Hupfeld 'Violina-Orchestra' (Model B) Orchestrion - Sonny Boy

In 1926 Hupfeld introduced the Violina-Orchestra. It contained a piano, the three-violin Violina mechanism, harmonium, flute and clarinet pipes, and drum and trap effects. Four different types of rolls could be used on the instrument: (1) Special Violina Orchestra rolls which played all of the effects; (2) Phonoliszt-Violina rolls; (3) Hupfeld Animatic-T rolls which played the piano with expression effects; and (4) regular 88-note home player piano rolls which played the piano only.
About an estimated twenty were made, being exhibited on various trade fairs. The one in the video is the only original example left in the world.

Instrument location: Siegfried's Mechanisches Musikkabinett

[Ichigo_Keba]

OH MY GOD!!!! this Orchestrion!! there is only other video of this one. this is amazing to see another video of this one!!!!

[RockStarOscarStern]

Very upbeat. It can even be played like a Regular Piano via the Keyboard.

[saltburner]

The Orchestrions were marvels of precise engineering. Sonny Boy marked the start of sound films, and the death knell of mechanical music. The sound film and the Gramophone record made huge strides in the late 20s and early 30s.

[garypippenger]

Woo! Glad we have CD, smart phones and so many other recorded music options today--would be difficult to find room for one of these in our homes or cars!

[davidcarson]

Piano seems to be playing, but keys are not moving as they would be in a player piano.

[jimthesoundman]

How does the perforated roll manage to control the bow at a variable speed? Seems like the on/off of a perforation wouldn't give it any ability to play at variable speed, yet it does.

[Brazbit]

All done mechanically of course. After all it would have taken a very large room full of computers back then. Plus, then you would have to train all those people to play instruments, and why would you hire mathematicians to play the instruments rather than trained musicians in the first place?