Chamberlin: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 14:07, 12 June 2005

Revision as of 19:32, 29 June 2005

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The Chaimberlin has a [[piano]]-style keyboard. Underneath each key is a small [[magnetic tape|tape]] deck. Each tape is prerecorded with various [[musical instrument]]s or [[special effect]]s. When the player press down a key, the tape deck begins to play through an amplifeid speaker. When the player releases the key, sound stops, and the tape rewinds. Each tape is only a few seconds long (on many units 8 seconds).

Some controversy exists about the origin of the Mellotron, but most of the accounts tell of Chamberlin associate Bill Fransen (sometimes described as his gardnergardener, sometimes as an employee) bringing Chamberlin's design to England and selling the design without Chamberlin's knowledge in the early [[1960s]]. After this somewhat dubious beginning, Chamberlin and the company that produced Mellotrons later came to a financial arrangement.

The [[royalties|royalty payment]]s Chamberlin received from the Mellotrons helped Chamberlin to continue producing instruments in his garage, and later in an [[Ontario, Canada]] factory. In 1981 (shortly before Chamberlin's death), the company ceased production, after making approximately 700 units. Harry Chamberlin's son, Richard, later sold the original tapes and plans to the [[Mellotron]] company.

The later Chamberlin model M1 is reputed to have superior sound and reliability to Mellotrons. It is rumored that several famous recordings which purportedly use a Mellotron actually use a Chamberlin. One [[popular music]] group that openly used a Chamberlin is [[Ambrosia (band)|Ambrosia]].