NAMM 2009 - Mellotron Mark VI at Big City Music booth

[LetsLeaveTown]

marilyn manson

[The2010SnowDay]

With the new MK VII, is that just 2 MK VIs put together? or is it a new version of the MK II?

[M400fan]

Wudsiba, it sounds very like the intro to Zep's All My Love from In Through the Out Door.

[ontherush77]

When will one of these motherfuckers be available

[bigcitymusic]

@ontherush77 Mellotrons like this are available at our store in Los Angeles. They look and sound like the old ones (when they were on their very best behavior), but they are brand new and without the flaws of the original version.

[ontherush77]

@bigcitymusic Wow sounds great how much do they cost?

[ontherush77]

@bigcitymusic wow how much do they cost?

[bigcitymusic]

@ontherush77 They are $6800 which is less expensive than in the old days if you take inflation into account.

[OrganCat]

Have they done anything new to make it more reliable and predictable? Are the tape drives different?

[atticthoughts]

@OrganCat It has got a new type of engine that makes it more stable, the capstans are of a better sort and it's more easy to change tapes.

[OrganCat]

I'd think at this point they could make a Mellotron clone that was high-quality digital but with a circuit to restore analog warmth.

Another idea: make a Mellotron model using real tapes, but with much better quality orchestral recordings - that should blow EVERYTHING away!

[Trondoc]

Streetly has some very good new tapes that sound great. New Cellos (several), Violins, Violas, Brass, Woodwinds, ect.

[Trondoc]

Tape changing is the same as it always was. There are new motors available and all Mellotrons can be upgraded. Stability comes from the SMS series of servo motor control cards. All of them are good.

[atticthoughts]

@Trondoc Ok, then I've missunderstood about the tape changing. Anyways, great that even the old ones can get saved for future use.

[wudsiba]

What song is that that starts about 49 seconds in?

[Trondoc]

Mellotrons are not complicated.

[OrganCat]

I agree, but they're a grouping of so many simple machines that the odds of a breakdown eventually emerge. If you had dozens of tape decks that you kept moving around on the road, how long before one of them would screw up?

[Trondoc]

Once again this is incorrect. One motor, one capstan, 35 tapes. Good pinch rollers and a properly adjusted keyboard complete the equation for reliability. It was the CMC-10 and poor maintainence that helped the Mellotron earn the reputation for unreliablility. Today, these machines can be made ulra-reliable. When they come out of my shop they play great, sound great and stay in pitch.

[OrganCat]

I stand corrected.

It's good to know that the magic can be had, minus the aggravation.

[Trondoc]

Check out my Mellotron Restoration video. It shows what a proper Original Mellotron can be. All the sountrack music is played entirely on a M-400. (multitracked) Please leave a comment.

[gareebee]

Had an M400 in 1975. Loved the sound. hated the quirky nature of the thing. Got myself "Mike Pinder Presents Mellotron" sample CD and Korg TR with sampler installed. I'm in heaven! It comes very close, but I guess digital sampling just can't quite capture the rich and complex sound palette of the 'tron.

[JaronEldon]

Out of all the stuff I saw at NAMM, this was my favourite. Nothing even compares. I kept visiting the Big City Music booth because it felt like home. And I got to play a real Mellotron! I'll never forget what it felt like to have the tapes running under my fingers. Hee.

[CadillacL]

Listen to that BEAUTIFUL sound. There's not a keyboard today that can produce the warm sound or recreate the instruments that the Mellotron can.

[OmenieSoftware]

Sounds gorgeous.

[chaffel3]

does it count as analog, I mean, it uses magnetic tape right?

[bigcitymusic]

Yes, a real Mellotron like this is 100% analog. The magnetic tapes store analog recordings. There is nothing digital about it.

[chaffel3]

I guess that is the definition, thanks for the insight

[1995RangeRover]

Love that Mellotron. Very complicated piece of historical equipment.