Moog Music Forum

I'm puzzled why anyone would want something like that Memotron. Considering people who don't trust laptops with their M-Tron samples could always use a sampler with the Pinder disc samples. It's not as if the hardware interface ever had or needed plenty of knobs (like the MEK) or they are modeling all the interesting instabilities of a real vintage one

It looks cool and is a lot more portable thanthe real thing. I agree it doesn't sound that good though.

nicholas d. kent wrote:I'm puzzled why anyone would want something like that Memotron. Considering people who don't trust laptops with their M-Tron samples could always use a sampler with the Pinder disc samples. It's not as if the hardware interface ever had or needed plenty of knobs (like the MEK) or they are modeling all the interesting instabilities of a real vintage one

Why would anyone want something like a Nord Electro when the Scarbee samples are a hundred times better? PERFORMANCE!

I'm not seriously condisering buying one, I just thought it looked sexy.

OysterRock wrote:

nicholas d. kent wrote:I'm puzzled why anyone would want something like that Memotron. Considering people who don't trust laptops with their M-Tron samples could always use a sampler with the Pinder disc samples. It's not as if the hardware interface ever had or needed plenty of knobs (like the MEK) or they are modeling all the interesting instabilities of a real vintage one

Why would anyone want something like a Nord Electro when the Scarbee samples are a hundred times better? PERFORMANCE!

I'm not seriously condisering buying one, I just thought it looked sexy.

Though with the Nord Electro there's a whole audience of songwriter/performers and artists in a number of genres that don't have/use a lot of technology to begin with (and of course they model the B3 though that's far from a unique to the electro). With a keyboard containing just mellotron sounds there's I guess just performing prog artists and a few EM artists who don't want to deal with a sampler or have an out of date PC. It would make more sense to have a unit, like the Electro, that covers more of the basics when it comes to vintage keys in sampled form (which of course already exists invarying degrees)

As a former Mellotron 400 owner, (I sold mine in the late 80's when it developed an annoying buzz/hum. Back then, there were no companies with parts, or anyone that cared to restore them, so I sold it.) I was very interested in the Memotron.
I loved my Mellotron. The feel. The sound. Its unique character and history.
I had 3 tape racks, cases, and the muff protector case.
The Memotron... From the demos on the Manikin website, it certainly sounds pretty good. It does seem a little too pricey. But it does attempt to capture the character, look and sound of the original Mellotron in much the same way the the Voyager captures the essence of the original MiniMoog Model D, without some of the features that were maybe not so good, and adding some nice features that make it a little easier to use...
I'm thinking about getting one but I'm curious about the keyboard feel. The feel of the original Mellotron keyboard was unique and helped give it its own personality.
I have a 25th Anniversary black Voyager. The Memotron would give me back the Old School sound I love with the addition of some cool modern features at a fraction of the price of a new/restored Mellotron.

You're right, the original Mellotron has a certain playability that I doubt is found on anything else. The new ones are actually great. That memtron seems a bit expensive for a glorified softsynth.