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00100	.begin center
00200	%aCenter for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics
00300	%1Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Stanford University
00400	Stanford, California 94305
00600	.end
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00900	%1May 5,1976
01000	.end
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01110	Mr. Ralph Peer, II
01120	Peer-Southern Organization
01130	6922 Hollywood Blvd.
01140	Hollywood, CA.  90028
01150	
01200	Dear Mr. Peer,
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01400		Mr. William Dailey, of  the  General  Secretary's  Office  at
01410	Stanford, has conveyed to me your interest in my computerized process
01420	for editing and printing music.  I have enclosed a number  of  things
01430	for  you  to look over.  The article from the Journal of Music Theory
01440	outlines the main features of the system as of about three years ago.
01450	Since that time I have made a vast number of improvements, especially
01460	in regard to the ease  and  speed  of  operation.   At  this  time  a
01470	typical,  moderately  complicated  page  of music can be set up by an
01480	experienced operator in under one hour.
01490	
01500		The XEROX sheets  of  music  enclosed  are  produced  by  the
01510	computer  in  under  1  minute.   These are considered 'proof' sheets
01520	since the line resolution can be no better than  1/200  of  an  inch.
01530	(However  since  they  are cheap, we have used such copies very often
01540	for performing materials.) Currently I get the  best  final  copy  by
01550	producing  large  sheets  on the computer's felt pen plotter and then
01560	having them photographically reduced for the final  printing.   I  am
01570	now  beginning tests with a new kind of electrostatic printing device
01580	called a VERSETEC which should be able to produce the large copy  (up
01590	to 20 inches wide) at a paper flow rate of one inch per second.
01680	
01690		The Bonporti work was produced by the felt pen  method.   The
01700	main shortcomings of this system are that it is rather slow (although
01710	it takes virtually no 'human' time) and that it is difficult  to  get
01720	pens  that  will always produce the same width line.  I feel sure the
01730	electrostatic method will solve these problems.
01740	
01750		The violin and 'cello parts for the Bonporti were produced by
01760	my  automatic "part extractor." Once the score has been typed in, the
01770	parts are relatively easy to produce.  The  program  rejustifies  all
01780	lines, inserts the proper rehearsal numbers and does most of the work
01790	on the page layout.  Most of the 'touch-up' editing that  has  to  be
01800	done  on  the  parts  concerns  the  positioning  of  the  words and,
01810	occasionally,  the  slurs.   All  the  standard  transpositions   are
01820	availble and non-standard ones take only a little extra work.
01880	
01890		At this time several music students have learned to  use  the
01900	system. After 3 or 4 two-hour sessions the students have been able to
01910	proceed on their own.  When  I  get  around  to  writing  a  detailed
01920	teaching manual no special instruction should be necessary.
01930	
01940		This system is presently running on a PDP10 computer, a fairly
01950	large computer.  The program is constructed in a modular fashion so I
01960	feel  quite  sure  that  it  would  be possible to break it down into
01970	segments that could run on a good mini-computer system, such as PDP11
01980	or NOVA.
01990	
02000		The next time you are in the Stanford area and have some free
02010	time I would be happy to show you this system and try to  answer  any
02020	questions you may have.  I hope this information will be  of some use
02030	to you.
04700	
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08000	Very sincerely,
08100	
08200	
08300	
08400	Leland Smith
08410	Professor of Music