In Digest 96.12.01 Damon Atchison wrote:

> I was pondering how to orchestrate my piano and if it's a good
> idea, and I thought I might be able to rig up an Ampico type valve
> system for 3 different instruments such as a xylophone, flute
> pipes, mandolin bar.  I could use the bottom three and the top
> three tracker bar holes for my lock and cancel signals for each
> and rig each to the top 24 notes of the piano.

Dear Damon,

The point brought up by Craig Brougher is very valid -- only a motor-
driven piano would have sufficient vacuum to operate xylophone pneumatics,
even if they were single-strike.  I wanted to add an extra instrument and
manually control it, Photoplayer-style.  The moment you get into adding
control perfs in an 88-note roll,  you rule out playing anything that will
provide register changes except the rolls you hand edit yourself (recuts,
I assume, unless you have a perforator).  It is best to never hand edit
original rolls.

Good Luck,

S. K. Goodman

 [ Editor's note:
 [
 [ I modified standard QRS rolls for the Coinola orchestrion, with
 [ modest success.  You should see one of these old machines, Damon!
 [
 [ Robbie