M-Tron - MkII Piano

The distinctive, if rather unrealistic, MkII Piano. Sounds like the 3 Violins and Flutes banks were groundbreaking for the time--the Piano not so much. It's stuff like this--along with other concerns--that probably doomed the MkII in its intended market, that of the home instrument (competing with combo organs and the like). That's just fine because the Mellotron was popular enough among innovative musicans of the time that it eventually became a fixture of music of its era.

I played this example completely dry, with the Tone wheel set almost fully clockwise (default position in the M-Tron). The first part is some twelve bar blues, followed by some slow arpeggios, and then followed by a quirky little piece that demonstrates both the strangeness and limited scope of this rarely-heard sound.

I'm very interested in feedback, so feel free to make comments/suggestions on these videos!

-Squonk

P.S. Like what you've seen? Come visit me at my NEW WEBSITE!
http://ryderduncan.com

Category:

Music

Tags:

• m-tron
• mtron
• mellotron
• mkII
• piano
• gforce
• vst
• vsti

[Mikemaniax]

Can you play the Firth of Fifth intro with this? How ridiculous would that sound?

[Squonk06]

It would be difficult, on account of the small scope of the Mellotron's 35-note range. It would definitely sound weird, though.

[weaponEX]

i always wondered what a piano would sound like with no attack:release:sustain:decay

it kind of makes you wonder how they got the audacity to dare submit that as a piano!! when sustained notes are played, it sounds realistic, i guess

[Squonk06]

This sort of thing was actually done with a real piano in the 70s. I know for a fact that in the middle of Genesis' "Supper's Ready" there's a passage with piano chords with the attack portion faded in.

[tseekr379]

i particularly enjoyed the slow arpeggios... cool demonstration, I love the M-tron program!

[M400fan]

@Squonk06 Yes - the beginning of How Dare I Be So Beautiful?

[VenVile]

I love this sound!

[spacearbour]

Mellotronaic was absolutely right, it was used in "It would be so nice"!

[Mikemaniax]

It actually gives the piano a more violin-like quality.