The Mellotron may have been just a “sound image recorder” in Keith Emerson’s eyes, but it still has an undeniable personality!

What can be said that hasn’t already been said about the grain, the particular warmth of Mellotron sounds? The old-fashioned charm of its flute (Beatles), the grandeur of its choirs (Genesis), or the old-fashioned beauty of its strings (King Crimson)…

Well, some madman in Germany decided to design a digital version that would be as close as possible to the original instrument.

From around forty working Mellotrons, the artisanal company Manikin digitized the entire library of original sounds, and put them in a box, in the form of a keyboard the same size as the original, and an expander version (presented here).

I have the inestimable luck of owning this marvel, which was given to me by my brother Jean-Luc in 2013. The sound is a delight (and I doubt you can tell the difference from the original), with the added benefits of no repairs, no maintenance, and light weight. For the moment, I don’t use it on stage, and prefer to jealously guard it in my home studio. It should feature prominently on the next album.