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ed sautter said:
So with so many ouch's (mine as well) why isn't someone in the states making music rolls we can order? I'd like to see Melvyn's machine to see if it could be reproduced to make rolls here. I like Melvyn and all but that exchange is killing me too.
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You would still need the rights from Melvyn to punch any of his music. The guy in Texas and Melvyn got in a tiff and the Texas guy pulled the plug on his punch and will not punch music for the John Smith organs anymore. If you can arrange music for the 20 note JS scale I sure we could get it punched by someone or just make a punch.
 
I place and order with Melvyn for two rolls of music, the "Abba Favorites" one because I know what most the songs should sound like and the "Savory American Medley" I also know most of them, plus I ordered his 20 note test roll and the spools. There goes $150+!! More than I have invested in the organ! It would have taken me forever to decide what songs to put on a roll. I do want one with lively polkas and one of Christmas music so I can play some Christmas in 2014 should I get done by then:eek:

I also ask Melvyn what it would cost to have a roll made with the 4 US military themes and the Star Spangle Banner on it. Here is his reply:


"If you can get a 20-note MIDI file of these songs, I will punch it out for
the price of the pape.
If not, I would have to put it on my 'list of tunes to do' which is about 7
years long at the moment!"

Any ideas where a person might find such 20-note MIDI files? I don't even know what a MIDI file is!
 
Paul, I "feel" your pain. The music can be expensive however I have always justified it like this......How many tunes did you get for that $150.00. It is my experience that this will break down to about $10-15 dollars per song. For music that not very many people can play in their own handmade, hand crank musical organ. This is a very unique instrument. Not everybody has one. You DO/will! :thumb:
Your organ and music will still be around long after we are all gone.
You can save a few dollars and make your own spools if you want to take the time to do that.

I would be happy to fund the development of a punching machine if I knew where to start however for now...Melvyn has it all figured out and his rolls are top notch.

You could check around with music teachers at schools to see if they might be interesting in working on a "special project" to develop the tunes you want. I contacted the music director at Purdue University and he helped arrange a tune for me. I then sent the "midi" file to Melvyn and he punched it out. It worked out well. However in the end I gave the guy cash and a nice turned pen for his efforts (althouth he didn't ask for anything) so it still wasn't cheap.
 
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A few years go I told Jay about a guy that might be willing to try to arrange music for these organs. Didn't go anywhere for a host of reasons. But I may have someone else. I'll talk with her this weekend.
 
Thanks for the input everyone. I'll really afraid that it is all way over my head. But after I get the organ built and playing I will spend some time learning about this stuff.

I do have nice solid sound out of the organ now. I re-did the springs on the reservoir so they are stronger and now I have nice clear sound. So I'm ready to start tuning and voicing pipes I think. I'm going to mount them on a temporary board to hold them while I try tuning. I am trying to think of some one I know that knows music and is willing to help me, but I have spent too long in my basement and don't know many people any more.

Still having fun though.
 
Paul Douglass said:
Thanks for the input everyone. I'll really afraid that it is all way over my head. But after I get the organ built and playing I will spend some time learning about this stuff.

I do have nice solid sound out of the organ now. I re-did the springs on the reservoir so they are stronger and now I have nice clear sound. So I'm ready to start tuning and voicing pipes I think. I'm going to mount them on a temporary board to hold them while I try tuning. I am trying to think of some one I know that knows music and is willing to help me, but I have spent too long in my basement and don't know many people any more.

Still having fun though.
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See if this helps ya Paul http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CPxaEfFhGI
 
I am going to purchase a tuning meter - have been using the OnLine tuner that works great but you need to be near the computer. I am looking for some feed back on which model to purchase.
Amazon has the Korg CA-1 for only $12.69. I don't want to purchase something that won't work for my needs.
 
Tom, I have a question on that tuner. Did you use the sound portion also or just the needle. I was playing with mine a little yesterday and I could get the needle set right for the note I was trying to get to, but I could not adjust to the sound as I thought I'd be able to. Maybe my ears, they are not so good. Then the handle on my crank came off and I have been working on fing that. Hard to reach over and crank, and try to tune at the same time. I may have to get a cranker some where. My wife wouldn't have the patience for it.
 
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Paul I used just the needle portion of the tuner.
I think using the sound portion would be like comparing a piano note to a trumpet note. It may be the same note but the two will still sound different. Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be. Use the needle and the organ will sound great!
 
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Stand Still

I'm pretty much at a stand still on the organ now. I have the pipes tuned as best I know how using the meter. I'm waiting on my test roll and music to come so I can test it to see if I am close at all. Got lots of noise, really makes the dog howl!! I think he is around an C#!!
 

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Question for those that have ordered music rolls from Melvyn. I don't know what to expect, time wise. I placed my order via email on 3/14. On 3/15 Melvyn email me and said he would send me a paypal invoice when ready. I expected to receive the invoice by now, but haven't. I don't want to bug him, but I also don't want the invoice to have been miss routed or something and he is waiting on me. Just curious how long all this normally takes.
 
Paul, I don't remember just how long it was but it was here before I knew it. I think it took about 7 days. If you haven't been invoiced by now I'd contact Melvyn.
 
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