Often indistinguishable from the original

Why manufacture? Because, just as we did over 100 years ago, we make or have our music rolls and all accessories made predominantly by hand. The same applies to digitization. We pack and transport the music rolls ourselves, check and scan each individual roll by hand, and repair defective rolls in consultation so that they can be digitized and thus secured. Data review and verification is also, in a broader sense, done by hand by specialists. Technical tools are and will remain merely valuable tools.

Our music rolls are unique

All items are based on originals. Due to the high degree of craftsmanship involved, deviations and production differences can and will occur. Should we make an error and slip through the sample checks, please contact us directly. Each music roll bears a small note at the very end with the number and production date – just like Welte did back then.

Boxes and accessories, like the instruments themselves, require a constant and constantly monitored room climate (50-60% relative humidity) to protect them from damage caused by drying out or moisture. During the heating season, instruments and music rolls usually require additional humidification and ventilation. Music rolls must be stored in their boxes and wound up neatly. Incorrect handling or defects in the instrument can damage the music roll, for which we assume no liability. Each music roll comes with an accompanying leaflet with handling instructions. The good news: If a roll breaks, you can send it to us – we will re-punch the title and apply it to the existing spool at a special reduced price. From contemporary accounts from that time, we know that even very popular titles would suffer damage after a while and would simply be bought again.

Every instrument was and is different

Our music rolls are based on the theoretically correct pitch, so they should run smoothly on all instruments of the corresponding type. However, our analyses of various instruments have shown that Welte, for example, sometimes had significant deviations in pitch and design. Sometimes the holes in the music roll slide block are sized differently, both in wood and metal, which also means that the holes do not cover the entire slide block equally well. This phenomenon also occurs with original Welte music rolls. Assuming your instrument is in good working order and regulated, if you have any problems please check the dimensions and pitch of your music roll slide block as well as the alignment of the play and take-up rolls. We can also punch out different pitches or rework rolls manually if necessary for your instrument – however, this involves additional work for each roll. Please contact us if you have any problems with the music rolls. Of course, we also welcome feedback when everything is simply going well.

Tempo is something lively and flowing

Experts are still trying to determine the 'right' tempo for a piece of music, as played by the pianists and composers in the recordings of the time. Gustav Mahler is said to have said the following on the subject of tempo: "Only desperately little can be determined about what is far more important: the tempo and, indeed, the overall conception and structure of a work, for here we are dealing with something living, flowing, which can never remain completely the same, not even twice in succession." (Summer 1895. Gustav Mahler, In His Own Word, Peter Schifferli Verlags AG "Die Arche" Zurich). Welte and Philipps have established a fixed 'normal' tempo for the reproduction music rolls, while Hupfeld and others have specified an adjustable tempo range, e.g., 50-60′ for each roll. Nevertheless, Welte and Philipps also included a tempo lever, allowing the piano rolls to run up to 50% faster or slower as desired – depending on personal taste, but certainly also on the condition of the instruments on the day, which were quite susceptible to changes in weather or insufficient use. While so-called adjustment rolls offer the possibility of adjusting the standard tempo quite precisely, comparisons of the same pieces played by the same pianist on different rolls reveal sometimes significant differences. Tempo and playing time thus remain something lively and fluid.

With experience and expertise, audibly good results

We have analyzed a large number of original music rolls and discussed them with leading experts. Our goal is to keep deviations below the audible range. Even with manufacturers of the time, such as Welte, the same titles on different rolls sometimes showed significant differences in length and punching pattern - even with the scale rolls that are so important for setting them up. Our new punchings are always based on what we believe to be the best original roll available to us. We only correct any errors in the digitized music roll (e.g. due to aging, damage, subsequent corrections, production errors, etc.) if, without correction, they would have a significant impact on the accent control (e.g. missing on or off signals). The tones remain unchanged. The photo on the left shows scan sections of two Welte rolls of the same title superimposed - minor deviations can be seen.