In Amsterdam there is a small, and relatively unknown museum full of pianolas (player pianos) run by Kasper Janse. I know the guy because I once found a pianola somewhere and it ended up in his museum. When I delivered it there he took me through the rooms and showed me his machines, one by one and I told him I could close my eyes and pick out any pianola compared to the 'real' thing (a person playing).
So he showed me his 'piece the resistance'. A one-off, a machine constructed to be the 'state-of-the-art' in modern recording technology. It featured a roll played by Rachmaninoff himself, with as many parameters captured as possible, including stroke velocity, pedals, the works, and at a ridiculously high sample rate (for the day, at least).
The effect was amazing, it was as though the ghost of Rachmaninoff had come to life and even while writing this I still get gooseflesh. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen in music, and it was lightyears ahead of the compact discs of today in terms of delivery. What an amazing sound. And, if you've never seen a 'player piano' at work, the keys move as though invisible fingers press them down. The reason there is only one of those machines (and very very few rolls, they had to be 'recorded' by virtuoso players instead of 'punched') is that the phonograph happened.
If you're ever in Amsterdam, well worth a visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muCPjK4nGY4
eerie!
You're correct about the 'reproducing pianos', I didn't know the correct English term.