How the Mellotron Works

[Cagey]

I remember seeing the Mellotron listed as an instrument on one of the old Led Zeppelin albums - I think it was "Houses of the Holy" - and always wondered what it was. Figured it was a synth of some sort. Well, watching something else, I think it as the Hurdy Gurdy video linked earlier, I saw this video on what they are and how they work.

[youtube]ByD8gH7kYxs[/youtube]​

Talk about a Rube Goldberg device! I don't know what those things cost originally, but I'll bet it was steep.

 

[mayfly]

wow - I like this girl!  She said "Power Rails"!!

oh and yea the mellotron is pretty whacked out as well.

 

[Cagey]

I lived next door to a girl like her for a few years. Had a master's degree in computer science, loved to program in C/C++ and wasn't afraid of electrical/mechanical stuff. Really could have gotten married again, but she was young enough to be my daughter  :-\

 

[ghotiphry]

Let's not forget the mellotron on Space Oddity, and the intro to Strawberry Fields.  And the Led Zeppelin song is Kashmir.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

If memory serves, it's on a Pink Floyd record or two.

 

[Cagey]

Imagine trying to tour with something like that. From what I saw in the video, it looks like it would fail if you looked at it wrong, or used harsh language in its presence. Put one on a truck from Chicago to Indianapolis, and it's liable to never work again.

 

[Zhaezzy]

Nice vid I was aware it was a tape dri8ven sampler for lack of a better description but I thought it was in loops like an echoplex. I know the keyboard player from Spocks Beard still uses them along with hammond organs although it would be a nightmare to tour with it.

 

[wildbill]

Intriguing device, several available on Reverb in the $5-7K range. Pretty sure I can live without one but they are an engineering head-scratcher.  Very cool.

 

[stratamania]

Looks and sounds like one on here too. Although I think the studio version was multi-tracked recorders.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDkWWq7wFOo[/youtube]

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Great video! I’ll contribute “In Court Of The Crimson King” to the list of favorite examples that is being compiled here...

 

[Sovereign_13]

I think one was also used on Zep's "Rain Song".  While it's not, to my ears, a very "Zeppelin-y" song, I've always really liked it.  Mellotron kicks in about 1:35.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRt4hQs3nH0[/youtube]

Wikipedia confirms this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rain_Song

 

[Cagey]

I suspect that's the one referenced in my original post. It's first time I'd ever heard of the instrument, but only read it in the credits - didn't know where on the album it was used (especially not knowing what the hell it was). I'm sure that's it. You can hear the slight latency in sound, and it sounds kinda like the "strings" sample the girl in the video demonstrated.