Computers Playing Reproducing Rolls
By Robbie Rhodes
Thanks for the info on the Peter Phillips Tape Converter for the Ampico, John. This table shows the frame rate of the various asynchronous systems:
recut, 63 steps/in @ T80: 100 frames per second
Stahnke Converter: 100 frames per second
Phillips Converter: 50 frames per second
Pianocorder System: 35.15625 frames per second
An Ampico piano playing first-generation recuts, or by the Stahnke system, is generally deemed pleasant. Pianocorder tapes of Ampico rolls are considered pretty poor quality. One reason that Yamaha purchased Pianocorder was to acquire the music library for Disklavier, but they apparently have abandoned efforts to salvage the transcribed files of reproducing piano rolls.
Many years ago PianoDisk borrowed Ampico rolls from a friend of mine and converted them for their system. The titles were briefly listed in their catalog, but then deleted from later issues. I don't know why.
Several folks can now convert from the Ampico roll into a Midi format which can be played on a synthesizer or solenoid piano. Horst Mohr realizes excellent results playing original rolls on his real-time system. (I call his the "Electronic Ampico"!) Wayne Stahnke first re-creates the master roll, and then uses off-line processes to emulate the Ampico or Welte pneumatic reproducing piano and output the data in Disklavier or Midi file formats. His results are also excellent.
The techniques for Ampico-to-Midi and Midi-to-Ampico conversion are now under discussion in a new forum conducted by Digest member Karl Petersen; the forum hopes to establish technical standards and procedures for evaluating the methods. Topics under discussion include definitions relating hammer velocity, stack pressure, and "Midi velocity". Other proposed topics include sampling rates and the practical aspects of synchronous and asynchronous "master files".
Robbie Rhodes |
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