John Dewey asked about his Solo Carola Inner Player [981104 MMDigest].

There was a discussion on this last year.  John Phillips said there
were a number in Tasmania and a good one in Melbourne.  I'd seen the
latter and contributed this in MMDigest 970505 :-

 -- quote --

 From: dwilz@cix.compulink.co.uk (Daniel Wilson)
 To: rolls@foxtail.com
 Date: Tue, 6 May 97 01:41 BST-1

 Subject: Solo Carola Inner Player

Michael Waters <mwaters@ruralnet.net.au> asked about the Solo Carola
Inner Player:

> I'm just a little curious as to how many of these mechanism's
> where made, and how rare they are today.  Are there many around still?

> I know of one such instrument and it intrigues me with those second
> lot of holes on the tracker bar.  I understand how they work but
> have never seen a roll for one let alone heard one play, (the one
> I know of doesn't go) although it is all intact, including the row
> of pneumatics for the hammers.
> [snip]
> My big question is: "Are these worth  hanging onto or not" ?
> And what's the chance of finding some rolls for one ?

I remember (19 years ago !) seeing the one John Phillips mentions,
which used to be in the outskirts of Melbourne, Vic.  It worked very
well.

The off-centre slots in the tracker bar, placed above and slightly to
one side of the note holes, de-energize an additional pneumatic which
has been closed with 43 others as soon as a Solo Carola roll has been
placed in the spoolbox and the instrument pumped up.  These rolls have
a longer snout on the non-drive end which actuates the vital valve.
Each pneumatic by lifting two hammers provides half-blow for two
adjoining notes, it being presumed no-one but disgracefully bad
composers would write semitone discords into their melodies.

A note to be accentuated is perforated wider (I think on the left ?)
on the roll and de-actuates the corresponding half-blow mechanism.

                                MM (<- extended snout)
     __________________________====
    /         ......... ....      |
   /         - --------  --       |    Only the start of a solo hole
  /          - --------   --      |    is widened, since the hammers
O< []        = =-------    =-     |    may safely be lowered again
  \     Solo>= =                  |    once the note has been struck
   \     holes>  = = =            |
    \__________________________   |
                               ====


 [ Editor's Note:
 [
 [ The ASCII art of the "roll" above must be viewed in a "mono-space"
 [ font to be viewed correctly.
 [
 [ Jody

Since the half-blow is considerable, this results in a marked "theme"
effect in the notes so perforated.  As with Kastonome mentioned
earlier, the virtue of the Solo Carola is that it provides
instantaneous "theme" for any notes in a chord.  The disadvantage is
that the tracking has to be _perfect_ for it to work properly.

I would say: Solo Carolas are as rare as hen's teeth and, indifferent
piano or no, are worth holding onto as a curious example of mankind's
inventive genius.  Likewise the rolls.  I imagine ordinary rolls can be
converted to Solo Carola with the careful use of a razor blade (and an
override switch to work the valve normally worked by the extended
spool end).  SC rolls can be played on an ordinary player whose tracking
is good.

Dan Wilson
 -- unquote --

Dan Wilson, London