In scanning the small core mortuary organ rolls I have come across
a previously undocumented Reproduco roll variation. We already know
that a 10-note chime cabinet was an option and a few instruments have
a switch to control that, but no known chime cabinets attached to
standard [theater model] Reproduco have been found, as far as I know.

Pictures from Bruce Perelman and Jack Conway (attached) show what the
chime cabinet probably looked like. But no one has documented how
those chime cabinets were controlled.

Now the undocumented part: On some mortuary rolls (picture attached) the
label says "With Chimes". After scanning these rolls I have determined
that the chime cabinet was controlled by a lock and cancel device or
stack valves tubed to tracker bar holes 81 and 82 (which usually are
playing piano notes 101F8 and 102F#8).

Likely, those chimes were tee'd into the corresponding piano playing
notes. The chimes are played by these roll notes [MIDI/Cakewalk
notation]: 72C6, 74D6, 75E6, 77F6, 79G6, 81A6, 82A#6, 83B6, 84C7, 86D7.
These notes for chimes are found only on mortuary music rolls.

Attached is a screenshot of a scanned mortuary roll with holes 81 and
82 (Chime Off and On) punched into the roll to turn the chime cabinet
off and on. It is shown in the orientation it would play on a small core
roll frame [player piano spool frame].

I haven't noticed this punching on large core rolls yet, so it may
have been limited to rolls for the mortuary organ. So for those of
you restoring Reproduco mortuary organs, take note of this variation,
because a "With Chimes" roll will play the chime cabinet controls as
notes F8 and F#8 on your piano.

There has also been some discussion of what tracker bar hole 87 does or
if it does anything at all. One guess is that this was for an accenting
device that would increase the volume at specific points in the roll,
but not everyone agrees with that. I have come across only a couple of
large core rolls that have hole 87 punched into them and their use is
inconclusive.

So if any of you have a virgin, untouched Reproduco, one that you can
trace the tubing from tracker bar hole 87, please, oh please let me know
where that goes to!

Charlie Morgan
San Diego
charlie.d.morgan@gmail.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]

 [ https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/23/07/02/230702_191115_label%20with%20chimes.jpg 
 [ https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/23/07/02/230702_191115_Chimes.jpg 
 [ https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/23/07/02/230702_191115_Chimes1.jpg 
 [ https://www.mmdigest.com/Attachments/23/07/02/230702_191115_Chimes2a.jpg