With the current discussion on the topic of playing rolls vs. MIDI,
I figured I'd wade into the MMD waters with my first posting.  I've
been reading MMD for the last year or so and am grateful for the wealth
of information available in the archives.  I took delivery of a Steinway
XR Duo-Art earlier this year, and early in May I had Spencer Chase
install the Chase-Gerety Valve Block system.

I enjoy the charm of playing music from paper rolls and still have
a number of rolls that aren't available in e-roll form.  The beauty of
the Chase-Gerety system is that it doesn't interfere with normal roll
play.  Switching from MIDI play to roll play involves removing a vinyl
strap that covers the re-roll hole on the take up spool and removing a
clear piece of plastic that covers the tracker bar holes.  It's a quick
process to put them back to resume MIDI play.

The MIDI blocks themselves sit below the bleed rail and tee into the
tracker tubing via 'Y' connectors.  The valves are then covered with a
belly cloth to hide it from sight and to dampen the slight valve noise.
The controller module mounts behind the stack.  Of course this
arrangement is particular to my piano, but the installation options
seem flexible enough  to accommodate most any installation
requirements.

From reading messages in the MMD archives, I'm aware that some people
may be skeptical of the claims of this new system.  From everything
I've seen, there's no cause for fear.  When you look at the design and
packaging, it's immediately clear that a lot of thought and effort has
been invested in this system.  Engage Spencer in a conversation and
you'll be convinced that he knows his stuff and has a handle on all
the little details that go into a reliable product.

I've now had the system for over a month and a half and it has
performed flawlessly.  Having bought Spencer's complete Duo-Art e-roll
collection, I now own an amazingly huge library of music.  I'm still
working my way through the thousands of e-rolls picking out favorites.
The MIDI emulation files provided with the collection are tremendously
convenient because they allow rapid auditioning of rolls on a computer.

If your considering buying the Chase-Gerety MIDI valve system, I can
highly recommend it.

Jeff Zabarsky
San Francisco