My Ampico has been playing from 'erolls' since the late 1970s and
still does.  My first point about 'erolls' versus real rolls is that
an eroll system fitted to a pneumatic player can result in a better
performance, as the 'third' valve (the electric valve) helps overcome
deficiencies in the instruments primary valves.  Rolls that perform
poorly on my Ampico sound better when the eroll version is played.
This is because the primary valves in my Ampico need refurbishing, and
the roll readers roll transport system was more accurate and stable
than the Ampicos roll transport.

But this discussion is more about solenoid pianos compared to
pneumatic pianos.  My first solenoid player was a PianoDisc (in 1995),
subsequently replaced in 2002 with a MkII Disklavier.  So, in my music
room there are two pianos, a 1923 Knabe Ampico 5'4" grand and the above
mentioned C7 Disklavier.  Both these instruments play my Ampico erolls,
and both sound much the same.  To a point.  The reality is that if
I want to hear a full concert performance of, say, Mischa Levitzki,
I will choose the Disklavier to avail myself of its wider dynamic range
and better sound quality.  Popular music tends to sound more authentic
on the Ampico.

During this discussion I have noted the use of the term "steam engine",
which suggests the writer loves this technology.  For many collectors,
an instrument like a Disklavier is akin to a modern diesel locomotive,
and therefore to be avoided.  That's fine, as we need died-in-the-wool
collectors as much as we need those championing the newer technology.
I tend to belong to the latter camp, but I also appreciate the old
instruments.  The reality is that the performance on a Disklavier, etc.,
is only as good as the information fed into it.  An 'eroll' therefore
needs to be an accurate representation of the original roll, which is
more difficult to achieve than is commonly believed.

Trying to recreate a concert performance by an artist such as Brailowsky,
Lhevinne etc requires great attention to detail.  This detail is encoded
in the rolls, and extracting it for use on a solenoid piano is where
the problems begin.  And it only becomes evident as a problem when you
are dealing with such high level pianists.  I do not believe it's
possible to judge a player piano by listening to popular rolls.  These,
good as they are, are sufficiently less exacting to ensure they sound
pretty good on most instruments.

The potential of a solenoid powered player piano to outperform
a pneumatic instrument is obvious.  Some writers suggest a pneumatic
has a similar action to a human finger, where a solenoid has the
reverse action.  I question whether this is a problem, as a solenoid
can be made to act in whatever way the engineer wants.  I often compare
my Disklavier to the Ampico, and putting aside things like complete
lack of noise, ease of use and other practicalities, there is no doubt
that the Disklavier is my preferred instrument.  It can play more
softly and evenly, it can reach higher volumes and it can accent more
sharply.  Better still is the sound of the piano.

Even so, a MkII Disklavier falls short of higher level instruments such
as the Disklavier Pro, the Stahnke SE system and the Boesendorfer CEUS
system.  (I can't comment on the Stahnke LX system, as I have not yet
heard one.)  These systems incorporate a higher level of technology
that is only accessed with recordings made for these instruments.
However, when used with a standard MIDI file, such as an Ampico eroll,
the performance will have an improved clarity, assuming the eroll MIDI
file has been properly produced in the first place.

Summing up, I maintain that a modern solenoid player piano is potentially
better than any pneumatic player, and that the future of piano rolls
lies in converting them to MIDI files.  The real issue is not which
type of instrument is best, it's how to accurately and faithfully read
the musical data of a piano roll and store it as a MIDI file.  It's
only when you have the right musical source that comparisons can be
made.  It has long been my goal to achieve archival quality 'erolls' in
MIDI format.  I don't believe this has yet been accomplished.

Peter Phillips
Sydney
http://www.petersmidi.com/