[ Robbie wrote: ]

>[ Our readers in Europe are friendly and patient when I write to them
>[ in "schoolboy German".  It is a pleasure when MMD can help.  Adrian
>[ is 18 years old and is interested in all about barrel organs!  :)
>[ -- Robbie

Great!  We do need the "kiddies" ... The mechanical-music society is
far "too old", the way I see it, so after-growth is very welcome.
If costume clubs and steam-train associations can make it, we should
be able to induce the youth, too.

 [ Adrian Schmidt wrote: ]

> Dear MMD Readers, does anyone know a system to make a 41er Bruder band
> organ play MIDI-files and cardbooks?

Yes.

> My friend (who owns the organ) has a Midi-player and a special
> control system with magnets which control the pipes.

Well, all those "chip-organs" work that way ...

> But is there a system that can control the keyframe or tracker bar?
> I heard there is a system available for player pianos which works
> with CDs.  Is such system also possible for band organs?

I don't know these, but I know the solution for the problem:
"Multi-Input" is the keyword, and it's an old idea.

The normal problem, up to now, was to be able to play different
cardboard books or to play cardboards and paper rolls or discs or so...

Now, its the same, but with electronics.

Well, I'm looking for such a system as well for our Dutch organ
(the big one ;-) )   It shouldn't be too difficult.

The idea is to have to types of input (here, one is cardboard and
the other is MIDI).  Both have to supply the command-wind for the
relays, and one should be able to toggle between them (to be more
precise: you _have_ to toggle, else the system will not work, 'cause
the command-wind of the system in use would always escape through
the second input-system).

What we need, therefore, is the same system as in the organs that work
only by MIDI.

Isn't there anyone who would like to create a medium, that has about
120 notes as input by MIDI (well, the whole MIDI scale, chromatic, with
Input by standard MIDI-cable) and outputs 120 cables of command-wind?

It should be configurable (at least in sections of 40 lines) by which
MIDI-channel each line should listen to.  (This would make arranging
much easier, instead of putting all of it into one channel, and
especially better for editing.)

Wind-supply should come from the fed instrument.  The interface for
each instrument (including the toggle mechanism) should be made by
their owners or by some people who can do that (me for example ;-) ).

If anyone with knowledge on MIDI, MIDI-Instruments, electrical and
electronic (magnets etc.), woodwork/pneumatic and so on is interested
to create something (perhaps even in a series of ... well ... who else
is interested in this mechanism? ... Let's say at least 10) may please
get in contact with me for the measures of the pneumatic parts. Tnx!

> Thank you.  Yours,
>
> Adrian Schmidt
>
> [ I hope MMD can find an answer for you, Adrian.  The PowerRoll
> [ system is designed for a vacuum system, such as a Pianola.
> [ Maybe a similar device can be made for a pressure system
> [ ("keyless" organ with a tracker bar), or even to operate the
> [ brass finger keys of a key-type organ.  -- Robbie

There you are ... As far as I know there already is an interface for
standard _barrel_-organs and for paper-roll-organs (20-keyless, perhaps
other scales also), but they aren't MIDI, they are chip!  Dammit!  Who
had that idea?!  We want MIDI!  :-)

greetings by(e) InK - Ingmar Krause

ERlanger drehORGEL-Trio, Familie Krause, erorgelt@erlangen.franken.de

 [ The electronic chip (read-only memory on a plug-in circuit card)
 [ eliminated the cost of the spool-box in the barrel organ, but the
 [ system appeared on the market just as MIDI equipment was appearing.
 [ The organ manufacturers have been slow to respond to the demand for
 [ MIDI control.  The organ owners are crying and the time is ripe!
 [ Engineers -- are you listening?  :)  -- Robbie