Hello Robbie, Jody, and all of MMD!  Now that I've succeeded in
achieving at least a partial (50%) retirement, I performed a work that
I had planned since, in 1994, I built two electro-pneumatic controllers
for Juergen Hocker's Ampico pianos, in a fruitful collaboration with
Horst Mohr and Juergen.

Just before Christmas (2002) the work on a third controller for
my personal use was finished and I looked into the Web for (free)
MIDI files that I could reproduce on my Haines Bros. Ampico piano.
Of course I am aware of the CD-ROMs offered by Wayne Stahnke,
Spencer Chase and Peter Phillips.

One sample I found in the MMD Technical Library: back in 1997
Wayne Stahnke submitted a "precision" scan of Ampico roll 57504A,
Prelude in C-Sharp Minor, played by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

As this file had not the webs removed, it sounded terrible on the
piano.  Looking for a simple solution, I did a little exercise with
CAL, the Cakewalk Application Language, and finally had a suitable
MIDI file which I could reproduce on my piano.  The result did not
sound as brilliant as the same oeuvre on Wayne's TELARC CD, but
nevertheless I was very happy about my personal Christmas gift.

I send the CAL program to Robbie for inclusion in the MMD Technical
Archive.  Please note that I did it the simplest way, e.g., I did
not account for the different length of the holes in the tracker bar.

Best regards from Germany

Walter Tenten

 [ Thank you, Walter, I will place your article and the files at the
 [ MMD Tech site, http://mmd.foxtail.com/Tech/  The WEB file cited is
 [ part of a tutorial package donated by Wayne Stahnke to introduce
 [ the WEB data file format, which is used to make a hole-for-hole
 [ replica of a music roll.  The tutorial is found under the title
 [ "Transcribing music rolls" at http://mmd.foxtail.com/Tech/
 [
 [ The critical component of the Ampico control system is the magnet
 [ valve, which must operate reliably and quickly, at 4" to 40" water
 [ column suction.  Walter's clever valve design, utilizing a cheap
 [ auto relay, is shown at http://mmd.foxtail.com/Tech/mValves.html
 [
 [ -- Robbie