Early Automatic Soft-Loud Expression
in Seeburg Keyboard-style Orchestrions

(Photograph courtesy of Art Reblitz)

The automatic soft-loud control mechanism on the left end of the stack in Seeburg G orchestrion #58,571 (Haddorff, 1914). This mechanism was used in all early keyboard-style orchestrions and photoplayers using G or H rolls, controlled by soft and loud lock and cancel perforations in the roll. The vertical pneumatic toward the left controls a valve that closes or opens a channel directly from the vacuum reservoir to the stack. When closed, vacuum is routed through an expression regulator on the back. The leather nut below the bottom right corner of the pneumatic is for adjusting the soft playing level of the piano, as in the simpler version used in A roll pianos. Another similar mechanism is mounted on the drum shelf. The piano and drum softeners work together from the same holes in the roll, but the two mechanisms allow for separate soft regulation of the piano and drums.

(Photograph courtesy of Art Reblitz)

The expression regulator on the back of Seeburg G #58,571 is typical of the regulators used in all early A, G, and H roll pianos. Only the control is different, consisting of the manual lever for A roll pianos, and the automatic mechanism for orchestrions, shown in the picture directly above.

(Photograph courtesy of Art Reblitz)

The loud and soft buttons found on Seeburg small style J orchestrion #11,129, made in 1916 in a Peerless Wisteria cabinet. These buttons are also found on many early Seeburg style G and L orchestrions.

(Photograph courtesy of Art Reblitz)

Slide valve controlled by the loud and soft buttons in Seeburg J #11,129. When the soft button is depressed, the valve opens the tube, which is teed to the soft expression hole in the tracker bar, pneumatically locking the expression mechanism on soft. When the loud button is depressed, the tube is closed, so the automatic expression works from the roll.