WHAT IS POWERROLL?

PowerRoll (patented) is an electrical music roll, operating any automatic musical instrument in the same way paper music rolls do: by opening and closing the ports in (or connected to) its tracker bar. PowerRoll makes your antique player piano, orchestrion or organ as easy to play and program as your CD player!

WHAT DOES POWERROLL DO?

PowerRoll adds convenient operation features to paper roll operated instruments, so that they can be played not only by paper music rolls, but by stored digital data such as scanned music roll images.

HOW DO E-ROLLS DIFFER FROM MUSIC ROLLS?

A music roll is a perforated roll of paper which is intended to operate a self-playing musical instrument such as a player piano or self-playing orchestra machine (orchestrion).

E-rolls, or electronic music rolls, unlike their paper counterparts, occupy no appreciable space. Hundreds of paper roll recordings can be stored on and played from, a single CD-ROM disc! E-rolls never need to be loaded or touched by the user directly, nor do they ever need to be rewound.

WHAT OTHER ADVANTAGES DOES POWERROLL OFFER?

The piano need not be turned on or off. Paper roll functions such as rewind, tracking, and threading of rolls are eliminated. PowerRoll ends problems with tearing of paper, misalignment, dust from rolls entering the mechanism, missing or torn end tabs, and storage.

Any  musical selection can be instantly found at the touch of a button; selections can be repeated, played in a certain order or randomly. Complete musical programs may be created in a few seconds, to play continuously for hours!

COULD INSTALLATION AFFECT THE AUTHENTICITY OF MY RARE, ANTIQUE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT?

NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT! Neither configuration of PowerRoll requires that any instrument in which it is installed be disturbed or changed in any way - not even one fastener need be used to install either unit. PowerRoll fits so compactly in the roll compartments or drawers of most automatic instruments, that they can remain closed at all times.

CAN POWERROLL RECORD ROLLS OR MUSIC?

Recordings playable on PowerRoll can be made on any electronic keyboard, but will play without variation in volume.

WHAT SOFTWARE IS AVAILABLE?

A CD-ROM containing 350 AMPICO roll images; 60 Duo-Art, 60 Welte-Mignon rolls, and 70 QRS 88 note rolls is available for under $150.00! QRS Music Rolls offers HUNDREDS of roll titles on CD and floppy disk, playable on PowerRoll. Spencer Chase offers a library of fine transcriptions for Duo-Art owners.

ARE E-ROLLS MUSICALLY ACCURATE?

Overall, E-rolls can produce a more satisfying musical performance, and with far greater convenience, than the paper rolls from which they are made! Properly scanned, E-rolls are at least as accurate as - and often more accurate than - paper rolls, with respect to the pianist's original intention. They are also more likely to remain accurate over the life of the medium upon which they are stored, than are paper rolls.

E-rolls travel at constant speed while playing, often not the case with their paper counterparts. E rolls, unlike paper rolls, always open tracker bar holes fully and evenly, for crisp, positive action.

WHAT RECORDINGS WILL POWERROLL PLAY?

Audio recordings made for use with speakers, such as audio CDs, LPs or tapes cannot be played on PowerRoll. However, with a special, inexpensive converter, ordinary CD players can play QRS music rolls stored on audio formatted CDs!

As with the music rolls from which they were made, e-rolls will play with automatic expression only on the instruments for which they were recorded. In addition to the voluminous library of selections available with full expression, numerous recordings (eg MIDI files) made on and for other instruments, can be downloaded free, directly from the Internet, and played immediately (without variation in volume).

HOW IS POWERROLL INSTALLED?

The PowerRoll is very small and compact (5" x 11.7" x 2.25"), and weighs seven pounds. The PowerRoll is normally configured for tracker bar use as a "TBI," or Tracker Bar Interface. As TBI, it installs in the spoolbox almost exactly like a music roll, fitting between the roll chucks, and being held against the tracker bar by connection to the spool hook. The TBI model must be removed to play a paper roll.

PowerRoll may be installed inside of the piano rather than in the music roll compartment. An Inline installation is invisible outside of the piano case. A simple manifold attachment is teed directly into the tubing going to the piano's tracker bar and the PowerRoll remains invisibly in place in the piano at all times, even when playing paper rolls. The Inline configuration should be chosen if you prefer to conceal the unit and in those few instances in which instruments do not allow the spoolbox covers to close over the PowerRoll. Any competent player piano technician can do this installation.

SHOULD I SELECT THE TBI (TRACKER BAR INTERFACE) OR INLINE POWERROLL CONFIGURATION?

Most people select the TBI-configured PowerRoll, which is very attractive (old-fashioned looking) and is less costly because there is no installation expense. You can adjust the TBI to the piano in a few minutes; subsequently it can be removed and reinstalled in only seconds if you wish to use your paper rolls.

HOW DURABLE IS POWERROLL? WHAT KIND OF PERFORMANCE CAN I EXECT OVER THE YEARS? AND WHAT KIND OF WARRANTY DOES BRC PROVIDE?

No expense has been spared to use the finest, strongest and most durable materials possible. For example, 1/16" thick steel and 1/8" thick brass form the chassis. All materials are coated to resist corrosion, where appropriate.

We use the highest grades of rubber, adhesives, metals, etc., obtainable, and we stand behind our choices with our unconditional guarantee against defects in materials or workmanship, for five years from the date of purchase.

About Broadmoore Research Corporation...
BRC is owned and operated by Larry Broadmoore, restorer of fine automatic instruments for over 36 years. Electronic components originally designed by Laurent Coray are now manufactured by MIDIator Systems.