Thanks for the info on the Peter Phillips Tape Converter for
the Ampico, John.  This table shows the frame rate of the various
asynchronous systems:
•
   recut, 63 steps/in @ T80:  100 frames per second
   Stahnke Converter:         100 frames per second
   Phillips Converter:         50 frames per second
   Pianocorder System:         35.15625 frames per second
•
An Ampico piano playing first-generation recuts, or by the Stahnke
system, is generally deemed pleasant.  Pianocorder tapes of Ampico
rolls are considered pretty poor quality.  One reason that Yamaha
purchased Pianocorder was to acquire the music library for Disklavier,
but they apparently have abandoned efforts to salvage the transcribed
files of reproducing piano rolls.

Many years ago PianoDisk borrowed Ampico rolls from a friend of
mine and converted them for their system.  The titles were briefly
listed in their catalog, but then deleted from later issues.  I don't
know why.

Several folks can now convert from the Ampico roll into a Midi format
which can be played on a synthesizer or solenoid piano.  Horst Mohr
realizes excellent results playing original rolls on his real-time system.
(I call his the "Electronic Ampico"!)  Wayne Stahnke first re-creates the
master roll, and then uses off-line processes to emulate the Ampico or
Welte pneumatic reproducing piano and output the data in Disklavier or
Midi file formats. His results are also excellent.

The techniques for Ampico-to-Midi and Midi-to-Ampico conversion are
now under discussion in a new forum conducted by Digest member Karl
Petersen; the forum hopes to establish technical standards and
procedures for evaluating the methods.  Topics under discussion
include definitions relating hammer velocity, stack pressure, and
"Midi velocity".  Other proposed topics include sampling rates and
the practical aspects of synchronous and asynchronous "master files".

Robbie Rhodes