Mellotron M4000D, Mini & Micro product review - Markus Resch

[@wajobu]

As much as I'd like an original tape M400, I'm very thankful that Markus developed the Micro for those of us in the cheap seats--it's a real gift.

[@InTheMixReviews]

It is a real gift indeed! Most average musicians wouldn't be able to maintain the original tape machine anyway.

[@mellotrongurl8275]

You got it wajobu! Marcus indeed created a gift for all of us to enjoy. Still saving for my m4000D Mini but it will be so worth the wait! Till then, I'll continue playing my Redtron VST's. But to get that "feel" and have those nobs is gonna be a dream come true! :) What model did you end up going with?

[@wajobu]

I got the Micro, and the 2 octave keyboard is not at all limiting. Have a listen! kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKe9nol_mrOSa8k

[@neutralearth1061]

The M400 Mellotron is a magnificent beast, we have one as well as 3 digital Mellotrons. We love them all.

[@mrautomatech2329]

@@mellotrongurl8275 Did you ever end up getting your Mellotron Mini? If so, just wondering how you’re vibing with it?

[@billmay7364]

Growing up in the late Sixties early Seventies the Mellotron Were used in the Bands that I love. From THE BEATLES to MOODY BLUES ( Early ) to YES GENESIS And KING CRIMSON . Those Mysterious Sounds to the music and those great album covers . Great Time in Music History. To me it was the best.

[@smh339]

Marcus you are awesome! Wow where would we be without you, this great instrument would have been lost forever. I really like the 4000 mini what a great upgrade without the tape problems. Great job! Lisa Bella Donna is Mellotron Queen.

[@InTheMixReviews]

I had no idea how popular these instruments would be!

[@KippinCollars]

Doesn't start talking about the new ones until 42:27

[@synkuk]

Thanks for the heads up as already know all that 42 min roll in ... vid ttile was rather missleading ;) ... but possibly the dullest review I've ever watched :|

[@subs4794]

Thank you. This needs to be top comment and mentioned in the description.

[@greenvelvet]

So the aftertouch only affects volume? Like you can't make it pitch bend and give it like a tape effect?

[@troublesomecorsair]

53:13 Markus shows off a few of the Sound Card 02 expansion sounds. Under "M400 Lead Sounds" you'll find "Voice Hackett" which can be heard of Steve's second album Please Don't Touch, 9th Track (Voice of Necam). I find it extremely cool this sound is included.

[@troublesomecorsair]

There is also "Choir Sabbath" which Markus demos a minute afterwards which is very close to the opening of The Great Nothing, the last track on the "V" album from Spock's Beard, who use Mellotron sounds regularly.

[@InTheMixReviews]

Wow you must be a huge Mellotron fan! I didn't get a chance to play them myself, but yeah they do sound as authentic as you can get for sure. Which model do you own?

[@troublesomecorsair]

I'm a fan of the music from the early 1970s. I like knowing each band member and what instruments they play. I like the limitations. I wonder if there was an orchestra to accompany every band, would the mellotron been invented? Ridiculous question but with such limitations, a keyboardist, in addition to being outrageously talented like Kerry Minnear, Tony Banks and Rick Wakeman, also had to have a little bit of the "mad scientist" in there. How about Nick Magnus in the early Steve Hackett live shows? Incredible! When I told my dad how a mellotron works, he was flabbergasted. He would never have guessed it. I've never played a real mellotron but I have an M4000D. As a matter of fact, I just posted a video going over the polyphonic aftertouch feature. Cheers!

[@InTheMixReviews]

That's awesome. Yes, I saw the video! You should totally do a separate video and feature the sounds. It'll be great!

[@mellotrongurl8275]

Wow guys, that Black Sabbath Choir is AWESOME! I'd love to get my fingers on that sound and use it on some recordings! I just love what Marcus has done for musicians like myself, giving us an opportunity to play these legendary sounds that have changed my life and others. Still saving up for that beautiful m4000D Mini but it will be worth the wait! For now, I'm still using VST's.

[@philippezsiga1125]

Aside the beautiful keyboard what s the difference with all Mellotron samples ? Especially those from E-mu or G-Force who teamed with Streetly Electronics who was making Mellotron in the 70s and has all original rapes….

[@InTheMixReviews]

I don't own any of these keyboards, but it would probably be the same idea as getting various instruments sampled by different producers. There are so many Steinway Piano sample libraries, right? Some are far better than the other. Since this is a more recent development. Maybe they had access to better sampling/recording devices as oppose to older sampling or remodeling attempts. I'm just guessing here. Hopefully someone from the Mellotron community will pitch in.

[@hamstring6792]

The difference is, the M4000D uses modified samples from the output of a tape recorder and all the others use raw samples from the outputs of Mellotrons. It doesn't matter what's on the tape. What's important is the source of the samples. The Mellotron's electronics are what gives it "that sound". You mentioned Streetly Electronics. They developed the Mellotron and still build them. The samples they provided to GForce Software for M-Tron Pro are from the output of their pristine test Mellotron, the Skellotron. GForce's new product, M-Tron MkII, uses samples (also provided by Streetly) that have passed through the electronics of a MkII Mellotron.

[@InTheMixReviews]

Thanks a lot!

[@chrisdale3087]

@@hamstring6792 No, it does matter what's on the tape. There are different EQ's on different tapes and the chemistry that goes into making the tape (EMI, BASF, Agfa, Scotch are all different) determines how well it plays in the machine when temperature and humidity changes. I know this because I used to own 6 Mellotrons (now down to three) and have been working with real Mellotrons, Chamberlins (and all the other related instruments) in studios and on stages for over 20 years.

[@markkeen341]

Does NORD have a license for the Mellotron sounds? Or are they sampling a Mellotron instrument themselves?

[@InTheMixReviews]

Only Nord would probably know that.

[@JohnLRice]

I believe that is true to an extent. They got some sounds from Mellotron.com but they don't have them all, less than 70, I think? I read this info from somewhere that i can't remember at the moment but here is their site, which doesn't mention the source but they mention "original master tapes" which as far as I know only Mellotron.com has: www.nordkeyboards.com/sound-libraries/nord-sample-library-archive/mellotron/mellotron-master-tapes

[@joseph395]

Is their any differences on the mini that is or isn’t included on the regular m4000d besides aftertouch and the wooden keyboard? The mini looks alot more modern/newer so I was just curious if their was any added extra or newer features

[@mscformeditation]

Why the Beatles used a Mellotron instead of an orchestra? Well because it was fun, easy to play the Mellotron in the studio instead of having an army of musicians coming...and furthermost, a trippy instrument to play...

[@InTheMixReviews]

In their later recordings they could've easily afforded a 120 piece orchestra, but yeah it was just a super cool instrument.

[@chrisdale3087]

It gave them more direct control over the orchestral sounds. John Lennon was the first to buy one on August 12, 1965.

[@tjs6025]

I really wish he would release new soundbanks for the micro. Why does it have an SD card on it? I know someone said for future updates but isn’t that what midi is for? Why would you put an SD card on it just for updates?

[@InTheMixReviews]

I'm not sure, but maybe it is for possible future sound banks?

[@InTheMixReviews]

Edit: Just read the specs. You're right. Those expansion banks can NOT be used with the Micro.

[@tjs6025]

Exactly. So why put an SD card on it? I really hope these rethink this and make expansions.

[@InTheMixReviews]

With that SD card available, I guess he has the option to make this happen one day....hopefully. How do you feel about the 2 octave keybed though?

[@sodiumlights]

even if it could it accept one, could you afford the insane asking price of them?

[@giulianopedrani9062]

About the micro: connecting one external midi controller could it be possible to extend the range to 3 octaves?

[@InTheMixReviews]

I don't own one, so hopefully a Micro user could confirm this. A logical assumption would be....if sounds/samples actually cover that range, then the rest should be just a matter of connecting a midi controller to Micro.

[@joshgrondin3675]

yeah, this is correct, you have access to the whole range of the samples from whatever midi controller you use. The octave switch is only applied to the keyboard of the micro and doesn't affect the midi input's relationship with the samples. There is also a half speed and quarter speed function in the menu, which are super fun to play with. Can get some very trippy, doomy sounds.

[@DanielStawczyk]

that noise in the back is it the breakfast scorching ar the rain?

[@InTheMixReviews]

Yes!

[@JohnLRice]

Good presentation. :-)

[@greenvelvet]

$500 for a soundcard is ridiculous

[@stargate1555]

Hey Marcus, when will you come out with an 88 key Mellotron? The Mellotron micro only has two octaves. The M4000D and M4000D mini only has 37 keys. In as much as we have become adept playing reverse chords with the limited number of keys and octaves on the M4000D...........now jump on the grenade and punch out a fully functional Mellotron. You have the digital technology so why not? I would.

[@billeberline9744]

Great Video!! Bill Eberline former Owner & President of Mellotrin USA.

[@alaincelos476]

This is not by putting " mellotron" or " Chamberlin" on an Electronic Key that it will definitively sounds liké a mellotron ,mine, WE need to bé 2 to move it and it weighted 180Kg ,but it had 2 keys of 18 sounds ,leads ,Mr Bradley called it a MK2! Oops it had things called TAPES inside ,no electronics shits !!!

[@neutralearth1061]

We love Mellotrons as much as Markus (okay, maybe not enough to buy the original Mellotron (Novatron) company assets, but close.) We use an M400, an M4000D, 2 Mellotron Micro's as well as any iPad/iPhone App we can find.

[@InTheMixReviews]

Nice! Do you belong to a Mellotron based club?

[@neutralearth1061]

@@InTheMixReviews (Craig P. Smith speaking) I did start a Mellotron Owners Group on facebook, does that count? The Mellotron M400 was my first musical instrument that worked. My friends in high school were musicians and I wanted to join them, so first I bought recording equipment then a PAiA modular synth kit that didn't work. One of my friends told me about a Mellotron for sale. I had no clue what one was or how to play, all I knew was all my favorite bands, Tangerine Dream, King Crimson, Genesis used one, so I bought it!

[@InTheMixReviews]

@@neutralearth1061 Of course it does. That's very interesting. I've met a lot of people who picked up the piano or guitar because of their favorite artist, but never a Mellotron as a source of inspiration! That's awesome.

[@AndyKing1963]

Tangerine Dream ended up with 50-60 tape frames

[@chrisdale3087]

And two Birotrons. I've got one of their tape frames here.

[@MarkoDeLaVoota]

want one....grrr

[@JohnLRice]

👋😎

[@kafkawilde4604]

Is someone frying sausages?

[@scrimblenib]

Play the Damm thing man ...

[@SjoerdDekker]

Bla bla buy bla bla bla buy bla bla buy bla bla etc

[@WiktorErikAndersson]

Bara en svensk kan göra en sån här bra presentation!

[@anthonytrivisonnojr]

28:05 cough

[@InTheMixReviews]

Deep observations. :)

[@froggygrumpy2958]

Ben le prix lui reste maxi ... Qu'elle honte ... Faut juste plient au as pour acheter ça, ils n' ont honte de rien .... Mais c 'est vrai que pour çà il faut dormir dans des draps en satin blanc 🤐

[@davidcarlin3850]

It’s just a sampler of the tapes. There is no real technology hete

[@chrisdale3087]

No the tape playback technology is part of the sound. I guess you've never played the real thing.

[@flattardianspresident5502]

way overpriced.. get a midi keyboard and a vst.. wtf..

[@chrisdale3087]

Not the same at all. These are better because they're dedicated to the faithfulness of the instrument (which you've obviously never played or you wouldn't say what you're saying in ignorance).

[@kaybhee6]

waste of time