The recent thread about developments in roll scanning reported a new
software which converts roll scans into MIDI files, and the capability
to replicate rolls punch-for-punch.

This brought to mind the quiet work of Thomas Jansen in the medieval
town of Monschau, Germany (http://maesto.com/).  He has put a lot of
effort into this area as well.  It was ten years ago that he succeeded
in doing what others can now also do.  He has been scanning rolls,
listening to their MIDI files, editing and finally cutting new rolls
for a decade now.  On his ingenious punching machine, he has cut
thousands of copies of over two dozen formats, styles and widths of
rolls, from 20 to 150 tracks.  Replicating a roll punch-for-punch is
good, but Tom does better.

Have you ever noticed how some rolls tear along the chain perforations?
This is because the "bridges" left between the punchings are too narrow.
Tom's software allows him to optimize the width of the bridges, to make
them as wide as comfortably possible without the danger of reiteration.
After all, the only really important information on a given note is
where it begins and where it ends.  As long as those two points are
precisely replicated (and given that the note does not reiterate in
between) the music will be faithful to the original.  Why weaken the
roll with too closely spaced chain perforations?

Unbeknownst to most, Tom, with the help of his dedicated assistants,
has been cranking out some of the best quality rolls available, selling
them to a small but growing group of music lovers who can understand
and appreciate quality.  For ten years now.

Way to go, Thomas!

Jurgen Goering
Vancouver Island