Mellotron, Mellotron VST & Samples

A combination of characteristics, really.

Replaying the tape over and over again creates artifacts known as wow and flutter. It's simple tape degradation and each time a note is played it changes just a little bit.

* Birotron
* Chamberlin
* Orchestron
* Optigan

Wikipedia tells us British multi-instrumentalist Graham Bond may have been the first rock musician to record with a Mellotron, beginning in 1965. A year later, The Beatles used it prominently on their groundbreaking single "Strawberry Fields Forever" (recorded November-December 1966).

The Mellotron was also used by Led Zeppelin in "The Rain Song" and "Kashmir". The Zombies ("Changes"), The Rolling Stones ("2000 Light Years from Home", "We Love You"), Pink Floyd ("A Saucerful of Secrets", "Julia Dream" and "Sysyphus").

The Kinks featured the instrument prominently in their recordings between 1967 and 1969, most obviously on 1968's "Phenomenal Cat," from The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society.