Piano roll
Videos
A piano roll is a music storage medium used to operate a player piano, piano player or reproducing piano. Piano rolls, like other music rolls, are continuous rolls of paper with holes punched into them. These perforations represent note control data. The roll moves over a reading system known as a tracker bar; the playing cycle for each musical note is triggered when a perforation crosses the bar.
A player piano roll being played
Mastertouch Australian Dance Gems piano roll with lyrics printed to side.
A stack of piano rolls, some in boxes
First part of a piano roll for Welte-Mignon, about 1919, with lines for a pianolist, according to the Buffalo Convention
MIDI
Videos
MIDI is a technical standard that describes a communication protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, computers, and related audio devices for playing, editing, and recording music.
Dave Smith (right), one of the creators of MIDI
5-pin DIN MIDI cable plugged in a socket
Smaller MIDI controllers are popular due to their portability. This two-octave unit provides a variety of controls for manipulating various sound design parameters of computer-based or standalone hardware instruments, effects, mixers and recording devices.