Mellotron M 400 S Electro-mechanical Instrument
MellotronM400SElectro-mechanicalInstrument
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Mellotron M 400 S Electro-mechanical Instrument
The instrument
The M 400 came onto the market in 1970 as the smallest Mellotron with just one manual of 35 keys. The predecessor models were the two-manual Mellotron Mark I from 1963, the slightly modified Mark II from 1964 and the M 300 from 1968 with 52 keys. They are based on the mechanism of the Rhythmate by Harry Chamberlin, who developed the idea of sound generation using tapes in the early 1950s. The sounds of the Mellotron are recorded on magnetic tapes. The tapes supplied by the manufacturer were recorded with samples based on violin, flute, wind and string instruments and choir, but you can also use your own sound recordings. The Mellotron was often used for film soundtracks, as it can be used to create complex soundscapes. It was also used by musicians, such as the Mark I by the Beatles in the song Strawberry Fields Forever from 1966. The small M 400 is suitable for use on music stages and was used by Genesis and Yes, among others, in the 1970s. Small series were produced, 50 units of Mark I, 300 of Mark II, 50 of M 300, 1800 of M 400, which was also marketed under the name Novatron.
Details
The Mellotron is an electromechanical keyboard instrument that was developed as an early form of analogue sampler. It works with 3/8 inch wide magnetic tapes with three tracks on which the sounds of musical instruments are stored. Each key is assigned a tape strip, which is played via a sound head when the key is pressed. When the key is released, the tape quickly returns to its original position via a spring. There are three sound tracks next to each other on each tape, which can be selected while playing by moving the sound head. New sounds have been recorded for the M400 including the famous choirs (8 voices). The iconic sound of the Mellotron, the 3 violins in unison (3 violins), was taken from the Mark II sound bank but equalised differently. The M400 was supplied with a volume pedal.