From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

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-	{{Template}}	+	#REDIRECT [[Sampler (musical instrument)#Historical overview]]
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-	The '''Mellotron''' is an [[electro-mechanical]], [[polyphony (instrument)|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.	+
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-	The original models were designed to be used in the home, and contained a variety of sounds, including automatic accompaniments. Bandleader [[Eric Robinson (conductor)|Eric Robinson]] and television personality [[David Nixon (magician)|David Nixon]] were heavily involved in the instrument's original publicity. A number of other celebrities such as [[Princess Margaret]] were early adopters.	+
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-	The Mellotron became more popular after [[the Beatles]] used it on several tracks. It was subsequently adopted by [[the Moody Blues]], [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]] and [[King Crimson]], and became a notable instrument in [[progressive rock]]. Later models such as the M400, the best selling model, dispensed with the accompaniments and some sound selection controls in order to be used by touring musicians. The instrument became less popular in the 1980s due to the introduction of polyphonic [[synthesizers]] and [[Sampler (musical instrument)|samplers]], despite a number of high profile uses from [[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark]] and [[XTC]].	+
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-	Production of the Mellotron ceased in 1986, but it regained popularity in the 1990s, and was used by several notable bands. This led to the resurrection of the original manufacturer, Streetly Electronics. In 2007, Streetly produced the M4000, which combined the layout of the M400 with the bank selection of earlier models.	+
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1. REDIRECT Sampler (musical instrument)#Historical overview