Hupfeld Phonoliszt piano - Chopinata by Clemont Doucet

Hupfeld Phonoliszt plays airvalves: Doucet's Chopinata
The instrument is a Hupfeld Phonoliszt piano build in 1909.
The instrument plays by means of paper piano rolls, to be precise: Hupfeld Phonoliszt rolls.
Because these rolls are quite rare and mostly not my taste I have very few good ones.
Therefor a Midi-system has been added to the piano, altering as little as possible.
The systems is a midi-board that can be connected to a midi-device (in this case my laptop).
The board in turn operates 77 magnet airvalves which open and close tubes just like the paper roll would do. These tubes are connected to the 111 year old Phonoliszt system and control 72 playing notes and 5 tracks of expression.
The midi file does nothing else than what paper roll would do. It just opens up a lot more possibilities musically as I can now play all kinds of music on this instrument and I'm not limited to the Hupfeld rolls. The system is still capable of playing the original rolls.
so this is NOT a solenoid piano like for instance a Yamaha Disklavier or Steinway Spirio. It still operates pneumatically like the reproducing/expression piano's from over 100 years ago.

[@ronschmuck8255]

Nice job Niels, Sounds great!! and with the midi you will play it far more often then when having to change the roll every 4 minutes.
All the best
Ron Schmuck
Nickelodeon Co. Canada.

[@nielsberkers]

Surely will, once I added Phonoliszt expression coding to a lot of rolls. but the instrument needs some work done first.

[@Herbotune]

Fantastic ! Where did you get the MIDI System ?

[@nielsberkers]

Thank you! The board is from Midi Hut and the magnet valves are imported from china

[@Rowland107]

The Piano sounds very good; Hupfeld always made/used good instruments!

[@nielsberkers]

Thank you. Not sure which piano factory made the piano. Might have been build by Hupfeld themselves but I am not sure. It has the LH logo cast in the frame.

[@theorganguy]

How can electromagnet valves _not_ be solenoids??

[@mechmusicman]

A solenoid has an armature which plays the keys. These valves simply open tubes to atmosphere.

[@nielsberkers]

Technically you are right in that coil used as a electromagnet is called a solenoid. I mean the electromagnet/solenoid does not operate a plunger that mechanically operates the keys but that it moves an air valve instead

[@arburo1]

Sounds like Adam Ramet's arrangement for 88 note.

[@nielsberkers]

I got this one from some obscure russian midi website

[@arburo1]

@@nielsberkers I have this arrangement on an 88 note roll from Julian Dyer. I have around 50 hand played rolls for my Phonoliszt. This system is very responsive and sounds almost as good as a reproducing piano.

[@nielsberkers]

@@arburo1 would love to come and visit with my rollscanner then one day ;-)