
The Mellotron In Action [video] - bane
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsEso9JagdQ
======
tomcam
Here, let me destroy some of my precious karma.

I am so glad this stuff is in the past. I love cold, clean, infinite-track
digital music making. I remember tape machines only too well. I remember tape
slipping and breaking, having to splice tape, detesting tape hiss and how it
multiplied every track. I remember old tape flaking and falling apart, and
having to clean recording heads, and accidentally jostling spindles and
ruining takes.

Some wonderful music was done on the Mellotron, notably the Beatles, Genesis,
and Bowie. I love samplers, I delight in choosing loops, play extensively with
soft synths, and would be very happy if the world never saw another Mellotron
again. Just knowing they're around gives me the jitters ;)

~~~
splatzone
The more advanced our tools become the more charming the faults and
limitations of yesterday’s technology appear.

The Mellotron is a gorgeous instrument and the simplicity of it is something
very special, genius for its time. And I would personally kill to own one.

But we’re lucky to not be stuck with tape and hiss and mechanical failures as
routine occurrences

------
sehugg
Huh. I never knew that they weren't tape loops, but tape segments. You can see
the mechanism here at about 4:45:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=ByD8gH7kYxs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=ByD8gH7kYxs)

------
gnasr
Another curious instrument is the Vako Orchestron, the one used by kraftwerk
in trans europe express [1], this instrument uses optical disks as source of
sound [1]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhkIOw4TyXE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhkIOw4TyXE)

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestron)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCybRH8gIBI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCybRH8gIBI)

------
starsinspace
Also check out this old mellotron advertisement from the 60s:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdkixaxjZCM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdkixaxjZCM)

------
dj-wonk
For those around the San Francisco area, you might want to check out the
Emeryville Vintage Synthesizer Museum:

[https://www.kqed.org/arts/11260092/at-emeryvilles-vintage-
sy...](https://www.kqed.org/arts/11260092/at-emeryvilles-vintage-synthesizer-
museum-analog-sounds-rule)

[http://vintagesynthmuseum.com/VSM_Home.html](http://vintagesynthmuseum.com/VSM_Home.html)

[https://www.facebook.com/vintagesynthmuseum](https://www.facebook.com/vintagesynthmuseum)

(I don't see a Mellotron listed, but the others look fun.)

------
sjclemmy
Just to add that the mMellotron inspired the innovative looping ‘choir’ effect
on 10cc’s I’m Not in Love.

[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/feb/26/10cc-how-we-
ma...](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/feb/26/10cc-how-we-made-im-not-
in-love)

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Not_in_Love](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Not_in_Love)

~~~
jacquesm
10 CC (or rather, Godley and Creme) was super innovative.

Check this out:

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gizmo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gizmo)

------
rwmj
Apparently these require a substantial amount of maintenance, so it's
remarkable what good condition this one is in.

~~~
jim-jim-jim
Genesis' mellotron would break down with enough regularity that they came up
with a routine to perform while the technicians fixed it. I forget the
specifics, but it involved a story from Gabriel and a one handed drum solo
from Collins. You can hear it on some bootleg recordings from the 70s.

------
matt_the_bass
One modern player who does a great job using this instrument is John Medeski.
I strongly recommend checking out his work with Club D’Elf.

~~~
throwaway8879
Love Medeski. Have not heard Club D'Elf. Really dig the Martin/Medeski/Wood
trio though. Also, Scofield's work with that trio is amazing.

~~~
UncleEntity
Saw MMW a long while back and now I'm wondering if the thing I thought was a
wurlitzer was maybe a mellotron -- standup piano with a big rotating cylinder
on the top?

~~~
luma
The rotating cylinder may have been a Leslie speaker which were pretty
commonly paired w/ Wurlitzers, Hammonds, Farfisas, etc.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_speaker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_speaker)

------
brickmort
Some great examples of the Mellotron being used in music today:

Black Moth Super Rainbow -
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1VAw5aaYW4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1VAw5aaYW4)

Steven Wilson - Luminol -
[https://youtu.be/wYfQ1I-VV7M?t=499](https://youtu.be/wYfQ1I-VV7M?t=499)

~~~
teh_klev
That Black Moth Super Rainbow track is utterly bloody awesome.

And hey who can't resist progging out with Steven Wilson (... _digs out his
Porcupine albums_ ).

That Mellotron flute sound is so haunting. Kinda reminds me of early 1970's
BBC children's programming where the cast could be cute wee knitted mice with
their story told by a friendly, mellow toned BBC actor.

~~~
zoomablemind
Clangers [0]. Really unique cartoon, slowpaced and fun. The knitted characters
communicate with whistles, and interpreted by a narrator. They recently had a
'reboot' of the series, narrated by William Shatner of the StarTrek ... and
Priceline fame.

[0]
[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clangers](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clangers)

------
waffle_ss
I first heard of the Mellotron when trying to track down some unique-sounding
music I first heard in a pocket83 YouTube video.[1] Found out a Mellotron was
used after googling a bit and seeing their albums show up on a Mellotron
review site.[2]

After emailing the band via the contact email on their website multiple times
with no response, I still have yet to find a way to buy the music. Regardless,
it's an interesting sound!

[1]:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxde5KX3zjA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxde5KX3zjA)

[2]:
[https://www.planetmellotron.com/revs11.htm#sklenik](https://www.planetmellotron.com/revs11.htm#sklenik)

------
heinrichf
The use of the mellotron by Genesis (Tony Banks) is notably remarkable in
their "Selling England By the Pound" and "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway"
albums. Listen for example to the choirs in
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxTS_NZOIlg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxTS_NZOIlg)
and the strings in
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD5engyVXe0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD5engyVXe0)

[https://www.planetmellotron.com/revgenesis.htm](https://www.planetmellotron.com/revgenesis.htm)

~~~
tigeba
Another notable example of is the introduction to The Beatles - Strawberry
Fields Forever

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtUH9z_Oey8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtUH9z_Oey8)

Mellotron for use as strings is sort of a staple for Beatles inspired artists,
see many tracks by Elliott Smith on XO and Figure 8 as an example. Also see
Radiohead OK Computer as it is on many tracks.

All the non-linearities with the tape playback gives them a really unusual
quality.

~~~
puzzle
Paul McCartney showed the Mellotron and its original presets at a live concert
at Abbey Road Studios more than a decade ago:
[https://youtu.be/TUcfB5Whp4I](https://youtu.be/TUcfB5Whp4I)

Amusing.

------
rzzzt
If you want to build one, string together a bunch of tape players:
[https://youtu.be/Gx-TE_aapDQ](https://youtu.be/Gx-TE_aapDQ)

~~~
jim-jim-jim
I think Peter Christopherson of Throbbing Gristle/Coil fame built something
similar back in the day.

~~~
rzzzt
Correct. Mike Walters' page also mentions this under the "Update 10-18-05"
section:
[http://www.mysterycircuits.com/melloman/olmelloman.html](http://www.mysterycircuits.com/melloman/olmelloman.html)

------
throwaway8879
I'd love to own one someday. I've been playing a of UVI/Arturia
modelling/sampled stuff and there are fairly decent Mellotron instruments in
there.

~~~
timrichard
Just wanted to mention G-Force M-Tron as well. They've added a number of
libraries uncovered from Chamberlin and Streetly Electronics tapes.

[https://www.gforcesoftware.com/products/m-tron-
pro](https://www.gforcesoftware.com/products/m-tron-pro)

------
mNovak
That's funny, my brother actually restores these, as well as Rhodes,
Wurlitzer, and some of the other vintage electric keyboards. People were very
creative about making electric instruments before digital.

Plug:
[https://www.facebook.com/ElectricPianoCo/](https://www.facebook.com/ElectricPianoCo/)

------
emersonrsantos
Some people say Mellotron's 1963 product was a complete rip-off from Harry
Chamberlin and his instrument (the Chamberlin) created in 1949. The
instruments are identical.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDbNeW9vpBg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDbNeW9vpBg)

~~~
llao
Could you link an non-sexualised clickbait alternative? :\

------
cranjice
Also worth checking out is the crudman
[http://www.crudlabs.org](http://www.crudlabs.org)

Similar to the mellotron it is a synth voiced by tape playback, but
implemented through clever recycling of old voice recorder walkmans.

------
chiph
I believe that Add N to (X) used one in the intro to _Revenge of the Black
Regent_

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO1mLmgDW4A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO1mLmgDW4A)

------
montalbano
I prefer this classic demo from 1965:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdkixaxjZCM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdkixaxjZCM)

------
esdkl22
I was expecting to see this channel's previous upload[0] instead. This other
video shows off what happens inside the mellotron when keys are pressed. It's
pretty neat!

[0]
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsEso9JagdQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsEso9JagdQ)

~~~
leoc
I found this slightly older video a bit better:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByD8gH7kYxs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByD8gH7kYxs)

~~~
Stratoscope
That one is _much_ better! Thanks for recommending it.

