> 
> I will never understand these instrument...never.
> 
> On 2 February 2012 21:41, Mark <markpringnz@gmail.com> wrote:
>  
> I need a new tron or get this one restored!
> 
> 
> 
>

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony <atm655@verizon.net>
To: newmellotrongroup <newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Feb 2, 2012 4:39 pm
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] One Of These Days...


  
    
                  


Interesting, neither of my ARP 2600s nor my M400 have tuning issues.
They’re all current, stable and wonderful to play and own.
Maybe you guys need a power conditioner?
Tony Ph.D.

 

From: fdoddy@aol.com 
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2012 4:34 PM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com 
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] One Of These Days...

 

  

yeah, I've had those days with my tron.  I usually blame myself, but I was raised catholic. I think it's the humidity and barometric pressure.

Before my 2600 was recently serviced, I would have nightmare days getting the bastard to play nicely.  I have a duophonic keyboard and it does quirky things when you play it as opposed to triggering it via MIDI to CV.  Normally, I like those quirky things, but sometimes it just won't do what I ask it to, and I've already rebuilt the keyboard.

fritz

 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com>
To: newmellotrongroup <newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Feb 2, 2012 2:59 pm
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] One Of These Days...


  

..and this was most definitely one of those days.  
 
I got home quickly enough because I had the germ of a musical good idea going on in my head and needed to get it down quickly so I wouldn't lose it. All it would need is piano and Mellotron and that's it.  After that I could take it easy.
 
However.
 
First the Mellotron was flat on all counts.  Tuning it up made no difference.  So tune it way up and then back it down.  Now it's sharp all round, even when it was wound down beneath where the pitch control was before.  Then I get it to approximate with the piano...just about.  Then I start.  Then I stop.  It's flat again.  Repeat as above.  Great  Start again.  Now it's about a quarter-tone sharp, despite being where it was on the dial when it was flat before.  Then it went flat as I played.  Then it was tuned up.  Then it went sharp.  Notice that at no time did the bastard thing ever pass through correct tuning; it went from Sharpville to Flatborough without even passing anywhere close to what I was after.  
 
Okay..screw this.  Try the flutes.  Never has there been a worse idea, not even when Archduke Franz Ferdinand said 'to hell with the expense...let's go on holiday to Sarajevo...'. If the strings are bad then the flutes are going to be worse.  I mean way worse.  I mean it didn't even sound like C#1 was playing the same note any more than once every five minutes.
 
Walked away.  Let it run.  Must be a temperature thing.  Yes...that's it.
 
The fuck it was.  I came back to find the strings were flat and they were staying that way, always suggesting that they were in tune when in fact they were about as out of tune as those wailing high notes on 'I Will Always Love You' just before the vibrato mercifully kicks in.  Repeat as above.  Sharp.  Then flat.  Then sharp and flat.  The probably neither.  Then musical limbo.
 
I suspect the M400 was trying to tell me that my germ of a musical good idea was actually garbage.  
 
You'll just never know.  Sat down.  Played Angry Birds.  Forgot.

 
-- 
Mike Dickson, Edinburgh

-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Dickson <mike.dickson@gmail.com>
To: newmellotrongroup <newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Feb 2, 2012 5:38 pm
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] One Of These Days...


  
    
                  
I'm sure that's it.  You start hearing one problem and then become over-attuned to everything else, and the fact that the Mellotron isn't exactly tuned doesn't help it a bit.  After a while you kind of settle down and the next thing it's all fine.  Weird beyond weird.  


I had a friend - well, I say 'friend'...I really mean 'twat that I knew' - who had a hugely accurate sense of pitch and who had to give up on music simply because everything sounded like this to him.  I'd hate to have that sort of talent.


On 2 February 2012 22:30, tronbros <tronbros@aol.com> wrote:

 
  
    
                  

Psychoacoustic disturbance.  Sometimes everything seems suspect.  Even tuning a guitar becomes a problem and you start doubting yourself.  And then it all makes sense again!  Weird.


M

On 2 February 2012 21:41, Mark <markpringnz@gmail.com> wrote:

 
>  
>I need a new tron or get this one restored!

On 2 February 2012 22:30, tronbros <tronbros@aol.com> wrote:

 
>  
>
>
>Psychoacoustic disturbance.  Sometimes everything seems suspect.  Even tuning a guitar becomes a problem and you start doubting yourself.  And then it all makes sense again!  Weird.
>
> 
>M
>

From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com  
[mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of  fdoddy@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2012 5:47  PM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re:  [newmellotrongroup] One Of These Days...

 
 
 
 
oh, my 2600  kicks ass now...don't even need to let it warm up.  My tron 
doesn't have  tuning issues, just aesthetic issues  :>)


fritz
 

 

 
-----Original  Message-----
From: Tony <atm655@verizon.net>
To: newmellotrongroup  <newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Feb 2, 2012 4:39  pm
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] One Of These Days... 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interesting,  neither of my ARP 2600s nor my M400 have tuning issues.
 
They’re  all current, stable and wonderful to play and own.
 
Maybe  you guys need a power conditioner?
 
Tony  Ph.D.
 
 
 

 
 
From: _fdoddy@aol.com_ (mailto:fdoddy@aol.com)  
 
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2012 4:34  PM
 
To: _newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com_ 
(mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com)   
 
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] One Of These  Days...


 


 
 
 
yeah, I've had  those days with my tron.  I usually blame myself, but I was 
raised  catholic. I think it's the humidity and barometric pressure.

Before my  2600 was recently serviced, I would have nightmare days getting 
the bastard to  play nicely.  I have a duophonic keyboard and it does quirky 
things when  you play it as opposed to triggering it via MIDI to CV.  
Normally, I like  those quirky things, but sometimes it just won't do what I ask 
it to, and I've  already rebuilt the keyboard.

fritz
 

 

 
-----Original  Message-----
From: Mike Dickson <_mike.dickson@gmail.com_ 
(mailto:mike.dickson@gmail.com) >
To:  newmellotrongroup <_newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com_ 
(mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com) >
Sent:  Thu, Feb 2, 2012 2:59 pm
Subject: [newmellotrongroup] One Of These  Days... 
 
 
 
 
 
..and this was  most definitely one of those days.  
 

 
I got home  quickly enough because I had the germ of a musical good idea 
going on in my  head and needed to get it down quickly so I wouldn't lose it. 
All it would  need is piano and Mellotron and that's it.  After that I could 
take it  easy.
 

 
However.
 

 
First the  Mellotron was flat on all counts.  Tuning it up made no 
difference.   So tune it way up and then back it down.  Now it's sharp all  round, 
even when it was wound down beneath where the pitch control was  before.  
Then I get it to approximate with the piano...just about.   Then I start.  Then 
I stop.  It's flat again.  Repeat as  above.  Great  Start again.  Now it's 
about a quarter-tone  sharp, despite being where it was on the dial when it 
was flat before.   Then it went flat as I played.  Then it was tuned up.  
Then it went  sharp.  Notice that at no time did the bastard thing ever pass  
through correct tuning; it went from Sharpville to Flatborough without even 
 passing anywhere close to what I was after.  
 

 
Okay..screw  this.  Try the flutes.  Never has there been a worse idea, not 
even  when Archduke Franz Ferdinand said 'to hell with the expense...let's 
go on  holiday to Sarajevo...'. If the strings are bad then the flutes are 
going  to be worse.  I mean way worse.  I mean it didn't even sound like  C#1 
was playing the same note any more than once every five  minutes.
 

 
Walked  away.  Let it run.  Must be a temperature thing.  Yes...that's  it.
 

 
The fuck it  was.  I came back  to find the strings were flat and they were 
staying that way, always  suggesting that they were in tune when in fact 
they were about as out  of tune as those wailing high notes on 'I Will Always 
Love You' just  before the vibrato mercifully kicks in.  Repeat as above.   
Sharp.  Then flat.  Then sharp and flat.  The probably  neither.  Then 
musical limbo.
 

 
I suspect the  M400 was trying to tell me that my germ of a musical good 
idea was  actually garbage.  
 

 
You'll just  never know.  Sat down.  Played Angry Birds.  Forgot.


-- 
Mike  Dickson,  Edinburgh