Mellotron
![](/Images/godic/202501/26/Mellotron1855.jpg")
![The internal operations of a Mellotron. Pressing a key (1), causes two screws (2) to connect a pressure pad (3) with the tape head (5), and the pinch wheel (4) with the continuously rotating capstan (6). Tape is pulled by the capstan at a gradual speed controlled by a tension spring (8–10) and stored temporarily in a storage bin (7) until the key is released.[1]](/Images/godic/202501/26/Mellotron_diagram.svg1855.png")
![The Mellotron M400 has a removable tape frame, that can be replaced with another containing different sounds](/Images/godic/202501/26/Changing_the_tape_cartidge_on_the_Mellotron1855.jpg")
![A Mellotron M400 tape frame as removed from the instrument](/Images/godic/202501/26/M400_Mellotron_Tape_Frame1855.jpg")
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.