The Mellotron

Loads of records around the Moody's time used them.If memory serves they appeared between the upright type organs and the emerging synthesisers(moog etc). They were easier to use apparently.I quite like the Moodies as well.
"With the power of 10 million butterfly sneezes"

Howard

Early Genesis used them quite alot...had to tour with at least two mellotrons because they were famous for their unreliability...it was worth it, I love the sound.

I seem to remember that the way they worked was based on a long length of tape with the sound recorded on to it(a basic type of sampling)which was run over tape recorder heads when you played a note. Incredible really, & counts for the iffy reliability. If my memory serves me badly, I'll blame it on the pharmaceuticals, & bow to someone elses clearer memory!
Nnow, what about the "theramin"?
matt.

Build your own theremin theremin kit

Re-build your mellotron mellotron

Howard

70's Crimson too, up to and including Red.

Don't forget Yes, and Rick Wakemans' solo albums too.

Does anyone know the first record featuring a mellotron?

"Love and Beauty" by the "Moody Blues" followed by the "Beatles, Strawberry Fields"...check it out...http://www.mellotron.com/history.htm

Cool.
The original concept was to stand in for another instrument or voices, but of course, it only really sounded like a Mellotron, so became an instrument in its own right. So, I wonder if that makes it a success or a failure?
Sounds great though.
I suppose the final irony is that there are digital emulators that can "do" a Mellotron.

I assume there is a resurgance in "mellotron" music like there was recently with groups going back to analogue synths and moogs. Or are they all doing it the digital way?

Howard

Don't forget Tangerine Dream.

Rik Wakeman was employed specifically to play the Mellotron on David Bowie's Space Oddity too...

Mellotron is beautiful.
There is a number of current prog bands that use it and, for some (me included) they surpassed the original 70's bands. To mention one example, the Swedish group Anglagaard.
Of course, if you consider the complete scenario, the 70's remain unsurpassed mainly due to the high creativity.

Seem to remember a guy who repairs these still somewhere in the Birningham area.
He was on our regional news, and one he had just finished bringing back to 'as new' was then used by Jean michell Jarre when he played in the uk.
I remember him bemoaning the fact that miles of tape and hundreds of tape heads all need to be aligned and tuned perfectly.. only to be thrown about in trucks and go through massive temperature and humidity changes, which basically ruined his long and hard work.
For me they make a truly beautifull sound, as do most of the original 'analogue' synths and sequencers.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve2701:
I remember him bemoaning the fact that miles of tape and hundreds of tape heads all need to be aligned and tuned perfectly.. only to be thrown about in trucks and go through massive temperature and humidity changes, which basically ruined his long and hard work.

EXACTLY. That was the BIG problem, and the Mk1s'd slow down if you pressed more than 4 keys at once.

Led Zep's "Stairway to heaven" uses one for the flute section.

If I win the lottery, I'm going to buy one - I LOVE the sounds they can make. I'll take a Theremin as well - was listening to "Mysterons" by Portishead last night and forgot how spooky one of those things can sound...

quote:

Originally posted by Neill S:
I love The sound of The Mellotron and therefore love The Moody Blues.

What say you people?

Neill S - you da man!

I recently bought a DTS 5.1 mix DVD-Audio disc of "Days of Future Passed" just so I could hear the Mellotron better...which you can!! It's mainly in the rear right speaker, for those of you playing the game at home. Mike Pinder, the Moodies' keyboard player, worked for Mellotron before getting one in the Moodies! He customised his Mark II with two sets of lead tapes (as opposed to the usual arrangement of a set of accompaniment tapes in the left manual, and lead instruments [violins, cellos, brass, oboe etc.] in the right).

I believe the first major use of the Mellotron was as a foley device for BBC series like "Dr. Who". Its history dates back to the 50's, initially a keyboard invented by a guy named Harry Chamberlin. Chamberlin keyboards are still around; people like producer Jon Brion, Michael Penn, Crowded House and Aimee Mann featured them on their albums*. The Chamberlin was a more hi-fi, realistic-sounding instrument; a cleverly mixed recording (like "Into Temptation" by Crowded House) with Chamberlin can fool you into thinking the artist sprung for a string quartet to play!

However, I prefer the 'Tron; there's a psychic shiver I get when I hear one on a record (partic the string sound) that no other keyboard gives you. The crescendo in "Epitaph" by King Crimson...wow. "The Voyage" by the Moody Blues; the instrumental coda to "Starless", off Red; "Out and In" from To Our Childrens Childrens Children (my favourite Mellotron track ever)...

*also Seventh Sojourn by the Moodies.

quote:

"Out and In" from To Our Childrens Childrens Children (my favourite Mellotron track ever)...

What an amazing track! I love the Mellotron sound in that... Was it the Tron? Is that a Mellotron with half speed tapes?

We did used to use a Mellotron for Sound FX at the BBC - There was one at Pebble Mill until recently I'm told...

Gazing Past the Planets...

quote:

Originally posted by Neill S:

quote:

"Out and In" from To Our Childrens Childrens Children (my favourite Mellotron track ever)...

What an amazing track! I love the Mellotron sound in that... Was it the Tron? Is that a Mellotron with half speed tapes?

Neill,

I believe it was just standard string samples, with judicious use of echo chamber placing the sound in "space" at the back of the stereo image. You may be thinking of the previous instrumental track, "Beyond", which has all sorts of 'Tron action in the surreal interludes, including half speed effects, and a lovely "Strawberry Fields"-type flute-tapes bit. Mike Pinder was also a master of using the pitch knob for swooping portamento effects (done all over the seven psychedelic-era Moodies albums, as on these tracks).

quote:

We did used to use a Mellotron for Sound FX at the BBC - There was one at Pebble Mill until recently I'm told...

Where's Pebble Mill? Is that one of the BBC production facilities? I'd love to visit someday!

As regards the Moodies, it's terribly unfashionable to admit to liking them these days; their concerts are the province of greying, tie-dyed 60's children (er, like myself). However, the other day I was at a hip used-record store in one of Seattle's artsy neighborhoods, and the tattoed, body-pierced (young) employees were playing "On the Threshold of a Dream" over the music system(!!)

I suppose I love their music because, along with reflecting 60's personal & spiritual aspirations (much like the Beatles did), their music is free of irony and has a kind of timeless yearning quality. Very human, in other words.

Also...get ready for the release (hopefully this year) of re-mastered, stereo and 5.1 surround versions(!) ot the classic seven albums.

Buy the last Sparklehorse album for great modern use of said instrument.

I also have a virtual Mellotron from GMedia which I use on a regular basis when writing/recording etc.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Hughes:
Buy the last Sparklehorse album for great modern use of said instrument.

I also have a virtual Mellotron from GMedia which I use on a regular basis when writing/recording etc.

Mike

I have the GMedia one too. In fact, I used it in preference to a real 'Tron recently!

I love the 'Tron but don't like the Moody Blues.

There's quite a bit of real 'tron on the Henry Fool album. I was posessed by the spirit of the cape....



Stephen

If anyone wants to hear the 'tron in action, there's plenty on the track 'Pills in The Afternoon' - available as a free download at www.henryfool.com.
Real or false? You decide.......

Stephen

PS 'Bass Pig'& the others are real 'tron.....

Sorry if this is at a bit of a tangent to the discussion but I saw the ether festival at the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday night. Jonny Greenwood curated over a very diverse collection of musicians and composers. There were two fantastically atmospheric pieces written by Oliver Messian and performed by the Ondes Martenot ensemble. This electric instrument was invented in 1928 and uses a keyboard and free sliding wire to produce its trademark swoops. People will recognise the instrument from 'Billion dollar brain' , 'amelie' and let's not forget 'star trek'.

When you have half a dozen of these things creating a complex interplay of musical structures it is entirely unique. As a great finale they reworked the radiohead track 'arpeggi' with Mr York making a singing appearance to fantastic effect.

quote:

Originally posted by Stephen Bennett:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Hughes:
Buy the last Sparklehorse album for great modern use of said instrument.

I also have a virtual Mellotron from GMedia which I use on a regular basis when writing/recording etc.

Mike

I have the GMedia one too. In fact, I used it in preference to a real 'Tron recently!

I love the 'Tron but don't like the Moody Blues.


Stephen

What is the GMedia? I presume you mean samples or software of some sort...If I wanted one to play, what would I have to buy?

quote:

Originally posted by bhazen:

What is the GMedia? I presume you mean samples or software of some sort...If I wanted one to play, what would I have to buy?

It's a plug-in Mellotron for PC & Mac. You'd need a compatable sequencer. Under a Mac you can use GarageBand, but anything that will run VST or AU plug-ins will do.

http://www.gmediamusic.com/

Regards

Stephen

quote:

Originally posted by domfjbrown:

EXACTLY. That was the BIG problem, and the Mk1s'd slow down if you pressed more than 4 keys at once.

Hence Robert Fripp's observation that "Tuning a Mellotron doesn't"...

Someone observed Krim used them up to Red, but there's also Mellotron to be found on THRAK.

They sound nothing like the choirs and orchestras they're meant to sound like, but they sound rather wonderful on their own terms.

Pete.