Mellotron MKII Vintage Tape Replay Keyboard 3D Model

This iconic keyboard instrument has been modeled inside and out as you can see in the previews. Contains 70 strips of tape strung up inside a mad scientist mechanical rig for a haunting and menacing sound.

3d modeling and texturing by Brady Arnold

The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which causes a length of magnetic tape to contact a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. As the key is released, the tape is retracted by a spring to its initial position. Different portions of the tape can be played to access different sounds.

The Mellotron evolved from the similar Chamberlin, but could be mass-produced more efficiently. The first models were designed for the home and contained a variety of sounds, including automatic accompaniments. Bandleader Eric Robinson and television personality David Nixon helped promote the first instruments, and celebrities such as Princess Margaret were early adopters. It was adopted by rock and pop groups in the mid to late 1960s. One of the first pop songs featuring the Mellotron was Manfred Mann's "Semi-Detached, Suburban Mr. James" (1966). The Beatles used it on tracks including the hit single "Strawberry Fields Forever" (1967).

The Moody Blues keyboardist Mike Pinder used it extensively on the band's 1967 album Days of Future Passed as well as the group's following six albums. The Mellotron became common in progressive rock, used by groups such as King Crimson, Yes and Genesis. Later models, such as the bestselling M400, dispensed with the accompaniments and some sound selection controls so it could be used by touring musicians. The instrument's popularity declined in the 1980s after the introduction of polyphonic synthesizers and samplers, despite high-profile performers such as Orchestral maneuvers in the Dark and XTC continuing to use the instrument.

This iconic keyboard instrument has been modeled inside and out as you can see in the previews. Contains 70 strips of tape strung up inside a mad scientist mechanical rig for a haunting and menacing sound.

3d modeling and texturing by Brady Arnold

This iconic keyboard instrument has been modeled inside and out as you can see in the previews. Contains 70 strips of tape strung up inside a mad scientist mechanical rig for a haunting and menacing sound.

3d modeling and texturing by Brady Arnold