I thought that I would show you how I am scanning old orchestrion
rolls using a commercial scanner.  This is being undertaken by myself
(Julie Johnson) and Robin Paepcke.  We have already scanned rolls for
Phonoliszt-Violina, Hupfeld Pan, Welte Orchestrions, and Philips PM
rolls.  And of course for American machines such as A rolls, G rolls,
etc., as well as being able to virtually scan any other roll.  And
we are capable of also scanning thick book music for band organs or
orchestrions like Imhoff.

The idea behind this is to reproduce exact copies, punch for punch,
on a large computer controlled perforator that is nearing completion
by Tony Decap in Belgium.  It has been under construction for nearly
a year, and has capability to perforate all of the various roll design
and hole spacings with rolls up to 20 inches wide.  It will also do
book music.  It will support both exact electronic files of the
original rolls without MIDI, or new music from MIDI.  And as the files
are stored electronically, they can be reperforated more than once.

We have found that we can even salvage badly torn and distorted rolls
like we have encountered from scanning totally unplayable rolls that
came with my 1885 Welte Cottage Orchestrion.

I will be glad to forward additional photos to anyone interested,
and will also be glad to demonstrate the process to anyone interested.
It is our intention, for example, to see these "portable" machines
used by museums to save the data without removal of the rolls from
the institution, and then be able to faithfully reproduce rare and
otherwise unobtainable rolls for use on the actual machines by all
who would like to have them.  And rolls loaned for a project can be
returned well ahead of the actual perforating time.

Hupfeld of Germany, for example, had some six to eight thousand
different rolls in their catalogues.  Only a fraction were ever
reproduced in recent years.  We know there were thousands of A, G,
H, O and other US rolls.  Only a small number have been redone.  One
large museum claims to have 100,000 rolls!  They are very interested
in the project.

And new music?  You should hear some of the wonderful arrangements we
have tested on the old machines using MIDI to make new music rolls!

All you guys have done wonders in preserving the piano rolls.  Others
have reproduced on a one-time basis other rolls.  Robin and I hope
we can do the same for the rest of the rolls.

See the following link:
http://www.ideal.com/press/casestudy.asp?case=piano

Julie Johnson and Robin Paepcke
West Chicago, IL
julie@fwwv.net.geentroep
robin@fwwv.net.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]