-- non-subscriber, please reply to sender and MMD --

Greetings,  I am highly interested in adapting a MIDI system to a
"barrel" organ so that I can program the arrangements and melodies into
it.  I am aware of the system Alan Pell uses, but don't see the manner
to input arrangements into it.  I am also aware of the German company,
Hofbauer, that also makes MIDI-controlled street organs, but theirs
lack tempo control on the hand crank.

The goal is this: to adapt a MIDI system to a 26-33 note barrel/street
organ after the style of the German Harmonipan of circa 1900, as used
in Mexico City, and to program said organ with Mexican melodies and
arrangements in the style of those 1900-1920 Mexico City (German-made)
instruments.

I am working with the Unión Mexicano Organilleros de Mexico out of
Mexico City to find possible replacements for aging instruments,
and also want to explore newer options.  Paper rolls will not stand
up to the very hard use these instruments see in the dusty streets
of Mexico City, and true barrel organs are not being made anymore, or
do not have Mexican melodies on them.  MIDI seems like a possibility.

The limitations I have seen in the English systems are (1) small
bellows, not allowing for slower cranking speed and tempo variation
(which is done by better organilleros in Mexico on select songs), (2)
a softer sound than the German instruments, and (3) a non-transparent
way to program the chips.

I may even retrofit an older Mexican/German organ with the MIDI system,
if I can find a way to program the Mexican melodies and arrangements
into the MIDI system.

Anyone have any suggestions or advice?

Thanks in advance,
William Faulkner
Carmel, California
maracumbe@aol.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]
tel.: 1-831-277-5537

 [ An extract at Google (from a defunct web site) says, "According
 [ to the independent Union of Organ Grinders, there are more than
 [ 100 barrel organs still in use in Mexico today, half of them in
 [ the capital.  They provide a meagre living for around 200 people,
 [ few of whom own outright the mobile music box."
 [
 [ A nice photo of an organillero in Mexico cranking a Frati
 [ "Violinopan" is at http://www.fotoma.com.ar/en/photo/226.html 
 [ -- Robbie