This question just struck me a few days ago.  Electricity is so much
easier to build, and probably cheaper to use than air.  Why did the
mechanical music all run with tricky air valves that had to be sealed,
pneumatics that could leak, leather that was probably costly -- when they
could have run all of this off electromagnets?

Also, electric motors would have had a million advantages over pneumatics
in size, and how easy they would have been to build.  As for control, I
have heard of music books where pins go through the holes to open the air
valves, therefore, the pin could have completed an electrical circuit.

Damon Atchison
Damon66@juno.com

 [ Short answer: Economics and speed.  It was much cheaper to make a
 [ pneumatic system, and pneumatics can move faster than can heavy steel
 [ components like magnets and solenoids.  For a better explanation
 [ I hope we hear now from our wise MMD authors!  :-)  -- Robbie