Hi! I just joined this list yesterday, and would like to introduce myself
and ask a few questions.  I apologise if the latter have a 'newbie'
quality...

I'm pretty much new to 'mechanical music', although I've always been
interested.  My new surge of interest has been caused by the purchase of a
basic player piano.  I work as a musician, but primarily in other areas -
composition, and, in particular, working with electronics.  I'm therefore
very interested in the question Andy Taylor asked re. 'reading' piano rolls
and converting them to MIDI.  I also have some related questions of my own,
on which I'd be very grateful for any help:

1.  I'm sure it's possible to work the other way, and punch rolls from
    MIDI files.  What kind of equipment is necessary to do this? Are there
    companies that offer this as a commercial service?

2.  Is it possible to do the kind of thing Mr. Taylor is asking about
    by tracking the keys rather than the roll itself? Someone once told me
    about some kind of MIDI sensor strip that can be installed under the keys
    of a piano, but I never followed it up, and have no idea where to get it
    from!

3.  I seem to have inadvertently trashed yesterdays digest, but I seem
    to remember someone asking about MIDI (or electric?) valves.  What are the
    function of these?

4.  What is 'Pianomation'?

5.  The pianola I have is powered by the usual dual pedals.  Is it
    at all feasible to modify such a piano to run of an electric pump?

I do apologise for asking so many questions in one go!

Thanks for any help you can give me...

*******************************

Joseph Hyde
Dartington College of Arts
Totnes
Devon TQ9 6EJ

Tel: [+44] (0)1803 861661
Fax: [+44] (0)1803 863569
Email: j.hyde@dartington.ac.uk
WWW: http://www.dartington.ac.uk/~j.hyde/