From analogue-request@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Thu May 27 13:40:59 1993
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To: David Rogoff x4627 <rogoff@std.teradyne.com>
Cc: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Subject: Re: novatron, etc. 
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Thu, 27 May 93 09:42:39 PDT."
             <9305271642.AA04773@midas.teradyne.com> 
Date: Thu, 27 May 93 13:38:36 -0400
Message-Id: <1687.738524316@SPEECH1.CS.CMU.EDU>
From: Yoshiaki_Ohshima@SPEECH1.CS.CMU.EDU
Status: OR


hi, david:

thanks for the info on birotron! 

in fact, one of his main modules was 01/x pro, and it did a wonderful job. 
(i just skipped this bit in the analogue heaven.) his son, adam was more 
korg'ed than himself, tho.

mind you among those things i missed the mini and mellotron 400. i didn't 
miss other analog gear inasmuch as his recent music and the 90's remake of 
six wives were very well done by the modern digital gear. 


							--aki

From analogue-request@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Thu May 27 12:45:27 1993
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Date: Thu, 27 May 93 09:42:39 PDT
From: rogoff@STD.Teradyne.COM (David Rogoff x4627)
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To: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Subject: Re: novatron, etc.
Status: OR


<inc> From analogue-request@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Wed May 26 20:49:29 1993
<inc> To: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
<inc> Subject: novatron, etc.
<inc> Date: Wed, 26 May 93 23:23:07 -0400
<inc> From: Yoshiaki_Ohshima@SPEECH1.CS.CMU.EDU
<inc> 
<inc> 
<inc> i've just got home from the rick wakeman show (playing w/ his son adam)
<inc> and couldn't help but to feel i missed the overdriven minimoog and
<inc> the hissy melotron 400. no wonder when i saw him for the first time
<inc> on the journey to the center of the earth tour, he had two 400's and
<inc> three mini's as well as horner clavinet d6, hammond b3, steinway grand, 
<inc> rmi electric piano, etc. etc.

This is pretty funny: on the way to work this morning I was thinking
of seeing Rick (he's in L.A. in a couple of weeks), but thought of
the Live at Hammersmith album from a few years ago.  The old stuff
(6 wives, Journey) just didn't cut it on the Korg stuff he was using!!
Whenever I need a Moog fix I, without hesitation, reach for my
Journey to the Center of the Earth CD!  Amazing MiniMoog, Clavinet
and Mellotron!

I'm not sure now if I want to lay out the money to see him.
 
<inc> 
<inc> i recall he later used a re-engineered melotron called biatron or novatron.
<inc> does anyone remember it? it was basically the 400 with endless tape loops,
<inc> but i may be wrong remembering things of almost 20 years ago.
<inc> 
<inc> anyone kindly fill me in wuth what exactly it was and who made it?
<inc> wondering just out of nostalgia...
<inc> 
This was the Birotron, by David Biro.  It was partly financed by Rick.
In the Keyboard interview with Rick from the Tormato era (I'll dig up
the issue at home later) he talk about it.  It used 8-track tapes to
store loops.  This fixed the Mellotron's problem of 8 second notes,
but any envelopes had to be done electronically, so the great power
of the Mellotron, intact attack of the instrument, was gone.  I don't
think that anyone but Biro and Rick had one.  I think Rick used one
or two on the Tormato tour.

  David

  David Rogoff,  Teradyne Semiconductor Test Division 
    rogoff@std.teradyne.com
     rogoff.david@std.teradyne.com
      818-991-2900 x4627



<inc> 
<inc> 							--aki
<inc> 

From analogue-request@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Thu May 27 12:31:30 1993
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From: metlay@netcom.com (metlay)
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Subject: Re: novatron, etc.
To: Yoshiaki_Ohshima@SPEECH1.CS.CMU.EDU
Date: Thu, 27 May 93 9:28:05 PDT
Cc: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Analogue Synth Mailing List)
In-Reply-To: <27745.738472987@SPEECH1.CS.CMU.EDU>; from "Yoshiaki_Ohshima@SPEECH1.CS.CMU.EDU" at May 26, 93 11:23 pm
X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.3 PL11]
Status: OR


>i've just got home from the rick wakeman show (playing w/ his son adam)
>and couldn't help but to feel i missed the overdriven minimoog and
>the hissy melotron 400. no wonder when i saw him for the first time
>on the journey to the center of the earth tour, he had two 400's and
>three mini's as well as horner clavinet d6, hammond b3, steinway grand, 
>rmi electric piano, etc. etc. 

AAAGH! That was LAST NIGHT?! DAMN! Oh well, hope you had fun. Grumble, grump.

>i recall he later used a re-engineered melotron called biatron or novatron.
>does anyone remember it? it was basically the 400 with endless tape loops,
>but i may be wrong remembering things of almost 20 years ago.
>
>anyone kindly fill me in wuth what exactly it was and who made it?
>wondering just out of nostalgia...

It was called the Birotron, and it used 8track cartridges with endless loops
to remove the 8-second sustain limit. The problem was that this also removed
the attack transients, and the resulting sounds weren't as interesting. I
don't think that the Birotron ever got to the market, although Rick used the
prototypes a bit (he was the project's main backer). The Novatron was just
a renamed Mellotron (the name had been sold and couldn't be used any more).

-- 
mike metlay * atomic city * box 81175 pgh pa 15217-0675 * metlay@netcom.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Team Metlay's BANDWIDTH is now out on Compact Disc! Email me for details...

From analogue-request@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Thu May 27 12:06:42 1993
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To: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Subject: Re: novatron, etc. 
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Wed, 26 May 93 23:56:44 PDT."
             <9305270656.AA04013@acid-rain.lucid.com> 
Date: Thu, 27 May 93 12:04:12 -0400
Message-Id: <972.738518652@SPEECH1.CS.CMU.EDU>
From: Yoshiaki_Ohshima@SPEECH1.CS.CMU.EDU
Status: OR


>loan to a friend right now) so I might not have this accurately, but I
>believe that the Birotron is a loop version of the Mellotron (tape loops

birotron, that was!! thanks very much, don, for the clarification!

i was subcsribing "light music"--a mag that yamaha published in 70's
for the japanese pop music market--and now remember rick wakeman
mentioned it in the interview article. 

birontron, birontron...okay, birontron :-)

							--aki

From analogue-request@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu Wed May 26 23:23:56 1993
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To: analogue@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
Subject: novatron, etc.
Date: Wed, 26 May 93 23:23:07 -0400
Message-Id: <27745.738472987@SPEECH1.CS.CMU.EDU>
From: Yoshiaki_Ohshima@SPEECH1.CS.CMU.EDU
Status: OR


i've just got home from the rick wakeman show (playing w/ his son adam)
and couldn't help but to feel i missed the overdriven minimoog and
the hissy melotron 400. no wonder when i saw him for the first time
on the journey to the center of the earth tour, he had two 400's and
three mini's as well as horner clavinet d6, hammond b3, steinway grand, 
rmi electric piano, etc. etc. 

i recall he later used a re-engineered melotron called biatron or novatron.
does anyone remember it? it was basically the 400 with endless tape loops,
but i may be wrong remembering things of almost 20 years ago.

anyone kindly fill me in wuth what exactly it was and who made it?
wondering just out of nostalgia...


							--aki

