HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

_D_S_J_R_ wrote:You forget Keith Emerson, who violently abused his organ (:lol:) with knives and all sorts. Didn't Hammond stop servicing it or threaten to do so after he kept returning it regularly after tours (and after they'd seen what he did to it when performing)?

No worries Goff Proffesional {Al Goff}

Sorry to dig up these old threads but i would give my soul for a Mellotron. A 'M300' would do but i would really prefer the 'M400'.

It is just loads of tape loops with tape heads fixed to wooden keys that pushed the head onto the tape. Then you have to have a microswitch to turn the tape loop on when you press the key - incredibly simple, I met the guys in Brum who made them in the late 70's.

Dr Bunsen Honeydew wrote: ↑Tue May 01, 2018 8:50 pm It is just loads of tape loops with tape heads fixed to wooden keys that pushed the head onto the tape. Then you have to have a microswitch to turn the tape loop on when you press the key - incredibly simple, I met the guys in Brum who made them in the late 70's.

Are you sure its a loop? I thought you only got a max 8 seconds of sound.

It is tape loops in a rack as they sold them for different noises. You swopped racks in and out for different sounds and themes. Male choir was the most popular, very distorted, definitely not hi-fi, just a noise. The major problem was tape wobble, pitch was never accurate, but that was part of the sound. If I remember right the loop is continuous I don't remember it stopping but memory goes with time, it may have had a stop point on the loop.

Perhaps if the storage bin (item 7 in the picture below) featured a vacuum box it may have been more accurate & reliable..?

We used to make micrographics cards using 35mm Kodak film, the 3M AMR machine utilised a vacuum box to help control the film feed. Each machine turned out 256 cards per minute with highly accurate film chip placement.

Alfi.

The wobble was the signature to the instrument, you didn't want to lost it. You didn't want a real male choir, lots of records to hear what I mean.

This thing was really basic.

http://www.vemia.co.uk/mellotron/

I know how the work ive been obsessed with them for years. Every Early prog band worth their salt has used a Mellotron.The tape with automatically wind itself back after around 8 seconds of holding the key down.

Not that it matters, but I thouight this is how the tape was handled.

You have to apply quite a bit of pressure to the key which presses the tape onto the head, This is why its not like playing a conventional Keyboard.