I first carried out some practical research when producing the CD that
accompanied "The Nicole Factor in Mechanical Music."  We asked Society
members to volunteer a selection of Nicole movements deemed to be in
good playing condition, some restored and quite a few apparently in
original un-restored condition.  They ranged from the small tabatière
types to the cartels.

An ex-BBC (British Broadcasting Company) sound engineer did the
recording work in mostly domestic environments.  I then worked with
a musicologist in his sound recording studio.  Owners were reluctant to
let others have their instruments so none were done in the uniform
environment of the studio.  Instead, we did the editing 'on screen'.

There is nothing like seeing the sound traces as the music is playing
-- it is almost as if one is reading the score.  The time base of the
pattern of sound waves can be stretched.  We were not looking for
tuning stretching per se but to get rid of extraneous noises due to,
say, a poor damper, once a car horn, a church bell and someone who
crept too close to the recording equipment breathing deeply!  All were
clipped out digitally and the poorly dampered note replaced with a copy
of its neighbour.

On one occasion the recordist had turned off the machine just as the
last echoes were dying away.  No problem, the previous truncated bit
was copied, tacked on to the end and its amplitude tapered down until
the sound became inaudible.

Both tracks were then duplicated for stereo effect, all the tracks
assembled and then mastered so that a small tabatière could follow a
Grand Format without change in volume.  The backgrounds were changed
digitally so that all instruments seemed to be recorded at one
location; our choice was something that equated with a Victorian-type
room with high ceiling, wooden panels and floors.

Later, I physically examined a 4-air Henri Lecoultre, single comb,
long-and-short-pin forte-piano mandoline movement.  Precise measurements
coupled with an 'on screen' analysis of the best track, 'in concert'
with the same musicologist revealed many hidden aspects about the way
it was pinned.

Much of the comb was taken up with groups of teeth for the mandoline
effect.  The lower end of the comb comprised much fewer notes but still
about 5 octaves.  Stretch was less evident but still discernable,
probably being overwhelmed by the mandoline effect.  The study revealed
the mechanistic way in which crescendo and diminuendo was incorporated
and how emphasis of 'beat' was produced when pairs of teeth were played
in unison.

The study will be included in my next and final book called "The Music
Makers of Switzerland," a dedication to H.A.V. Bulleid's "Tune Sheet
Book," and companion of "The Nicole Factor in Mechanical Music" (now
sold out, I believe) and "The Disc Musical Box Book," (still available
from Kevin McElhone).

Sadly, after all the work that went into the production of this
sequence of books, a new administration terminated their Publications
Committee of which I was a member.  Hence "The Music Makers of
Switzerland" will now be funded privately.  I have placed a contract
and it should be available for sale in about 10 months time.  I will
not sell it for profit and it will be priced at the cost of printing
plus administrative overheads, with extra for postage.

I have a personal copy of a CD that has a search facility and the
articles of John Powell and others.  The CD is under copyright but
I see no reason why John's work should not be available to your eyes.

Paul Bellamy
Kent, UK