# Talk:Mellotron

It seems that Emerson, Lake & Palmer used an M400 very, very briefly. This source has an extract from a mid-'90s interview for Sound on Sound magazine:

"Contrary to common belief, Keith once owned a Mellotron. But it was never used conventionally. Keith picks up the story... "After we recorded Trilogy (1972), we wanted to perform the album on stage, but Abaddon's Bolero was a hugely complex track with loads of Moog synthesizer overdubs and it was quite impossible to play it live. So we sampled complete phrases off the 16-track onto a Mellotron, which Greg could play using bass pedals. This still wasn't enough, so we also hooked up a Revox tape recorder and arranged the track around that. Unfortunately, the second time we tried it in front of an audience, the Revox ground to a halt and so did Carl, Greg and myself. We ended up having a huge argument backstage, the result of which was that we never attempted the Bolero again. I would have trashed the Mellotron, but I gave it to Greg instead. I've no idea where it is now.""
Probably not sufficiently notable to add? Martinevans123 (talk) 15:10, 1 November 2021 (UTC)

I've known about that source for years, but as you say, I don't think it's significant to add. The only clearly documented evidence of Keith Emerson performing on a Mellotron is the B-Side to "America", "Diamond Hard Blue Apples of the Moon". As you're probably aware, "Notable users" sections of instrument articles have a tendency to attract a bloat, and I'd much rather address Popcornfud's concerns mentioned in the above thread. Ritchie333 (talk) (cont) 15:12, 1 November 2021 (UTC)
Yes, of course very nice. Martinevans123 (talk) 15:17, 1 November 2021 (UTC)
That sounds a heck of a lot better than my worn out and scratched vinyl copy! Ritchie333 (talk) (cont) 15:18, 1 November 2021 (UTC)

I'm not sure it's fair (or even relevant, really) to say that Moraz "popularized" the Orchestron, given that the Orchestron was never popular. And imho Kraftwerk made more notable use of it anyway. 68.100.121.207 (talk) 15:06, 4 May 2023 (UTC)

I reworded this as I agree with your point here. Ritchie333 (talk) (cont) 10:56, 17 November 2023 (UTC)

Some information about the tape used in the instruments would be useful. Is it standard ¼-inch tape, or wider? At what nominal speed was it drawn past the heads? 87.75.117.183 (talk) 03:25, 13 August 2023 (UTC)

It depends on the model. I suspect the reason it's not in the article is simply nobody has found a reliable source for it. Ritchie333 (talk) (cont) 18:37, 15 November 2023 (UTC)

The Mellotron uses the same concept as a sampler, but generates its sound using analogue samples recorded on audio tape rather than digital samples. But tape stores a digital signal. Am I missing something here? Is it a different kind of tape? jp×g🗯️ 18:30, 15 November 2023 (UTC)

I've rewritten this sentence so it's clearer. Essentially, the sound comes from old-school tape, and has nothing to do with sampling (music) that started appearing in the 1980s. Ritchie333 (talk) (cont) 18:36, 15 November 2023 (UTC)
Ah, I see. Thanks for the clarification :) jp×g🗯️ 01:18, 16 November 2023 (UTC)

Is analog tape a lost art now? Cassette tapes are still around, though maybe not so easy to find. Gah4 (talk) 12:24, 17 November 2025 (UTC)