Synclavier

I agree with you, but don't forget that the Mellotron was used a fair=20
amount, especially on the earlier recordings. Unless he recorded his=20
own tapes, the Mellotron fills out a soundscape quickly and=20
effectively without much (if any) technical programming skill. Thats=20
not to say Tomita isn't a first-rate programmer, and records like=20
Bermuda Triangle are hard to beat by anyone, programming-wise.


Even the much earlier Pictoures at an exhibition can be set as an=20
example! Brilliant, colourful versatile work, regardless of the Mellotron=20
usage. I know Mellotron well and it's hard to imagine some sounds as a=20
soundsource of a Mellotron even if they're human voices. There are=20
human voices and choir sounds in which you can hear the oscillator-
sound by a careful listening. Apart from any Mellotron, he can easily=20
create human voces and unbeatable sound creatures. At the age he=20
was ahead of it's time (like Kraftwerk was).

I was quite disappointed when I realised this, and its why records=20
like Grand Canyon sound a bit flat to me in parts, though for a=20
different reason - the prescence of the all-digital Synclavier.=20

Be careful! The Synclavier is a very creative instrument and can sound=20
analogish too. It's a question of the operator. From the Grand Canyon=20
on Tomita was not willing to handle the soundsources or wasn't able to=20
keep the reins of the newcomer technologies. I know many Synclavier=20
based orchestration and symphonic music too, so I have to say not the=20
Synclav is to blame. I love the instrument as a sound source but not as=20
a sampler (I mean the Sync-2 configuration of those times). Tomita was=20
maybe under the spell of the early sampling technology and forgot to=20
treat it right. Anyway: the Synclav was able to capture samples at 50=20
kHz in 16 bit those times, which was 3 years before of the bear of the=20
grundbreaking Fairlight-3....
=20=20=20=20
A Tonal Diktatur =3D Mosolyg=F3 Tibor