Mellotron M4000D Review: Progulator.com

[@richardeaster2785]

Now watching more, I love that fact that it's the actual mellotron sounds, used as the mellotron would do it - amazing bit of kit - but I hope you appreciate the irony of a tape based pre sampler now being sampled.....Ha!

[@Bigbuddyandblue]

A machine invented to attempt to accurately reproduce acoustic instruments by using tape. Had mechanical flaws that could sometimes inadvertently alter the sounds, having fidelity loss and tape hiss. Altered sounds accepted as good enough for the technology of the day. Altered sounds become unique and popular. Technology advances, any sound can be captured digitally with full fidelity and played back on a keyboard, no flaws, no hiss. Further advances, those digitally perfect sounds can be altered as desired, by adding loss of fidelity, pitch flaws and tape hiss. Full circle.

[@JohnnyLen]

Huh

[@imarobot7]

altered sounds... altered sounds... altered sounds...

[@wxyzxdll]

How is it full circle? People are not using these things anymore. The few people who do are obviously into nostalgia, not reliability or control.

[@Bigbuddyandblue]

+Gram Stockley-Nines you got me.

[@rzeka]

It's refreshing to see a comment like this on a site filled with blind hatred and knee-jerk reactions.

[@progmangakid89]

So glad that it finally arrived and that you're enjoying it. The feel of the keys is unbelievable isn't it? Enjoy!

[@Tarkus406]

This guy playing Humanizzimo by Roine Stolt made me irrationally happy. I really want to be able to afford one of these!

[@garthh4719]

Whenever I see a mellotron, the first name that pops into my head is Eddie Rayner. Thanks for the demonstration. It was fun to watch.

[@coatlecue]

Sir, even with camera sound,I liked the sound. it still has the same vibey sound. I hope what I'm seeing is heavy plastic or aluminum. I'm too old to shlep heavy gear. very nice demo. much thanx!!

[@synthpro]

Very Good Demo!!! I have always liked the Mellotron and was very curious about the M4000D, was happy to have found your demonstration. Thanks and take care, Jareth

[@neutralearth1061]

The Mellotron® M4000D is a beautiful instrument! We use one along with an M400 and a couple Mellotron Micro's. We love Mellotron and use them often. (Both the digital and analog versions.)

[@KCGeno]

Nice demo, Matt. Thanks! Love that unique 'Tron sound, and the digital version seems to do a great job of capturing it.

[@stargate1555]

There's a Low High switch. All the demo's I've seen are in High mode. You can get some very rich deep sounds in low mode. Mixing/blending instruments in low mode is very cool too. If you need a "bass" sound, I just play guitar, steel guitar, or harpsichord in low mode. Need a tuba sound? I just play brass in low mode.....etc. You can also use the pitch ± to raise the tone if it's too low or vice versa.

[@U014B]

I find your lack of intro-to-"Watcher of the Skies" disturbing. Also, are the outputs stereo, or do you have to finagle with the panning (if that makes sense)?

[@EricDB007]

Mine should be arriving soon. Thanks for posting this and making the wait that much more agonizing lol :D

[@jcacc777]

What's the name of the setting he says at 5:35 ? Couldn't really hear what he said

[@raphaelGTR]

lol! I know these sounds since 30 years but havn't seen a Mellotron yet. Thanks for this great review!

[@samueladams7]

Always loved the Mellotron! [HINT -- For those looking for a cheap alternative should take a look at the Casio WK-6500 or 7500 keyboards. These have some very similar sounds if you take the time and hunt for them]

[@TheRTM]

Only 100 sounds vey limited capability. $2500-$3000??What is the manufacture smoking?

[@Ajoura]

@PianoMan 2018 M-Tron it still cheaper and has the same functionality.

[@tonalambiguity3345]

You are basically paying for the feel and aesthetics of the original, which could be worth it for certain situations. It would be nice if companies could invest in developing more analog/mechanical sound elements for keyboards rather than just more realistic digital imitations. Like developing more durable and more portable acoustic and electromechanical pianos.

[@Flowmotion1000]

That sound seems to belong to King Crimson and The Moody Blues.I wonder if anyone can think of any other bands that have used one.Oh,Captain Beefheart used one on Doc at the Radar Station too.

[@raymatthews4319]

Yes and Genesis

[@SamT987]

Humanizzimo by the Flower Kings (Roine Stolt) at 4:10. Nice reference!

[@md1476]

you nailed it! glad someone noticed :)

[@matthewdickerson6560]

In the begining of the video, did you play a little bit of the time burton batman score.

[@progulator3207]

haha, nice catch, didn't even remember that being in there until looking for it just now.

So, instead of tape, it's more or less a digital sample playback device? Can you make/upload your own "tapes"?

[@progmangakid89]

the prices on these machines have varied over time, and honestly, they're pretty pricey, but I can say that apart from sounding good the hardware is gorgeous, solid, and ultra high quality with one of the best feeling keyboards I've played. I paid around $2,600 plus shipping. If you want a current price, you should check in with Markus at Mellotron. His email can be found on the Mellotron website.

[@AbbeyRoad52]

The 2 songs I always think of when I hear a mellotron is Court of the Crimson King and Strawberry Fields Forever by the Beatles.

[@willb3698]

Bang on, Mate!

[@briancherry8088]

Watcher of the Skies

[@undergroundjohnny]

Right on!

[@RayyMusik]

Nights in While Satin

[@TheOrganiston9th]

Robbery, Assault & Battery... Heart Of The Sunrise (Yes)... Eruption (Focus)... Plus, American Neo-Prog band Glass Hammer's album "Lex Rex" and other GH... many tracks by English Neo-Prog band IQ. Just so many really great songs!

[@bloggulator]

It sounds very authentic. But - if you hold a key longer than 8 seconds, will it make that characteristic 'dying' sound when the (virtual) tape runs out? Does the pitch go ever so slightly flat when you play a large chord (increased mechanical resistance on the motor), and true to the original (analog) beast, will it detune itself a little when the stage lighting gets the air hot, or an at outdoor show in either hot or cold weather? And last but not least, did they make the chassis from 1/4inch thick steel frame, to capture that solidity and weight that were an essential characteristic of the original, as every road crew member who had to handle one, got to know and love? ;)

[@progulator3207]

Seems like your comment is sort of rhetorical and that its trying to show off what you have and perhaps other people don't. I hope that wasn't your intention, but rather, just a miscommunication. I will say though that some of those things, like the characteristic dying sound at the end of the tape, it does have. At any rate, glad to hear you have an original Mellotron. If you do, that's cool, and obviously there's no perfect replacement for an original, might be nice if there was. That said though, and like I said in the video, for someone who's looking for something in addition to their original tron that is more portable, this is a good option, or for those who simply can't shell out the cash for an analog tron, this is also a good option. In the end, the best thing would be to have both so you can have all the sound, flexibility, and portability that could match up to whatever occasion might come your way.

[@josephchristoffel]

Will you shut up and fuck off?

[@progmangakid89]

very nice! love the shirt and glad to hear you were involved!

[@CAribeamn]

Hello you think there is a lot of difference between the Original 400 or 4000 sound with the Digital for Autenthic Recordings ? Thanks for your answer

[@md1476]

Honestly I don't think you'd hear the difference in a mix, but it depends on what you're comparing it to. The master tapes they were sampled from were only slightly worn, which means that they sound pretty clean. If you're looking for a mellotron sound that is extra warbly and decrepit, you'll need to either use a machine with really worn/destroyed tapes or use samples from a machine with worn tapes. Honestly though, I don't think you could tell the difference in a mix, particularly because over the last 20 years we've heard so many albums that list 'mellotron' but actually used samples but never say so, so the market is now flooded with tons of tron where it's unidentified whether it was a sample or not. This makes it even harder when judging the difference in sounds, so yeah, sorry for the long answer but it sounds great in a mix, bottom line.

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

If I thought it was worth the money necessary to have an instrument which could at least emulate the classic used on so many records by The Moody Blues, Genesis, Yes, King Crimson and of course the Beatles, I would consider having this particular model.

[@nadie8732]

Came here for King Crimson and i got King Crimson. Nice video btw

[@roman2374]

do you know what the differences are bewtween this and the m4000d mini? can't find any information but i can't believe an octave makes up for 1000 dollars more.. thanks

[@brianbixler5665]

Weird and beautiful at the same time...thank you!!

[@rkharper]

Heyhey! very nice Review, I'm also very fond of my Mellotron M4000D. AND I like your shirt! believe me or not, without me, this T-Shirt would'nt exist, because it was me who gave the Design-Job to Maria Picasso from Spain,to draw it back then, when I was with Elu, those where the days, aahhh! :-)

[@synthmalicious7541]

Woah.

[@dayofphoenix]

Thank you for the review. This is a wonderful instrument.

[@mintegral1719]

Ah, the website in your description doesn't work anymore :(

[@progmangakid89]

sorry, the website has been defunct since probably around 2015. I updated the description, thanks for pointing it out

[@mintegral1719]

@@progmangakid89 No worries, it's my fault for watching 10 year old videos and expecting all the links to still work, lol

[@samuraicowboyx]

THE FLUTE!!! STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER!

[@OkayCesarini]

Yes! I knew it!

[@morganfisherart]

Can notes be sustained indefinitely or does this still have the old 7/8-second limit? To me it would be a no-brainer to add this function (obviously some subtle looping would be needed) as an option...

[@progulator3207]

8 second limit. for better or for worse, they tried to incorporate as many limitations as possible to force you to play in the way you would with a real tron.

[@rexhead]

What are you playing @4:40 man?

[@md1476]

Just some random chords, nothing really in mind, the only things that I actually through in real snippets in are In the Court of the Crimson King (KC) and Humanizzimo (Flower Kings).

[@md1476]

basic idea was just to demonstrate the sound.

[@eliaugust]

Thanks for the video! I just picked one up and I cant figure out how to set up different playlists. Any advice?

[@progulator3207]

Email I can reach you at? I have a manual that I can email to you. I don't think that it's available online. You can also request it from the company if you send an email. Is basically a word doc, but it should do the trick. Although, the short answer is to press the "select B" knob until you get to the "entry/playlist" menu. Then from that menu, hold down Select A and and push Select B; this will give you options for your a and B sounds, which you can then set up and then push Select B to save. Once you've done that, then use Select A to scroll to the next entry in the playlist and repeat the process. If you have an older model, you will eventually need to exit back to manual mode, where it will ask you once again to save. Otherwise, when you turn it off, it wont have saved fully. This is not a thing that you have to worry about with the newer models though, such as the and 4000 the many. At any rate, I hope that helps. :)

[@Charlyaraya]

Is this one also digital ? if yes, what is the difference between this and the Mini ?

[@atmospherics4]

Is their a dsp for Reverbs or Delay? and , can you map the AB switch to a control CC# and the expression pedal output? can all of this be saved to the card?

[@goldenstone7094]

Brian Jones of the Stones played a lot of Mellotron in their music from 67-68, too.

[@EricDB007]

This really is a beautiful instrument. Mine finally came today. I honestly wish the keys on my yamaha digital piano were as nice as these ones. The sounds are great of course (especially through a guitar amp with plenty of reverb!) the keys feel amazing and it looks cool as fuck. K I need to get back to playing/oogling.

[@MrOverfloater]

3:50 HAHAHA I just came here from a crimson king song... xP

[@progulator3207]

optimal situation would be to have both; one for playing at home/recording and one for a more portable instrument for live.

[@moegreene6165]

Are the new mellotrons even mellotrons anymore or just lo-fi sampler keyboards with the name "mellotron" branded on them??

[@progulator3207]

just lo-fi sampler keyboards really. wish they could make a compact, affordable tape based machine. that would be optimal.

[@progulator3207]

bands using it really masterfully today would be Wobbler and Anglagard

[@CLaw-tb5gg]

I like the Mellotron but that price for what's effectively a kid's toy keyboard (a relatively small sample bank, no ability to sample and very few other functions) is pure insanity. Plus what on Earth is inside that huge box if it's all digital?

[@WiktorErikAndersson]

100 samples, and you can ad extra sampel card, that huge box contains the keyboard mechanism, the keys are actually made out of wood on the full size ones

[@greenvelvet]

Can you do pitch bend with aftertouch?

[@S2mppa]

Some day I will buy Mellotron... lovely sounds

[@vmipat711]

I wonder how many know you were playing a King Crimson bit?

[@Ct-rq8zy]

Where are the mellotrons made

[@xxSilliestGoose]

Wow, what you played from 3:30-3:41 sounded exactly like the ending of Cirrus Minor by Pink Floyd.

[@rkharper]

thank you! besides that I had the pleasure to share the sate with ELu yesterday, I play with a band called Red SHamrock since 12 years, and just joined a new Band called Crying Thunder, which is more classic rock oriented. thank you.

[@richardeaster2785]

It's the tape wobble isn't it? And your awesome sidies..

[@IdentifiantDeCatacombe]

Where can I get this? I need it!

[@1985cactus]

In the store.

[@IdentifiantDeCatacombe]

This isn't available in any store.

[@andrewzeegers]

What is the price of this machine?

[@progmangakid89]

btw, I enjoyed seeing you on paganfest 2008 back in that period of the band's history. Are you participating in any current music projects?

[@beenthinkinaboutyou]

How did you get the sustain?

[@progulator3207]

It's got a jack where you can hook in a sustain pedal. You can also alter the release time of the note, but I don't really do that, just leave it natural. There's also a jack where you can plug in a sustain pedal that you can use to step through your programmed 'tape changes.' makes good for a live setting where you want to change sounds quickly hands free.

[@Electro4locos]

what amp are you using? Great video!

[@progulator3207]

thanks! for the amp, not using anything fancy, just running it through a Fender Princeton Chorus. I do like the way that fender guitar amps 'squeeze' the sound to make it even a little more lo-fi sounding. If you got a Fender Twin Reverb that'll make it sound really nice.

[@Electro4locos]

Cool, sounds great! I am playing my arp odyssey through my fender Rumble 40 bass amp and it sounds pretty mean! :) I ran my old ms20 through a smaller 20 watt rumble and it sounded crappy. The bigger one has a better EQ too.

[@m.thousands1848]

Choir sound is next level

[@vicshere99]

A cool machine, I'm very envious!

[@geoffk777]

Seriously? A three-octave keyboard on a polyphonic digital machine that costs $3000? M-Tron works fine for me.

[@gareebee]

Sounds like a riff from the motion picture theme "Goldfinger", but also the Harry Potter themes come to mind.

[@chhau123]

how much does it cost?

[@md1476]

It seems like the price is always fluctuating, so I couldn't say at the moment since I bought this a few years ago. I paid 2500. In the end it may seem a bit pricey for a machine that just plays old samples, but the build is super luxury, really amazing and responsive wooden keys. I would say in the end whether its worth it or not depends on if you're a guy who is more into hardware vs software. If you already use tons of software synthesizers and that's something you'[re into it would be more cost effective to go with m-tron pro or something like like. But if you prefer something tangible and find certain limitations to be creatively beneficial then I would definitely recommend this. I'm completely satisfied with it.

[@TheOrganiston9th]

chhau123 I have the 4000D MINI. It was just under $2K. As far as I can tell it's basically the same as the 4000D; it may lack some of the connectivity, not sure what else is different. It feels and sounds like the real deal, very satisfying to play! It has all the familiar Mellotron voices and then some.

[@bmsrv]

A. Horne m

[@EmeraldWoodArchives]

Do you mind me asking how much it cost?

[@progmangakid89]

glad someone picked it up!

[@Czyszy]

4:06 Holy shit! I know this tune! It's Humanizzimo.

[@progulator3207]

Glad you caught it :)

[@benb3316]

A Mellotron makes me thank G-d for modern technology... Having said that, if I ever find a Mellotron in a Garage/Estate sale I'd buy it and spend many hours fixing the electronics. If such a thing happened I'd certainly sell it off - or GIVE it if Rick Wakeman dropped by - but I'd have fun playing it. The Court of the Crimson King sounds alone - even though My Korg has them...

[@progmangakid89]

glad you enjoyed!

[@lordsardonicvids]

For a mono unit this is a pretty capable instrument. I know this one is a few years old now, and I can probably more easily afford a used one. Like Wayne (in Wayne's World) says: "oh yes, it WILL be mine!" LOL, exactly, Wayne!

[@ptrombley444]

lordsardonicvids​ Wow! This is really unique! Ty for sharing!

[@Chaosga]

For the price that they are asking for the Mellotron, $2000, to over $6000, what makes this unit better then let's say getting a Korg Kronos at half the price?

[@progulator3207]

Good question, and the answer really depends on the player. If you love the feel and usability of the Kronos and if you have a large library of Mellotron and chamberlin samples on it, then going the Kronos route might make more sense for you, especially considering the price. Essentially what you get here is a large library of sounds with a Mellotron interface. If you like interacting with a Mellotron interface in terms the controls layout and limitations, then this is probably what you want. The build of it feels great, wooden keys and great depth sensitivity, honestly haven't felt many other keyboards that feel this good. So for me, I like engaging with the limited Mellotron interface and I love the feel of the keys on this thing, plus I like having a dedicated machine for a certain type of use. But for someone else, if your mostly just interested in the sound, there are certainly much cheaper options out there with comparable sounds, I'm sure Kronos would be a great option too. So yeah, lots of great options out there and I hope that helps out.

[@Chaosga]

progmangakid89 Yeah, I think it does...I'm doing a transition in my studio from digital keys to more analogs. I have a Moog and soon purchasing another and I'm also considering a Mellotron. I have a Korg now, and before I drop serious coin on a mellotron, I want to make sure that it's because there is nothing I can get anywhere else except with the Mellotron. If that makes sense. LOL. Chances are I'll still buy it, but in the meantime, if I can get the sound and feel of the mellotron in a digital format at half the price, I think I might go that route. For live gigs though...I think only the Mellotron will do. Choices choices choices, the bane of every musician's existence. Thanks for your input! Any other analog synths you think I should look at, please let me know!

[@progmangakid89]

haha, funny you mention it, I don't remember purposely playing something, but I think it's the theme from Batman by Danny Elfman that came out :)

[@jvig7353]

A-voice choir sound IMMEDIATELY brings to mind, The Beyond soundtrack.

[@progulator3207]

of course. best case scenario would be to own both.

[@timpadrick27]

You left out the most realistic ones - the woodwinds, accordions, and mallet instruments.

[@progulator3207]

haha, yep, it's hilarious and i've thought quite a bit about this. once upon a time you had to pay a lot of money for lo-fi samples. now, you have to pay a lot of money for hi-fi samples of lo-fi samples. It's kind of come full circle. either way, i love it. but, if there's one thing I hope that they can add to this machine in the form of an expansion would be samples of heavily used tapes in addition to the good condition ones they sampled. really old tapes have beauty in and of themselves

[@kiana304]

The Rolling stones used a Mellotron on Stray Cat Blues. Brian Jones played it.

[@Miler97487]

Stupidity Brought Me Here! Also the Stones used Tron on Their Satanic Majesties Request. It's totally plastered on "2,000 Light Years From Home" and tron brass on "She's a Rainbow". Several other songs on that album uses the tron as well but the main one is "2,000 Light Years From Home".

[@markkeen341]

More pressure on the keys - more volume.

[@otto192]

are you playing king crimson?? epitaph isnt it? lol

[@progulator3207]

3:50, in the court of the crimson king ;)

[@otto192]

progmangakid89 right right!! king crimson is a great band..

[@shookstylez]

very good demo. thank you

[@matthieusloutchansky5664]

King Krimson !!

[@hitchhikingacrossthenetwor6447]

Matthieu Sloutchansky Crimson*

[@Nivenization]

Great review.

[@muzboz]

Awesome, excellent video, great product, want one badly. :)

[@Arperture]

$2800 for a digital tape machine? No thanks! I'd stick to VST…

[@johnbrown2273]

2800 dollars for quality

[@Ajoura]

For a bling and a "Mellotron" name on the lid, even worse than Apple.

[@futurebeats898]

not sure but i think vst's dosent sound as good. Even if both are digital

[@Ajoura]

That's just a perception bias. VST's can be tweaked and post-processed, which makes their sound superior both to analog and digital hardware.

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

It’s like getting a certain kind of Gibson guitar that you don’t necessarily need when a somewhat more recent model does the job a whole lot better without having to blow your wallet on it. The extra money is going towards the Heritage, not necessarily the instrument itself.

[@EricDB007]

Oh dude its fucking fabulous :D i got a jp too and it actually fits perfectly right on top

[@osakaben10]

how hard will this hit me in the wallet?(how much does this machine cost?)

[@MrCamelneck]

no choirs?

[@eatshrots]

uh uh uh um um uh uhh umm...uhh

[@luisalejandroacuna9879]

Right. You know, progmangakid, you don't actually need to say "uuh" sixteen times per minute!

[@jjmarz1001]

WHAT!!! WHAT???? No Strawberry Fields???? Blasphemy I tell you...

[@progulator3207]

choirs at 4:43

[@JimBob_Joe77]

Play the Intro to Strawberry Fields Forever!!!

[@fabioj.w.6185]

Total nonsense at that price. And they should do an expander, 37 keys are too few for almost everything.

[@ropermcalister8095]

Fabio M. They are making it as authentic to the original as possible.

[@progrocker9]

Very cool!

[@FloydAtema]

Come on now, looking at mellotron demos and not knowing KC? That just doesn't make sense.

[@НикитаБобров-ю6г]

1:28 took my breath

[@progmangakid89]

you're very welcome :)

[@inthebasement2112]

Amazing sound, but waay pricey :(

[@paulmint1775]

i bet half that white box is empty

[@progmangakid89]

LOL! That's what I'm secretly hoping ;) enjoy!

[@max2950]

JP800 on top of it, when two myth come together ! :)

[@dantemyers1073]

I want one

[@coatlecue]

my what a low-fi clunky unwieldy fake sort of devose. oh lord how i would love to own one. such an organic classic toy.