Regarding Jeff Wood's speculation of what became of the J. L. Cook
Clark recording piano: I have no idea what might have become of that
instrument but I can assure everyone that it definitely did not come
to QRS in Buffalo, New York.  Ramsi Tick and I attended Lawrence's
memorial service in New York and as we were at the time negotiating
with Mike Johnson of Detroit for an E.P.C.S. (Electronic Perforator
Control System) which would also contain an editing and composition
element, we would have had no need for a second mechanical mastering
tool.

In my opinion, the greatest improvement in the manufacturing of piano
rolls, in all the time I was with QRS (1972-2005), was the elimination
of paper masters and their inherent problems caused by tracking errors.
In addition, as the sprocket holes in the masters wore, they would
eventually have to be copied which allowed for even more errors.

The other major improvement was the introduction of "stepping motors"
to operate the paper advance on the production perforators which
allowed the operator to fine-tune the length of any individual roll
so they could almost perfectly fit the lyric stencil.

Felix Klempka - QRS Chief Engineer, Retired