Hello, all--

After lurking on the list for some time, I guess it's time to
jump in. The recent discussions of roll preservation through
MIDIfication concern the very topic which first attracted me to
this field several years ago, although my technical knowledge
is basically nil. Though a mild-mannered research
psychologist/medical bureaucrat by day, I've long had an
interest in historical preservation in the arts, and even a
business interest (for many years I sold original posters from
the Art Nouveau and Deco eras.) I've restored a
pre-Orchestrelle Aeolian player organ and recently acquired a
Steinway Duo-Art upright.

After having had more than a few rolls self-destruct before my
eyes, and wishing I could afford (space and money-wise) a
larger roll library, I believe that I'm not alone in wanting  a
mechanism which:

a. will play MIDI files on my reproducing piano¶
b. does not involve permanent alteration to the piano¶
c. uses the existing reproducing mechanism (i.e., is not a
vorsetzer)

So... is it too Rube Goldbergian to suggest a device which
would clamp onto the tracker bar and which would have, for each
tracker bar opening, a  small solenoid-controlled shutter or
mini-valve which would mimic roll perforations by allowing air
into the tracker bar in the same manner as perforations.  All
the information would come straight from a MIDI file, assuming
the problems in acquiring roll information could be solved.

By the way, I'd be delighted to help in the archiving project
which has been mentioned here.  There seems to be a coalescence
of interest in this, as even a friend of mine who is definitely
a non-techie (and is also an officer of AMICA)  suggested the
other day that roll preservation would be an appropriate
project for AMICA. It also, incidentally, fits right in with
the Library of Congress' current efforts to preserve this
country's cultural heritage electronically.

Regards,

Steve Harris