Melloman: the DIY Walkman cassette Mellotron
By Ryan Block 
posted October 17th 2005 2:15PM
posted October 17th 2005 2:15PM
We should probably defer to Thom (who does our Music Thing column) on this one, but as soon as we saw the DIY
Walkman cassette Mellotron, we knew we had to get the word out as quickly as possible. For the uninitiated, Mellotrons
were the first sample-playback keyboards from way back in the early 60s, and used analog magnetic tape for audio
playback on key presses. An idea totally ahead of its time, right? Well, chew on the Melloman, man, because it totally
blew our minds.
[Thanks, Brian]
it's purdy, too.
This is really cool, congrats to the guy. Must have taken ages.
Wow, if this were on digg.com I would have totally dugg it. Mellotrons are maybe my favorite low-tech electronic instrument.
I can't back it up with any information but I remember a local musician in Orange County CA making and playing something like this back in the early 90's. He was called Pivot Clowj and I think he goes by the name House of Wires now. That guy used to make light harps and other crazy electronic instruments. If I wasn't at work I would go hunt down more info.
After actually reading the article rather than just looking at the pictures, I would now call this more of a recreation of the Birotron (looped sounds with primitive envelopes and filters) rather than the Mellotron (8-second-long samples on springloaded tape segments.)
It's actually more advanced than either, but closer to the Birotron in that the attack is electronic-sounding rather than a recreation of the original note.
I'd just like to go on record as saying that this is the only good thing that has ever been made. Thank you.
Now all we need is some DIY sheet music for Strawberry Fields...
This is pretty bad ass. I had the opportunity to play a Mellotron a few weeks ago and I fell in love with it instantly.
And to the previous poster, there is a sample of the guy playing Strawberry Fields at the link. I think that's everybody's natural reaction when they first sit down in front of one.
Fishes,
narco.
"I accidentally placed an ELO tape into the highest C Walkman. So it went G..... G#..... A…. A#….. B…….. “Eeeevil Woman”."
Hahahah, I love it. ^_^