News NAMM 2010: New Mellotron plus modular madness in pictures By Chris Wickett published 14 January 2010 The new digital Mellotron on top of an analogue Mellotron Mk VI, exhibited at the Big City Music stand at NAMM 2010 New Mellotron Prev Page 1 of 18 Next Prev Page 1 of 18 Next The Mellotron Mk VI is fully analogue and is, of course, powered by... Analogue Mellotron Prev Page 2 of 18 Next Prev Page 2 of 18 Next ...tape loops! How cool does that look?! Under the hood Prev Page 3 of 18 Next Prev Page 3 of 18 Next This one's new for the NAMM show New digital Mellotron Prev Page 4 of 18 Next Prev Page 4 of 18 Next The keys are finished just like those of a piano, with wood grain visible on the black notes Digital Mellotron keyboard Prev Page 5 of 18 Next Prev Page 5 of 18 Next Using the mix control to blend sounds Live tweaking Prev Page 6 of 18 Next Prev Page 6 of 18 Next Connectivity ahoy! The back panel Prev Page 7 of 18 Next Prev Page 7 of 18 Next Elsewhere on the Big CIty Music stand, we find this modular monstrosity Analogue Systems 8500 Prev Page 8 of 18 Next Prev Page 8 of 18 Next An unbelievably cool-looking massive knob Frequency Shifter Prev Page 9 of 18 Next Prev Page 9 of 18 Next Hang on a second, 'Analogue' Systems... is that a MIDI unit?! Polyphonic generator unit Prev Page 10 of 18 Next Prev Page 10 of 18 Next Pretty much the only Ondes Martenot-a-like CV controller on the market French Connection Prev Page 11 of 18 Next Prev Page 11 of 18 Next The Ondes Martenot is famous for its sliding ring controller, which (on the French Connection) outputs a CV Sliding Ring Prev Page 12 of 18 Next Prev Page 12 of 18 Next The French Connection costs around £1000, although a cut-down unit called the Demon will set you back £550 Control Panel Prev Page 13 of 18 Next Prev Page 13 of 18 Next Not only is it cool but it slips right inside a laptop bag too... More modular madness Prev Page 14 of 18 Next Prev Page 14 of 18 Next Started in the '70s, Cwejman is still going strong Cwejam units Prev Page 15 of 18 Next Prev Page 15 of 18 Next Borg Filter? We hope Wiard aren't suggesting that modular synthesists are mostly nerdy-looking Star Trek geeks... ahem. Wiard units Prev Page 16 of 18 Next Prev Page 16 of 18 Next Available in yellow, apparently Metasonix units Prev Page 17 of 18 Next Prev Page 17 of 18 Next Big City has some nice boutique-y modules on show, too Crazy effects Prev Page 18 of 18 Next Prev Page 18 of 18 Next Chris WickettSocial Links Navigation More about tech“The first AI voice changer plugin for your DAW”: Sonarworks SoundID VoiceAI can make your vocal tracks sound like they were sung by someone completely different"I’m speaking a musical language with the modular synthesizer as my pen": Meet Arushi Jain, the "modular princess" using synths to reimagine Indian classical musicLatestSlash has a new signature Gibson guitar – and it's an ES-335!See more latest ► Most Popular“She’s slightly behind the beat but this doesn’t make her sound sloppy; to the contrary, it shows an effortless command of musical time”: A music professor breaks down Amy Winehouse's Back to Black“The ultimate recording interface for your favourite DAW”: PreSonus’s new Quantum ES and HD audio interfaces feature instrument inputs that were co-developed with Fender“The A&R and the label actually didn’t like it. They were like, ‘Yeah, yeah, it’s a fun song, but it’s never going to get on the radio'": How Train went from nearly splitting up to proving them wrong with smash hit Hey, Soul Sister"It was shocking because they still thought of the Beatles as the mop-tops": Let It Be director Michael Lindsay-Hogg on that Paul vs George argument and his newly restored "break-up" movie"I had 25 feet to walk over to my kit and figure it out… 20… 15… 10… 5...": Kenny Aronoff recalls his terrifying Jack and Diane drum fill experience"I’d never made a guitar before I made the Cloud guitar for Prince": Now the legendary six-string is expected to raise up to $600k at auction“Why does it only have drums and vocals?”: Watch Karol G keyboard player Jemma Heigis trying to figure out the chords for Huey Lewis and the News’ The Power Of Love, a song she’s never heard before"It's the marmite of DAWs!": 7 things I love about Pro Tools (and 3 that I really don't)“Suddenly, you’re in a Vangelis type world”: Hans Zimmer on why the expanded, 6-oscillator Minimoog emulation he created with Synapse Audio gives you “something that you’ve never had before”"George Harrison said, ‘When the Beatles play a low E, it sounds like a low E. When Duane plays it, it sounds an octave lower!’”: The story of Duane Eddy's Peter Gunn theme Alex Lifeson and Geddy Lee are still jamming together: "We’re actually playing a lot of Rush songs" – but there are caveats
The new digital Mellotron on top of an analogue Mellotron Mk VI, exhibited at the Big City Music stand at NAMM 2010 New Mellotron Prev Page 1 of 18 Next Prev Page 1 of 18 Next
The Mellotron Mk VI is fully analogue and is, of course, powered by... Analogue Mellotron Prev Page 2 of 18 Next Prev Page 2 of 18 Next
...tape loops! How cool does that look?! Under the hood Prev Page 3 of 18 Next Prev Page 3 of 18 Next
The keys are finished just like those of a piano, with wood grain visible on the black notes Digital Mellotron keyboard Prev Page 5 of 18 Next Prev Page 5 of 18 Next
Elsewhere on the Big CIty Music stand, we find this modular monstrosity Analogue Systems 8500 Prev Page 8 of 18 Next Prev Page 8 of 18 Next
An unbelievably cool-looking massive knob Frequency Shifter Prev Page 9 of 18 Next Prev Page 9 of 18 Next
Hang on a second, 'Analogue' Systems... is that a MIDI unit?! Polyphonic generator unit Prev Page 10 of 18 Next Prev Page 10 of 18 Next
Pretty much the only Ondes Martenot-a-like CV controller on the market French Connection Prev Page 11 of 18 Next Prev Page 11 of 18 Next
The Ondes Martenot is famous for its sliding ring controller, which (on the French Connection) outputs a CV Sliding Ring Prev Page 12 of 18 Next Prev Page 12 of 18 Next
The French Connection costs around £1000, although a cut-down unit called the Demon will set you back £550 Control Panel Prev Page 13 of 18 Next Prev Page 13 of 18 Next
Not only is it cool but it slips right inside a laptop bag too... More modular madness Prev Page 14 of 18 Next Prev Page 14 of 18 Next
Started in the '70s, Cwejman is still going strong Cwejam units Prev Page 15 of 18 Next Prev Page 15 of 18 Next
Borg Filter? We hope Wiard aren't suggesting that modular synthesists are mostly nerdy-looking Star Trek geeks... ahem. Wiard units Prev Page 16 of 18 Next Prev Page 16 of 18 Next
Big City has some nice boutique-y modules on show, too Crazy effects Prev Page 18 of 18 Next Prev Page 18 of 18 Next