About Us

TOTTER MIDI is a company with a long family tradition associated with accordions. The beginnings date back to the year 1924, when Anton Železnik began to learn for a music instruments maker. In 1995, his grandson Marijan Totter established the company TOTTER MIDI d.o.o. with headquarters in the musical town Mengeš.

The company has own development, production and installation of electronics for acoustic accordions. In addition to the recognizable TOTTER MIDI microphones and MIDI systems, they are launching a new product, the high-tech sound module SONATTER.

The global innovations are patented functions TOTTER MIDI QUINTET®, TOTTER MIDI GUITARIST® and ACTIVE CHANGE® of instruments. They are the result of the top development team of accordionists, electronics and musicians. Only with them, you can easily and completely professional imitate the sound of Alpine Quintet.

They are present on Slovenian market, where Alpine music through world famous Ensamble Avsenik at home is, and through business partners abroad as well. They are recipients of many awards for quality and product innovation. The biggest response was from international music fairs in Frankfurt, Germany and Moscow, Russia when several times as the only exhibitor from Slovenia among global competition, become imitating. The accordionists is offered MIDI electronics from idea to solution all under one roof.

With professionalism, competence, cutting-edge technology and investment in development, they strive for the position of a leading company in the field of midi systems for all types of accordions.

Our history

1924-1944 (Anton Železnik – Vrhnika)

The beginnings related to musicianship date back to the year 1924, when Anton Železnik began to learn for a mucic instrument maker. Four years later (1928) he decided to start his own business and start making accordions in Vrhnika, Slovenia. In the 1930`s his craft workshop grew into “Industial accordion manufacture”, which occasionally employed up to ten workers.

In the production of accordions Anton was also helped by his brothers Jaka and France and half brother Avgust. Beside making and repairing the accordions, they were also musicians and employees in the workroom had even their own ensemble. Jaka Železnik won several medals at accordion contests. How popular and prevalent the Železnik accordions were show us the choir of Železnik accordions in Vrhnika, Slovenia and Železnik accordion club in the USA.

They were making all kinds of accordions: piano, chromatic, diatonic and even the Club model diatonic accordion! Many recognized musicians in Slowenia and all over the world played on his instruments.

When the second world war began, hard times for the accordion makers began. When Anton Železnik died in 1944 his wife Julijana moved after the war with three children to Mengeš. She gave all the machines and tools to establish the Musical Instrument Factory Glasbila (later Melodija) in Mengeš, where she get employed.

1945 – 2000 (Avgust Železnik – Vrhnika)

Anton`s half brother Avgust Železnik retrained to make musical instruments and was employed at Anton. After 1945 he started making accordions in Vrhnika. During the 50 years of activities he made over 1500 accordions. He was wery proud to maintain Avgust Stanko`s and Slavko Avsenik`s accordion.

1953 – 2014 (Tone Železnik – Mengeš)

Tone Železnik, Anton Železnik`s son knew all about making accordions in Melodija Mengeš since he was a schoolboy. From 1953 to 1956 he was trained in Melodija to be an accordion maker and he was later employed there. He began his independent craft in 1988. That is also the year when he was perfecting himself at world famous company Hohner in Germany. After that he worked as Melodija service provider. He was very proud on his products and on his tradition. He tried to make classical accordions, which remind us on his father`s and his uncle`s accordions.

Tone`s half cousin, Janez Železnik, has been making elegant and quality accordions in Vrzdenec near Vrhnika, Slovenia approximately since 1989.

1993 – (Marijan Totter – Mengeš)

Connection with music and accordions goes on. Anton`s grandson Marijan Totter continues his musical tradition with development, production and installation of electronics for all kinds of accordions. He began playing the accordion by himself before primary school and then continued in music school. Marijan was introduced to instrument making in the home workshop by his father Julij, who is trained in the manufacture of all kinds of wooden instruments (strings, plucked and percussion instruments and accordions). In 1995, Marijan Totter established the company TOTTER MIDI d.o.o. with headquarters in the musical town Mengeš. He is proud of the work of his father Julij and grandfather Anton, and intends to preserve the family tradition for future generations.

1994

– The first presentation of the MIDI interface of the TM 1.0 series at the Mihael Fair in Mengeš, Slovenia.

1995

– Establishment of TOTTER MIDI d.o.o.
– The company first presented itself at the 2nd International Music Fair in Celje, Slovenia with its own stand – a recognizable Slovenian hayrack.

1997

– Patented invention – TOTTER MIDI QUINTET® is the world’s newness. The function enables the proper playing of blowers – trumpet and clarinet in the imitation of Alpine ensemble. The point of the function is that only one ton of trumpet and only one ton of clarinet plays among all simultaneously played tones. Read more about patented function TOTTER MIDI QUINTET ®.
– The company presented itself for the first time in March at the International Music Fair in Frankfurt, Germany as the only exhibitor from Slovenia.

1998

– The company presented itself for the second time in March at the International Music Fair in Frankfurt, Germany as the only exhibitor from Slovenia.

1999

– The Chamber of Craft of Slovenia awarded Silver guild to product TM3-LUX at the International Crafts Fair in Celje, Slovenia.
– The Municipality of Celje awarded the company with the Fair recognition.

2001

– The Celje Fair awarded the company at the International Crafts Fair in Celje, Slovenia.

2005

– The company celebrates its 10th anniversary.

2008

– Patented invention – TOTTER MIDI GUITARIST® is the world’s newness. The function enables the proper playing of rhythm guitar. The point of function is that rhythm guitar (guitar chord) plays also on the first period of the rhythm together with bass. Read more about patented function TOTTER MIDI GUITARIST®.

2015

– The company celebrates its 20th anniversary.

2017

– NEW on the market – excellent Sound module SONATTER®TM4 allows uncompromising imitation of playing natural instruments. Read more about SONATTER TM4.

2020

– The company celebrates its 25th anniversary.

2022

– NEW on the market – MINI Control panel. More you find HERE.

With always fresh ideas and high end technology, TOTTER MIDI is among the world’s elite musical instrument manufacturers.

As a family company, there is a sustainable thinking in us. We build our success thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit, innovative strength and brand value. With partners worldwide, the growth is even more obvious.

Public disclosure of family photographs without the written permission of the owner or the immediate family members is not allowed!