Hello Music Lovers,  And I use this greeting with all due deliberation.
I have been reading with interest and in some cases amusement the
various opinions about paper roll pianos vs. those that are computer
driven.  I believe that they are completely different animals aimed at
different audiences.

I have owned examples of most of the leading American reproducing piano
systems over the years and have enjoyed them immensely.  Mechanically
they are all remarkable.  Musically, I've found that they vary
considerably based not so much on the system but on the quality and
condition of the piano to which they are attached and the quality and
level of adjustment of the restoration of the player system.

And there's nothing that compares with the lowly foot pump 88-note
player piano for old time sing-along fun.  I get a lot of enjoyment
from my old Cable upright as do my friends and their kids.

I've also owned the Yamaha Disklavier which has progressed substantially
from its early days.  The Disklavier Pro is the standard now at most
recording studios and my experience both listening to them and recording
on them has been very satisfying.

But the Disklavier has its drawbacks.  Most importantly, its only
available factory installed in a Yamaha piano.  Since my wife and
I own a vintage Steinway and we love piano music from classical to
contemporary, we looked at all the new systems that can be retrofitted
to existing pianos and there was simply no comparison to Wayne Stahnke's
Live Performance LX system.

It's not cheap and it's not widely marketed.  It's really almost
a secret for serious piano music lovers.  But there's nothing like it.
And for the first time in my 40 years of collecting -- thanks to the
efforts of folks like Spencer Chase, Richard Stibbons, Mark Fontana and
all the roll scanners out there -- I can play music from every player
and reproducing system ever made effortlessly and easily.  I can even
control the piano from this laptop and create musical programs for
parties, dances and concerts.  And I'm really looking forward to
Halloween this year to surprise trick-or-treaters.

I lament the demise of the paper operated reproducing piano.  Each
week I find restored and unrestored roll operated instruments offered
on Craig's list for firewood prices.  I wish there was enough interest
in them to find good homes for them, but unfortunately there is not.
I own what I own, I support the collector associations, and I let the
market do what it will.

50 or 100 years from now, my piano with its LX system may find the same
fate.  I'll be long gone but the enjoyment I've received and shared
will be priceless.

Warm regards from sunny Los Angeles,
Marc J. Sachnoff
tel.: 1-310-291-3645 cell