The Mellotron is one of the most otherworldly keyboards in the short history of electronic instruments, and its ethereal timbres are very rooted in the '60s. We recently had the pleasure of hosting Earthquaker Devices' own Lisa Bella Donna in our studio as she brought its sounds into the 21st century by running the digital Mellotron 4000D Mini through some of EQD's more psychedelic fare.
On its own, the M4000D is a striking digital sampler keyboard which used 24–bit sampled loops in the same way the original Mellotron used tape loops. This M4000D has met substantial critical acclaim since its release, prompting the development of a rackmount version, as well as the physically smaller 4000D Mini we hear today. There's also an upcoming Micro version which promises to bring these wonderful keyboards to an even broader audience.
The effects featured in the video above include the Arpanoid arpeggiator, the Grand Orbiter Phase Machine, the Space Spiral digital delay, and the Avalanche Run stereo delay and reverb.