Hello everybody!  I think the discussion about the rolls comes close to
the point where it is more "academic theory" then anything else.

First of all, in those days there was also no "Magic".  Several times
I've had two copies of the same roll in the workshop, and they were never
exactly the same.

 [ Why?  Were they perhaps made from different master-rolls?  Or were
 [ they made by a non-synchronous perforator (Red Welte, for example)?
 [ -- Robbie

Second, paper is a natural product which reacts to humidity,  etc.  Most
of the rolls we copy are 70 years or older, and typically the width of
the rolls varies at least about 1 mm (0.040 inch) from roll to roll.
When we copy rolls we don't even try to make hole-for-hole copies from the
"scale" -- we adjust the scale of the roll to the scale of the scale block
which doesn't have these variations.

In our experience this is the only way to make new rolls which play like
the original did when they were new.  It is only concerning the length of
the roll that we have to make the compromise of making it not exactly the
same length like the original.  It's because you can not measure how long
the original was [80 years ago!], and it is, in our opinion, not that
important -- you will normally not hear the difference and you can adjust
it via the "Tempo" adjustment of the roll player.

It is always fascinating to play an old and a new roll at an instrument:
sometimes you don't think that it's the same roll at the same instrument,
especially on instruments like the big Helios Orchestrions with their
duplex switches, or Welte green with very small holes and the accent
holes at the side.

Greeting from the romantic part of the Rhine.

Joerg Wendel
Mechanical Musicboxes Manufactury GmbH