Dear MMD Readers:  I am a new MMD junkie in the process of creating
MIDI sequences for ultimate perforation as 88 note piano rolls by the
Tonnesens at Custom Music Rolls.  I am importing MIDI files into a format
usable by Custom Music Rolls (*.web) by using Wayne Stahnke's fabulous
program, "View".  "View" is also helpful for adding the sustain ("loud")
coding, for adding lyrics, etc.  I know that other people who read the
MMD also turn MIDI files into rolls.

Although a neophyte, I am aware that for various reasons, _each
individual note_ of a MIDI file which will ultimately be turned into a
perforated player roll _must be of a shorter duration_  (the "back end"
of the note) to make the player performance satisfying (i.e., not
over-legato).

My query is: As a general rule, how much (time-wise) shorter does each
MIDI note need to be (at the back end) so that the roll performance will
SOUND like the original MIDI performance?   I suspect that one employs a
sophisticated sequencing program to shorten all of the notes a by a
pre-determined small amount.

I look forward to your responses.  Many thanks.

Tim Baxter

 [ If your roll will be perforated by the Tonnesens, truncate the note
 [ duration by 3-1/2 (3.5) holes.  This is appropriate for their machine
 [ which punches 45 rows-per-inch.  Notice that this truncation has
 [ nothing to do with time.  It's needed because the effective distance
 [ is greater when the hole in the paper passes over the hole in the
 [ tracker bar.  It's important that you forget about "time" when you
 [ make corrections for the hole in the tracker bar; these effects are
 [ a _distance_ correction, and are independent of time _and_ how
 [ fast the music plays and how fast the paper moves.   -- Robbie