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Kraftwerk & the Mellotron
"It was also used extensively by pioneering German electronic music band Kraftwerk on many of their earlier recordings."
As is, the above contains two errors.
According to the biography of former Kraftwerk drummer Wolfgang Flür ("Ich war ein Roboter", Hannibal 1999), Kraftwerk purchased a VaKo Orchestron while on tour in the US in 1975. Similar idea to the Mellotron -- different implementation. While they may have owned (or, own) a Mellotron, they don't appear to have used one in performance or during recording.
In fact, their first five albums (including "Tone Float", RCA 1970) do not feature either the Orchestron, or a Mellotron, at all, while their sixth, seventh and eigth albums feature the Orchestron most prominently.
Considering that Kraftwerk's total output to date counts eleven original albums, the reference to "earlier recordings" is misleading. At most, Kraftwerk can be said to have used the Orchestron, an instrument somewhat similar in sound to the Mellotron, at the height of their popularity, and output, in the mid- to late 70s.
Yrs, &c. Lech
It can be easily checked by LISTENING to any Kraftwerk record prior to 1975's "RADIO-ACTIVITY" - none of them have any mellotron on. Neither is any mellotron listen on the (often detailed) list of instruments used. Neither can any mellotrons be seen in the photo galleries of instruments on the album sleeves! The firt time you can hear the choir and string sounds, is on recordings from the US Autobahn tour, 1975. Flür's biography explains how Kraftwerk visiting the Vako company during the tour, and bought an Orchestron, and began using it on the tour. It really is very simple! --feline1 11:10, 19 Feb 2005 (UTC)
Opeth did not use a Mellotron on their Damnation album. Porcupine Tree frontman, Steven Wilson, had a patch for his synth that emulated the sound of a Mellotron. It's not actually a real Mellotron. Consequently, the Ghost Reveries album features a patch and not a real Mellotron.
An interview with Mikael Akerfeldt reveals they were unable to obtain a real Mellotron because of both their price, and their poor (read: unusable) condition. Cheers. - Graham
Beefheart
Total misinterpretation.
Air
"Air" link should point to the band, not the atmosphere´s air : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_%28band%29
What is this supposed to mean?
"Tape is pulled by the capstan at a gradual speed controlled by a tension spring (8–10) ..."
In theory, a capstan pulls at a constant speed. The tensioning system provides the needed back force for stability. So what does "at a gradual speed" mean? That it gradually accelerates?
Furthermore, the tension spring doesn't, in and of itself, control the tape speed.
Whoever wrote this doesn't understand how tape transports work. This paragraph needs a rewrite from someone who does. WilliamSommerwerck (talk) 20:10, 11 July 2016 (UTC)
- I don't know who wrote it but I've seen an M400 in pieces and I can understand it. It's simple, press a key, tape gets fed through the head, sound made. Simples. Now cut the snark out and fix it. Ritchie333 (talk) (cont) 21:04, 11 July 2016 (UTC)