The Mellotron Group

I think the mellotron must be one of most infuriating instruments on the planet. I played it last night, it sounded terrible, I played it tonight it sounds great.

Is this just because it hasn't been fully restored or do newer restored trons do the same thing. Having read Mike's info on his website I know that mine isn't the only one to do this. Does the M4000 always play perfectly?

Mark

PS Did you know that Syd Barrett's "Wined and dined" seems to have the same harmonic structure to "Little Donkey" ?

On Sep 30, 2009, at 2:50 PM, Mike Dickson wrote:

> Mine is the same.I distinctly recall that when I was recording  
> 'Water Through Fingers' on the fiorst Systems Theory album it was  
> worse than ever. The coda to that track features over a dozen  
> Mellotron sounds, and recording one was not a problem, but the next  
> was in variably out of tune to the tune of (say) a quarter tone  
> flat. If I turned the pitch up by a hint of smattering of a  
> suggestion then it was playing a semitone sharp. Back down the same  
> amount and it was still sharp. A tad further down and it was back  
> where it started.
>
> I gave up for the day and did it all again the next day. I recorded  
> all tracks, one after another, with no pitch problems at all

As they often say as the World Series rolls around, "You can never  
have enough good pitching."

Mike, do you still have a CM10 in your tron? I have exactly the same tuning problems with my tron and had thought it was due to the CM10. Being 12,000 miles from help and mechanically challenged I decided to put up with it rather install the new card and then possibly a new motor.

Mike Dickson wrote:
> 
> 
> Mine is the same.I distinctly recall that when I was recording
> 'Water Through Fingers' on the fiorst Systems Theory album it was
> worse than ever. The coda to that track features over a dozen
> Mellotron sounds, and recording one was not a problem, but the next
> was in variably out of tune to the tune of (say) a quarter tone
> flat. If I turned the pitch up by a hint of smattering of a
> suggestion then it was playing a semitone sharp. Back down the same
> amount and it was still sharp. A tad further down and it was back
> where it started.
> 
> I gave up for the day and did it all again the next day. I recorded
> all tracks, one after another, with no pitch problems at all.
> 
> Mike

It just wanted to remind you who was the boss.
-- 
Cheers, SDM -- a 21st Century Schizoid Man
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NP: nowt