This picture is a photograph reproduction of a section of the Studio in the manufacturing plant of the Automatic Musical Instrument Company. This illustrates how Multi-Control can be used as a means of transforming any Grand Piano into a Reproducing Piano without altering the utility or appearance of the Piano as an instrument for personal performance. Note that there is no mechanism apparent.

On the table in the center of the picture is the Push-button Control Box. On the tablet of this Control Box are the names of the different music rolls. At the side of each name there is a push-button. Press the button at any selection, and the selection will be automatically installed by the Multi-Control (at left) and reproduced on the Grand Piano (at right)—a perfect reproduction of the master pianists.

First came the automatic piano. This was originally purely mechanical in its operation—without the facility of reproducing the expression, the art, the touch of the master pianist.

Then came the Welte-Mignon, a pneumatic mechanism by means of which the artist’s performance is faithfully recorded and reproduced in the finest detail of its technique.

Now comes Multi-Control, the first fundamental forward step in the industry since the development of Welte-Mignon.

By means of Multi-Control one can play his own selection of music, on any grand piano or pipe organ, by merely pressing a button, without the necessity of going to the piano or organ each time to change the music roll.

The above is a photographic reproduction of Multi-Control, enclosed in a mahogany Console. Note the compact space in which the mechanism is placed, leaving the major portion of the Console for surplus music rolls. This compact mechanism selects, installs and plays the chosen selection by the mere pressing of a push button which may be located in any convenient place, apart from the instrument.

Enclosed in a Console, as illustrated in the above picture, Multi-Control can be placed in any part of the room, or in another room, apart from the piano (or organ), and the push buttons may be placed on the library table, or any other convenient place, or a number of push button boxes may be installed in different rooms throughout the home.

The magazine carries eight rolls, which may be readily changed as often as desired.

By merely pushing the button, indicating the musical selection which you desire, the Multi-Control selects, installs and plays your choice, a perfect reproduction of the original master’s execution, without objectional motor hum, hiss or the sound of revolving wheels, and without any outward indication of mechanism, either at or apart from the instrument, which retains all of the appearance and utility of a non-reproducing piano. The eight selections can be played in any order—one, or all, or any number of the selections can be set for playing in rotation at one gesture—or the instrument can be stopped instantly from the push button control.

In even the finest of reproducing pianos up to this time it is necessary to change the roll by hand with each change of the musical selection. Every time one wants to change the music, he must get up, go to the instrument, take out the old roll, select a new roll, and install it in the piano. Multi-Control does this automatically—you merely press the button.

Under the old way, with each change of music you disclose the mechanism and spoil much of the charm of the selection. With Multi-Control no mechanism is visible.

Vast Field for Multi-Control

Multi-Control was developed by the organization of Automatic Musical Instrument Company as a means of making a practical Coin-Operated Reproducing Piano—heretofore all coin-operated pianos of all makes have been Automatic and not Reproducing. In solving this problem they have at the same time solved a problem of importance to the entire Piano Industry.

By means of Multi-Control any grand piano or pipe organ, of whatever make or age, can be transformed into a reproducing instrument, without giving the instrument any outward appearance of mechanism or interfering with its utility for the personal performers.

The potential field for Multi-Control therefore embraces any or all instruments now in existence and any or all to be produced in the future. The magnitude of this field may be better appreciated when it is understood that more than 40,000 new grand pianos without player attachments are manufactured in the United States each year.

Take for example the pipe-organs now so commonly installed in the homes of the wealthy. With Multi-Control these pipe organs can be transformed into reproducing instruments, operated from a push button, located in the dining room, or in any or several rooms throughout the home, thereby providing, not the mediocre in music, but perfect reproductions of the exact expressions of the world’s greatest pipe-organists. The same applies with equal virtue to churches, motion picture houses and other public places where pipe organs are installed.

Seven years were spent by this organization in the development of Multi-Control and its distinctive features are covered by full patent protection which is the property of Automatic Musical Instrument Company.

The prospective field for Multi-Control may be divided into three classifications, as follows:

First—Its general adoption as a part of the standard equipment of fine Reproducing Pianos and Pipe Organs of any or all makes.

Second—Its sale in unit with the Welte-Mignon as a means of transforming non-reproducing Pianos and Pipe Organs into Reproducing Pianos and Pipe Organs.

Third—Its use in coin-operated and push button operated Reproducing Pianos of Automatic Musical Instrument Company’s own manufacture.

(Source document copies courtesy of John Perschbacher.)

This auxiliary page displays the reformatted content of an original 16" x 20" sized advertising poster that was Xerox copied in four sections (due to a width limitation imposed by the copy machine). The copies were made by John H. Perschbacher during one of his visits to the Automatic Musical Instrument Company factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan, circa the 1980s. The poster was probably published circa 1925 or soon thereafter. The photograph at the top of the page is the result of two xerox copies being electronically stitched back together to recreate some semblance of the original image. The original source poster was one of many historic documents unceremoniously trashed when the old Automatic Musical Instrument Company factory at 1500 Union Avenue, Grand Rapids, Michigan, was razed in 2009.

(Photograph courtesy of John Perschbacher.)

The Multi-Control 10-roll changer for residential pipe organs. Mounted in an ornate and beautifully crafted cabinet, this Multi-Control unit was intended for use in lavish residential pipe organ installations. The picture is from a 1930 booklet produced for stockholders and interested members of the organization of the Automatic Musical Instrument Company. The original caption is as follows:

"The Multi-control is a completely self-contained device for automatically playing a pipe organ, and is operated from a remote push button control board. This remarkable modern organist is perfect in mechanical detail and fascinating in its action.

No manual action other than the pressing of a button is required to play any one or any predetermined group of selections from the ten rolls in the magazine.

A similar device is available also for pianos."

(Photograph courtesy of John Perschbacher.)

10 push button control board for a Multi-Control residential pipe organ. The picture is from a 1930 booklet made for stockholders and other people interested in the Automatic Musical Instrument Company. The original caption is as follows:
"Enlarged view of push button control board for use with multi-control for pipe organs and pianos."