Introduction; Thoughts on Analog to MIDI
By Steve Harris
Hello, all--
After lurking on the list for some time, I guess it's time to jump in. The recent discussions of roll preservation through MIDIfication concern the very topic which first attracted me to this field several years ago, although my technical knowledge is basically nil. Though a mild-mannered research psychologist/medical bureaucrat by day, I've long had an interest in historical preservation in the arts, and even a business interest (for many years I sold original posters from the Art Nouveau and Deco eras.) I've restored a pre-Orchestrelle Aeolian player organ and recently acquired a Steinway Duo-Art upright.
After having had more than a few rolls self-destruct before my eyes, and wishing I could afford (space and money-wise) a larger roll library, I believe that I'm not alone in wanting a mechanism which:
a. will play MIDI files on my reproducing piano
b. does not involve permanent alteration to the piano
c. uses the existing reproducing mechanism (i.e., is not a vorsetzer)
So... is it too Rube Goldbergian to suggest a device which would clamp onto the tracker bar and which would have, for each tracker bar opening, a small solenoid-controlled shutter or mini-valve which would mimic roll perforations by allowing air into the tracker bar in the same manner as perforations. All the information would come straight from a MIDI file, assuming the problems in acquiring roll information could be solved.
By the way, I'd be delighted to help in the archiving project which has been mentioned here. There seems to be a coalescence of interest in this, as even a friend of mine who is definitely a non-techie (and is also an officer of AMICA) suggested the other day that roll preservation would be an appropriate project for AMICA. It also, incidentally, fits right in with the Library of Congress' current efforts to preserve this country's cultural heritage electronically.
Regards,
Steve Harris |
(Message sent Mon 27 Nov 1995, 18:40:08 GMT, from time zone GMT-0800.) |
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