I'm glad Brian Smith spoke up on the Mills Violano.  Honest opinions
are always food for thought.

My opinion is that these machines are not that difficult to record,
except if you try to out-think the manufacturer.  When someone records
a Mills (or any other orchestrion), they usually leave the doors open.
During hard commercial use in a restaurant or drug store the doors
would be shut, except during servicing.  I think they all sound better
that way.  The treble edge of the front-mounted gear is muted, and the
piano sound radiating from the back takes its proper place.  When the
unit is properly coupled to the floor there is a palpable, almost
sovereign authority to it -- it's too bad that can't be captured in
a recording!

To me, part of the defiant charm of the Mills (and any other mechanical
music devices, no matter how small) is they are absolutely unaffected
by my opinion.  My wife made an awful face when she heard a loud but
otherwise almost defunct Regina Sublima.  (My recording features the
Regina, and also her going "ugghhhhhh!"  Both came out very well.)

But the machine always wins.  It's not like a TV; you can't change the
channel.  The worst machine requires only one happy owner, and it
lives!  My Dad took me to the Deansboro Musical Museum when I was six
and I've been part piano-roll ever since.

Jim Neher
Pennsylvania