Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol X1
Novation LAUNCHPAD
Mackie CFX 12-MKII
MELLOTRONICS
In 1946 Harry Chamberlin decided to record himself playing his home organ for some friends. After he finished the recording he had an idea, if he could record himself playing a whole piece he could record himself playing single notes, then if he could produce a machine to play back these single note recordings he could reproduce the sound of virtually any instrument. Harry had created the first sampler, which lead to the creation of the original Chamberlin keyboards.
Then in 1962 a salesman for the Chamberlin Company, Bill Franson, contacted Bradmatic Ltd., an electro mechanical engineers, run by Les, Frank and Norman Bradley, to see if they could supply them with 70 matched replay heads. When the brothers learned how they planned to use the replay heads they were immediately impressed, and knew that this machine had massive potential.
The Bradleys endeavoured to build their own version of the machine; they received backing from Eric Robinson who formed Mellotronics. The original prototypes of the new instrument were called the Franson, the name change to Mellotron was Bills idea, a hybrid of the words melody and electronic.
