Introduction, and a suggestion for a roll-reader
By Peter Neilson
I've been enjoying this mailing list for a month now, and I thought I'd better introduce myself. I have two foot-pumpers: a 1929 Brewster with a Standard single-valve, and a 1924 Gulbransen, glued-not-screwed. The latter, a mediocre restoration, is on loan to a friend, and I'm content not to see it again.
The Brewster is an outdoors piano. The case is in poor shape (it cannot be damaged further by moving it about), and the panels and fallboard have been removed, so everything is visible. It has a very strident tone, and is excellent for use at parties, festivals, and on city streets. It currently lives in a two-horse trailer with a thousand sing-along and ragtime rolls, ready to go anywhere.
Until I moved to North Carolina (a story for another time) I lived not far from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and occasionally helped Dave Levin with his Magic Piano act in Harvard Square. Dave sets up one of -his- pianos right on the sidewalk, near all the other Harvard square performers, and people stop and sing along, and sometimes toss money into his bucket. It's a very tough way to make a living, but a neat hobby, and a good way to let people know that players still exist. "When did they stop making rolls for these things?" someone asks. Dave answers, "At five on Friday night, but they'll start right up again on Monday morning." Often I've provided Dave with -my- piano when he had to be in two places at once. Also, every spring I've helped Dave supply player pianos for the New England Folk Festival in Natick, Mass. Three or more pianos, and a total of 2300 rolls, including some cut especially for the Festival!
Now I'm in North Carolina where traveling player pianos are as yet unheard-of. After I get settled maybe I'll change that. Now about that roll-reader ...
I've wondered for a long time how to make a roll-reading device that would have electronic output, but would not be photo-electric, electro- mechanical, or electro-pneumatic. The ideal device, as has already been mentioned in this forum, runs at speed and is unaffected by the kind of paper or even its age and condition. It faithfully responds as a perfect pneumatic reader ought to, never skipping notes, never lengthening or shortening them. I think I may have the answer.
Inspired by reading the archived digests of this forum, I suddenly thought of an acoustic reader. It would work on the principle that open and closed organ pipes operate at different frequencies. A standard tracker bar with holes attached to appropriate resonant cavities, a set of 88 (or however many) miniature acoustic pickups, and some sort of acoustic driver would be the crucial parts. Notch filtering, amplification, A-to-D, and devices for paper control would also be part of the work.
I have several ideas on the exact details competing with each other in my mind, waiting for me to do the "99% perspiration" part of this invention. Unfortunately, my workshop is currently stored in two places, and I do not see how I can do the necessary experimentation in the near future. I therefore invite collaboration. If anyone is interested in helping me invent, engineer and manufacture this device, please get in touch with me.
= = = neilson@nando.net +1-919-773-2543
Peter Neilson Now living in North Carolina. Half
6040-A Six Forks Rd, Suite 150 the horses are here, but we still
Raleigh NC 27609 have not found a farm to buy. |
(Message sent Mon 18 Dec 1995, 12:01:21 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.) |
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