I am new to this group and I am hoping to get an idea of the possible
availability of the "Pianola" type of mechanism.  Either Duo-Art or
Ampico would be suitable.

I own a Boesendorfer Model 200 (circa 1965) which now has a PianoDisc +128
system installed.  It is in amazingly pristine condition.  Since my high
school days, when I repaired reproducer mechanisms, I have wanted to own
an automated instrument.

Now that I have the electronic [nearly] equivalent I am hoping to
transfer piano rolls into MIDI format purely for my own enjoyment (not to
re-sell).  Well, I don't own that many rolls, yet.

So I would be interested in anyone who might offer MIDI files of legally
transferred piano rolls (some of which I have already discovered) and I
would also be v-e-r-y interested in obtaining a Duo-Art automated player
(that I can roll up to my Boesendorfer) which would permit me to do the
transfer (the PianoDisc can also record).  I know that some of you out
there have done this.  Quite honestly, the $35 diskettes I have obtained
are not that good and terribly expensive, in my humble opinion.

On a related subject, I am curious if anyone can account for the apparent
different versions of George Gershwin's performances between what I have
heard recorded on CDs and published (Duo-Art mechanisms) and what I have
heard from the 3.5" diskettes (unknown source) in MIDI form.  The
performances are distinctly different (but definitely George) and that
baffles me!  The Rhapsody in Blue seems to be the "one-and-only"
original, but some of the other "light" pieces are "alternate"
performances.

Thanks for any advice and help on the PianoDisc and related subjects.

(A devoted "automata-phile")   ;>)

Mark Crosby

 [ Editor's Note:
 [
 [ There has been a lot of discussion here over the last two years
 [ (yes, the 2nd anniversary of the Digest is right around the corner).
 [ A number of people in this group have converted rolls to computer
 [ files by "directly reading" them, either with pneumatically operated
 [ switches, or optically.  Mark Fontana, Wayne Stahnke, myself, and others
 [ have built such readers.  It is generally accepted that using a
 [ pneumatic action on piano keys operating a "MIDI Record Strip" produces
 [ a "less than archival quality" transcription.  Though it can be
 [ fun, and useful, its probably NOT the way to record rolls for
 [ re-perforating.
 [
 [ Wayne Stahnke has made a science out of recording rolls
 [ and has been doing it for a long time.  Last winter he announced
 [ his intention to make some of his older Ampico transcriptions
 [ available.  This is probably a good time to ask Wayne how his
 [ project to release these transcriptions is going.
 [
 [ I also suspect that others will have suggestions as to where
 [ to find MIDI files (both from rolls and other sources) to play.
 [
 [ Jody