I find this proposition as peculiar as the one about how the editing
department (and not the technician) is the reason for notes dropping.
Usually I just laugh at the discussions, but really, I can not swallow
the proposition that implies they didn't play final copy before
producing it.

We're told, according to the Billings "Rollography", that Frank Milne
headed the department from 1918 until the end of production, and now
we're supposed to believe he was sloppy?  From the very beginning?
I think Milne grew in his understanding of the capability of the
system, but he did not retain his position in this great corporation
through its hey-day through being sloppy.

This is Aeolian [Duo-Art], not American [Ampico].  We're not just
switching on and off an un-adjustable cresendo (dragged at variable
speeds across the tracker-bar).  This is far more precise.  What's
more, there are world renowned pianists being willing to play for this
company, again and again.  And now we're expected to believe they
didn't care that their recordings were being issued so poorly done?
Really!

I have several thousand rolls, and I only play paper on my pianos, as
I have for the last 50 years.  A good Duo-Art doesn't drop notes, and
the only pedal problems I've encountered on are on sloppy recuts.

Bruce Grimes