Difference between mellotron and chamberlin

[zahush76]

Listening again to the mellotron and chamberlin samples on the Nord site, i noticed that the chamberlin sounds more "realistic", while the mellotron sounds more "lo - fi".

This is strange since the chamberlin is earlier than the mellotron by a decade.

Maybe it has nothing to do with the instruments themselves, and the reason could be the quality of the tapes they got their hands on.

 

Any ideas?

[Spherical]

I think if you compare the early Chamberlins with the various Mellotrons that came later, they don't compare that favourably. The Chamberlin underwent around about 10 different versions, and only a small number of many of those versions were made. However the later models (M-series) made from 1970 onwards, which were made in larger numbers, were quite refined, and had better tape heads than the various Mellotron models, with reduced tape warble and better audio bandwidth. Also there were fewer Chamberlin mixdown tapes than the Mellotron, and no processing was used on them, so the actual source material was higher quality. Consequently I think the more recent Chamberlins did have better audio quality than the Mellotron.

 

But I think ultimately the Mellotron M400 took off as being popular with bands because it was regarded as the "portable" Mellotron, weighing in at a "mere" 55kg - under twice the weight of earlier machines.

[Joe Muscara]

I noticed the same thing as zahush. Prior to listening to the Nord samples, I was only familiar with the Mellotron sound. When I heard their Chamberlin, it sounded so "normal" that I wondered what the point was, though I suppose they have more character than I realized.

 

Thanks for the info, Spherical!

[zahush76]

I noticed the same thing as zahush. Prior to listening to the Nord samples, I was only familiar with the Mellotron sound. When I heard their Chamberlin, it sounded so "normal" that I wondered what the point was, though I suppose they have more character than I realized.

 

I'll tell you what the point could be. For some freakish reason, the chamberlin's attempt to imitate strings (for example) sounds better and more "alive" than lots of other modern string samples - including the ones nord offer. I'm considering using the chamberlin sound bank as the main "rompler". I mean, listen to those alto saxes (second sound on the demo). They sound like they were taken from a Gentle Giant album.

[Sven Golly]

The Chamberlin contained high-quality recordings of the players in the Lawrence Welk Orchestra taken via a Neumann U47 mic (if numerous reports on the web are to be believed), while the recordings for the Mellotron weren't as fastidiously done.

 

Of course, this isn't anything that you couldn't find from a quick search; lots of reference materials out there to read.

 

But you knew that.

[reidmc]

Chamberlins typically take 1-2 gigs to break, and are almost impossible to fix.

Mellotrons can last 3-4 gigs before failing, and are easier to fix.

[Dana.]

Chamberlins typically take 1-2 gigs to break, and are almost impossible to fix.

Mellotrons can last 3-4 gigs before failing, and are easier to fix.

Why would you gig with either? Even Jon Brion leaves his at home.

[Spherical]

Chamberlins typically take 1-2 gigs to break, and are almost impossible to fix.

Mellotrons can last 3-4 gigs before failing, and are easier to fix.

Considering Änglagård gigged with three Mellotrons, I'm sure this fact didn't bode well for smooth touring for them!

[tarkus]

Well, what about the Birotron?

[iLaw]

Well, what about the Birotron?

 

http://www.8trackheaven.com/Images/birotron1.jpg

 

Rick Wakeman reported that Birotronics only manufactured a total of 35, of which he estimated in 1999 only 6 were still in existence.

 

Used 8-track tapes. That should have been an omen.

 

Larry.

 

[Spherical]

One thing about the Birotron was that it used tape loops instead of lengths of tapes with a return mechanism, so although you could then hold notes for longer than the normal Mellotron 8 seconds, the natural attack of the recorded instruments was lost (as the tape wasn't starting from the same place each time, and was recorded so as to loop smoothly). Consequently I've never felt it sounds as realistic as other Mellotron-like instruments which give more natural characteristics (bowing for string instruments for example). Interesting and insanely valuable instrument though....

[AnotherScott]

One thing about the Birotron was that it used tape loops instead of lengths of tapes with a return mechanism, so although you could then hold notes for longer than the normal Mellotron 8 seconds, the natural attack of the recorded instruments was lost (as the tape wasn't starting from the same place each time, and was recorded so as to loop smoothly).

Same situation with the Vako Orchestron, which used a kind of rotating optical disk... not the kind we think of today, but a 12" vinyl album sized piece of floppy plastic (essentially, a large piece of film) with the analog signal visibly etched into it. Etch may not be the right word, as that may imply a texture... this was more like looking at a negative, a flat piece of film, whose "audio tracks" were defined by whether or not a certain portion passed light. Anyway, it likewise had a mellotron-like sound, with infinite sustain, but no recorded attacks.

 

I've played mellotrons and orchestrons, but have never had the opportunity to play a chamberlin. However, the recordings I"ve heard of chamberlins do sound better than the others.

[Phred]

...Mellotron, weighing in at a "mere" 55kg - under twice the weight of earlier machines.

 

Just curious, did you mean this? Or did you mean under half the weight...

[CrimsonianKing]

Chamberlins typically take 1-2 gigs to break, and are almost impossible to fix.

Mellotrons can last 3-4 gigs before failing, and are easier to fix.

Considering Änglagård gigged with three Mellotrons, I'm sure this fact didn't bode well for smooth touring for them!

 

I'm an Änglagård fan, and most of the live videos i checked, the mellotrons are always out of tune. same used to happen to Moody Blues, from 3 live records i have, 2 the mellotron is out of tune, just slightly. it seems like a hard instrument to maintain if you play with it every night.

[The Real MC]

Well, what about the Birotron?

 

http://www.8trackheaven.com/Images/birotron1.jpg

 

Rick Wakeman reported that Birotronics only manufactured a total of 35, of which he estimated in 1999 only 6 were still in existence.

 

Used 8-track tapes. That should have been an omen.

 

Larry.

 

And 8-track tapes are inherently noisy and not very sturdy. The machine is continuously looping the tapes thus the tapes either wear thin or they jam up. Never owned a Biro, but I remember too many 8-track tapes jamming up that it is an inferior media for the task.

 

The white single manual Mellotron 400s had an inferior motor control board, which was why they were out of tune.

[Spherical]

...Mellotron, weighing in at a "mere" 55kg - under twice the weight of earlier machines.

 

Just curious, did you mean this? Or did you mean under half the weight...

 

Ooops yes, half the weight!!

[Spherical]

I'm an Änglagård fan, and most of the live videos i checked, the mellotrons are always out of tune. same used to happen to Moody Blues, from 3 live records i have, 2 the mellotron is out of tune, just slightly. it seems like a hard instrument to maintain if you play with it every night.

 

Well as Robert Fripp once said, tuning a Mellotron doesn't!

[mate stubb]

JPJ on his love for the mellotron (NOT!):

---------------------------------

 

SPS: Back to the instruments for a second. You always complained about the Mellotron. I always hear, "Oh, that Mellotron." [laughs]

 

JPJ: I mean, it sounded great when it worked.

 

SPS: You used it every year from 72 to 77.

 

JPJ: But I had no choice! I had no choice!

 

SPS: There wasnt much else out?

 

JPJ: There was nothing else! Nothing else! No string machines and It was the only thing you could get that had strings and flutes on it. When we used to start "The Rain Song," I had one foot on the volume control and one had like a tuning control. So I used to have to come in [quickly hums the guitar intro] just at the start of the guitar, and Id play [imitates the Mellotron] and Id try and tune it [makes a tuning noise] before it got too loud. Oh, awful. Cause youd set it up and tune it, and then the crowd would come in. Basically, their heat would make the tapes stretch, and so you simply didnt know what it would be. We hated each other.

 

SPS: You and the Mellotron?

 

JPJ: But it was great. As I said, once you got going it was fine, but at that first intro [People would say to me,] "Oh, the Moody Blues can do it." Because it could work for them. He was constantly rebuilding his Mellotron [inaudible]. He was a Mellotron technician and was constantly rebuilding it [inaudible]. Oh, it was hell. And the day that I managed to replace it, I did, and that was the GX-1. ...

 

[CrimsonianKing]

Any thoughts about the new digital mellotron/chamberlin? what about the memotron, anyone ever tried it?