I only bother replying now if I think others have missed something..

Well, although I did not go on the trip, (it is always during school
term time) the M.B.S.G.B. (Musical Box Society of Great Britain) went
on a trip to Germany recently and I have seen a video of a MIDI
controlled self playing double bass.  It certainly sounded perfectly
like a humanly played instrument, just think you could make a whole
band of 30 instruments work that way.

I cannot tell you where is was, but it was in a cafe, perhaps another
member of MBSGB will read this & tell you where this is, but there is
no point in anyone re-inventing something already done in current
technology, i.e. MIDI.

Kevin McElhone, Archivist, MBSGB.