Mellotron Micro Digital Synthesizer

Product Information

The Mellotron Micro is the smallest version available of the Digital Mellotron, and includes many of the features of the full-size version. One hundred 24-bit uncompressed sounds are immediately accessible, sourced from original first-generation Mellotron and Chamberlin tape libraries. The 100 sounds are the sounds on the built-in Sound Card 01 of the Micro and M4000D series of instruments. An octave selector switch provides access across the same range as the larger M4000Ds from Micro’s two-octave keyboard. The semi-weighted keys and MIDI connections also allow the Mellotron Micro to be used as a high-quality controller in your studio or on the road. Additional controls include octave selector, volume, tone, normal/half-speed play and pitch adjustment. FEATURES:

The original Mellotron evolved from a similar style of instrument, the Chamberlin, but could be mass-produced more efficiently, making it have way more of an impact on the market. The keyboard uses actual reels of tape within the unit to trigger a sampled sound. Invented in the 1960s in England, it gained popularity with bands like The Beatles, King Crimson, and Genesis.First, on some of the digital ones, the keys, feel, & size/format is perfect for people used to the real deal. That is pretty important for those who are really into Mellotron. Nothing gives the digital away more than people playing too far up or down the range, for one example.

given the prices they ask for these glorified romplers, my complaint about both hardware solutions is,, why on earth didnt they allow us to load our own multisamples inside. edit via some sort of keygroup editor. i was thinking it be nice to multisample something else thru my revox a77, and uphold to the same 8 sec standard, assign this ti a keygroup and voila, you get your custom tape frame for mellotron. Manual shows one patch per screen, as it will also tell you which library the source is being pulled from, as well as offering a meter that shows the amount of blend you have between the A and B sound bank. This mode was fun to use when creating patches on the fly, since I didn’t know what was coming up next, I was just scrolling through until I found something that caught my ear. Famous songs featuring Mellotrons include “Strawberry Fields Forever,”“Kashmir,”and “Paranoid Android.” I'm assuming that you can set all of that in the preset choices and store them, but since there is no manual online, I thought I'd just bombard you with questions for now. The Micro features 2 soundbanks; A & B, which can be simultaneously accessible and blended together to create a mix of the two different sounds. Instantly choose between 100 classic Mellotron and Chamberlin sounds that have been sourced from the original master tape libraries at 24-bit to provide a range of sounds to play. The numerous amount of sounds make the Micro a versatile keyboard for a range of genres and provides the classic, old school sounds including choir, strings, brass and more.The Mellotron Micro is the smallest version available of the Digital Mellotron, and includes many of the features of the full-size version. One hundred 24-bit uncompressed sounds are immediately accessible, sourced from original first-generation Mellotron and Chamberlin tape libraries. The 100 sounds are the sounds on the built-in Sound Card 01 of the Micro and M4000D series of instruments. An octave selector switch provides access across the same range as the larger M4000Ds from Micro’s two-octave keyboard. The semi-weighted keys and MIDI connections also allow the Mellotron Micro to be used as a high-quality controller in your studio or on the road. Additional controls include octave selector, volume, tone, normal/half-speed play and pitch adjustment. The Mellotron is, in fact, an electronic keyboard, but unlike a traditional synthesizer, the sound is generated from the 35 individual tapes containing different sounds. This allows them to emulate completely different instruments like modern-day sampling devices. Three gold plated balanced XLR outputs, all other connectors are gold plated for maximum reliablilty It has our very advanced and in-house developed streaming technology for uncompressed 24 bit audio reproduction

Our very advanced and in-house developed streaming technology for uncompressed 24 bit audio reproduction this experience left me undecided. i do like the looks, the build, the displays and all. unfortunately never had a chance to play a memotron to compare. i dont like that its unnecessary wide with that extention right from the keyboard. when you carry stuff arround, every inch counts. at least,, that's what she said. The sounds are taken from the original first-generation tape library giving the same sound quality as the original Mellotrons made in the 60s and 70s so, ill add here that listening to both models on youtube now, the memo samples seem vibey but its very dark. like there is a lowpass filter on all sounds. it is great that its samples at the output of a mellotron, but that of course depends a lot on what kind of mellotron unit it was, and what sort of audio path conversion was used. The Mellotron is a polyphonic sampling keyboard developed as an improvement on the Chamberlin, known for its unique sound created by analog imperfections.

Rating

The master output is mono, only using a single 1/4” instrument cable. At first, I was a little bummed that it didn’t offer a stereo output for some of the more complex sounds, but once I heard the Mellotron Micro through a nice set of monitors, I realized there was no need for a stereo output. I recently got to play with one of my new favorite toys, the Mellotron Micro. I’ve always been a huge fan of the way a Mellotron sounds, as they are truly the key to capturing the audio mood of melancholiness. Made famous by The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields” and The Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin”, the Mellotron sound has been a favorite of many professional keyboardists since the early 1960s. Thanks again for all the information and opinions you were able to share about these wonderful machines, Mr. JLR! The sale included the micro and the power supply only. Needless to say, I was surprised to find out the box is a simple brown box with some styrofoam Keys are not aftertouch-sensitive. Still could be considered pricey. Modified foot controllers required for some control features.

While the list is exhaustive, and there are many notable uses of the instrument throughout musical history, Mellotrons have also made their way into the sounds of current artists such as the Foo Fighters, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, the Smashing Pumpkins, Wilco, and Air, to name a few. The Software Evolution Of MellotronsThere were many takers for this new and unique sound. Apart from musicians such as The Beatles, who used it on “ Strawberry Fields Forever.” Bands like King Crimson and Genesis also used the Mellotron often, while the instrument was also enjoyed by personalities such as Princess Margaret, David Nixon, and Eric Robinson. The Mellotron M4000D Micro is a compact, lightweight, portable two-octave synthesizer keyboard that is ideal for on the road and in the studio. Mellotron M4000D Micro features A & B soundbanks with 100 instantly accessible Mellotron and Chamberlin sounds gathered from the original master tapes, with mix control to blend them together. Its semi-weighted velocity sensitive keys provide easy playability. Additionally, the Mellotron Micro features controls for octave switching, tone, volume, and pitch adjustment providing a versatile mini keyboard. The M4000D micro is the ideal solution for the on-the-move musician and producer featuring MIDI connections, additional headphone input, and a super compact design allowing it to be easily portable. Take the classic sounds of the Mellotron and Chamberlin anywhere you go. Mellotron and Chamberlin sounds built-in (captured from original master tapes with no data compression)