Robbie commented:

>[ I did not know that the "65-note" Pianola was equipped with the
>[ "Themodist" (Solodant) mechanism, which makes strong accents in the
>[ treble or the bass section, when the little hole is opened.  Can
>[ someone in MMD please tell us more about the 65-note Themodist system?
>[ What companies made "accented" rolls for this pianola?  Is a Themodist
>[ Repair Manual" available which we can send to Aleko?

In Great Britain the Themodist was introduced in 1909, on both 88-note
and 65-note systems.  (Wasn't there something about the second Buffalo
conference in 1909 harmonizing world standards for theme systems?)  The
actions are identical except that, of course, where on 88-note tracker-
bars the theme ports are at notes 0 & 89, on 65-note tracker-bars they're
at notes 0 and 66.

So any Themodist diagram or manual will apply.  Most large European roll
makers offered "theme" on 65-note rolls - I've seen it on Victoria,
Hupfeld and Imperial as well as Orchestrelle (Aeolian).  Hupfeld didn't
make many as they were still supporting their 73-note system (also
"themed") as well as starting 88-note in 1909.  However, they and others
(Angelus, Chase & Baker, QRS, EMP, Pleyela, Playola, W. Spaethe) all made
normal 65n rolls as well and these continued in England until 1940.

I've sent Aleko copies of a couple of messages on MMD giving 65-note roll
sources, but because the original message talked about 64 holes on the
tracker-bar, I didn't say much about Themodist.

About half the old 65n rolls available in UK are Themodist, including
even some of the late 1930s ballads and fox-trots made on the old Aeolian
machines by Universal Music Co. under the label Meloto.  They have
"snakebites" just where you don't want them, right on the edge of the
roll, so damage is easy.

Aleko: the Themodist system is provided to enable the performer
("pianolist") to accentuate, make louder, those notes on the roll which
start alongside the extra perforations.  These are tiny and in pairs like
this:  ..  and are called "snakebites" in America (and "dittos" in UK
where our snakes just get cut up by grass mowers).

 [ In America the result is 2 snakes!  ;)  -- Robbie


I will assume your Steck has the usual Aeolian Co. controls: from L to R,

 []=========L   =========[]B    ======[]======   =========[]
 []=========S   =========[]T                     ^         ^

 Loud & Soft    Bass & Treble       Tempo      Reroll    Play
   Pedal           Subdue

(Soft control not always provided)

On a well-adjusted pianola, if you slide the two "Subdue" levers far to
the left and pedal hard, chords of two or three notes will play softly
but chords of four and more notes will fail to play.  The Themodist
system overrides the Subdue level for an instant, bass or treble
according to which side the roll has the ".." perforation.  A note
occurring at the same moment will play loudly.

If there is a THEMODIST switch (or some European Continental pianos say
SOLODANT, even with an Aeolian action) to the left of the spoolbox, this
can be left ON continuously unless you take an objection to the way in
which a roll has been provided with "snakebites".

(Advanced stuff !  There's a well-known Aeolian roll of the slow move-
ment of Chopin's third Sonata where entirely the wrong notes have been
"themodised".) If you don't touch the Subdue levers, this switch has
no effect.

Now, suppose you have a "cantabile" piece of music where you want a very
soft accompaniment and quite loud melody, you slide the Subdue levers
over almost to the end and the music will be soft however hard you pedal.
Notes that are "themodised" (have the "snakebites" alongside their start)
will, however play with a loudness proportional to the strength of your
pedalling.

Of course you have the option of holding one lever further over than the
other, to obtain a difference between treble and bass without there being
any Themodist action.  (Usually you have only your left thumb to do this,
but it's possible.)

Themodist works by using primary valves (in older pianolas, in a little
box perched on the stack to the left of the spoolbox, in post-1918
ones, often inside the stack with the note primary valves) to drive two
large valves inside an expression box which switch the treble or bass
half of the stack between the "Subdued" suction (treble or bass) and
the full suction from the main reservoir, which is high or low
depending on your pedaling.

The principle is identical to the "theme and accompaniment" reproducing
piano systems like Duo-Art and Triphonola, both of which use the same
".." perforations, only on 80-note and 88-note rolls rather than 65-note
rolls.

In mezzoforte playing, the Subdue levers will be held over only part-way.
But you can't learn the use of Themodist that way, it's a matter of
listening to the music and letting your hands do what's necessary without
looking !  You can feel the Subdue levers throttling the stack -- it's like
a balloon under your feet.

Sorry if this is rather technical.

Dan Wilson

 [ Thanks for the fine description, Dan, and more power to you foot-
 [ pumping "Pianolists"!  -- Robbie