Note the serial number is 47. I wonder how many of these were made. via Brian Kehew:"I've always been a huge fan of Mellotrons and related items. This might be the rarest one I've seen. A friend of mine had this unit in a crate in his storage for years, I've been begging to let me get it out and try it... and it's finally possible. It's the only one I've ever seen, and most Mellotron people don't even know these existed.
The BBC seemed to have commissioned these in 1966/67 for quick access and playing of sound effects tapes. Previous to this, sound effects were kept on individual reels/spools and threaded manually onto a tradition reel-to-reel tape deck. The PEG is designed to use custom cartridges, with preloaded springed tape. They cartridges can be used up to 4 at one time, each loading into a Record/Playback "drawer" with some options. Each drawer allows you to record a new sound onto the tape, or simply play back. Playback allows pitch change and preset decay times as the tape plays. It's industrial or space-age sheet metal construction makes it look very "of its time" sort of Dr. Who meets a battleship.
It's designed a kind of a table-top or desktop unit, and there is a heavy external box used to vary pitch, if needed. So far I have only limited success with it, but it does light up and have some function. There is a huge and detailed manual documenting everything about it, so it will only be 'yet another project' and a matter of time to get it all sorted out..."
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