Disklavier

Hi all,

I'd like to announce the launch of my website, where you can listen to
the performances of the great pianists and arrangers of the past,
converted from the original player piano rolls to modern MIDI format.

The player piano had its heyday between 1900 and 1930, when it brought
music to the home prior to recorded music becoming widely available
(and of acceptable sound quality). During this time, literally
millions of rolls, recorded and arranged by some of the most famous
pianists of the era, were produced by dozens of music roll companies.
Music to suit every taste was available, from classical to ragtime to
the popular hits of the day.

Now, over 100 years after the player piano was invented, time has
taken its toll on the paper music rolls. Thanks to the dedication of
enthusiasts worldwide, such as Terry Smythe, Richard Stibbons, and
Warren Trachtman, the technology now exists to preserve this wonderful
music for all time, using custom-built optical scanners and software.
What you hear on your computer is exactly what was recorded or
arranged onto roll, in many cases over 90 years ago.

I've made the scanned rolls available for all to download and listen
to, free of charge. All I request in return is that, if you enjoy the
music, you sign my guestbook and let me know.

The MIDI files are embedded with all the information contained on the
original roll, and I recommend vanBasco's Karaoke Player (freeware) to
get the most out of them. They also work great on Disklaviers,
PianoDisc, and other similar systems. The site also contains much
information about music rolls and the musicians who made them.

Now available are 100 scanned rolls, and I hope to add to that each
month. The address for the site is http://www.pianola.co.nz

Enjoy!

Regards,
Robert Perry
http://www.pianola.co.nz
"Preserving the music of yesterday"

PS: I've heard from a couple of Disklavier users about my MIDI files
but would welcome more feedback. Are they too loud or too soft? Does
the sustain pedal work properly? Anything is welcome.