In response to the thoughtful questions posed by Jim Crank, MMD
05.08.31, I would like to make a few comments.  First, I must admit,
I am guessing just like everyone else.  But, there are some logical
exclusions for some of the suggested methods used by Aeolian.

For the last eight years I have been studying the organ rolls produced
by Aeolian.  Knowing that the paper life of these rolls is not good,
I embarked to archive as many of the these rolls as possible (116-note
format and 176-note format).  Using a spool box that plays both the
fully automatic Duo-Art roll (176) and non-automatic 116-note roll,
I use an electric drive motor at slow tempo to pneumatically read these
rolls into MIDI files.  The process requires my close scrutiny, and
I have become a keen observer of these rolls.

In general, the quality of these rolls is very high.  The 116-note
rolls are all marked with hand-stamped stop changes, tempo variations,
and expression shoe positions.  All this is a very labor-intensive
task.

Finding corrections in the rolls is not rare.  Errant perforations are
mended with tiny glued on patches, missed perforations are marked with
ink and then hand punched, and corrections to the stamped stop
information is seen as careful erasures on the paper.

The early Duo-Art rolls are all initialed and dated in fountain pen on
the back of the tab. The later production of these rolls shows less
attention to detail: the stop information no longer is printed on the
roll, and by the time the tab carries the Aeolian-Skinner name, the
roll perforations show deteriorating quality.  Chain bridging becomes
inconsistent, giving evidence that mending patches were applied to the
masters.  Chads (incomplete perforations) are also not uncommon.

One must conclude that Aeolian-Skinner did not maintain the perforators
or the masters (perhaps both).  Knowing this, I suspect that as production
ceased for these Duo-Art rolls, the word at the factory was that the
stuff was just worn out.  The next step was likely the dump.  Who knows.

How did Aeolian upgrade the 116-note rolls to Duo-Art format?  My guess
is it was all done at the drafting board.  To begin with, the 116-note
rolls had to simplify the stop changes for the non-organist patrons.
One of the easiest ways to make those stop changes was by using the
crescendo pedal, or as Aeolian called it, the "tonal" pedal.

In reality, some of the tonal changes are not really what is needed,
but selecting the proper stops individually was just too cumbersome for
the non-organist patron.  I am currently looking for examples of
upgraded rolls (116-note to 176-note) where the build up of stops is
clearly not by use of the tonal pedal, while the tonal is what is
called out on the 116-note roll.

Another reason I don't believe the upgrade occurred at the console is
that even the fully automatic hand played rolls required editor
intervention at the drafting board.  Certain peculiarities in the
Aeolian scheme required the editors to transpose notes to play notes
A#5, B5, and C6.  The pedal notes even get more tricky as the pedal
octave had to be inserted by the editors, and one editor made errors on
several rolls concerning pedal note C#2, which is just over the break
point of the octave switch.

And lastly, on 116-note rolls, the pedal notes are always on the lower
set note holes (even if the reverse coupler is set) on the paper, while
the Duo-Art rolls conveniently switch the pedal to either upper or
lower holes as necessary.  So, it would be just easier to take the
116-note master roll and hand punch in the stop changes, with perfect
placement, at the drafting table.  Getting the expression pedals right
is a real pain regardless of how you do it.

As I develop my own technique for upgrading 116-note rolls to the fully
automatic files for my MIDI player, I can say undoubtedly, it is easier
for me with a computer than it was for the Aeolian editor.  The simple
rolls can be completed in a matter of hours.  And some, while purely
mechanical in their origination, still sound terrific as a full-blown
Duo-Art performance.  Who ever heard of highly stylized interpretation
of Widor's 5th Toccata movement?

Jim Crank's desire to find anything from the wonderful past is shared
by many of us.  Let's hope more information does surface.

Bob Taylor