With all the talk about solenoid players, I've not yet seen any mention
of the latest entry into the fray, the Baldwin Concertmaster system.
There was a full-page ad for it in last week's (more or less) Newsweek,
with a drop-out postcard to send in for more info.  (I was about to send
it in but it got swept up in the trash with the rest of those annoying
drop-outs.)

It's noteworthy that a major American quality piano maker is getting into
this field, and advertizing it in mainstream magazines.  The ad showed a
grand piano.

I know nothing about the system itself, except it seems like all the
others -- loads from CD-ROM and/or floppy disks, does expression, etc.
Don't recall whether it can record your playing, but I think it was MIDI
compatible.  Yes, yes, I should have sent the card...  Perhaps it is just
the Pianomation or some other existing system under contract, but if it
is an independently engineered development then we _really_ need to send
in that card.

My $.02 -- and that's what it's worth -- the only solenoid players I've
seen up close were grands providing background music in hotel lobbies,
playing good classical music too softly, and missing half the notes.
However, the one in Merida, Mexico was set up more for "foreground"
music and was doing a creditable job.

Mike Knudsen

 [ It's rumored that the Baldwin piano uses the QRS Pianomation player
 [ mechanism, which doesn't record.  Who owns the "Baldwin" name now,
 [ and what is the quality of the current piano?  -- Robbie