Download Pianolas

MIDIS, PLAYER PIANOS, MORE
1. Original Player pianos were pneumatic - mechanical using foot pumped bellows.
2. When these pianos are modernized the foot pumped bellows are replaced with a motor
driven bellows pump.
3. The third change to an original player is the addition of electrically operated valves
inserted into the vacuum
lines from the tracker bar. The holes in the tracker bar are covered with the roll leader,
and the valves are driven
from an electronic MIDI decoder. This is electro-pnumatic. The player piano is still a
pneumatic player piano with
the addition of the MIDI of the MIDI electronics and valves.
4. There are modern piano adaptations such as the Yahama Disclavier that are all
electronic-electrical. These have a Disk
player that is Yahama proprietary (you can only get from Yahama) or they can play from
MIDI files made to work
with the Disclavier. An old roll can be made to work with this system, but all of the
control holes in the original roll
must be converted to what the Yahama needs for its controls.
5. The Disclavier and the Pianocorder use solenoids to push up on the Pianoforte
mechanism to drive the hammers.
An original pneumatic player uses a vacuum bellows motor to do this. A solenoid is an
electromagnet that has a
movable core that driver the pianoforte. These pianos (at least the pianocorder could also
operate the pedals, I think
the Disclavier can do the same).
6. Then there are the electronic MIDI pianos. These are all electromic and follow the
General MIDI specification for
control. When played they may sound like a piano, but the keys and pedals do not move.
All _expression is handled
by MIDI velocity numbers, the Disclavier also responds to MIDI Velocity numbers
(Loudness of the individual note).
-------------A solenoid can be a push type or a pull type. Disclavier uses a push type. When a player
is converted for MIDI the Piano uses a motor to replace the bellows. The pneumatic
bellows that move the keys are not changed. A set of small electric valves are used in the
wind way between the trackerbar and the pianos pneumatics, taking the place of the piano
roll. Piano rolls may still be used with these pianos as well as MIDI. Pneumatics actually
are used for the striker force.
The piano is still an Ampico or whatever it was before MIDI was added, and requires a
MIDI file made from the Ampico Rolls that the MIDI is used in place of. The Ampico
will still not play a Welte Roll even if it is MIDI.
Keys move only on the disclavier, not on the electronic piano. Disclavier uses solenoids
on a real piano.
I think Mark Fontana had a library once upon a time, but run into a copyright problem.
Vorsetzer is German for "set in front of" so no, the name is reserved for things not built
into the case. Welte T100 came in internal and vorsetzer versions.
Both solenoids and pnneumatics move the keys and pedals. Large solenoids with
dampers are used for the pedals. Pianos with direct solenoids like the disclavier can
operate from Yamahas special disks or from MIDI. Some pneumatic pianos with "T"
valves in the Vacuum line can also play MIDI files. The piano would still be a pneumatic
player piano with a MIDI addition. It will play rolls and MIDI files.
The disclavier plays the MIDI file on a real stringed piano. The Other yahama piano is a
digital piano and plays the MIDI file using the Digital tone generation system of the
Yahama digital piano.
Expression on both systems is by use of velocity encoding sent with the note data. The
note data is as follows:
Type of data (Note on), MIDI Channel (1001nnnn), note number (0xxxxxxx), Velocity
(0vvvvvvv). This is always a string of 3 data groups. So each time a note is played this
will be repeated for that note, on its MIDI channel and velocity information. The velocity
must be derived from somewhere, just how it is determined from a scanned piano roll, I
don't know for sure. Most players used data on the roll, either below the sounding notes
or above the sounding notes for the _expression. I don't know if any of the players has
_expression on a note by note basis.
The below and above the playing note data may be recorded in the MIDI file, but to use it
the Piano must be built to use this data just like the original piano, or it is meaningless
because it is out of the note range of the piano.
The 4 Major pianos that he supports are AMPICO A, AMPICO B, Duo-Art and Welte.
The MIDI electronics are configured for each type of piano and the rolls that were
originally originally made for it. These rolls will not produce on any other piano except
the pianos configured for them (Ampico, Duo-Art and Welte).
Other pianos need the _expression data on the original rolls to be converted into Velocity
data. Some MIDI files do have the Pedal Data included in the Note data above and below
the playing range. These MIDI files have to be made for the piano they are to be used
with, or strange things may occur when playing the files.
So what I am learning, is that there are no standards for MIDI files produced for the
electronic players, except files made specifically for the brand of piano they will be used
on.
The Yamaha digital piano can respond to Pedal data and velocity data, but the files have
to be prepared with the pedal data and velocity data for use with a Digital Piano most
digital pianos use standard codes for Pedals.
Due to the nature of MIDI, I don't know if you will ever find exact replicas of the original
rolls, except an exact copy of that roll made for the original piano, converted to MIDI.
The original roll is scanned on a hugh resolution optical scanner. The best rolls are made
using a LASER as the perforator, others use special mechanical punch sets. Dynamics are
added to the MIDI files by a program that reads the coding on
the rolls and translates it to MIDI levels.The MIDI pedal data is encoded as control
change information. Such as Control 64 for sustain. If the data value is greater than 64
then the pedal is depressed, if less than 64, it is released.
Real players use a large pneumatic bellows, the disclavier uses a large damped solenoid.
It is possible that there are rolls of some kind. The instruments are mechanical organs and
reproduce the music. Such mechanical instruments might have mechanical percussion as
well as organ pipes and bellows. It isn't specified from the record distributor but such
instruments could be activated by paper rolls, or perhaps a metal disc or rotating drum
which activated the pneumatic (air powered) organ. Similar pneumatic organ instruments
can sometimes be seen at state fairs or amusement parks in ornate carts, or in older pizza
parlors or within traditional merry-go-rounds.
The Pianomation system is another way of playing music on a real piano. The technology
used in the Pianomation system is somewhat similar to the player piano in that there is a
striking force that allows the piano hammer to hit the string. There are solenoids that
activate the movement of the hammer in the Pianomation system whereas in the player
piano system there are pneumatics that collapse, thereby activating the hammer. The
player piano system uses paper rolls. The pianomation system uses a floppy disc. Both
systems use on-off technology to activate the piano hammers. Both systems accomplish
the same task, that of playing the piano. The final product, the sound of the piano being
played, depends on the skill of the person who produced the piece of music. But music
for pianomation does not come from original reproducing rolls. And it’s not really
reproducing system.