I recently came across a 1960's era electrically amplified carillon.
This is the type with tuned metal rods struck by solenoids. The
vibrations from the rods are electronically amplified and sent to
loudspeakers.  There was no automatic player mechanism with this unit;
so I've converted it to play simple MIDI files that I create using
Cakewalk.

I'd like to have it chime during the daylight hours and play a tune
after it chimes, sort of a MIDI equivalent of the Ampichron system.
Surely some clever person out there has figured out a way to use a
computer's internal clock to trigger the playing of MIDI files on a
carillon?  It seems that one should be able to set up a playlist of
MIDI files on Winamp and have the computer play them automatically on
the hour.  I am not a computer person, so I would have no idea how to
actually make this happen.

I checked with a maker of modern carillon systems that use sampled
sound files to create the bell tones, rather than using vibrating rods,
and his software is not presently capable of using MIDI files to actu-
ate solenoids.

In searching the MMD Archives I found a posting from Larry Broadmoore
from January 1998 where he discusses creating just such an application
for his power roll system, if there is enough interest.  There is no
further mention of it; so I'm not sure whether it was ever developed.

If anyone knows how to accomplish my idea or knows of software already
in existence that will do it, I would very much appreciate being
steered in the right direction.

Regards,
Bruce Newman
Port Orford, OR (the most westerly city in the continental U.S.)