From: defrain@en.ecn.purdue.edu (master guru) Subject: Re: What is (was) a Mellotron Synth Date: 20 Feb 92 19:51:39 GMT The Mellotron was perhaps the first polyphonic "synthesizer" to be made available to the masses of musical performers who did not intend to haul around a real piano or orchestra. The unit is rather large -- smaller than a string section though. It works like this. For every key on the console there is, essentially, a tape player. When a key is pressed a mechanism is engaged which pulls a pre-recorded tape across the head. When the key is released a spring "instantly" yanks the tape back -- hopefully before the key is pressed again. Walla -- a sample player. But that`s not all... These tape loops came in racks that could be interchanged so one minute your mellotron would be a string ensamble and the next -- an organ or piano. I don`t know how log it actually took to swap a rack but I know allignment was sometimes a problem. I doubt anyone tried this live. The mellotron, as mechanical and absurd as it was, was the only choice many musicians had if they wanted more than two finger chords on a synthesizer -- until, of course, the ARP String Ensamble hit the market -- so long mellotron -- should have invested some time in research and development. I write in past tense because the mellotron is no longer a serious instrument for professional use is and more a piece of synth history. I am sure there are plenty of people who have mellotrons in excellent working condition -- hopefully someone who does is with us and will post something. the mellotron, a noisy, but strangely curious, machine... pdd From: ross-c@DCS.LEEDS.AC.UK (The Brown Bottle) Subject: Re: What is (was) a Mellotron Synth Date: 23 Feb 92 11:22:13 GMT Re: The Mellotron is a piece of history. I think Crowded House's producer (Mitchell Froom) uses one. Neil Finn claimed that few or none of the samples on Woodface were from digital samplers. He also claimed that MF used a machine that used spinning analogue optical disks (spinning disks with the waveform etched in somehow) to imitate musical instruments. (Somebody please write in with the proper name for this instrument!). People who are interested in this sort of thing should read the series "IT came from the music industry" that ran in _keyboard_ some time ago (last year I think). Ross-c From: 87141167@BRUFSC.BITNET (Flavio) Subject: Re: Mellotron Date: 29 Feb 92 09:21:01 GMT Hi, To be more 'intuitive', the Mellotron was a ANALOG SAMPLE PLAYER. ANALOG: Instead ROM and RAM to store the sound, Mellotron used tapes. SAMPLE: Any sound could be recorded in the tapes, but in 'real time' not in little divisions called samples. I think this isn't the correct word. PLAYER: Each key in the keyboard had a tape associated. When you press the key, the tape runs, like a 'PLAY' button. A mechanism make a 'FAST-REW', when you loose the keys. Cause this, it not recommended for fast solos. The Mellotron was sucessful because it was polyphonic, in a age of monopho nic instruments. But, you was limited to one sound, or tape set, in a time in a live show. No 'Now-I-swap-to-sound-number-x' stuff. Swap sounds = swap tapes, that implies in mechanical troubles, precision, alignments, etc, things that you don't make live. There is a man that created a museum-like to Mellotron tapes/parts. I don't remember the name now. Too many in the net can talk about better than I. Flavio Ps: All this already was in the net. _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- FLAVIO BRESSAN - 87141167@BRUFSC / FEDERAL UNIV OF SANTA CATARINA/BRASIL GRAD IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING / HOME OF THE SHORTED M1 !!!! :-) -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ From: smithj@hpsadlu.sad.hp.com (Jim Smith) Subject: Re: What is (was) a Mellotron Synth Date: 4 Mar 92 19:07:00 GMT By the way, as has been pointed out in previous Mellotron threads, it would be difficult to do a completely realistic digital sample-playback version of the machine. Each key was a separate, 8-second sample. There were something like 37 keys, so, at, say, a 32kHz sampling rate, that would require something approaching 10 megabytes of sample memory per sound. That's also assuming an 8-bit sample width. And there were three sounds per tape rack, so you'd need 30 megs of sample memory. Hey, this would be a wonderful application for data compression, eh? Low-quality tape machine imitation... And then there's the issue of touch, where, with a Mellotron, if you press the keys lightly, you get a slight reduction in treble and volume. And, the tape rewind time. And, I suppose Ensoniq should manufacture it, in order to reproduce one of the Mellotron's most famous features, namely unreliability... - Jim Smith smithj@hpsad.sad.hp.com Yupatupata da yupadupa chickida, Icktang icktang, Ickitack tangdow, Rickitickatar ticka chingtar da.