In response to the postings by David Evans and Marc Goodman and
others regarding roll scanning for preservation, it is not the fault
of obsolete digital media when it is "lost forever" -- it is the fault
of those in charge who threw out the old computer systems without
first converting the data to the newer formats.

I am happy for anyone whose 80-plus-year-old roll collection is still
completely playable.  Most roll collections have many rolls which have
become so fragile that they are in danger of disintegrating when they
are played, or even handled to thread up on the take-up spool.

The original MIDI format has been in use since 1980.  There is now
a new "high resolution" MIDI format that is coming into use in very high
end systems like the Yamaha Pro and Wayne Stahnke's LX.  The original
MIDI data files can easily be batch converted to the new format so if
the original MIDI format becomes obsolete, the data will still be
usable with the new format.

The present state of the scanning process is able to re-establish the
"punch data" of the original master roll and perforator.  From that
data it is possible to recreate an exact duplicate of the piano roll
that was scanned.

Geoff Ward's expression of gratitude for the work of the dedicated
people doing roll scanning is well earned.

Bob Hunt - Hunt Piano Company
Kennebunk, Maine
huntpiano@gwi.net.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]