[ Philip Carli wrote in 231023 MMDigest:

> The instructions are clear, except there are several things that
> simply don't work. Frustrating!

#1 - Intensity valves. Skip trying to trip them by flicking them by
hand. Instead, tape off the tracker and open the holes individually,
or run the test roll and stop it at the section where it tests the
intensity. If you see the gauge move, even slightly, while that
happens, you know it isn't that.

#2 - Amplifier. Is it actually working at all when the switch is
turned to Brilliant and off when on Normal? By the sound of it, if
this is the problem, it's not the only problem.

In my experience, it could be a very simple thing: Are the finger
pneumatic decks bolted tightly? Is the belt on the pump new/gripping?

Is there significant enough tension on the belt between the motor
and the pump? Have you checked for blockages in all the cut-off ports?
Are the soft pneumatics tripping when they shouldn't? Is the soft
pneumatic tension set too tightly?

It would also be helpful in diagnosing if we knew if this problem
has been sudden or gradual. Was it working fine and then one day it
stopped or it has been slowly deteriorating? Loose connection on the
suction side (former) or small hole in the corners of the wind motor
or crescendo (latter).

Some thoughts from a fellow silent movie accompanist.

Adam Aceto
Winter Garden, Florida
tel.: 1-818-239-6814