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MMD > Archives > November 2010 > 2010.11.29 > 03Prev  Next


Pianocorder
By Tim L'Amoureux

Let me chime in here.  I, too, have a piano with a Pianocorder in it.
I traded it for a Knabe grand Ampico about 25 years ago.  The system
is still working as new -- I gotta hand it to Marantz!  The one weak
link of the Pianocorder system were the tapes and the tape player.

I went through two tape decks and was constantly repairing the
cassettes.  I was about to have it removed and another solenoid
player installed; needless to say I am so glad I kept the Pianocorder
installed [because] I found a source that resurrected my instrument.
It now plays MIDI and native Pianocorder and MIDI files with lyrics
(KAR files).

The software and hardware for this conversion is reasonable and very
well documented, in easy-to-use format, and the results are astounding.
The company also offers a wireless conversion so that the computer does
not have to be hardwired to the piano.  I can highly recommend this
product and yes, it is from Mark Fontana.  Anyone who has a "dead"
Pianocorder system should really consider this low cost software/hardware.
It saved me over $10K and my piano now sings daily.

Many thanks to Mark!  If you have not visited his web site, take the
time -- it is well worth it.  The screen shot is what the piano roll
and word display looks like.

  http://www.pianocorder.info/winamp_plugin/ 

I would be happy to field any questions you may have from one very
happy long time user.  Feel free to E-mail me at the address below.

Just for information, my piano is a 9-foot Knabe built in the 1960s.
The piano was purchased from Colton Piano about 25 years ago and the
Pianocorder was installed on-site in my home.  I purchased a Superscan
display console along with the Pianocorder since there were tapes that
had words.

The Superscan display unit is an LED display that displays the words to
the songs on about a dozen original Pianocorder tapes.  Mark has since
upgraded his software to display the words of KAR files.   The really
nice thing about his system is that the computer display also simulates
a piano roll and simulates the Superscan so it is possible to have a
"sing-a-long piano roll" scrolling while the piano is playing.

Tim L'Amoureux
Hollywood, California


(Message sent Mon 29 Nov 2010, 06:34:24 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

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