PowerRoll
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 smartphone!

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. Thousands of paper roll recordings can be stored on and played from, any digital storage medium! 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, variation in volume controlled according to the MIDI standard.
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?
 

Thousands of digital transcriptions are available from music rolls, both 88-note and reproducing.  (Audio recordings made for use with speakers, such as audio CDs, LPs or tapes cannot be played on PowerRoll.)

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.  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 takeup-spool hook. It 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.
How durable is the PowerRoll? What kind of performance can I expect 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.
*Bolding added to customer quotes by Broadmoore Piano Corporation
Our Customers Write...
"I have had the PowerRoll unit now for a number of weeks -- an absolutely wonderful piece of equipment. For those who have not seen or handled one, it has the look and feel of a piece of turn-of the-century engineering."
Phil Dayson
Blaine, Washington
"That's the craftsmanship of MMDer Larry Broadmoore, who only reluctantly admits that today is 1999, not 1899! "
Robbie Rhodes
Editor
Mechanical Music Digest

"Thank you. I have just had one of the best musical experiences of my life. I have just heard the complete E-Minor concerto without interruption and without a single misplayed note or tempo irregularity. It is unlikely that anyone has heard a performance like this since the days when the rolls and pianos were new and in perfect order. If one is to hear the roll as intended by the editors, everything must be perfect. It was. No excuses no explanations, just perfect. "
Spencer Chase
Laytonville, California
My PowerRoll and Spencer's CDs have increased the musical enjoyment I get from my Player no end. Select the roll/rolls you wish to hear, no more rewinding or changing rolls to play anything you choose to select...I play it every day without fail.
Jill Miller
Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
"The PowerRoll played flawlessly...Most of our ACMMI* thought that the piano sounded better with the PowerRoll than it did with the paper rolls. Everybody [was] amazed how much easier it was to pedal without having the roll motor going..."
John Burton
ACCMI (*Australian Collectors of Mechanical Musical Instruments)
St. Ives, Australia
"I was quite impressed with the rugged construction and the ease in which it can be mounted to an existing roll frame/tracker bar, without any damage to the original instrument. Everything was contained smartly in its small box....It can be easily interchanged with paper roll operation in literally minutes, with no evidence of it ever being there."
Stephen Kent Goodman
Clovis, California
Mechanical Music Digest_ Archives
MMD Archives September 1999 1999.09.07 10

"I met Larry Broadmoore at the recent AMICA** convention and saw a demonstration of his PowerRoll system. As an experienced engineer, I was very impressed with the elegant design of the parts and how Larry has done everything possible to make the unit work on all variations of feeders."
Jack Breen 
Southboro, MA

* our note: Mr. Breen is a Chief Engineer at Bose Stereo
**AMICA - "Automatic Musical Instrument Collectors Association" 
"PowerRoll a Goer - What a superb piece of engineering, it works flawlessly. Congratulations on such a fine piece of work."
Michael Waters
Mildura, Australia
"-Thanks for the continuing effort that...has built a winner! My piano has never sounded better!!
Bob Hunt
Kennebunk, Maine
*Bolding added to customer quotes by Broadmoore Piano Corporation