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MMD > Archives > June 2018 > 2018.06.03 > 07Prev  Next


B.A.B. To W165 Conversions
By George Karpel

A transcribed 66-key B.A.B. roll will play all of the melody and harmony

notes.  However a principal difference between the B.A.B. roll and its

Wurlitzer counterpart is that the B.A.B. system uses multiplexing within

the organ to control both the triangle and the bass drum by the same roll

perforation, with the snare drum perforation controlling the castanets

also.  When loud registers are on, the multiplexer switches the bass drum

and snare drum into play.  When the loud registers are off, the triangle

and castanets play instead of the drums.



Play-Rite adaptations of B.A.B. 66-key music to the 165 scale did not

reckon with this complication, so that only the drums play on converted

rolls, never the triangle or castanets.  This makes for less variety in

the music.  One must hear a 66-key B.A.B. roll on the organ on which it

was intended to be played.  Unfortunately, only a few organs in the U.S.

use original B.A.B. rolls. The two carousels to use the 66-key B.A.B.

roll are located in Hampton, Va. and the Coney Island B&B Carousell.

Another organ,the Bruder "Elite" Apollo, can be found in the Doring

Collection, located in Arcadia, Calif.



I hope the preceding has clarified the capabilities of a transcribed

B.A.B. roll on the Wurlitzer 165 scale.



George Karpel




(Message sent Sun 3 Jun 2018, 02:00:07 GMT, from time zone GMT-0700.)

Key Words in Subject:  B.A.B, Conversions, W165

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