The mellotron from 1963, i guess you could call it a music instrument to sample.

[William Gaatjes]

Used in the Moody Blues song "question".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mellotron

The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It evolved from a similar instrument, the Chamberlin, but could be mass-produced more effectively. The instrument works by pulling a section of magnetic tape across a head. Different portions of the tape can be played to access different sounds.

The Mellotron has a similar behaviour to a sampler, but generates its sound via audio tape. When a key is pressed, a tape connected to it is pushed against a playback head, like a tape recorder. While the key remains depressed, the tape is drawn over the head, and a sound is played. When the key is released, a spring pulls the tape back to its original position.

I was a mass production version of the Chamberlin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamberlin

The Chamberlin is an electro-mechanical keyboard instrument that was a precursor to the Mellotron. It was developed and patented by Iowa, Wisconsin inventor Harry Chamberlin from 1949 to 1956, when the first model was introduced.[1] Various models and versions of these Chamberlin music instruments exist. While most are keyboard-based instruments, there were also early drum machines produced and sold. Some of these drums patterns feature Harry Chamberlin's son Richard on them

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Just looked this up on youtube and found a number of vids. It's cool because you can use any sound you like. I'd hate to be the inventors if it were made now. The copyright people would sue it and them out of existence.

 

[BUTCH1]

The Moody's used it on a number of their songs, notably "Tuesday Afternoon", it was a really cool invention but they were very finicky and didn't adapt to being hauled around on the road very well. It was also use by the Beatles for the intro to "Strawberry fields forever"..

 

[Markbnj]

Just looked this up on youtube and found a number of vids. It's cool because you can use any sound you like. I'd hate to be the inventors if it were made now. The copyright people would sue it and them out of existence.

It's really no different from a modern sampling keyboard or synth, except that it uses tape to store the sounds rather than RAM.

 

[Thebobo]

The Moody's used it on a number of their songs, notably "Tuesday Afternoon", it was a really cool invention but they were very finicky and didn't adapt to being hauled around on the road very well. It was also use by the Beatles for the intro to "Strawberry fields forever"..

Just about every song they used it.

Wiki - using it extensively on every album from Days of Future Passed (1967) to Octave (1978)

Sounded great with their music there is an interview witrh Pinder in this and he explains its workings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRuMgs4b1qk&feature=kp

.

 

[drebo]

That's fucking awesome.

 

[BUTCH1]

Just about every song they used it.



Sounded great with their music there is an interview witrh Pinder in this and he explains its workings. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRuMgs4b1qk&feature=kp

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Here's a few more examples, one with Paul McCartney and the second from the maker of the instrument,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUcfB5Whp4I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrXtmKGkSa4

 

[William Gaatjes]

I wonder if they used it for the Benny Hill shows.

 

[William Gaatjes]

Here's a few more examples, one with Paul McCartney and the second from the maker of the instrument,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUcfB5Whp4I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrXtmKGkSa4

It is the recordings that make the device so amazing.

 

[alzan]

It is the recordings that make the device so amazing.

IMO it's the recordings and how they were used in various songs.

I don't know how widespread it was but it was affectionately named the Pindertron for a time because of Mike Pinders' expertise with it in various Moody Blues songs.

 

[PlanetJosh]

I thought from the 'to sample' in the title there would be a link to a software version we could mess around with notes using the keyboard.

 

[William Gaatjes]

IMO it's the recordings and how they were used in various songs.

I don't know how widespread it was but it was affectionately named the Pindertron for a time because of Mike Pinders' expertise with it in various Moody Blues songs.

Your right. Is it also used in "Nights in white satin" ?

 

[BUTCH1]

It is the recordings that make the device so amazing.

True, as to the question as to why can't someone just download the samples and mess around with a software version of one, those "samples" are copyrighted and anyone trying to use them in a software "clone" of a Mellotron would be sued in a heartbeat.

 

[alzan]

Your right. Is it also used in "Nights in white satin" ?

I've personally never been able to pick it out but according to this it was: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul09/articles/classictracks_0709.htm

True, as to the question as to why can't someone just download the samples and mess around with a software version of one, those "samples" are copyrighted and anyone trying to use them in a software "clone" of a Mellotron would be sued in a heartbeat.

I think samples of less than 20 seconds can be used without violating copyright.

 

[Thebobo]

They have an 1.99 app for the I phone or I pad to simulate the Mellotron.
I dont have one but would be cool to play with. http://www.mellotron.com/

Need an I pad simlulator for the PC

.

 

[BUTCH1]

They have an 1.99 app for the I phone or I pad to simulate the Mellotron.
I dont have one but would be cool to play with. http://www.mellotron.com/

Need an I pad simlulator for the PC

.

Yea, WTF, no PC or Android version?, sheesh...

 

[BUTCH1]

I've personally never been able to pick it out but according to this it was: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul09/articles/classictracks_0709.htm



I think samples of less than 20 seconds can be used without violating copyright.

I don't think so, the first big "sampling" lawsuit resulted from Vanilla Ice usage of "under pressure" by David Bowie/Queen in the early '90's, VI sampled the beat and a few piano notes for his breakthrough hit, when the lawsuit was filed his lawyers advised him to settle out of court because he was going to lose, he did and was also forced to list Bowie/Queen as writers of the song on future releases and compensate wit an undisclosed sum of $$.

EDIT: BTW, thanks for the link, interesting read about how they recorded that hallmark song!..

 

[alzan]

I don't think so, the first big "sampling" lawsuit resulted from Vanilla Ice usage of "under pressure" by David Bowie/Queen in the early '90's, VI sampled the beat and a few piano notes for his breakthrough hit, when the lawsuit was filed his lawyers advised him to settle out of court because he was going to lose, he did and was also forced to list Bowie/Queen as writers of the song on future releases and compensate wit an undisclosed sum of $$.

EDIT: BTW, thanks for the link, interesting read about how they recorded that hallmark song!..

Hmm, learn something new every day.

No problem. Speaking of Queen; I'm not sure which group originally he started doing surprise appearances with but Brian May has been asked by a lot of groups for his permission to use samples of Queen songs for studio sets and live shows. For several of the live shows, if he's got the time and is nearby, Brian has agreed to do surprise appearances rather than or in addition to permission for the samples. Here's one of him of him performing with My Chemical Romance on We Will Rock You: http://rock.rapgenius.com/Vesuvius-reaction-to-2014-reading-and-leeds-line-up-annotated#note-2917936