A remote control allows brief sections of music to be heard repeatedly, while the antique Leabarjan #5 perforator creates one measure at a time for the Master Roll. The sheet music is only used as a springboard for interpretation, as it is by a keyboard pianist. This is the phase of many ARTCRAFT Rolls where graduated perforations (for different striking effects) comes into play.

    The special stand for this antique machine has a storage bin, allowing the Master to be kept below during the perforating of the initial roll. The crank device – seen on the shelf above the audio equipment – allows for rewinding the Master on to a spool which, in turn allows for instant replay on the Steinway player grand pianos. Sometimes a test strip is placed over the Master Roll, and this can be removed for checking the tempo, staccato and other elements of the arrangement. It's all hands-on and direct ... nothing comes between the Master Roll and the abiity to play any or all of it at will. This is quite diferent from many factories which had a drawing board table, laying out the music by copying the notation. Beyond creating notes which were "all the same" for a particular time value, the arranger could not hear the roll in progress. This meant that relying on formulae and routine arranging techniques dominated much of the Player-Piano roll field in its heyday.

    This particular Leabarjan #5 has been in use by Douglas Henderson since the early '50s. With proper maintenance they have outlasted the era in which they were built, which was 1911 to 1927. At this date (Oct. 2012) there are 4 such perforators in the Studio, each involved with different arranging projects. http://wiscasset.net/artcraft/Industrial.html