I have often wondered about the ratio of suction lost due to holes
of the tracker bar being open compared to loss at the air motor.
Some of you must have tested this.

Assuming a constant suction loss of 10 notes being open at any point,
would that exceed the suction loss from the air motor (be it three
or more chambers) as the holes are much larger and one is always open?
I may be missing something and open to advice.

Noel Butler

 [ We must assume the system has been rebuilt so there is no significant
 [ loss due to porous wood or old pneumatic cloth.  The air consumed at
 [ the air motor and its regulator is probably comparable to the air
 [ consumed by the action pneumatics when playing a rather quiet "two
 [ hands" arrangement.  The air flowing through the valve pouch bleeds
 [ is negligible compared to the air flowing elsewhere.  In general,
 [ the total system air flow is in proportion to the number of notes
 [ per second that are played.  This effect is obvious when you pump
 [ the pedals while playing a jolly "marimba arrangement".  -- Robbie