I bought a Melville-Clark Apollo about a year ago.  Its my first and
only player piano.  I've noticed while playing rolls, especially larger
rolls, that the tempo is quite a bit faster near the end of the roll
than at the beginning.  It's so pronounced that I find myself decreasing
the speed of the take-up spool while playing.

I do realize that the actual speed for the paper across the tracking
bar will increase as paper is rolled onto the take-up spool
(circumference increases, and assuming constant take-up spool speed).
However, I would assume that when a roll is being recorded this effect
is compensated for.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

Steve Pazar

 [ My pianos behave the same way.  The only style piano rolls I have
 [ with inherent speed compensation are classical recordings made
 [ at a recording piano.  Pop music rolls and rolls made at the drafting
 [ board usually don't employ compensation; the 'pianolist' is supposed
 [ to participate in the performance.  ;-)  10-tune orchestrion rolls
 [ had compensation applied, of course, and the Wurlitzer company had
 [ an especially ingenious perforator for this task.  See Matthew
 [ Caulfield's photos and description, "How Wurlitzer Rolls Are Made",
 [ at http://www.wurlitzer-rolls.com/pdetails.html  -- Robbie