"WORKING CONDITION: Fair - All keys and cassettes are sounding and operational, except for both "B" Keys. You can hear some light hiss when pressing the keys but no sound. The output volume knob does not adjust, so presently the volume is fixed, but fortunately, it is at high volume. About 4 of the tuning knobs don't change the pitch but the rest are adjustable to varying degrees. When the drum track is turned off, you can still hear it bleed through the output faintly. We can say that it is mostly working and usable for some creative inspiration, but it could probably use some cleaning and perhaps some servicing by a tech.
The pack includes an instruction manual and what appears to be schematics, so it is serviceable. Also includes instructions on how to swap out the Walkmans, so you can keep this thing going for a long time!
PHYSICAL CONDITION: Good - This is a 1-of-1 custom-built "Mellotron Style" keyboard that runs off of 14 Memorex "Walkman" cassette players. The lid is hinged at the back and when closed does not fix to the front by design, so you can access the cassettes conveniently. The keys are a little uneven but that is all part of the charm of this unicorn. All the keys are stable otherwise and so is the rest of the unit.
See and hear the video of this very unit at the end of the photos.
INVENTORY #55795
BRAND: Mike Walters
MODEL: The Melloman
FUNCTION: Mellotron Style Keyboard
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: This listing is for a Mystery Circuits by Mike Walters, The "New" Melloman Mellotron Style Keyboard.
You can swap out cassettes with your own recording samples on them to get that warbly aged Mellotron style sound with any tone. Currently, the cassettes have a Polymoog Vox Humana on one side, and female vocal on the other.
From the Mystery Circuits Website:
"This is the new Melloman, built eight years after its predecessor. It was commissioned by Justin Vernon (Bon Iver, Volcano Choir), and took me a little over a year to complete. Like the original Melloman, this is my DIY design of the classic Mellotron. There are 14 Walkmans inside the Melloman, running tapes of continuous notes. Each tape has two octaves of a looping sound, and those sounds are routed to the output when a key is pressed on the keyboard. The new Melloman is a complete redesign of the original Melloman I built in 2005"- Mike Walters
The website and page for this item is still active for those who want to do more research. Simply search Mystery Circuits and find 'The New Melloman 2013'."
"Oberheim FVS-1. Repaired over the span of one year! Here's a demo I made after the repair. Drums are from an Ace-Tone FR-70, and all the rest of the tracks are the Oberheim. Stereo panning from the Oberheim's Mixer module. Pictures are various shots I took to document the repairs.
Song and pictures 2024, Mike Walters, Mystery Circuits, Chapel Hill, NC
www.mysterycircuits.com"
"Modified Elka Wilgamat 3. DIY keyboard controller using Yamaha PSR-12 keys. Tubbutec uniPulse for MIDI clocking and drum triggering. Individual accompaniment sounds switched on and off from keyboard controller, accessible via DB25 to 1/4" breakout. Four octaves of square waves called "Synth" follow the bass lines. "Roll" button on keyboard activates a built in drum roll. Fill, Minor, and 7th are controlled from keyboard. More info at: www.mysterycircuits.com/wilgamatIIIv3.html"
"Demonstrating the capacitive touch control I rebuilt on this Minitmoog. The materials I used:
Conductive Nylon tape: BCP Conductive Cloth Fabric Adhesive Tape 20mmx25M ($9, not $4 like I said in video)
Weather strip: M-D Building Products 6593 M-D 0 Premium Weather-Strip, 3/4 in W X 10 Ft L X 1/4 in T
Mylar Tape: ProTapes Pro 950 Polyimide Film Tape
"The first Wilgamat 3 I modified in 2005. The second one is from 2019. Both were originally built in Italy around 1982. More information is at www.mysterycircuits.com"
Above are a couple of demos of an Emu Emulator II restored by Mystery Circuits. Is it the same one you see pictured left with Brent Mydland of The Grateful Dead? You can find a post covering some of the history and restoration of this Emulator II on Mystery Circuit's website here.
Update: I asked Mystery Circuits what the serial number was and he said it's hand written and faded, but appears to be SN 983.
"Radio Ace is a programmable drum machine built by Mike Walters that uses an AM/FM radio for the source of the snare drum noise. There's an analog bass drum, and it gates an input in time with the beat. Snare (radio), and Input have individual adjustable sustain. Tempo control can go up to audio frequencies. Press the SNOOZE bar to turn off/on the rhythms! Built for Mark Lewis, 2015 www.mysterycircuits.com"
Published on Mar 25, 2014 mysterycircuits·27 videos
"Zenotron - Built for my friend Zeno in 2014. Case was built from an old modem, the "monitor" is a filmstrip viewer cut in half. Keys come from some toy piano with each key activating a tactile switch. Micro joystick (Parallax brand) controls arpeggio rate and waveform. Sound from Nebulophone clocks a 4017 based sequencer to blink the 88 LEDs mounted in a pipette box. 1/4" output, 9VDC external power supply. www.mysterycircuits.com"
Published on Feb 13, 2014 mysterycircuits·24 videos
"Some footage from an interview by Derek Sajbel in 2004, Mark Mothersbaugh demonstrates The Penatron (aka Peanut) built by Mike Walters.
I cut this from raw footage from Derek Sajbel's long running Circuit Bending documentary project (http://absurdity.biz)
Copyrighted footage courtesy of Absurdity.Biz used with permission"
And a live set at BENT04 with Mystery Circuits:
BENT04 Live circuit bent set - Mike Walters Bart Moyers Zeke Graves Chuck Johnson
Published on Feb 13, 2014 mysterycircuits·24 videos
"Most of our set from the first international circuit bending festival BENT04 at The Tank in NYC, 2004. Mystery Circuits set featuring NC musicians Mike Walters, Bart Moyers, Zeke Graves, and Chuck Johnson.
I cut this from raw footage from Derek Sajbel's Bent Festival 2004 documentary
http://absurdity.biz/?page_id=12
Absurdity.Biz » Bent Festival DVDs
absurdity.biz
Copyrighted footage courtesy of Absurdity.Biz used with permission"
YouTube Uploaded by mysterycircuits on Feb 12, 2012
"Trommemaskine built by Mike Walters, 2012. 8 x 4 matrix drum machine uses modified Paia Drum-Tone circuit for sounds. More info at mysterycircuits.com"
via Mystery Circuits where you'll find additional pics and details.
"This is the Trommemaskine, commissioned for Olivia Hjermitslev. "Trommemaskine" means "Drum Machine" in Danish. Rhythms are mapped out on the 8x4 matrix panel, which includes a Hi-hat, Kick, Snare, and a Disco drum.
Those four sounds, as well as four additional percussion sounds, can also be triggered by the blue momentary switches. A toggle switch sets whether the drum triggers once, or at the rate of the sequencer.
The large orange button starts and stops the rhythm."
follow-up to this post. "Thanks for all the positive response for The Drumssette! I've had some requests to show more tape examples, other than just the 808 sounds I had before. Here you go! The first segment shows sounds I recorded with my Minimoog. The second shows CR78 sounds, the third are acoustic sounds. I'm hoping to get sounds of my drummer, Kuki, real soon."
"The Drumssette is a programmable drum machine built using a Tascam four track cassette recorder. The sounds of the drums come right off the prerecorded cassette tape, and those sounds also clock the sixteen step sequencer inside. As the cassette plays, rhythms can be mapped out on the switch interface."
You'll find the full details including additional video on Mystery Circuits.
YouTube via mysterycircuits | July 06, 2010
"Intro to The Drumssette by Mike Walters. The Drumssette was built by Mike Walters in 2010."
Odd side note: Literally right before I saw this post on Analog Suicide and decided to post this video, I was cleaning out my wallet. I decided to gather all my synth related business cards to display them in the studio. Well... I remembered I might have some in a dresser drawer. I went through the drawer and sure enough found this business card from Mike Walter's Mystery Circuits from years ago! I sat down in front of my laptop, stacked my cards with this one on top, and decided to check my blog feed. Sitting right there is Tara's post with the Mike Walters video!!! Small world...
YouTube via mysterycircuits "By Mike Walters, 2008. Modified Yamaha PSS 140, circuit bent and recased. Custom flat panel controls everything. Visit www.mysterycircuits.com for more technical details and photos."
YouTube via mysterycircuits "Mike Walters' Melloman. Played by Mark Lewis. Sounds come from 14 continuously running Sony Walkmans. Mark performs Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. www.mysterycircuits.com"
"WORKING CONDITION: Fair - All keys and cassettes are sounding and operational, except for both "B" Keys. You can hear some light hiss when pressing the keys but no sound. The output volume knob does not adjust, so presently the volume is fixed, but fortunately, it is at high volume. About 4 of the tuning knobs don't change the pitch but the rest are adjustable to varying degrees. When the drum track is turned off, you can still hear it bleed through the output faintly. We can say that it is mostly working and usable for some creative inspiration, but it could probably use some cleaning and perhaps some servicing by a tech. 
via Mystery Circuits where you'll find additional pics and details. 
Odd side note: Literally right before I saw this post on Analog Suicide and decided to post this video, I was cleaning out my wallet. I decided to gather all my synth related business cards to display them in the studio. Well... I remembered I might have some in a dresser drawer. I went through the drawer and sure enough found this business card from Mike Walter's Mystery Circuits from years ago! I sat down in front of my laptop, stacked my cards with this one on top, and decided to check my blog feed. Sitting right there is Tara's post with the Mike Walters video!!! Small world...
