I have recently built the MIDster PUNCH machine designed by Bob Essex.
I had built a John Smith Busker organ and am punching my own music, but
I really wanted to find a way to punch music automatically.  12 plus
hours of hand punching is fun, but it does take time so that's when I
turned to the MIDster PUNCH machine which read about on MMD.  This has
been a fun project to build with plenty of support from the book and
from Bob, himself.  It's amazing to have the sound of punching quietly
in the background even while I am at work at something else or taking a
break.

I'm not good on computers and have an old NEC 386, so was a
little worried about undertaking this project, but the software that
runs the machine was so easy to install and program for different
stepping motors that it was trouble-free.  The mechanics are well
designed and the electronics are fairly simple to build, only a handful
of ICs although Bob tells me that he is having PC boards made up  for
those who don't find hard wiring electronics so easy.

The lead screw I was worried about getting I found in the US from a
company called KERK Motion Products, Inc. in New Hampshire.  This is a
1mm lead screw for about $30.  Rollers I scrounged from discarded
copiers and printers that have most of the parts needed for this
project.

MIDI files can be downloaded from the internet to be punched for your
organ or from a keyboard or manually.  From what I understand, it can
be expanded to do piano rolls.  I'll stick to my crank organ rolls for
a while yet, but would love to hear from anyone who has had experience
with this punch machine.  Check out Bob Essex's MIDster PUNCH homepage,
http://members.aol.com/midpunch/   This is another great find from MMD.

Thanks guys!
Charlie Randazzo

Middleton, MA
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