These are artists who use(d) a Mellotron/Novatron, Chamberlin, or Birotron on a 'regular' basis (even if only for a year or two), with a description of the machine and its sounds, if known. Of course, the list doesn't include artists who used a Mellotron for the occasional recording, although it does include those who owned one, even if they didn't use it on stage.

For those who are unsure of how Mellotron tapes work, the Mark II and rare M300 have 'fixed' tapes, with a wide selection of sounds which the user can 'shuttle' through, including violins, flutes & brass. The M400 (the small 'portable' model) and the Mark V (two M400s in a box) have replaceable tape frames, with three keyboards-worth to a frame (splits are not uncommon). The commonest are violins, flutes, brass, cellos and the ubiquitous 8-voice choir, much-loved by prog bands from the early '70s onwards. The 'EMI M400' was a variant on the regular model, but franchised out. The case is a slightly different shape and is veneered to give it a 'natural wood' look. The Mark VI (should be an 'M600', surely?!) is a recent innovation from Dave Kean's outfit, basically an updated M400, which boasts longer playing time and a few other improvements. They have recently (2004) added the twin-keyboard Mark VII, which bears the same relation to the Mark V as the Mark VI does to the M400. A quick and easy guide to 'Tron spotting' is to listen for the choir sound. It was not available on the Mark II or M300, so the machine in question is almost certainly a M400, or occasionally a Mark V. The only exceptions to this rule are recently renovated older machines with new tapes. Most of the 'unknowns' from the seventies on are almost certainly M400s, by far the commonest model.

The Chamberlin was an early, American precursor to the Mellotron, with particularly powerful orchestral strings. I'm not really au fait with the different models, but this is a rough guide from Peter Forrest's 'A-Z of Analogue Synthesizers'.

• 200: early, single-manual model.
• 600 Music Master: early-'60s twin-manual version. Direct precursor to the MkI/II Mellotron.
• M300/350: solenoid-driven remote versions of right/left-hand manuals of the 600. An idea unique to the Chamberlin.
• 800 Riviera: outrageous four-manual machine (!). Only a handful made.
• M1: the commonest model. Portable compared to a Mellotron M400, this uses half-inch 8-track tape - four stereo pairs.
• M1D/M2: a twin-manual version of the M1, but with accompaniments on the (shorter, 25-note) left-hand manual, as in the Mellotron MkII.
• M1R: remote version of the M1.
• M4: another, later, four-manual machine.

The Birotron was a late-'70s invention, based on 8-track cartridges (!), partly funded by Rick Wakeman; very few were made. The Novatron was the name Streetly Electronics came up with after the idiotic ruling by an American court after their US distributors went under. The name 'Mellotron' was given to a US company who supplied spares for the machines, even though the UK company kept its head above water. It is almost identical to the Mellotron M400, but with an improved keyboard action, and a few other small improvements. There were FX versions of both Mark IIs and M400s, but only the Mark II type are externally distinguishable. The 4-Track was a U.S. innovation of the early '80s, made of pressed steel (!), with four parallel tracks, and four-track heads, allowing for an innovative mix-and-match approach. Apparently it looked rather like a washing machine. Again, very few manufactured.

There are, to date, about 200 entries on this page. There must be many more bands/artists (big or small) who used a 'Tron on a regular basis - please let me know of any potential new entries.

Many thanks to Jimmy for his information from a Mellotron Digital Corporation brochure entitled "Additional Mellotron Tape Banks Available - March 1, 1974". Neither of us can guarantee any of this information, as some of it looks a little suspect, so any 'iffy' entries will be italicised.