The list of links below will grow and is provided to help people who are new to the VirtualRoll system or reproducing pianos. Feel free to browse Music, History or Restoration
What Music is available for the VirtualRoll?
There are a number of sources for conventional paper rolls, E-Rolls and MIDI files which can be used with the VirtualRoll. Here are just a few of my favorites:
http://www.spencerserolls.com/ Spencer Chase offers a marvelous library of "E-Rolls" which can be used with the VirtualRoll system. E-Rolls are files (usually one for each piano roll) which are produced by optically scanning an original paper piano roll and capturing the hole/punch information and encoding it into a file. This file (called an E-Roll) is played by "player" software (Spencers ER, Windplay, or VanBasco's). The VirtualRoll then plays each note (with expression), Exactly as the original piano roll did. One can purchase a complete CD of E-Rolls from Spencer which contains thousands of of scanned piano rolls (Duo-Art for example) for your piano. E-Rolls are the music for use with the VirtualRoll system. Click on the downloads link for a complete list of titles avalible.
http://www.iammp.org/ The International Association of Mechanical Music Preservationists (IAMMP) is a group of volunteers dedicated to the preservation of music rolls. Music rolls, developed in the mid 1800's, were used in player reed organs, push-up piano players, player pianos, and similar instruments. Much of this music is in danger of being lost as the paper rolls continue to deteriorate. IAMMP members are constructing electronic scanners, based on the pioneering work of Richard Stibbons, to convert the punched paper music into digital form. The digital files are being archived and converted to appropriate data formats to be played on the computer, Disklaviers and similar instruments or, in a different form, used to operate perforators to create fresh rolls of original accuracy. There are currently 7,000+ scanned piano rolls in the database.
http://www.trachtman.org/rollscans/ Mr. Trachtman's website is devoted to the preservation of the music contained in old piano rolls. He optically scans old paper piano rolls (music from the late 1800's and early 1900's) that is in danger of being lost as the rolls deteriorate with age. He converts the scans to MIDI files which can then be used to play the music on modern solonoid pianos, digital pianos, computer soundcards, or any playback system that supports MIDI files. The archival quality scans can also be used to create new paper piano rolls (recuts) for those who still have player pianos. The optical scanner is able to scan and read the music from rolls that are already damaged to the point where they can no longer be played on a piano. If you have any such rolls, DON'T THROW THEM OUT. Send them to me to be scanned. Please explore the site to learn about the project. I hope you enjoy the music from these old piano rolls.
http://www.johnfarrellcollection.com/ Welcome, all music lovers. Those of you who knew John will already be aware of his extraordinary body of work. Not only was he an accomplished pianist, he was also an outstanding transcriber, arranger and composer. His passion for his pianola way back in the 1960s/70s was frustrated by the woeful lack of good jazz available as piano rolls, so he began to cut his own. In a world devoid of technology, he began by cutting them by hand, using a Stanley knife, sitting at the kitchen table. The rest, as they say, is history. Both John Farrell Piano Rolls and MIDI files are availible from this site.
Reproducing Piano History
http://www.pianola.org/ On this website you will find information about the history and development of the pianola, and also about the Pianola Institute itself. Take the time to browse - they have many mp3 audio files, several instruction booklets on playing different types of pianolas, published as Adobe pdf files, and a wealth of fascinating facts and pertinent pictures, all available free of charge. If you would like to subscribe to the Pianola Journal, look on the Pianola Journal orFriends of the Institute pages. If you would like more information, you can email us at:info@pianola.org
Piano Restoration
http://www.eastcoastpianorebuilding.com/index.html The piano in many of the photo's at this site was completely restored by Bob Hunt and Brian Grindrod in 2007. It is a Steinway Duo-Art OR grand Piano. The mechanics and reproducing mechanism were completely restored and rebuilt by Bob at the Hunt Piano Company. The piano case and action was restored by Brian Grindrod of East Coast Piano Rebuilding. East Coast Piano Rebuilding is located in Chester, New Hampshire and specializes in piano restoration, refinishing, in-home tuning and service, appraisals, and purchase and sales of pianos. As you can see from the pictures at this site Brian provides exceptional service to his customers. If you would like more information, you can reach Brian by phone 603-887-4489 or by email: grindrod@metro2000.net