78 What is the Mellotron and how does it work? What are related instruments?
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This article is from the Progressive Music FAQ, by Phil Kime(Philip@kime.org.uk) with numerous contributions by others.
78 What is the Mellotron and how does it work? What are related instruments?
From afcpeters@aol.com (Peter Stoller): The Mellotron is a
keyboard instrument in which the sounds are produced by strips of
prerecorded analog tape dragged slowly over playback heads. Think of
it as a mechanical, analog sample-playback device. Tape `patches'
were usually of strings, choirs, flutes and such. The Beatles were
probably the first to use them, but the Mellotron was popularized by
King Crimson, the Moody Blues and Genesis. (Wakeman used them with
Yes, but they were rarely dominant. Emerson never used one.) Songs
such as Crimson's "In the Court of the Crimson King" and Genesis'
"Watcher of the Skies" are good examples of the Mellotron sound.
The Chamberlin was a similar instrument from a different
manufacturer, and Wakeman had someone build him an improved version
of the Mellotron called the Birotron. Patrick Moraz played a Vako
Orchestron, which was the same principal, but using the playback
technology employed in film projectors, rather than tape.
From rogoff@std.teradyne.com (David Rogoff): For each key there is
a 5' length of tape (= 8sec @ 7.5''/sec). One end rests on a capstan
(rotating metal cylinder that runs the width of the whole keyboard.
On each key is a pinch roller. When you press the key down, the tape
is pressed against the capstan and starts moving. This is exactly
the same as in a cassette deck. Also under the tape (again one for
each key) is a tape playback head. So, the tape is pulled across
the head, generating the sound. If you hold the key for more than 8
seconds the sound (and the tape) just stops. When you let go of the
key, a spring pulls the tape back. This takes about a 1/8 second,
so you can't play 64th note trills on the thing. In fact, you never
want to hit the keys: you sort of push them down. The action takes
some getting used to.
Also, Each tape is 3/8" wide made up of 3 1/8" tracks for 3 different
sounds. A big lever moved the whole tape head assembly from side
to side to chose the different sounds. If you have access to a 1/2"
four track reel-to-reel you can make your own tapes pretty easily. It
just takes a long time! I've been describing the Mellotron-400,
the most common and most "portable" model.
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