What separates the pipe organ from everything else in the musical universe is it's unparalleled range, magnificent tonal spread, and sheer thrilling power sitting atop a thunderous subsonic bass sensed as purely physical energy, all perfectly matched to blend with the building's acoustics.  Thus we find that, in adding subwoofers to a home practice instrument to approach something of the same pervading bass, there are some critical points to ponder.  Three parameters are brought into play:  1) small enclosure [cabinet] size, 2) deep [low] bass production, and 3) high [output] sensitivity.  With subs is seems we can't "have our cake and eat it too" in the sense that picking any two of these will compromise the third parameter.  This principle is known as Hoffman's Iron Law.  Now, if given a choice, the average stereo home owner would opt for all three; they would shoot for a high output sensitivity speaker in a small cabinet that plays extremely deep.  The trouble is, that desire runs smack up against this law of physics.  In the end, speaker selection is all about trade-offs.  If we're willing to sacrifice some bass extension and live with a relatively large speaker cabinet, then high sensitivity cone drivers are still available, but spouses usually don't like large cabinets [they're more costly anyway], and most consumers prefer maximum bass extension.  This means that, when we want low bass reach and high output sensitivity in a sub, we have to go with a larger cabinet.  If we want high output sensitivity and a smaller cabinet, there goes our low bass reach.  It's important to bear in mind that, if we're going to use a subwoofer with an electronic organ, a 35Hz low end extension is a bit flabby.  In the case of organ sound very low bass reach into the 20Hz range is a must, so, when it's necessary to go with a smaller cabinet a certain amount of output sensitivity will be sacrificed.  This can be gotten around to some extent by finding a good, high-power amp to drive it (which explains why we find subs enclosed in smaller cabinets that bottom out in the 20Hz range being driven by amps pushing a lot of watts).  A sub speaker cone with higher output sensitivity wouldn't need such a big amp to drive it.  Today most speaker manufacturers want to offer extended bass response, so they put most of their R & D [research/development] efforts into reduced output sensitivity drivers that can play very low bass in a small cabinet.  While perhaps these lower sensitivity ratings are less than many people would like, the wide availability of high-power amps make the trade-off a reasonable one.

Unless we're in a purpose-built listening room the frequencies at which subwoofers play are also subject to room nodes.  Very few owners have an ideal listening room in their residence let alone one large enough not to be affected through the bass/deep bass bandwidths.  They're not interested in power so much as extended, low bass reach.  This application, with the console placed in a living room 12 x 14 feet connecting with a kitchen of the same size, is a case in point.  While the sound from a sub is omni-directional, it matters where in the room it can be placed; more bass is noticed when the sub is against a wall, and the most bass when it's in a corner.  Placement is therefore of prime importance when just one subwoofer is used.  While the music plays, as we move around the room, we can notice areas of drastically increased bass and other suckouts where the sub seems to be off.  When this occurs the preferable way to get around it, for a number of reasons, is to use multiple subs with deep bass reach housed in smaller cabinets, variable crossovers set at their minimums, all running no higher than 2/3 to 3/4 volume [4 subs is usually enough to knock out these problems in 99% of the rooms likely to be encountered].  Clean, tight bass quality also is not so proportional to woofer size as many might suppose -- some 18" woofers roll off fast below 35Hz while others no bigger than 10" reach down to 18Hz.  Generally speaking, as volume is cranked up on a smaller woofer, it will start to lose its composure on the dial where a larger woofer wouldn't need to work as hard, theoretically, to attain the same volume; much like automobile engines, there's no substitute for displacement, and smaller diameter subs generally will not perform as well at higher volume levels.

The crossover [cut-off] frequency of a subwoofer is the frequency at which the sub kicks in with bass.  Unless one spends thousands of dollars on a super-sized mega-subwoofer powered by an amp of sufficient size to run a radio station single-handedly most home theatre-style subwoofers generally tend to roll off quickly below 30Hz.  This can be counteracted to some extent by using equalizers which boost frequencies in the 20Hz range and by using multiple long throw subs which move a lot of air.  In general, when the frequency range of the other bass woofers in the room is known, the sub's crossover, if adjustable, should be set roughly 10Hz above the lowest frequency the other speakers can handle cleanly.  Some careful listening and experimentation is needed until the ear finds a smooth transition between the other speakers and sub so that, ideally, the slight overlap and blending is so seamless that the bass cannot be localized and everything will play in unison.  When several subs are in use, unless some special purpose is being aimed at, it also helps to stagger their crossovers so that duplications are minimized.  When subs play with other speakers of different types some general guidelines can be recommended for setting sub crossovers:  1) for on-wall or very small, compact satellite type speakers 150Hz-200Hz, 2) for small center, surround, or bookshelf type, 100Hz-120Hz, 3) for mid-size center or surround, 80Hz-100Hz, 4) for large center or surround, 60Hz-80Hz, 5) for very large center or surround, 40Hz-60Hz, 6) for floor-standing towers with 4"-6" woofers, 60Hz, and 7) for floor-standing towers with 8"-10" woofers, 40Hz.

All sampled voices in this instrument are sourced, separated, and stored by division on computers inside the console, one for each manual and Pedal.  A single master computer controls these 6 "slave" computers.  Voices, couplers, and tremulants are brought on or retired by means of lighted drawknobs and lighted manual and toe pistons.  Lighted rocker tablets paired with an 8-position factory-set Crescendo indicator are built into the rail above the top manual controlled MIDI, Voicing Variations, and divisional Reeds Cancels.  All drawknobs and rocker tablets remain in alignment in both on/off positions.  Standard TRS (1/4" phone) jacks in the back of the console allow for up to 3 separate mono outputs per division along with a pair of special combined mono outputs for Great/Choir-Positiv/Pedal and Swell/Solo/Echo, all for connection of external powered speaker cabinets.

The power requirement to run the console is 520W.  Its self-contained speaker system consists of a lone pair of 12" woofers each powered by its own 80W amp having a combined audio output power of 160W.  The console is supplied with adjustable factory reverb, 2 tremolo speed controls [Swell/Echo + Great/Choir-Positiv/Solo], and 2 tremolo depth controls [Swell + Choir-Positiv].  Whenever the entire signal stream is run through a single woofer the mammoth excursions it makes with lower frequencies interfere with its ability to create the finer movements needed for midrange and higher frequencies.  This is called "intermodulation distortion" and robs the midrange and treble of some of its clarity.  The solution is to employ a crossover network that divides the signal stream into specific bandwidths which can be sent to multiple woofers, tweeters, and subwoofers engineered to best reproduce those frequencies.  In this application the sound is sourced and separated this way using a non-factory mix of new and pre-owned equipment.  Four external speaker systems [MAIN/MONITOR, STEREO, PEDAL, & AUXILIARY] each make their own individual contributions to the sound.

NOTE:  Input/output jacks are made to work either with balanced or unbalanced signals, or with both.  With a so-called "unbalanced signal" there are only 2 conductors; one carries positive -- the other carries negative and is also used for ground.  The advantage of a so-called "balanced signal" is that because the ground is separate from the negative conductor there is less chance that radio frequency interference will get into the signal stream and create hum.  When an annoying hum is detected in a subwoofer at half volume which gets louder as the volume is cranked up, it's often due to such interference, called a "ground loop."  In such cases the solution may be to change the audio cable between the console and sub, from dual RCA In [unbalanced] at the sub to single XLR In [balanced].       

CAUTION:  Instead of plugging everything electric into unprotected wall receptacles, ALWAYS connect the power cords for the console and any other external amplifiers to a power strip (surge bar) that has either a built-in circuit breaker or red protection light, and keep the power strip turned on, 24 hours a day.  When the red light is on, this means its surge protection is working; if the red light won't turn on, the power strip should be replaced.  This helps protect the console's internal motherboard and its fuses from power surges, including lightning storms [if the console isn't working after a big storm, the console's fallboard should be closed, the back of the console removed, and fuses should be checked and replaced if needed].  If any add-on voice modules lack an on/off switch, then their power line needs to be disconnected and reconnected each time they're used, leaving the power strip on all the time.  To avoid possible fire or electrical shock when using an extension cord plugged into a power strip, we never daisy chain in series multiple devices to that same extension cord [See blog, Conn Speaker Pipes, for more about wiring].

If an external graphic equalizer is used it becomes incumbent to run scales up and down the manual keys with voices drawn one at a time to determine if any bandwidths sound louder than others and to regulate them so that all frequencies are of roughly uniform strength throughout the compass of the manual.  When the Great subcoupler is lacking it would be advantageous, of course, to boost 16-foot voices.  If Conn speaker pipe units are employed, manual upperwork [4-foot stops and higher] needs to be drawn carefully and sparingly in all combos to control brightness levels and prevent swamping of the pipes.  In such situations a tame 4-foot Principal, String, Flute, and soft III Mixture may be all the upperwork needed to crown the full organ. 

1.  The MAIN/MONITOR SPEAKER SYSTEM receives low line output from all 6 divisions of the instrument through 1/4 inch jacks in the back of the console.  These connect with a Peavey XR8300 power mixer supplied with dual 300W (500W peak) amps controlling MAIN and MONITOR channels, respectively, each of which is supplied with its own built-in 7 band graphic equalizer (EQ).  These settings are identical for both MAIN and MONITOR channels and include a flat signal @ 250hz and negative boosts of -6dB @ 500Hz & -12dB @ 80Hz, 1kHz, 2kHz, 4kHz, & 10kHz.  Once the mixer combines these 6 channels into a single mono output signal this gets routed to a TC electronics M300 dual engine processor which, using its hardware reverb engine, enriches the signal with large cathedral reverb.  From there the reverbed signal is connected to a DOD 231 series 31-band dual graphic EQ which boosts input gain by +12dB.  Since the big subs start kicking in bass around 40Hz, the 32-foot octave needs maximum boosting, and bandwidths above 1kHz need suppression, bandwidth settings on this EQ are adjusted flat from 50Hz up thru 400Hz with boosts of +12dB @ 20Hz & 25Hz, and negative boosts of -3dB @ 40Hz, 50Hz, 500Hz, & 20kHz, -6dB @ 31.5Hz, 630Hz, 1kHz, & 16kHz, and -12dB from 1.25kHz up thru 12.5kHz (it will be noted in this schema that the bandwidth @ 1kHz is given less negative boost without which electronic organ voices can sound dull and plastic).  This equalized, wet reverbed signal is then returned to the mixer where a touch of built-in Peavey reverb is added and is then directed to the mixer's MAIN and MONITOR output jacks.  The MAIN output signal connects with a BIC America PL-200 powered sub equipped with a 250W amp and 12" long throw woofer with a listed frequency response down to 21Hz [32-foot E] and crossover set at minimum cutoff [30Hz].  This unit sits behind the console and disperses sound in that direction.  After capturing all very low subsonic bass it routs the remaining signal to an Acoustic Audio BR-10 passive 3-way karaoke cabinet supplied with its own crossover network and a 10" woofer, 4" midrange cone, and 10" x 14" horn tweeter.  Positioned on top of the console, this cabinet disperses sound directly at the player.  

CAUTION:  When testing subwoofers it's advisable to first set volume controls at half position or less and perhaps no higher than 2/3 to 3/4 after that, this to avoid compromising the speaker cone in the event of any sudden, extremely strong bass pulses in the signal stream.

      The MONITOR output signal from the Peavey power mixer connects separately with a R/L pair of Peavey PV215 trapezoidal PA cabinets situated to the right of the player having a frequency response down to 58Hz, each of which is supplied with dual 15" woofers and a single 10" x 4" horn tweeter.  The MONITOR output signal also connects with a Polk Audio PSW505 powered subwoofer supplied with a 300W amp and 12" long throw woofer with a listed frequency response down to 23Hz [32-foot F#] and crossover set at minimum cutoff [60Hz].  The signal thus stripped of bass/subsonic bass is then routed to another Acoustic Audio BR-10 passive 3-way karaoke cabinet supplied with its own crossover network and a 10" woofer, 4" midrange cone, and 10" x 4" horn tweeter.  Positioned on top of the console, this cabinet also disperses sound directly at the players.  Total audio power for this segment is 550W (Peavey main/BIC) + 600W (Peavey monitor/Polk) = 1150W.    

This organ's MIDI-out jack also sends MIDI information from the entire organ to an Allen MDS-Expander II external module.  This stand-alone add-on unit can be MIDI-assigned to play through any organ's pedals and up to 3 manuals.  Its supplemental voices include classic organ stops, mutations, and ancient reeds, theatre organ ranks, percussions, and orchestral and other keyboard instruments.  As many as 4 voices out of the 99 program numbers onboard may be accessed simultaneously.  In this organ selected Allen voices are assigned to individual Viscount MIDI rocker tabs situated in the rail above the top manual controlling Swell, Great, Choir/Positiv, and Pedal divisions which then can be captured and stored on general or divisional pistons.  Because the Pedal division is a bit undersized for an organ this large [and, due to its age, some dead notes had developed in the middle octave of the Great manual] it was decided to use the Great as a coupling supplement to the Pedal division and transfer  the main manual's function to the bottom manual [Choir/Positiv], as with French organs, as a workaround where all other manuals may be coupled to it.  The four Allen voices programmed to play from this organ's Memory One [German Baroque] are:  Sw 8' Barpfeife, Gt 10-2/3' Flute, Ch/Pos 16' Principal, Ped 16' Trompette.  The four Allen voices programmed to play from this organ's Memory Two [French Romantic] are:  Sw 16' Principal, Gt 10-2/3' Principal, Ch/Pos 16' Trumpet, Ped 10-2/3' Flute.  Some experimentation is involved in blending add-on module voices and adjusting their strength [in this case, by keeping the Allen's volume knob at the 10:30 clock position], but these 6 additional voices [raising the total to 90 stops] have significantly contributed to the overall sound.  In this application the module is adjusted to play very slightly out of tune with the main organ -- sharp by just two Cents (2/100ths of a chromatic semitone) to more closely approach the random tuning characteristics of real organ pipe ranks.  Its output jacks connect with the Peavey power mixer through its own separate input channel permitting the Allen voices to play reverbed through both channels of the MAIN/MONITOR speaker system.

2.  The STEREO SPEAKER SYSTEM of this instrument receives its power from a Technics Model No. 290 AM/FM stereo receiver with dual 50W R/L stereo channels and receives low line output from all of the organ's factory voices, including Pedal.  This receiver amplifies the signal, suppresses treble, boosts bass, and routs the combined signal to a BSR passive subwoofer cabinet upgraded with a Memphis 15" cone speaker retrofit and built to capture all bass frequencies below 120Hz.  This cabinet then routs the remaining low bass-stripped signal to a pair of BSR Colossus passive 4-way R/L stereo cabinets each of which is upgraded with a trio of cone speaker retrofits [Pyle 5", Pyle 8", Memphis 15"].  In each R/L stereo cabinet the original built-in crossover network and pair of BSR 2" ceramic tweeters are retained, and in all 3 cabinets the Memphis 15" replacement drivers are identical, as with the original.  The crossover network in each stereo cabinet divides the signal stream into 4 different bandwidths and sends them to its components [120Hz-800Hz to the 15", 800Hz-1.2kHz to the 8", 1.2kHz-3.4kHz to the 5", and 3.4kHz+ to both tweeters].  Positioned to the right of the console, these cabinets disperse sound in that direction.  The Technics receiver's main output terminals also send reverbed, equalized signal to a Definitive Technology ProSub1000 powered subwoofer equipped with a 300W (700W peak) amp and a 10" long throw woofer pressure coupled to a 10" low pass radiator, an arrangement that provides 39% more cone area than a 12" woofer.  The listed frequency response for the DefTech is down to 18Hz [32-foot D], and this sub's crossover is set for minimum cutoff of [40Hz].  Situated behind the console, it disperses sound in that direction.  Total audio power for this segment is 100W (Technics) + 300W (Def/Tech) = 400W.

3.  The PEDAL SPEAKER SYSTEM amplifies only Pedal voices using a single low line output Pedal jack at the back of the console.  This connects with an Alesis Nanoverb 18 bit digital effects processor which adds large hall reverb to the signal through its reverb engine.  This unit routs this hardware reverbed signal to another DOD 31-band dual graphic EQ which boosts input gain by +12dB and has the same bandwidth settings as its counterpart in the MAIN/MONITOR system.  One of its output jacks connects with a Velodyne F-1800RII 18" powered subwoofer supplied with a 600W amp, listed frequency response down to 16Hz, and crossover set at minimum [40Hz].  The DOD's other output jack connects with a Roland KCW-1 powered keyboard subwoofer equipped a 200W amp and 10" bass reflex woofer.  The frequency response of this Roland sub is not listed by the manufacturer, but its low reach is likely in the mid-20Hz range.  With its cutoff set at minimum [30Hz] and its bottom switch "on," it captures all subsonic bass frequencies and routs the remaining signal to a smaller Sony SA-WMS325 powered subwoofer rated at 75W.  This sub is supplied with a single 6-3/8" cone woofer and has a listed frequency range of 28Hz-200Hz.  After this Sony sub captures all remaining bass and low midrange frequencies below 200Hz it sends the remaining signal to 2 sets of passive Conn speaker pipe cabinets [models 145-2 and 146-1, both silver finish] each equipped with 4 upward-firing 6 x 9" oval Cletron speakers mounted end-to-end and wired in series parallel.  A Thru/Out jack and Y-splitter adapter from the Roland routs the equalized, reverbed Pedal signal to a JBL Sub150 powered sub equipped with a 150W amp, 10" bass reflex woofer, listed frequency response down to 35Hz [16-foot low C#].  It also routs the equalized, reverbed Pedal signal to a Sony SA-3000 powered sub supplied with a 12" long throw woofer and 180W amp, listed frequency response is down to 20Hz [32-foot D], and crossover set at minimum [50Hz].  A separate Sony SS-U4033 floor standing passive 3-way cabinet equipped with an 8" woofer, 3" midrange cone, and 1" dome tweeter with a frequency response of 50Hz-20kHz is wire connected to the Sony sub.  Total audio power for this segment is 600W (Velodyne) + 275W (Roland/Sony) + 180W (Sony) + 150W (JBL) = 1205W.

   4.  The AUXILIARY SPEAKER SYSTEM also amplifies all of the organ's divisions.  Here a Rockville RPM80BT 8-channel power mixer equipped with dual 250W (1200W peak) amps receive signal from the manual divisions and Pedal through individual low line jacks at the console.  The Rockville's built-in 5-band EQ is set flat @ 60Hz & 250Hz with negative boosts of -6dB @ 800Hz and -12dB @ 2kHz & 8kHz.  This high line signal is then mixed with built-in Rockville reverb and then routed to a Sony SA-WM200 powered sub supplied with a 100W amp and 8" long throw woofer.  The Sony's listed frequency response is down to 28Hz [32-foot A], and with its crossover set a maximum [200Hz] all notes from 8-foot tenor G# and below speak through it.  This unit is side-firing, situated to the right of the console, and disperses sound in that direction.  Its wire output terminals send signal stripped of bass from 200Hz on down to 2 more sets of passive Conn speaker pipes [Models 145-1, 146-2, both gold finish].  Each set of pipes is rated for a load of 8 Ohms, equipped with 2 pair of Cletron 6" X 9" oval speakers wired in series parallel, and designed to operate only at treble and high midrange frequencies with a practical downward limit of 200Hz corresponding to the 8-foot tenor G# note [208Hz].

NOTE:  Conn speaker pipes were one of a number of attempts made by various builders of the time to improve the sound of early analog organs.  As stated, these are strictly treble and upper midrange units.  The Conn theory was that individual frequencies generated by the upward firing speakers would find their own pipes and make them resonate.  These units impart to manual stops a distinctly audible brightness, a fine-spun but discernable edge to individual voices, dispersion of sound vertically upward throughout the room, and a subtle but measurable buildup and decay of sound when keys are pressed and released, respectively -- pneumatic effects which can be heard but not counted.  To prevent their effects from being swamped, the treble frequencies reaching any other speakers used with these Conn pipes needs to be deliberately suppressed at the same time.  CAUTION:  CONN PIPES NEED TO BE SHIELDED FROM ALL BASS AND LOW MIDRANGE FREQUENCIES.  This is effectively accomplished by inserting a powered subwoofer between them and the console and setting its variable crossover at 200Hz which strips the signal stream of all frequencies below that.  The result is the enhancement of all manual voices sounding at pitches above the 8-foot tenor G note frequency [195Hz].

A second line out jack from the Rockville connects with a Klipsch KSW200 powered sub equipped with a floor-firing 12" bass reflex woofer, 200W amp, and a listed frequency response down to 31Hz [16-foot low C].  With its crossover set at 70Hz its speaker out jacks rout the remaining signal stream to a Sony SA-WM250 powered sub supplied with a 100W amp and 8" long throw woofer.  This sub's listed frequency response is down to 20Hz [32-foot E], and its cutoff is set a maximum [200Hz].  Its wire output terminals rout the remaining signal stripped of bass from 200Hz on down to still another pair of Conn speaker pipe cabinets [Models 145-2 and 146-1, both silver finish] each equipped with the same passive Cletron 6" x 9" oval speakers wired the same way.  The Klipsch output jacks also rout signal to a 250W Radio Shack MPA-250B stereo amp which powers a R/L pair of Sony SS-F5000P passive 3-way floor-standing speaker cabinets each rated at 180W.  Situated behind the console, both are equipped with a crossover network and supplied with a 6-1/2" Kevlar woofer, 3-1/4" Kevlar midrange cone, and 1" high dome tweeter.  This Radio Shack amp connects also with a Sony SA-WMSP powered sub situated behind the console supplied with a 50W amp, 8" woofer, and frequency response of 28-200Hz.

A third line out jack from the Rockville connects with a BIC America Formula F-12 powered subwoofer equipped with a 150W amp, 12" long throw woofer, frequency response down to 25Hz, and crossover set at 40Hz.  Additionally, a separate 60W Choice Select ST2060 amp which receives inputs from all manuals save for the Great is employed in this system.  With its bass control set flat and treble near minimum the mixed signal from this amp is routed to a pre-owned specially custom-built PVC pipe speaker box [created in Lodi, California by the McCurdy Corporation] made of 12 general purpose 3-1/2" diameter PVC [polyvinyl chloride] cylindrical pipes of equal diameter [3-1/2"] bundled together and positioned vertically on end over a wire baffle situated above a round opening in the top of a square, hollow wooden box, inside of which is mounted a single upward-firing Radio Shack passive 12" woofer wired to play all frequencies arriving from the amp.  This unit is positioned behind the console and disperses sound in that direction.  These pipes cut to various lengths are engineered to sympathetically resonate with fundamental low midrange and upper bass frequencies generated by the 12 chromatic semitones from 200Hz [8-foot tenor A] down one octave to 100Hz [8-foot bass A].  It's practical upward range actually extends one semitone above tenor A to about 226Hz, overlapping slightly the lower limit of the Conn model 146 speaker pipes and extending their effects an octave lower without noticeable break.  Total audio power of this segment is 500W (Rockville) + 100W (Sony) + 200W (Klipsch) + 300W (Radio Shack/Sony) + 150W (BIC) + 60W (Choice Select) = 1310W.

All add-on hardware speaker systems like this for an electronic organ should not be the result of accident but methodically configured so that, as each system makes its own unique contribution to the sound, the combinational result is a happy blending with the instrument's original factory technology.  In its final configuration 18 [plus 2 internal] amplifiers are running 14 subwoofers in 6 sizes, 52 woofers/tweeters [plus 2 internal woofers] in 14 sizes, and 193 speaker pipes, all of which when fully engaged [not counting voice module, reverb engines, and equalizers] push a total of 4225W of continuous power.  Speaker cones ended up ranging through 16 sizes from 18" down to 1" in the following array:  one 18" powered SUB, one 15" passive SUB, six 15", five 12" long throw powered SUBS, two [internal] 12", one [external] 12", three 10" long throw powered SUBs one of which is coupled to a separate 10" low bass radiator SUB, two 10" X 4" horns, two 10", two 8" long throw powered SUBS, four 8", twenty-four 6" X 9" ovals, one 6-3/8" powered SUB, two 6-1/2", two 5", two 4", two 3-1/4", one 3", four 2", two 1-1/2", & two 1".

The goal of this project was to create improved tone quality, ambience, and power from an older digitally sampled instrument as a cost-effective, next-best alternative to a total replacement or rebuilding.  By hunting down new and repurposed electronics and cobbling various units together in carefully calculated ways over time, and with painstaking and patient experimentation using the ear to adjust variable volume, balance, treble/bass, equalization, and artificial reverb controls, the combinational tone with all systems running has been transforming -- something to treasure and entirely sufficient to satisfy the serious organist.  Judging by the results in this case, it's entirely possible for such efforts to end up being a satisfying and signal achievement.  The audio power becomes vastly multiplied, individual stops speak with more realism, and the speaker pipes add a shade of brightening and omni-directional pneumatic effects.  Perhaps most importantly, it no longer becomes necessary to go to the building to experience the desired acoustical resonance of the instrument when practicing, the instrument sounds and behaves closer to the real thing, and its richness allows it to be listened to for long periods of time.   

Most manufacturers of sampled organs, for marketing purposes, say they record (or sample) every note of every stop (not necessarily every rank).  They may even say that their original samples are 30 seconds long or even 60 seconds long.  They may even boast about what bit-rate, sampling rate, etc., they use.  In actual fact it is very hard to get all notes of a rank in a pipe organ to sample perfectly.  Most ranks have notes which are "off" either in volume or tone.  What they actually put into their instruments therefore is going to be something that is vastly reduced, so, just a basic sampling system doesn't really make a digi organ sound exactly like a pipe organ.  The behavior of a wind instrument also needs to be reproduced.  Therefore things like wind noise ("chiff") as pipes get on speech have been put into digi organs like this one but still they end up sounding a little too focused and straight.  The biggest problem manufacturers face is, what can be done at what price.  Companies experience periodic lulls in sales, there has always been serious price competition, and, in order to stay price-competitive, most sampled organs are seriously compromised.  The marketplace for digi organs is such that, most purchasers want more stops, more manuals, etc., rather than the very highest quality musical result.  This has everything to do with the way manufacturers must design their line of products.

With its Echo (5th) manual and rack so far away, intramanual couplers absent, and the crescendo shoe non-programmable, there are certain challenges to playing this organ, but its sound stands or falls on how its divisions are tuned, how its voices are then mixed and coupled between divisions, and how its reverberation characteristics and external speaker systems are configured.  If its divisions are all tuned exactly true to the Great the sound is completely wooden and lifeless, but if tuned too far away from true the beating is nasty and very objectionable.  The trick is to find that sweet spot which has each division tuned just barely different from true but not enough to produce objectionable undulations.  These minute tuning differences are essential to the mimicry of a real pipe organ where every pipe speaks extremely close to true pitch, but not quite.  The entire organ's pitch is adjustable up or down from A440 by means of a general pitch control knob; the other 5 divisions are made tuneable up or down to the Great by means of their own individual pitch control knobs, all of which are situated out of sight under the bottom manual within reach of the organist's left hand.  Since the ear will tolerate a little sharpness but not the same degree of flatness, it was decided, using the ear to adjust the amount, to tune the Echo a very tiny bit sharp and the Solo a very tiny bit flat so that, when the hands go to the Solo and the Echo is blended in, the random tuning effect of a pipe organ is suggested.  Similarly the Swell was tuned just a tiny bit more sharp than the Echo, the Choir true to the Great, and the Pedal just barely sharp to the Great.  This was accomplished by drawing the loudest 8-foot reed in each division, coupling them one at a time to the Great Trumpet, listening for beats, and adjusting divisional tuning knobs accordingly.

The mistuned ranks (celestes) inserted by the builder in a pipe organ typically are never drawn in fuller ensembles, but in an organ like this some of these celeste stops such as the Echo Celeste, Solo Gamba Celeste, and Choir/Positiv Unda Maris, as long as they're not too assertive and don't create a disturbing pitch "warble," might possibly be drawn with advantage in fuller ensembles to simulate the random effect of minute pitch variations among real pipe ranks.  Some very patient trial-and-error experimentation is needed, of course, it's a bit tricky, but the ear is still the best judge as to how much of this "pitch seasoning" may or may not be good for the sound recipe.  In this organ all 8-foot celeste stops automatically draw the "mate" rank tuned true which is given its own drawknob, and, with manual division tremolos in this organ being adjustable for depth and speed, compound orchestral-styled tones of great beauty are possible by coupling divisions including some mistuned celestes possibly with some tremmed voices thrown in.

This instrument came with 2 percussion stops (Great Chimes & Solo Harp).  The top octave of the Great Chimes (C#50 to C61) was wired to double back an octave, but, unlike the Chimes in many pipe organs, it did go all the way down to bottom C1 and thus represented 49 equivalent bars.  The Solo Harp ran all the way up to top C6 without doubling back and thus comprised 61 equivalent bars.  Every stop in this organ including Chimes and Harp was equipped with 2 voicing variations (A and B) controlled by tilting tablets which permitted the organist to select from 168 equivalent ranks.  The A voicing reflected more traditional voicing whereas on B the change in harmonic content in the strings and reeds resulted in a different tone, brighter in many cases, the open flutes, principals, and diapasons either become brighter or more wide-scaled and neutral in tone if not stopped and hollow-sounding.

As for the tonality of individual stops, the Great Principal is extremely big like an English 1st Open.  When a leaner chorus is desired the Salicional could be substituted which is more like a 2nd Open in tone and strength; on B it's voice is less assertive, keener, with a prominent 12th.  The 16-foot Principal is also very big and on B inclines to a dull tone with less harmonic content.  The Flute Celeste is paired with the Bourdon and is extremely strong but good if the Great volume knob is turned down all the way.  The 4' Rohr Flute is a big, burbley flute full of color in its lower range and good for solos.  The Great Trumpets, as expected, are very loud and dominating.  The Swell Principal is a 4th Open in strength and in combination with the Viole is very French sounding.  The Swell flutes are all good and, as expected, are available at 6 pitches.  The Swell reed chorus stands on a big Contra Fagotto and two Trompettes of medium strength at 8' and 4' pitches, respectively.  The Hautbois is equally strong and rather dull in tone.  The Principal in the Choir/Positiv is a 3rd Open in strength.  The Hohl Flute is open on A, stopped and hollow-sounding on B with less harmonic content, but good for solos on A or B, with or without Tremolo.  The Cromorne on A is very French-sounding, on B more like a Clarinet.  The Solo Diapason is strong, rather neutral in tonality, and finds its best use as a helper stop, adding desirable power to any big reed without appreciably affecting its tone.  The Gamba and its paired Celeste are good and, curiously, are both identical on A and B.  The Gemshorn is bright but not overbearing, and the Octavin is very assertive, almost piercing in tone.  The Bassoon on A is very realistic for an actual Bassoon; on B it's brighter in the midrange and rounder in the bass.  The Orchestral Oboe, as expected, is thin and keen, an excellent solo stop, and can be coupled for adding definition to a chorus without dominating.  The Cor Anglais is very big and rather dull in tone.  The Echo Cor De Nuit is very French sounding, particularly on B.  The Erzahler is a bit strong, most beautiful on A, and thinner and brighter on B.  The Bombarde chorus is a bit refined and raspy in tone, full of harmonic content but unexpectedly tame in strength.  In an age where there are so many vile examples, the Vox Humana in this organ is especially good and "a Vox to die for."  On A it's mixed with a very soft helper stop, and on B it's all by itself.  The Pedal Principal on A sounds like an English Open Wood, and on B it's dull and flutey in tone.  The Violone is quite good.  The Fagott is very big and dominates when introduced.  The 4' Schalmei is very nasal but good in Pedal solos with the 4' Stopped Flute in the Ch/Pos coupled.  Curiously, the Contra Bourdon, tonally, is not a flute voice -- it inclines instead to a non-imitative string tone and would be more properly labeled "Contra Violone."  When supplied with sufficient external amplification, equalization, and subwoofer speakers this stop, along with the Contra Bombarde, is valuable in adding depth and gravity to the fullest ensembles.

This said, and speaking from experience, a good premise when playing this organ is to view the Solo as part of the Swell, and, if the hands happen to go to the Solo, the Echo can be blended in.  This is easily accomplished with manual coupling.  But because the top manual is so far away, the Pedal division is a bit undersized for an organ this large, the inordinate strength of the Great stops [and, more recently, a few dead notes on this manual], and the fact that a lean full organ minus large scale flutes and big, tubby-sounding diapasons and principals may be preferable, the Great might be used with advantage as a coupling manual to the Pedal with the Choir/Positiv tuned true to, and being substituted for, the Great.  This also allows 2 valuable stops available from the Allen expander module to be made available in the buildup to full organ.  The Allen 10-2/3' Principal can be assigned to the Pedal and drawn with the Pedal 16' Principal to generate the differential tone of a 32' Principal.  Similarly the Allen 10-2/3' Flute can be assigned to the Great and coupled to the Pedal with the Pedal 16' Sub Bass drawn to generate the differential tone of a 32' Sub Bass.  The added gravity and color these 2 voices provide complements the Pedal's independent 32' foot Contra Bourdon [which sounds more like a Violone] and 32' Contra Bombarde.    Each voice in this organ is independent with no unification or duplexing, and the Pedal Fourniture V is the only mixture stop in the organ without breaks.  All others have one or more breaks, and the Swell Plein Jeu III sounds only through the bottom half of the Swell manual -- at F#43 it drops back, thus, above that note it sounds more assertive than expected.  All (6) 16-foot manual stops run clear down to the bottom without breaking back.  Voices of 2-foot pitch or higher either break back in the top octave or end at the top with some factory-programmed dead notes. 

GREAT

2' Super Octave G56 -- C61, 6 dead notes at the top

SWELL

2' Flautino G56 -- C61, 6 dead notes at the top

1-1/3' Larigot doubles back from C#50 -- B60 over 11 notes (C49 and C61 are dead notes)

III Plein Jeu doubles back from F#43 over 19 notes

CHOIR/POSITIV

2' Doublette G56 -- C61, 6 dead notes at the top

1-3/5' Tierce D52 -- C61, 11 dead notes at the top

1' Sifflote G44 -- C49, G56 -- C61, 12 dead notes at the top

SOLO

2' Octavin G56 -- C61, 6 dead notes at the top

ECHO

2' Flautino G56 -- C61, 6 dead notes at the top

This represents a total of 111 equivalent small pipes in the manual divisions which have been made not to sound.  When this is factored in, the instrument commands the equivalent of 5,779 sounding pipes on either A or B voicing variation.  With the Allen module contributing the equivalent of another 430 sounding pipes to Memories One & Two, the instrument now plays with 92 stops, 115 ranks, and over 6K [6,209] pipes. 

Three phone (1/4") output jacks per division, plus two special output jacks for the entire organ, 20 in all, provided at the back of the console allow it to send as many separate output signals to external amps and/or speaker cabinets.  The console is Guild standard, supplied with Fatar premium keybords, MIDI friendly, and equipped with lighted MIDI rocker tablets for MIDI program changes by division which make it capable of storing sounds from an external sound module on its piston memory.  Separate divisional cancels which operate by pressing the various divisional labels situated at the top of the stop jambs are also provided.  The combination action is computer capture with 8 programmable memory banks.  Additional console controls included as standard are Ventil tilting tablets which silence reeds or mixtures (duplicated with toe studs), a Pedal to Great (Automatic Pedal) reversible piston, a reversible Tutti piston and toe stud, "0 [zero] pistons" which remember starting hand registrations, unison intermanual and manual to pedal couplers, registered Crescendo shoe with 8 lighted positions, separate expression shoes for the Swell, Choir/Positiv, Solo, and Echo divisions, an All Swells to Swell piston which makes the Great and Pedal expressable through the Swell shoe along with all the other divisions, divisional Tremolos adjustable for depth and speed, adjustable Great, Pedal, and Master Volume, adjustable Brilliance control, transposer, pitch control, divisional generator tuning, and headphone jack.

The biggest challenge with performing solo repertoire on this instrument is settling upon a scheme for drawing and coupling the voices to approach something of the sound world the composer knew.  It works well for the player when the premise is that the Solo is part of the Swell; this makes for a massive voice palette for coloration of sounds and a massive dynamic palette with compound flexibility and expression for nuancing the music.  If the player's hands happen to go to the Solo, it works well to have the Echo blended in. The same can be said for coupling the Swell to both the Great and Choir/Positiv and coupling the Choir/Positiv to the Great.

This organ of 84 stops, for its size, is overly supplied with assertive upperwork (octave stops and higher) and undersupplied with manual Doubles (there are only 6 in the whole instrument, however all of them go all the way down to bottom C without doubling back).  Being somewhat deficient in manual suboctave tone means that when drawing the full organ pretty much all manual Doubles need to enter and the percentage of upperwork demand reduction.  The Great sub coupler, in particular, an essential element of the sound universe known to 19th and early 20th century French organists, especially Franck, Widor, and Vierne, a coupler which had much to do with the way they notated their compositions, is entirely lacking.  Without it, big final spread chords above middle C sound thin and less sonorous when performed exactly as written -- in which case it might benefit to experiment at changing the manuscript mentally by adding a note to the bottom of the final left hand chord or with the right foot high in the pedal to help provide the missing gravity.  As stated, in an organ like this with divisional tuning, voices from different divisions including even a celeste or two may need to be drawn and coupled in combination to get something of the same random chorus effect of a pipe organ.  Individually some of the voices are quite beautiful and very useful on A Voicing, on B Voicing, or both.  Then again, some of them are so dull or shrill in tone that they have little use on A or B, dated technology being largely responsible.  Curiously, the Pedal division of 16 stops, relatively few for an instrument of this size, is supplied with 6 stops of superoctave (4-foot) pitch or higher but only 5 stops of that all-important unison (16-foot) pitch.