Music Trade Review
Issue: 1919 Vol. 68 N. 22 - Page 5
Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
MAY
THE
31, 1919
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
*£&
wsjR^jffifsffiwiy^ffi^^
The Advent of the Annual Music Trade Conventions Makes Pertinent a
Resume of the Present Status of the Player Industry from a Technical Stand-
point—The Increased Recognition of the Superiority of the Single Valve System
A year ago, when the conventions of the music
industries assembled in New York, the world was
more interested in war than in anything else.
Although close and well-informed observers
were well aware that the German effort was
spent and that German military leaders had al-
ready given up hope of a military victory, the
public thought differently, and it was in conse-
quence rather difficult to get a sane view of
matters from anybody. Especially the tech-
nical progress of the industry appeared to be a
matter of the vaguest interest, almost absurdly
academic and quite markedly detached from any
relation with actualities.
To-day, happily, things have cleared up. The
victory has been won and the defeated enemy
is howling for mercy. We have not only the
right, but, what is more important, the time for
some examination of our technical position so
far as our industry is concerned.
Production
One thing is perfectly certain, and that is that
the production end of the entire industry has
been in very bad shape. Shortage of labor
and supplies has been acute, and in consequence
of this and other more definite curtailment the
output of player actions has been far below the
demand. Ever since the armistice there has
bceh very little of real improvement. The de-
mand has been still larger and the orders are
piled up worse than ever. Still, the day is ap-
proaching when output will have caught up to
demand and we shall have to ask ourselves
whether we are in condition to seek for busi-
ness once more on the basis of pure merit.
One thing is sure. Those who build their
technical structure most surely now will be
the winners in this new day. The technical
position of the player action is indeed better
to-day than it has ever been, but defects still
abound, and it is more than ever advisable that
all who do not wish to deceive themselves
should become acquainted with certain elemen-
tary but important facts.
The Single System
One of those is that the demand for the
single valve action is undoubtedly on the in-
crease. Makers who have declined to take any
interest in the system are beginning to experi-
ment openly with it. But it is more and more
evident that some of the best-known makers
are still lamentably unscientific in their ap-
proach to the subject. A few hours before
these words were written we were engaged in
testing a newly developed action which is said
to represent the very latest thought of its well-
known and respected makers. The appearance
and tjp mechanical lay-out were excellent, but
the repetition was poor and the bellows system
badly designed. Power was lacking and the
pedal control very inefficient. This sort of
manufacture may have been all right a few
years ago, but it certainly will not do for the
present days.
The single valve system, we say, is forging
rapidly to the front, and it is our opinion that
it will ultimately supersede all others. But
nothing is more evident than that some of those
who have experimented with it have failed to
see that its design problem is wholly different
in nature from any other of the kind. It is not
enough to omit the primary valves. One must
go much further. The one great and marked
difference between single and double lies in the
fact that the air pressure which can be utilized
to lift the one valve in the single system is
necessarily less than the pressure available to
lift the secondary valve in the other system.
This, of course, does not mean any superiority
in either case. But it does mean that the con-
trolling single valve cannot be made so heavy
as the secondary valve. In other words, seeing
that the avoidance of unnecessary weight is of
the essence of pneumatic design, the single valve
pillllllllllllllilllllllllllllll
The highest class player
actions in the world
iimuimiiuiiiiimiiiiiHimimiimiiiiiHiuimmiiiiniimiiiiiiiiiiw
"The valve unit that made the player famous"
The new "Amphion Accessible Action" is the last word in scientific player
achievement.
It has the complete valve action assembled in a "Demountable'
Unit 1 ' giving instant accessibility.
.•..<•':
•*•"'
AMPHION
B
system must be designed with greater exact-
ness. The calculation of dimensions must be
more exact and the entire system must be de-
signed with a complete knowledge of the
weights to be lifted and the available pressure
for lifting them.
The criticism we have to make against the
makers of player actions in general is that they
are not paying sufficient attention to this ques-
tion. The lesson to be drawn from the history
of our progress during the first twelve months
is that whenever any other interest gets, even
temporarily, in the way, the question of de-
sign fades into the background. The great
lesson for to-day is the lesson of the need for
scientific method. Unless and until we shall
all learn that lesson the player action will re-
main relatively an inefficient and unsatisfactory
piece of engineering.
Scientific Method
As was remarked at the beginning of this
article, the technical progress of the last year
has not been very marked, and there are few
striking features to be chronicled. We are
compelled, therefore, to look still more strong-
ly at the question of method raised in the pre-
ceding paragraph and to fasten our attention
exclusively upon that. It is no more than the
plain truth to say that the most important tech-
nical question of the day is that of definitely
adopting scientific method. No industry of the
slightest importance, which involves engineer-
ing problems, can afford any longer to neglect
exactness of procedure. It is not longer pos-
sible in the light of improved public taste a,nd
sharper public criticism to trust to guess-work
for the production of any mechanical arti|jte.
The player actioiv'repre'sents in many way^ a
triumph of mechanical achievement. The mani-
fold difficulties of maintaining^**^ efficiency
under the almost incredibly hard conditions of
its use have been met in a manner wonderfully
successful. Yet the player action cannot now
be said to be fulfilling its destiny in a satisfac-
tory manner. It is not efficient in the way we
wish to see it efficient. It does not give the
touch, it does not enable us to produce the
tonal qirality, which are the essential acquire-
ments erf every ordinary pianist—it does indeed
give us many other things, technical capacity
and a completely new field for musical expres-
sion. But in the simple matters of tone pro-
duction, repetition and power it is still lamen-
tably deficient. The deficiencies are not of its
essence, but reflect the neglect of scientific
method by its designers. When these design-
ers condescend to learn that their problem is
air engineering problem, to be mastered by the
application of engineering principles only, they
will have set their feet on the right path. Until
then they will continue to wander in the dark.
Perhaps after all the chief lesson should be
learned rather by the manufacturers. When
have grasped the importance of what we
pointed out they will insist upon their
When this
t technical .men becoming engineers.
n&$ happened w"e v may well say the lessons are
b#i»S learned .at.
l a s t * • • * • • •-•
-ATTEND CONVENTION
Hughes, secretary and general
Wiley 'B. Allen Co., San Fran-
-was- a. visitor this week at Hardman
f ^
Fifth.a^n^tNew York. Mr. Hughes
\ will' artertd the Chicago ..piano conventions, itmr-
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ f t h i s week>
'"
MAY
THE
31, 1919
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
*£&
wsjR^jffifsffiwiy^ffi^^
The Advent of the Annual Music Trade Conventions Makes Pertinent a
Resume of the Present Status of the Player Industry from a Technical Stand-
point—The Increased Recognition of the Superiority of the Single Valve System
A year ago, when the conventions of the music
industries assembled in New York, the world was
more interested in war than in anything else.
Although close and well-informed observers
were well aware that the German effort was
spent and that German military leaders had al-
ready given up hope of a military victory, the
public thought differently, and it was in conse-
quence rather difficult to get a sane view of
matters from anybody. Especially the tech-
nical progress of the industry appeared to be a
matter of the vaguest interest, almost absurdly
academic and quite markedly detached from any
relation with actualities.
To-day, happily, things have cleared up. The
victory has been won and the defeated enemy
is howling for mercy. We have not only the
right, but, what is more important, the time for
some examination of our technical position so
far as our industry is concerned.
Production
One thing is perfectly certain, and that is that
the production end of the entire industry has
been in very bad shape. Shortage of labor
and supplies has been acute, and in consequence
of this and other more definite curtailment the
output of player actions has been far below the
demand. Ever since the armistice there has
bceh very little of real improvement. The de-
mand has been still larger and the orders are
piled up worse than ever. Still, the day is ap-
proaching when output will have caught up to
demand and we shall have to ask ourselves
whether we are in condition to seek for busi-
ness once more on the basis of pure merit.
One thing is sure. Those who build their
technical structure most surely now will be
the winners in this new day. The technical
position of the player action is indeed better
to-day than it has ever been, but defects still
abound, and it is more than ever advisable that
all who do not wish to deceive themselves
should become acquainted with certain elemen-
tary but important facts.
The Single System
One of those is that the demand for the
single valve action is undoubtedly on the in-
crease. Makers who have declined to take any
interest in the system are beginning to experi-
ment openly with it. But it is more and more
evident that some of the best-known makers
are still lamentably unscientific in their ap-
proach to the subject. A few hours before
these words were written we were engaged in
testing a newly developed action which is said
to represent the very latest thought of its well-
known and respected makers. The appearance
and tjp mechanical lay-out were excellent, but
the repetition was poor and the bellows system
badly designed. Power was lacking and the
pedal control very inefficient. This sort of
manufacture may have been all right a few
years ago, but it certainly will not do for the
present days.
The single valve system, we say, is forging
rapidly to the front, and it is our opinion that
it will ultimately supersede all others. But
nothing is more evident than that some of those
who have experimented with it have failed to
see that its design problem is wholly different
in nature from any other of the kind. It is not
enough to omit the primary valves. One must
go much further. The one great and marked
difference between single and double lies in the
fact that the air pressure which can be utilized
to lift the one valve in the single system is
necessarily less than the pressure available to
lift the secondary valve in the other system.
This, of course, does not mean any superiority
in either case. But it does mean that the con-
trolling single valve cannot be made so heavy
as the secondary valve. In other words, seeing
that the avoidance of unnecessary weight is of
the essence of pneumatic design, the single valve
pillllllllllllllilllllllllllllll
The highest class player
actions in the world
iimuimiiuiiiiimiiiiiHimimiimiiiiiHiuimmiiiiniimiiiiiiiiiiw
"The valve unit that made the player famous"
The new "Amphion Accessible Action" is the last word in scientific player
achievement.
It has the complete valve action assembled in a "Demountable'
Unit 1 ' giving instant accessibility.
.•..<•':
•*•"'
AMPHION
B
system must be designed with greater exact-
ness. The calculation of dimensions must be
more exact and the entire system must be de-
signed with a complete knowledge of the
weights to be lifted and the available pressure
for lifting them.
The criticism we have to make against the
makers of player actions in general is that they
are not paying sufficient attention to this ques-
tion. The lesson to be drawn from the history
of our progress during the first twelve months
is that whenever any other interest gets, even
temporarily, in the way, the question of de-
sign fades into the background. The great
lesson for to-day is the lesson of the need for
scientific method. Unless and until we shall
all learn that lesson the player action will re-
main relatively an inefficient and unsatisfactory
piece of engineering.
Scientific Method
As was remarked at the beginning of this
article, the technical progress of the last year
has not been very marked, and there are few
striking features to be chronicled. We are
compelled, therefore, to look still more strong-
ly at the question of method raised in the pre-
ceding paragraph and to fasten our attention
exclusively upon that. It is no more than the
plain truth to say that the most important tech-
nical question of the day is that of definitely
adopting scientific method. No industry of the
slightest importance, which involves engineer-
ing problems, can afford any longer to neglect
exactness of procedure. It is not longer pos-
sible in the light of improved public taste a,nd
sharper public criticism to trust to guess-work
for the production of any mechanical arti|jte.
The player actioiv'repre'sents in many way^ a
triumph of mechanical achievement. The mani-
fold difficulties of maintaining^**^ efficiency
under the almost incredibly hard conditions of
its use have been met in a manner wonderfully
successful. Yet the player action cannot now
be said to be fulfilling its destiny in a satisfac-
tory manner. It is not efficient in the way we
wish to see it efficient. It does not give the
touch, it does not enable us to produce the
tonal qirality, which are the essential acquire-
ments erf every ordinary pianist—it does indeed
give us many other things, technical capacity
and a completely new field for musical expres-
sion. But in the simple matters of tone pro-
duction, repetition and power it is still lamen-
tably deficient. The deficiencies are not of its
essence, but reflect the neglect of scientific
method by its designers. When these design-
ers condescend to learn that their problem is
air engineering problem, to be mastered by the
application of engineering principles only, they
will have set their feet on the right path. Until
then they will continue to wander in the dark.
Perhaps after all the chief lesson should be
learned rather by the manufacturers. When
have grasped the importance of what we
pointed out they will insist upon their
When this
t technical .men becoming engineers.
n&$ happened w"e v may well say the lessons are
b#i»S learned .at.
l a s t * • • * • • •-•
-ATTEND CONVENTION
Hughes, secretary and general
Wiley 'B. Allen Co., San Fran-
-was- a. visitor this week at Hardman
f ^
Fifth.a^n^tNew York. Mr. Hughes
\ will' artertd the Chicago ..piano conventions, itmr-
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ f t h i s week>
'"
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