Re: Original Recording Pianos
By Robin Pratt
Jody, After reading Robbie Rhodes "dismissal" of the recording processes of the past based on promotion of the MIDI of today, I really wish to be taken off of the Automatic Music List. There is little here of interest to restorers of Historic instruments since most of the members are interested in converting them or using a quick-shot-fix to git 'em goin'. I, nor those who believe in the goals of AMICA, fit in here. Thanks, but the direction of the group is not mine.
Sincerely, Robin Pratt
[ Editor's Note:
[
[ Robin,
[
[ I regret that that feel that way. This group has encouraged people
[ to express their opinions, their theories, and their experience. In
[ the time that you've subscribed, we've had contributions by Wayne
[ Stahnke, who is not only the world's expert on solenoid pianos, but
[ also the ONLY person I know of who has taken the engineering trouble
[ to scientifically calibrate his pneumatic recording system to the
[ point where he can detect transcription errors in "historic" factory
[ perforated rolls.
[
[ We've seen "new" music created in the image of historic. S.K.
[ Goodman's tune(s) have been arranged for MIDI, but they're also
[ being arrange for Wurlitzer 165. This will be a hand-cut roll. I
[ see this as an act of love and respect for these old instruments.
[
[ We've seen discussions on how to do "quick fixes", and we've also
[ had long dialogs on the good and evil of glues, leathers, valve
[ designs, etc. The frequency with which it is said here "don't do
[ the job halfway" seems consistent with your organization's goals.
[
[ I don't expect everyone to agree on everything here, but I've wanted
[ to give everyone a chance to speak their mind. We've enjoyed your
[ opinions in the past, and I'm sorry you won't be contributing any
[ more.
[
[ While Robbie's rhetoric may have offended you, I don't believe for
[ an instant that the musical instrument business was without its
[ smoke and mirrors 75 years ago. Some of the "historic" instruments
[ held up really well, in spite of some of the knowledge we have today
[ of how the materials available at the time would hold up. On the
[ other hand, you see evidence of "cost engineering" even in some of
[ the historic instruments. Some of it was very successful. Some of
[ it was not.
[
[ I can't believe that 100 years from now someone would say "Pinto gas
[ tanks were great", but I could see the point that you'd probably
[ want to have the exploding gas tank mounted just as it was if you
[ were doing a restoration. If my son builds a Pinto replica 20 years
[ from now out of Kevlar and Epoxy and puts a gas turbine engine in
[ it, noone is going to pretend that its the same, but someone that
[ sees it may be inspired into the automobile restoration/preservation
[ hobby.
[
[ I don't think its evil that a person becomes interested in historic
[ instruments via modern ones. This forum should have that as a side
[ effect for some of its participants. I'll turn off you're
[ subscription after you receive this digest. You've contributed your
[ expert advice and experience to this forum over 40 times in the last
[ year. Please reconsider your decision to withdraw.
[
[ Jody
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(Message sent Mon 20 May 1996, 20:40:38 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.) |
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