Mellotron 4000D Mini & Rack

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https://www.mellotron.com/digital-mini-mellotron.html


THE M4000D MINI DIGITAL MELLOTRON

The M4000D MINI Mellotron was developed to meet the needs of keyboardists who want an even smaller and lighter Digital Mellotron. The MINI is also designed to fit perfectly on top of the regular M4000D to make a great looking dual manual Mellotron.

Please write to markus@mellotron.com for pricing info of the M4000D Mini Digital Mellotron.


Here is some brief info about the M4000D MINI:

Same features, sounds and front panel as the M4000D.
Only differences compared to the M4000D:
High-quality semi-weighted Fatar piano style keyboard with velocity sensitivity. No aftertouch.
Lightweight sheet metal cabinet, fits perfectly on the M4000D, total weight only 21 pounds (9.5 kg).
Same output signals as the M4000D, but only unbalanced 1/4" connectors.
The weight is 9.5 kg instead of 17.5 kg for the regular M4000D.
Dimensions: 807x329x76 mm

Many thanks to my customers for all the kind words and feedback!!


Digital Mellotron   
M4000D Mini Digital Mellotron

Here are some pictures of the digital Mellotron with its user interface and back view of the cabinet.




100 original Mellotron and Chamberlin lead sounds included, with IMMEDIATE access
Expansion slot gives you 100 extra sounds on special compact flash cards, all from the original archives.
Two high-quality TFT displays and a backlit laser cut front panel.
Our very advanced and in-house developed streaming technology for uncompressed 24 bit audio reproduction.
Three gold plated balanced XLR outputs, all other connectors are gold plated for maximum reliablilty.
Dimensions: 480x140x90 mm, weight 1.7 kg.

Please write to markus@mellotron.com for pricing info.
https://www.mellotron.com/m4000d-rack.html



mooncaine

That clip was a lot of fun. I watched it a dozen times. Hilarious.

arkieboy

Main rig: Barden Hexacaster and Brian Moore i2.13 controllers
Boss SY1000/Boss GKC-AD/Boss GM-800/Laney LFR112

Other relevant gear: Line 6 Helix LT, Roland GR-33, Axon AX100 MkII
Oberheim Matrix 6R, Supernova IIR, EMu E5000, Apple Mainstage, Apple Logic, MOTU M4


jim-analog



Greetings,

One of the studios I take care of has the keyboard version shown above (4000D). I really liked it a lot! Sounds very good, keys feel great to play, easy to use, no real downsides. Having also worked with (maintained) the old tape based units, there is no way I'd want to go back to them. Any of the digital 'Trons is likely as good as the tape rack set(s) that was used to make its library (and of course the quality of the transfers).

Regards, Jim
 

billbax

#6
King Crimson without question were number one with a Mellotron, and it didn't sound stupid 60's dinky! Best Track, 'Devils Triangle' prog heaven!

https://youtu.be/J1JjOpXsJ7A?list=RDJ1JjOpXsJ7A

aliensporebomb

And Anglagard, the band that toured with three mellotrons in the 1990s timeframe in sweden.

My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

arkieboy

#8
Quote from: billbax on February 03, 2020, 11:57:11 AM
King Crimson without question were number one with a Mellotron



Mike Pinder: hold my beer!


Honestly the Moody Blues were the real Mellotron band by any and all measures.  I can't remember if he futzed with his tape banks, or deliberately underpowered the motors, but Pinder slowed all his tape transport down  - the analogue equivalent of detuning all your samples so the formant shifting made it sound synthetic, strange and ethereal; his work with the pitch bend knob further took the sounds away from the source samples; he loaded a double manual Melo with the same tape banks under each keyboard so he could switch from one to another to get infinite sustain; he bought in Chamberlain units from the US and used those for their unique sounds.  All helped by the fact that Pinder was an engineer at Streetly Electronics repairing Mellotrons before joining the Moody Blues.


Pretty much all of the big prog bands had their tron moments: Genesis with 'Watcher of the Skies', Yes with 'Heart of the Sunrise', as did KC.  But everything Pinder did was a masterclass: listen to the orchestration behind the verses of 'Question' and how that builds behind Hayward's developing narrative; or 'Legend of a Mind' with its sea-sick, plate reverb drenched octaves as perfect counterpoint to Thomas' flute.
Main rig: Barden Hexacaster and Brian Moore i2.13 controllers
Boss SY1000/Boss GKC-AD/Boss GM-800/Laney LFR112

Other relevant gear: Line 6 Helix LT, Roland GR-33, Axon AX100 MkII
Oberheim Matrix 6R, Supernova IIR, EMu E5000, Apple Mainstage, Apple Logic, MOTU M4

admin

#9
Quote from: arkieboy on February 03, 2020, 12:49:39 PM




Mike Pinder: hold my beer!


Honestly the Moody Blues were the real Mellotron band by any and all measures.  I can't remember if he futzed with his tape banks, or deliberately underpowered the motors, but Pinder slowed all his tape transport down  - the analogue equivalent of detuning all your samples so the formant shifting made it sound synthetic, strange and ethereal; his work with the pitch bend knob further took the sounds away from the source samples; he loaded a double manual Melo with the same tape banks under each keyboard so he could switch from one to another to get infinite sustain; he bought in Chamberlain units from the US and used those for their unique sounds.  All helped by the fact that Pinder was an engineer at Streetly Electronics repairing Mellotrons before joining the Moody Blues.


Pretty much all of the big prog bands had their tron moments: Genesis with 'Watcher of the Skies', Yes with 'Heart of the Sunrise', as did KC.  But everything Pinder did was a masterclass: listen to the orchestration behind the verses of 'Question' and how that builds behind Hayward's developing narrative; or his own 'Legend of a Mind' with its sea-sick, plate reverb drenched octaves as perfect counterpoint to Thomas' flute.
http://egrefin.free.fr/eng/mellotron/melhist.php
https://www.beatlesstory.com/blog/2016/07/31/memorabilia-the-mellotron-mk11/




My 1st Mellotron exposure - summer 1966 - Beatles UK Revolver LP
QuoteRodriguez describes Lennon's "Tomorrow Never Knows" as "the greatest leap into the future" of the Beatles' recording career up to this point.[5] The recording includes reverse guitar, processed vocals, and looped tape effects, accompanying a strongly syncopated, repetitive drum-beat. Lennon adapted the lyrics from Timothy Leary's book The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which equates the realisations brought about through LSD with the spiritually enlightened state achieved through meditation.[246] Originally recorded as "Mark I", the eventual title came via a Ringo Starr malapropism.[247]


Sample from "Tomorrow Never Knows"
MENU0:00
According to author Colin Larkin, Lennon's drug-inspired song "has been described as the most effective evocation of a LSD experience ever recorded".[248]
Problems playing this file? See media help.
Lennon intended the track as an evocation of a Tibetan Buddhist ceremony.[249] The song's harmonic structure is derived from Indian music and is based on a high-volume C drone played by Harrison on a tambura.[175] Over the foundation of tambura, bass and drums, the five tape loops comprise various manipulated sounds:[250] two separate sitar passages, played backwards and sped up; an orchestra sounding a B♭ chord; McCartney's laughter, sped up to resemble a seagull's cry; and a Mellotron played on either its flute, string or brass setting.





Summer 1967



November 1967






jimmyj

 I owned a Mellotron in 1972. Had to go through a lot of grief to get it imported to the US. I purchased it from England, I believe from Dallas Arbiter. I always wondered if it was one of the first to make it to the US. I ran it through one of the old grey Echoplexes and it sounded great but the only problem was that you could by playing on stage and the motor would decide to slow down and it would be out of tune. It's a good thing I had really good pitch back then because I would instantly turn the tuning knob to bring it back in tune in real time. Now I just midi my guitar into Mtron Pro and it sounds really close if you add a good reverb such as Eventides Black Hole.

aliensporebomb

First Mellotron in the US was owned by Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick because his parents owned a large music store in Rockford Illinois and he would order the good stuff since he had a good idea then and now of what was the good stuff.  I'm told he still owns it.
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

admin

#12
Quote from: aliensporebomb on February 03, 2020, 06:43:49 PM
First Mellotron in the US was owned by Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick because his parents owned a large music store in Rockford Illinois and he would order the good stuff since he had a good idea then and now of what was the good stuff.  I'm told he still owns it.

And in 1973 , My band based at Northern Illinois Universty in DeKalb played gigs in Rockford, and would frequent Ralph Nielsons Music Store in RockFord, Ill

and 1st time i met Rick, he had a suit on and tried to sell our band a Mellotron 


We once stayed here  - in better days