This is a real nitpicker of interest to very few, but I wish to correct
what I perceive to be minor inaccuracies in Douglas Henderson's
posting yesterday (980305) on the subject of fast tempos.

As part of his dissertation he said:

> This is not unlike the later Concertola Aeolian tempo-setting idea,
> at the beginning of rolls custom-perforated for the customer; those
> that weren't, were set by the user with the teensy Tempo Lever
> inside the Concertola roll- changing cabinet.  (As I recall, the
> Concertola ran at Tempo 30-40 without the manual or automatic
> recalibration.)

First off, it is my impression that the rolls were not custom-
perforated for the customer (although this could have been possible),
but that a special punch, which I wish I had, was part of the package
purchased by the consumer and he/she did his/her own punching.  Of
course, I cannot be certain, but I am not aware of any rolls
specifically punched commercially for the roll-changer Concertola.

There is a tempo adjustment in the Concertola console: a regular-sized
(whatever that is) lever, not "teensy".  This does not adjust the tempo
in the 1-2-4-8 Duo-Art standard way, but simply varies the tension on
the roll motor governor spring.  Faster = higher tension and faster
speed.  At any particular speed this correction is relatively small
and certainly does not encompass the entire range of speeds required,
nor is it calibrated in any way to indicate roll tempo.

On automatic (roll-encoded) calibration, with no perforations (tempo
"intensity" 0) it is true that the base tempo is adjusted to 30 or 35
(my memory fails me at this point).  Each "intensity" level thereafter
is equated to a tempo of 5.  In this way any tempo from 30 to 105
(or is it 35 to 110?) can be set.  That is, 30 to (30 + I*5) with "I"
running from 0 to 15 just as in the 0-15 intensity system, utilizing
similar "accordions," butterfly style, operating the equivalent of the
standard tempo slide in the governor.

Just to set the record straight...

Jim Heyworth,
Sechelt, B.C., Canada
james_heyworth@sunshine.net