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A website devoted to teaching/playing/composing for/ the King of Instruments
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ABOUT THIS INSTRUMENT
This digital electronic organ is a Baldwin C500 [Viscount Symphonia] V/107 model expanded to 141 equivalent ranks using a pair of Allen MDS-II modules each MIDI-connected to Swell, Great, Choir, & Pedal divisions and an Archive Classic module MIDI-connected to Solo, Echo, & Pedal divisions. It plays through all 3 external modules and 3 separate custom-designed external speaker systems built from 16 subwoofers, a pair of 6-way audio cabinets, a pair of 5-way audio cabinets, a pair of 3-way audio cabinets, 8 sets of speaker pipes, 3 external amplifiers, 2 powered mixers, a trio of 31-band equalizers, and 2 reverb engines. The Main/Monitor, Archive, and Pipe speaker systems complement each other and in their unlikely fusion
create a sanctuary of sound all their own.
Living this life is all about improvement, and carrying to completion any long-term project to improve the sound of an older digital electronic organ like this one takes determination, craftsmanship, precision, plenty of patience, a passion for the instrument, a good ear, and a deep caring about the sound, the nuance, and the emotional impact of what's being built. That sort of dedication cannot be taught -- it's cultivated over years and forged in the fire of problem-solving, but the finished product becomes a real powerhouse in the right hands. Anyone who's truly paying attention will understand the immense work behind the scenes, and, when it finally does come together, it will be that much more meaningful. Even so, the singular achievement and groundbreaking success of what you've discovered and accomplished is not apt to sit well with company salespeople, purists, and hobbyists whose dream is well-fed commissions and owning only brand new all-matching equipment, respectively.
But it isn't about their dreams ... it's about YOUR DREAM.
It's about realizing through your own initiative a set of changes that raise the bar on what the listener gets to hear. What you play on is all about what you hear -- not how old it is, not how its sounding portions new or preowned have been put together, not where they came from ...
and certainly not what it looks like when you're done.
The console cabinet is equipped with a lockable roll top and solidly built of white oak measuring 68-1/8 in. wide, 58-4/5 in. high, 38-1/8 in. deep without pedalboard, and weighs 864.6 lbs. [393 kg]. With pedalboard attached its depth is 52-1/3 in. and with rack extended measures 64-2/5 in. high. Because of its sheer size, tremendous weight, and need for double doors or patio doors, a team of up to 10 trained men, and special heavy equipment to move it, this organ is more likely to appeal to a church than the hobbyist market. It incorporates 2nd generation Viscount [DS4] digital tone generation dating from the early 1990's which was basically a cleaned-up version of earlier 2nd generation technology. The instrument is nothing more than a 4-manual C480 model with an extra keyboard and audio outputs. The C480 was in turn a 3-manual C470 with an extra keyboard and audio outputs. The Pedal stops being identical among all 3 models, this helped with cost containment as Viscount saved much in terms of design and engineering time building them this way. The C500 provided 18 output channels [3 per division including Pedal] which allowed for wide spatial dispersion of tone cabinets just like pipe chests.
The console however is not very ergonomic. The bench height [25-1/4 in.] is non-adjustable and a bit too low for taller players. The lighted rack has virtually no front edge to keep loose pages from sliding off. And the top 3 manuals are very nearly flat which makes the 5th manual such a difficult reach that no one should feel obliged to play it.
NOTE: Adding more keyboards to a 4-manual console has been an issue since the mid-19th century. In his diary entry for July 23, 1879 the celebrated builder Hilborne L. Roosevelt wrote this: "I visited the St. Sulpice organ and saw Widor. This [Cavaille-Coll, 1862] organ contains 100 speaking stops and has five manuals. Widor advised strongly against using more than four, the fifth being far too off to reach comfortably." The stops from a 5th manual division are usually available for coupling to lower keyboards to create combinational tones, but when it's a fact that there's nothing that cannot be played on a well-thought-out 3-manual instrument (and even when thumbing down with both hands no one would need more than 4 keyboards) it's hard not to agree with Widor.
Back in 1997 this instrument sold new for $89.5K + tax which translates to around $190K at today's exchange. Its output jacks allow for power mixing, addition of EQ and reverb, individual coloring of each division, and conversion to stereo signal if desired, but this instrument really demands to be loaded up with some external amplification and equalization on its output channels to do it justice. The console is supplied with full MIDI capable of Hauptwerk conversion, 8 memory banks, transposer [-4 to +3], divisional cancels [operable by touch of divisional labels atop drawknobs, both sides], and a modest but self-contained speaker system consisting of a pair of 80W amplifiers each powering its own 12" master-of-all-work full range driver of limited frequency response. The overall power, warmth, and effect of its sound depends greatly therefore upon the size and configuration of its external speaker system, how the divisions are tuned against the Great, any speaker retrofits, and, to a lesser extent, the voicing and registration combos used for demonstration purposes. Some of the sampling used in this instrument is quite good and very realistic; some of it isn't the best. The bass in particular demands powered speakers, EQ, and increased dB gain to bring up volume and presence. At the same time this is still a versatile, very passable instrument with some nice colors all packaged in a prodigious practice desk that's excellent for learning and teaching. And, for those who have discovered their joys, the Allen and Ahlborn expander modules with their better samples MIDI-connected to an organ like this are game changers.
When everyone went digital in the late 1980's Baldwin designed and built in the U.S.A. a series of rather good digital church organs, but by this time the Baldwin company was in bad shape financially due to various factors. They didn't have the money or the will at the time to continue developing their own digital organ, so they started around 1987 to import Galanti organs from Italy. In 1988 the Baldwin Piano company purchased the Wurlitzer organ/piano brands and in 1989 struck an agreement with GeneralMusic to be the exclusive distributor in North America for the digital organs they developed. That agreement seems to have been broken by GeneralMusic about 6 months later when they set up an independent distribution channel called GalantiOrganbuilders headed by some ex-Rodgers executives. Baldwin as parent company then began partnering with Viscount for in-house development. So while the Baldwin and Wurlitzer nameplates were used, the actual manufacturing and assembly was being routinely outsourced to Viscount. By 1996 after the Gibson Guitar company had acquired the Baldwin company including Wurlitzer assets, the sale of Baldwin organ products still under contract with Viscount resulted in a division headed by Mr. Dewey Kuhn called Church Organ Systems (COS) which he purchased with offices in Loveland, Ohio. After this the COS nameplate found itself attached to some of the remaining Viscount instruments still being imported from Italy. After he moved the remaining Baldwin stock to a place called Baldwin, Wisconsin, Mr. Kuhn ran COS for a few years until he was approached by the Rodgers Instruments Corporation and joined their team in 2004.
This model, the only 5-decker stock console Viscount ever manufactured, was assembled in blocks of 50 at a time. Only 2 blocks of these were ever manufactured; one block was shipped to the U.K. for sale there and throughout Europe badged as a Viscount Symphonia; the other was shipped divided to America and Canada badged as a Baldwin C500. With only 100 of these going into circulation, it's extremely scarce to find one. In 1997, when Viscount narrowed its own production line of stock instruments to strictly 2- and 3-manual models, Mr. Kuhn instructed his COS/Baldwin dealers to dispose of any as yet unsold 4- or 5-manual consoles remaining on their showroom floors at cost [half price]. The instrument used to create these videos is one of these and represents a window into that time frame, a blast from the past, and a very rare find.
ABOUT AUTHENTIC ORGAN SOUND REPRODUCTION
Using music to praise God belongs in worship, and, as far as whatever aids and accompanies human beings placed on this earth to do that, sound is sound. In the case of an organ, real pipes are always the ultimate goal, but a new era in acoustical arts has emerged that permits the digital wannabe its own limited domain. The organ in its true form is a pneumatic wind instrument consisting of sets of pipes made to sound by compressed air controlled by one or more keyboards. The digital electronic "organ," for all of its sophistication, is strictly speaking not an organ; save perhaps for the operation of its console it possesses nothing of the same components that makes an organ an organ -- it simply SOUNDS LIKE one. It's a technological simulation, an approximation or substitute made for situations where neither the financial means to purchase nor the physical/architectural integrity exists to allow the installation of pipes. But when we try to evaluate a digital emulation merely by the quality of either end of its system [tone generation at the origin and speaker system at the other] we discover that it isn't quite that simple -- the instrument stands or falls on the nature and quality of its tone generation, speaker systems, amplification, signal enrichment, audio connections, voicing, tuning, and how well its various components are adjusted to integrate with, complement, and balance against each other. We find that all audio speakers and their amplifiers are subject to balanced vs. unbalanced signal input, ground loops, and possible hum or distortion. Square waves from speakers also do not produce as warm a sound as sine waves coming from pipes. Electronically generated notes are not acoustically coupled to the air in the room as are real pipes, do not have the timbral complexity of a sounding pipe, and the artificial nature of the attack and decay of the pitch is one of the biggest challenges to electronic synthesis. Electronic organs also depreciate in value over time due to limited life expectancy [20-30 years on average] and ever-improving technology. There can be difficulty of finding trained technicians who still know how to trouble-shoot the inside of the console and supply and install worn out components, and certain replacement parts for some instruments are no longer manufactured. It would be incorrect therefore to promote the "superiority" of the digital organ over pipes. But when its sampling is reasonably good and its speaker system is optimal, a fully functioning electronic instrument can be a joy to play and provide a world of realism to listeners who are unable to witness the real thing. Digital instruments are not subject to temperature changes as are real pipes and will stay in tune. They can provide a fine home practice desk, making it easy to move from one console to another. They can allow practicing in a warm, comfortable place without getting in the car and driving somewhere, saving a bit of time. They also might offer certain combinations of stops and mechanical controls that are missing from the pipe organ around the corner. Thus from a purely practical and purpose-driven point of view it's not unreasonable, illegitimate, or debasing to call a digital substitute for pipes an organ. It's also well known that buildings from time to time need modernizing and refurbishing, and workers who renovate the interiors of churches using low slatted ceiling materials do not always take into consideration the vertical height needed in the choir loft for a real instrument. When organ builders are asked to install or reinstall something real in the space that remains there may be nothing they can do. Digital then becomes the only direction the congregation can go at all if they want an organ. There are situations where pipes fit the need, where digitals do, and, in many cases, where blending the two into a hybrid instrument seems sensible, all resulting in an instrument which is quite fine. Twenty-first century sampling technology has become so realistic that it's fully pipe-compatible with voice complements able to be easily combined with real pipes into a seamlessly integrated whole. Thus, the take-away for the player is this: what matters most is not what kind of organ you're playing, how much it sounds perfectly real, if it's brand new or preowned, how its sounding portions are put together, who built it, when it was built, what kind of stop controls it has, how easy they are to reach, how fast they can be operated, or even if the whole thing looks "tricked out."
What matters is what you hear.
Some of the older digital organs were remarkable pieces of equipment for their time and to this day can be superb practice machines and "lie detectors" not totally unlike some tracker-action pipe organs. In matters of touch these note machines can be brutally honest, which is the main reason organists like to keep them. As wonderful as a Hauptwerk conversion would be, some players have opined that this type of upgrade would be a massive distraction and time suck from hard work, especially if they owned sample set after sample set where they couldn't find a single 8-foot stop per manual with good speech and regulation. The workaround for bringing the instrument more up to speed and enlarging its sound would be to proceed in progressive stages, a little at a time, piecemeal as funds and opportunities arise, to run the console's output signal stream through a specially repurposed combination of new and preowned power mixers, audio amplifiers and speakers, 31-band equalizers, reverb engines, long throw subwoofers [See blog, Noisemakers], and, if available, one or more MIDI-capable expander modules and some speaker pipe units. Even car audio, when properly rewired, would not be out of the question. While integrating together an array of unlikely gear like this into a personal synthesis may not sit well with everyone or put every player in quite the same organ heaven, nevertheless a fair number of owners have demonstrated the life and power it brings to the sound and the singular achievement it represents. The initial purchase cost for VPO sample sets, their licenses for use, the high gigabyte computers and touch screens needed to run them, and the required refurbishing of the console required for a conversion -- all of this takes know-how, is not inexpensive, and may be astronomically far beyond the realm of possibility no matter how much people may wish it were otherwise. On the other hand, the idea of signing on for any long range project of expansion in small steps at a time is close to being an insane exercise in patience. It takes time to even decide on a plan for such an undertaking let alone hunt down and hook up the desired components. But giving a house organ a new voice like this is a reachable objective which can turn out to be a game-changer and quite satisfactory for the purpose, not to mention a fascinating journey of learning and discovery, something that may even stir interest, spark inspiration and fun, and promote problem solving through the sharing of ideas. Granted, making that dream into a reality can end up being quite the workout. It may also feel at times like detective work, but in pushing past any difficulties or challenges with a sense of grace the result always reflects a musician's vision, artistry, and passion. When the time is right all the time and effort will lead to something very special -- an exponentially improved wonder instrument that can serve as an even better platform than before, a brand new one-of-a-kind pulpit from which a stream of majestic, beautiful, and inspired organ music can be preached to the entire world for the benefit, enjoyment, and encouragement of others.
NOTE: Public Address (PA) speakers are not the best for connection to a digital electronic organ. The thing that makes the pipe organ unique when it produces sound is that it essentially moves a lot of air at fairly low amplitude rather than producing a single high amplitude source (save, of course, for high pressure reeds pipes). This is because any pipe, or all of them together, produce large quantities of resonance from the air column excited in the pipes, the surface areas of the pipes, etc. when combined, much more than a typical loudspeaker which might be much louder in volume but which creates an entirely different effect. It's an obvious oversimplification, but this can be thought of as the difference between filling a room with a hundred 10W (ten watt) light bulbs as opposed to placing a single light bulb of 1,000W. This concept of resonance is what bedevils many makers of electronic organs [See blog, Conn Speaker Pipes, May 12, 2016]. Speakers which reproduce 32-foot sounds especially have to mimic these effects of resonance to sound realistic. This generally involves a combination of having a very low-tuned subwoofer cabinet design, a large cone surface area with a very wide and thick foam surround, and the excursive ability of a long throw driver to move a LOT of air at very low frequencies that reach down into the sound tombs of the 20Hz bandwidth. This is something that most PA-style speakers were not designed for and why they often perform poorly in this kind of application despite the ability to handle much higher overall power levels.
What separates the organ from everything else in the musical universe is its incredible dynamic range, its astronomical number of stop combinations and possibilities for color, its unparalleled range of 11 octaves, and its pervading bass sensed at times as purely physical subsonic energy. To reproduce something of the same effects electronically it's necessary to have some knowledge of audio, electrical connections in general, and subwoofers in particular. Josef Anton Hofmann was the first audio engineer to describe the placement of woofers inside enclosures bringing these three independent variables into play: 1) small enclosure [cabinet] size, 2) deep [low] bass production, and 3) high [output] sensitivity. He showed that if engineers pick any two of these parameters, the third one will be compromised. This principle has become known as Hofmann's Iron Law. For example, if we want a sub with low bass reach and high output sensitivity, then we have to go with a larger cabinet. If we have to have a small cabinet due to space considerations but still want high output sensitivity, then some low bass reach will be compromised. So, in the end, speaker selection is all about trade-offs. In an electronic organ of even moderate size very low bass reach into the 20Hz range really is a must. When space is restricted and a smaller cabinet also is a must, then the sub's cone driver will need to be pushed with a lot of watts from a big amp to counteract sensitivity loss. Today most sub manufacturers want to offer extended bass response in a smaller cabinet, so they tend to put most of their R & D [research/development] efforts into speaker output sensitivity. While the newer sensitivity ratings are perhaps less than many consumers would like, the wide availability of high-power amps make the trade-off a reasonable one.
How the listener notices bass depends on 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. While the sound from a single subwoofer is omni-directional, it matters where in the room its cabinet is placed [CAUTION: these are heavy, some weigh over 100 lbs.]. Reflective surfaces tend to focus the sound, thus more bass will be noticed when it's against a wall, and the most when it's in a corner. While the music plays, as we move around the room we can notice areas of greater bass in places and in other places suckouts where it isn't nearly as strong. The preferable way to get around this is to use multiple subs positioned about the room [four will usually fix just about any node problem]. To get clean, tight bass from a speaker cone a lot of air has to be moved. This isn't so proportional to woofer size as one might suppose. Some 18" woofers aren't rated below 40Hz while some thick-foamed, long throw subs no bigger than 12" actually move more air and can reach well into the 32-foot octave down to 18Hz. On the other hand, larger woofers need to work less hard to attain the same volume. When optimum subsonic reproduction with sufficient power is the chief objective, two or more 12" long throw subs positioned about the room may actually yield better results than a single 18" sub.
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 the signal stream up to a +12dB gain and adjusting bandwidth settings to boost frequencies in the subsonic 20Hz range by the same amount. 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 experimentation using the ear is needed to find a smooth transition between the other speakers and sub. The idea is to make the low midrange, upper bass, and low bass bandwidths so seamless that, when the frequency response of one speaker begins to roll off, another will have kicked in without any noticeable break.
CAUTION: All loudspeakers [woofers, tweeters, horn drivers, midrange drivers, subwoofers, etc.] used in electronic organ speaker systems are non-linear devices, meaning a type of device whose output is not directly proportional to its input. This relationship does not plot as a straight line on a graph but rather a curve, indicating a non-linear response. As such they are not perfect and, like all other electronic audio devices, will have components which generate some very minute but unwanted harmonics which are measurable as total harmonic distortion [THD]. The less THD the better [anything under 2 per cent is considered good], but that's just the nature of the beast. The subject is an in-depth and very technical topic for those who wish to dive deeply into its details, but, the point is, since it would be impossible to have a loudspeaker with zero THD, the goal is to reduce it as much as possible so that it isn't audible to recording microphones or to the ear. In the case of organ sound, as with conventional stereo systems, multiple speakers of different types and sizes are a requisite. When, for example, one master-of-all-work 12-inch woofer receives the instrument's entire audio signal stream the mammoth excursion movements the cone driver makes to generate low bass bandwidths interferes with its ability to make the finer movements required for higher frequencies. The result (called intermodulation distortion) ends up sacrificing some midrange clarity. This type of distortion is best reduced by running the audio signal through a crossover network which divides it into different bandwidths which then can be assigned to play through different-sized drivers each built specifically to best reproduce those frequencies. Multiple subwoofers therefore do more than reproduce bass, low bass, and subsonic bandwidths -- they improve clarity in all the other bandwidths. Because overdriving of amplifiers and powered speakers also can have them compromised it's a good idea to set their volume levels no higher than around 2/3 maximum -- NEVER all the way up -- to avoid overheating and allow room to accommodate any sudden surges in the signal stream. Make a habit of turning on amplifiers only AFTER their power strips are turned on, not before, and always turn everything off in reverse sequence. Failure to do this can send unwanted electrical surges and explosive sounds through the equipment with possible damage.
Please remember this.
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]. The three external speaker systems [MAIN/MONITOR, PEDAL, & AUXILIARY] involved in its new voice are composed of a non-factory mix of new and pre-owned equipment.
ONE MORE CAUTION: With a so-called "unbalanced signal" there are only 2 conductors; one carries positive, the other carries negative and doubles as a 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 noticed in a subwoofer which gets louder as the volume is cranked up it's often due to such interference, called a "ground loop." RCA input plugs are unbalanced in this respect because they lack a separate 3rd pin for ground. To reduce the chances of signal interference, either bare wire connections or balanced line cabling supplied with 3-pin XLR plugs can be used. Switching out any RCA cables this way can be successful in eliminating hum and allowing maximum performance from the sub. If RCA cables are retained any persistent hum may come from a) excessive cable length, or b) an excessively high dB gain setting at the power amp. Sound quality can be significantly reduced if these cables are too long -- a maximum length of 25 ft. is recommended -- thus, turning the gain down at the amp and/or keeping the RCA cables as short as possible (maximum of 25 ft.) is recommended to minimize signal degradation and interference. In some applications a starting-up hum has disappeared just by waiting a couple of minutes for the amp and sub to warm up. Please remember this.
YET ANOTHER CAUTION: ALWAYS PLAY IT SAFE. Instead of plugging everything into unprotected wall receptacles, ALWAYS connect the power cords for the console and any other electronic devices [external amplifiers, mixers, equalizers, reverb engines, voice modules, powered subs] to a power strip that has either a built-in circuit breaker (to protect against overloads in amps) OR a surge bar having a surge suppressor (to help protect against sudden spikes in voltage). Even when surge bars are used, very high voltage surges from nearby lightning strikes may succeed in blowing a fuse inside the console anyway, thus, while they do offer some protection, owners may prefer to switch off surge bars [and power strips] when the organ is not in use. Power strips and surge bars should always come with a long enough power cord to plug directly into a wall receptacle or receptacle expansion plate, NEVER into an extension cord or second power strip. We NEVER daisy chain power strips or extension cords one to another in series [See blog, Conn Speaker Pipes, for more about wiring] as this changes the electrical resistance [impedance] of the circuit. If the subwoofer or other device is built to receive a 2-socket power cord and none is available, then a 3-socket power cord may be substituted IF AND ONLY IF the "square within a square" symbol appears next to the plug-in jack. This symbol indicates that the device is equipped with an internal Class 2 ground which shields against electrical shock. In the absence of this symbol, USE ONLY a 2-socket cord, as its negative pole is made to double as a ground. Failure to do this can result in deadly electrical shock or fire. Please remember this.
STILL ONE MORE CAUTION: If another device such as an expander voice module is connected which sums all of its divisions into 2 [R/L stereo] outputs, then BOTH its outputs need to connect in series with the R/L inputs [balanced 3-pin XLR jacks preferred] of the reverb engine, EQ, and speaker system in use to avoid signal loss. It's best NEVER to go from R/L stereo out to mono in. This would connect 2 outputs together [L and R audio] which, in most cases, even when both channels are carrying the same signal, can cause a failure of the output driver for one or both channels. In such a situation the 2 outputs together get shorted. As for trying to merge 2 different signals into one, DON'T. Many audiophiles familiar with the age old adage ["Anything that can be hooked up wrongly, will be"] rightly feel that wye connectors (also known as Y-splitter cables or adapters) should never have been created. A wye connector used to split a signal into 2 lines is being used properly. A wye connector used in reverse to mix 2 different signals into one is being abused and may even damage the equipment involved. Here is the rule: outputs are always low impedance and must ONLY be connected to high impedance INPUTS -- we never, never try to merge 2 different outputs directly together using a Y-splitter backwards as a combiner -- NEVER. If we do, then each output tries to drive the very low impedance of the other, forcing both outputs into current limit and likely damage. At a bare minimum, severe signal loss will be the result.
TIP: There are 3 benefits to stacking subwoofers in a lot of different speaker setups: 1) it gives a lot more headroom and sound pressure level [SPL, a measure of the loudness] without having to buy bigger subs; right out of the gate, just by stacking them, one can expect to see an additional +3dB of SPL, 2) stacked subs reinforce each other, giving a much better and tighter low frequency extension into the room; this is very handy when floor space is limited and more bass rumble and output is desired, and 3) it helps with floor bounce; when a down-firing sub sits on the floor its low frequencies bouncing upward can interfere with other parts or sound frequencies being generated in the system; this is minimized when subs are stacked.
This instrument sings with its new voice through a custom-designed arrangement of equipment, as follows:
1. The MAIN/MONITOR SPEAKER SYSTEM -- is pipeless and receives dry [console reverb only] mono line output from all 6 divisions of the instrument through 1/4 inch jacks in the back of the console. These each connect with 1/4 inch channel input jacks of a Peavey XR8300 power mixer supplied with dual 300W continuous power amps, minimum impedance 4 ohms, controlling MAIN and MONITOR channels, respectively, each of which is supplied with its own separate built-in 7 band graphic equalizer (EQ). These settings are identical for both MAIN and MONITOR channels and include a Flat signal @ 80Hz and negative boost of -12dB @ 250Hz, 500Hz, 1kHz, 2kHz, 4kHz, & 10kHz. The Peavey mixer combines these 6 channels into a single mono output signal and then routs it to a TC Electronics M300 dual engine processor which, using its hardware reverb engine, enriches the signal with Large Cathedral reverb adjusted to provide 4 seconds of decay time with the full organ. From there the wet [external reverbed] signal connects with a DOD model SR231Qx 31-band dual graphic EQ set for +12dB gain for both channels. Bandwidth settings are set for boosts of +12dB @ 20Hz, +6dB @ 25Hz, Flat signal @ 31.5Hz, and negative boosts of -3dB @ 40Hz, -6dB @ 50Hz, and -12dB from 63Hz up thru 20kHz. The signal is looped back to the Peavey through both DOD output jacks where a touch of built-in Peavey reverb is added. The signal is then routed to the Peavey's front and rear output jacks.
The Peavey's rear MAIN output jack first connects by means of a Y-splitter cable to a Roland KCW-1 keyboard powered subwoofer cabinet equipped with a 200W amp driving a 10" ported long throw woofer, crossover set at 30Hz, bottom switch engaged. The other output line connects with an Acoustic Audio BR-10 passive 3-way monitor cabinet supplied with its own crossover network, 10" woofer, 4" midrange cone, 10" x 4" horn tweeter, and listed frequency response 29Hz-20kHz.
The Peavey's rear MONITOR output jack sends the signal stream to a specially repurposed Audiopipe TXX-BCD3-12 DVC 12" passive, high power subwoofer in an unported box. The Audiopipe is an extreme excursion 4 ohm dual coil car audio sub rewired in series for 8 ohms, rated at 900W continuous power, with frequency response of 20Hz [32-foot D] up thru 900Hz.
CAUTION: Anyone else adventurous enough to seriously entertain adding an external passive car audio subwoofer to an electronic organ needs to be very careful about the compatibility of the sub with the amp powering it. Most indoor amps and power mixers are rated for an average load of 8 ohms, whereas car audio subs are typically built for 1, 2, or 4 ohms. A dual coil 4 ohm speaker can be rewired in parallel to create a 2 ohm load which allows the amplifier to handle twice the power and produce significantly louder sound. This is done by connecting the positive terminals of each coil to each other and the negative terminals to each other. However, with indoor audio, since the wall voltage is constant, a lower ohm load increases the current in the circuit according to Ohm's Law (V = IR), and this can fry the internal circuitry of an amp rated at 8 ohms. On the other hand, wiring the same coils in series by connecting the positive terminal of one coil to the negative terminal of the other will raise the ohm load to 8 ohms. This is crucial to match the impedance of the speaker to the amp running it to ensure compatibility.
NEVER connect a car audio sub rated below the minimum ohm rating of the amp driving it or the amp's current limit will be exceeded, the amp will overheat, and permanent damage to the equipment is very likely.
NOTICE: Well made Y-splitter cables when used correctly with high quality audio cables to divide a signal do not introduce any noticeable degradation in audio quality or audio interference. 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 provides some buffer space for and helps prevent compromising the speaker cone in the event of any sudden, extremely strong bass pulses in the signal stream.
The Peavey's front MONITOR output jack connects with a ported BIC America PL-200 powered sub [L photo] equipped with a 250W amp @ 8 ohms and 12" long throw woofer, listed frequency response down to 21Hz [32-foot E], and crossover set at 120 Hz.
The BIC's speaker out terminals connect in turn with a pair of BSR DR-1550 5-way stereo cabinets each retrofitted with a new 15" Memphis woofer, 8" Pyle midrange driver, and 4" Pyle treble driver, keeping the original ceramic tweeters. This MAIN/MONITOR SPEAKER SYSTEM is pipeless and generates 160W (console) + 500W (Peavey Main/Roland) + 850W (Peavey Monitor/Audiopine/BIC/BSR) = 1210W of power output.
Two Allen modules also play through this same MAIN/MONITOR speaker system. The MIDI OUT jack at the back of the console sends unaltered MIDI THRU information [relayed from an Ahlborn Archive Classic module -- See Below] to a pair of Allen MDS-Expander II external modules. These Allen expanders maintain a mono signal, are nice additions, have some good sounds. These are MIDI-connected in series to each other and controlled by their respective divisional couplers. Since this organ's general and divisional pistons do not capture voices from external modules the instrument's Pedal, Swell, Great, and Choir MIDI rocker tablets are operated like ventils which bring on or retire combinations from both modules preset in advance. Each module supplies one voice at a time per division from among a selection of 99 sounds aboard, including classical organ ranks, mixtures, mutations, pianos, harpsichords, orchestral instruments, bells, & other theatre organ percussions for a splash of color. The first Allen module [A] is set up to send MIDI THRU in turn to the second Allen module [B], and both send speaker out signal back to the Peavey power mixer with volume knobs for both modules set at 10:30. Because this organ's Pedal division is a bit undersized perhaps for an instrument of this size, and because certain notes in the middle octave of the Great are no longer reliable, the workaround has been to use the Great mostly as a coupling division from or to the Pedal and to transfer the function of the main manual to the Choir/Positiv to which all other divisions save for the Great may be coupled. These Allen units contribute in a material way to this instrument's signature sound by being tuned differently -- sharp by 1 Cent (1/100th of a chromatic semitone) for Allen A and flat by 1 Cent for Allen B -- to more closely approach the random tuning characteristics of real pipe ranks. Their voices, all 8 at a time, play reverbed through both MAIN and MONITOR channels. In this application, using the ear, the Allen voices which seemed to best complement the Archive module, the instrument's own stops, and the speaker pipes are: Allen A -- Swell 16 Dulzian, Great 5-1/3 Principal, Choir/Pos 4 Viole, Pedal 8 Hautbois, and for Allen B -- Swell 16 Bourdon, Great 10-2/3 Principal, Choir/Pos 16 Diaphone, Pedal 16 Basson.
2. The ARCHIVE SPEAKER SYSTEM -- is also pipeless and separately set up using the MIDI output jack from the back of the console to connect with an Ahlborn-Galanti Archive Classic module. The Archive series of expander modules, of which there were 4 available stop lists [See blog, Expander Modules Part I], were meant to be a MIDI-operated support module but are practically a complete organ in a box. Each model is intended to work primarily with Ahlborn-Galanti organs, other digital organs, or MIDI-equipped pipe organs, and provide a number of adjustable and sophisticated features including an additional 20 voices [10 Division A stops, 6 Division B stops, 4 Pedal stops] and over 20 equivalent ranks set up, in this case, to be operable from the top 2 manuals and Pedal via the respective MIDI rocker tablets [these expanders are also nice additions, have some particularly good sounds, and, when enriched with reverb, equalization, and sufficient amplification, the results can be game changing]. This voice module is tuned 1.5 Cents sharp. Since this organ's general and divisional pistons do not capture voices from external modules the Pedal, Solo, and Echo MIDI rocker tablets are operated like ventils which bring on or retire combinations from this module's general piston memory preset in advance, the Pedal MIDI rocker tablet doing double duty in bringing on selected Pedal stops from both Allen modules at the same time. As stated, in this application the Archive's MIDI THRU jack passes the console's MIDI information on to the Allen A module of the MAIN/MONITOR speaker system [See above]. This Archive module sums its 3 divisional channels into 2 outputs in stereo. Since the various divisions can have different "pipe array" windchest output patterns, the [larger] manual Division A is set to play from the 4th [Solo] keyboard and to have the deepest notes in the center, the [smaller] manual Division B is set to play from the 5th [Echo] keyboard and puts the deepest notes to the far left and far right, and the Pedal division is set divided to the left and right. Doing things this way, both of these manual departments are clearly contrasted, the different pipe patterns avoid a "sameness" in the sound, and the bass is heard everywhere.
NOTE: An Archive module creates a stereo [R/L] line level out signal. Both of its R/L output jacks need to be used to avoid signal degradation.
This unit is connected first to the stereo in jacks of an Alesis Nanoverb 18-bit digital effects processor which mixes Hall 2 reverb adjusted to provide 5 seconds of decay time with the full organ. The Nanoverb then routs the signal in series to the stereo inputs of a DOD model SR831Qx 31-band dual graphic EQ which provides a +12dB gain to the reverb-enriched signal. Its bandwidths are set for boosts of +12dB @ 20Hz & 25Hz, +9dB @ 31.5Hz, +6dB @ 40Hz, +4.5dB @ 50Hz, +3dB @ 63Hz, 1.5dB @ 80Hz, Flat signal from 100Hz thru 160Hz, , and negative boosts of -3dB from 200Hz thru 315Hz, -6dB from 400Hz thru 630Hz, and -12dB from 800Hz up thru 20kHz.
The DOD's stereo outputs connect in turn with a Sunbuck AS-22 stereo mini amplifier rated at 50W per channel, 300W per channel max, frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz.
The Sunbuck's wired output terminals connect with an unported Polk Audio PSW505 powered sub equipped with a 300W continuous power amp @ 8 ohms, a 12" long throw woofer, frequency response down to 23Hz [32-foot F], and crossover set at 90Hz.
This amp's bare wire terminals then rout the signal to the wire input terminals of an unported Velodyne F-1800RII 18" powered subwoofer supplied with a 600W continuous power amp, frequency response down to 16Hz [32-foot C], and variable crossover set at 120Hz. The Velodyne's RCA output jacks connect in turn with an unported Polk Audio DSW Pro550wi powered sub supplied with a 200W continuous power amp, 10" woofer, frequency response down to 23Hz [32-foot F#], and crossover set at 120Hz.
The Velodyne's bare wire out jacks rout the signal stream stripped of low and subsonic bass to a matched pair of Dogg Digital Audio SL-1100 6-way tower speakers each equipped with an aluminized 8" woofer, four 5" aluminized midrange woofers, and a 1" silk eye tweeter. This ARCHIVE SPEAKER SYSTEM pushes 1100W (Polk/Velodyne/Polk/Dogg) + 100W (Sunbuck) = 1200W of power output.
3. The PIPE SPEAKER SYSTEM -- employs 8 sets of speaker pipes and a Rockville RPM80BT 8-channel power mixer equipped with dual 250W continuous power amps which receives signal from the entire organ through 6 individual low line jacks at the console. The Rockville's built-in 5-band EQ is set flat @ 60Hz with negative boosts of -12dB @ 250Hz, 800Hz, 2kHz, & 8kHz, and this signal is then sent via the Rockville's three 8 ohm, 1/4 inch line output jacks to:
1) firstly, the RCA input jack of a ported Sony SA-3000 powered sub supplied with a 100W continuous power amp and 12" long throw woofer. This Sony sub's listed frequency response is down to 20Hz [32-foot D#], and with its crossover set a maximum [200Hz] all notes from about 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 bare wire outputs send signal stripped of bass using 16/2 [16 gauge, two-stranded] standard speaker wire ending in spade terminals to a pair of passive Conn speaker pipe boxes [models 146-2 right elevation & 146-3 left elevation, both silver finish]. Each box is rated for an 8 ohm load, equipped with 2 pair of 8 ohm Cletron 6" x 9" oval speakers mounted end to end, and wired in series parallel to provide an 8 ohm load for the entire box. These units were created on a theoretical construct to work at midrange frequencies and to generate resonances at fundamentals from around 200Hz [8-foot tenor G#] up through all higher manual notes. This Sony sub's RCA output jack connects in turn with the RCA input jack of an unported Sony SA-WM200 powered subwoofer supplied with a 100W amp, 8" long throw woofer, listed frequency response of 28-200Hz, and crossover set at max [200Hz]. This sub then routs the bass stripped signal to a single set of Conn speaker pipes [model 145-1 center elevation, gold finish].
NOTE: Conn speaker pipes [See blog, Conn Speaker Pipes, May 12, 2016], one of several attempts invented to improve the sound of electronic analog organs, are strictly midrange units. The Conn theory was that individual frequencies generated by the upward firing 6" x 9" oval speakers mounted end to end inside the pipe box would find their own tuned pipes and make them resonate. What Conn engineers also observed when the pipes were tuned was that they not only resonated at fundamental primes but also at higher overtones of the harmonic series measurable up through and including the 5th harmonic [seventeenth]. So, besides providing a dispersion of sound vertically upward throughout the listening space 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 -- these units impart to all manual stops a discernable brightness to individual voices and a high end roll off that improves the quality of strings and reeds sounding through loudspeakers. Therefore, for best results, to ensure that the effects produced by the pipes don't get swamped, it's helpful to use an equalizer to slightly suppress midrange and treble bandwidths reaching any other speakers. To say that this invention works wonders is no exaggeration, but, since these are strictly midrange units, SHIELDING THEM FROM MID-BASS AND LOW BASS FREQUENCIES IS A MUST. This IS easily accomplished by filtering the signal stream before it arrives at the pipes with a powered subwoofer and setting the sub's variable crossover at its highest [no lower than 120Hz] which will strip the incoming audio signal of unwanted bass bandwidths. The signal may be boosted up to +12dB if needed by connecting an equalizer between the organ and subwoofer and adjusting its output boost control accordingly.
2) A second 8 ohm line out from the Rockville connects via a Y-splitter cable with the RCA input jacks of a ported Klipsch KSW200 powered sub equipped with a floor-firing 12" bass reflex woofer, 200W continuous power amp, listed frequency response down to 31Hz [16-foot C], and b) the RCA input jack of a Sony SA-W300 power subwoofer.
With its crossover set at maximum [120Hz] this sub's bare wire outputs rout the signal stripped of low bass to a pair of Conn speaker pipes [models 145-1 center elevation, 146-2 right elevation, both gold finish].
The other cable from the Y-splitter connects with the lone RCA input jack of a ported Sony SA-W3000 powered sub supplied with a 100W continuous power amp and 8" long throw woofer with cutoff set at maximum [200Hz]. This Sony sub's bare wire outputs connect with another pair of Conn speaker pipes [models 145-2 right elevation, 145-3 left elevation, both silver finish].
3) The third 8 ohm line out from the Rockville connects via another Y-splitter cable with a) the RCA input jacks of a ported JBL Sub150 powered subwoofer equipped with a 150W continuous power amp, 10" bass reflex woofer, listed frequency response of 180Hz down to 35Hz [16-foot C#], and b) the RCA input jack of a BIC America Formula F-12 powered subwoofer equipped with a 475W peak power amp, 12" long throw woofer, listed frequency response down to 25Hz [32-foot G], and variable crossover set at maximum [200Hz]. This BIC sub is difficult to see, as it sits behind a set of gold 145-1 Conn pipes and is hidden underneath the passive 12" Audiopipe car audio sub of the MAIN/MONITOR system.
Signal from all 6 of the organ's divisions also is sent via a pair of console out jacks to the 2-channel 1/4 inch input jacks of another DOD model 231 series II 31-band graphic EQ which boosts the signal with a gain of +12dB, a further boost of +12dB @ 20Hz, +9dB boost @ 25Hz, +6dB @ 31.5Hz, flat from 40Hz thru 160Hz, and negative boost of -6dB @ 200Hz & -12dB from 250Hz up thru 20kHz. The equalized, boosted signal is then routed via its 2-channel 1/4 inch output jacks to the 1/4 inch stereo input jacks of a separate Radio Shack MPA-250B stereo amp rated at 250W continuous power and equipped with two sets of R/L bare wire stereo outputs.
One of these sets of wire outputs connects with a BSR model DR-SW15X2 passive subwoofer cabinet retrofitted with a Memphis 15" bass driver and built with a fixed high crossover of 120Hz. The R/L stereo wire outputs of this sub connect in turn with another Audio BR-10 passive 3-way monitor cabinet supplied with its own crossover network, 10" woofer, 4" midrange cone, 10" x 4" horn tweeter, and listed frequency response of 29Hz-20kHz.
The other set of R/L stereo wire outputs of the Radio Shack amp connect with the bare wire inputs of an unported Definitive Technology ProSub1000 powered subwoofer supplied with a 250W amp, 10" long throw subwoofer pressure coupled to a 10" low pass radiator, listed frequency response from 150Hz down to 18Hz [32-foot D], and crossover set at 40Hz. This amp and speakers function to reinforce bass and treble frequencies for proper balance.
A separate Choice Select ST2060 mixing amp rated at 60W continuous power receives input signal from the console's Swell, Solo, & Echo divisions and routs the mixed signal to a Yamaha YST-SW90 powered sub supplied with a 100W amp, 8" spruce cone driver, and listed frequency response down to 23Hz [32-foot F#]. With its variable crossover set at 110Hz it serves to fit seamlessly with the McCurdy pipes [See Below] in supplying needed fullness to the bottom 3/4 of the 8-foot bass octave, all of the 16-foot octave, and even the top half of the 32-foot octave.
One of this Yamaha's output terminals is wired to a passive, custom-built bass pipe speaker box created in Lodi, California by the McCurdy Corporation. This unit is constructed of 12 general purpose PVC [polyvinyl chloride] cylindrical pipes of equal diameter [3-1/2"] cut to various lengths, bundled together, and mounted vertically on end. These sit on a wire baffle recessed within a square plywood box inside of which is mounted a single upward-firing Realistic 12" woofer with an estimated frequency response bottoming out in the 40Hz-50Hz range. This unit is made to employ the same principles of acoustic resonance as, and are tuned to work seamlessly with, the Conn pipes. These PVC pipes project through a large scalloped hole cut in the roof of the box and are tuned to resonate across the 12 chromatic semitones of equal temperament from around 22oHz [8-foot tenor A] down to 110Hz [8-foot bass A]. Their range thus overlaps slightly the lower limit [208Hz] of the 146 Conn pipes at the tenor G# note without noticeable break. Resonances from these pipes are easily audible at fundamentals of the [20] 8-foot stops involved. Far weaker resonances are also likely from the 2nd thru 5th harmonics of the [5] 16-foot stops supplied to these manuals. The pipes clustered near the center of the bundle fully occlude the surface of the woofer while those positioned on the outside occlude less of the woofer's surface. The pitches at which each pipe resonates depends upon the velocity of air inside it which moves faster, raising the pitch, when more speaker cone area is occluded. This accounts for some of the pipes being nearly the same length.
This PIPE SPEAKER SYSTEM pushes 500W (Rockville) + 200W (Sony/Sony) + 300W (Klipsch/Sony) + 475W (BIC) + 150W (JBL) + 500W (Radio Shack/DefTech) + 60W (Choice Select) + 100W (Yamaha) = 2285W of power output.
With these new external speaker systems fully engaged this instrument is capable of generating up to 4695W of audio output power. Speaker cones range across 11 sizes: one 18" SUB, one 15" SUB, two more 15", six 12" SUBS, three more 12", two 10" x 4" horns, three 10" SUBs, one dual 10" SUB, three 8" SUBS, four more 8", twenty-eight 6" x 9" ovals, ten 5", two 4", four 2", and one 1" for a total of 72 speakers, 16 being SUBS.
The goal of this project was to take an early digital electronic organ and endow it with improved tone quality, ambience, expanded tonal spread, and multiplied power in as cost-effective a way as possible. By cobbling together a combination of new and preowned electronics the peculiar fusion of this multifarious array of equipment -- a melting pot of 20 different name brands -- has produced a living, breathing machine, an apparatus with possibilities of tints of color that are virtually endless, a one-of-a-kind soundscape all its own, and a full organ that pulsates with realism, ambience, and hair-raising power that doesn't sound forced. As its conception grew the adventure morphed into an even bolder synthesis of unlikely elements that in the end exceeded expectations. Perhaps most importantly, it now offers a truly sonic sense and "feel" of the real thing in the environment of one's own home.
It can be very hard to get all notes of a rank in a pipe organ to sample perfectly -- most ranks have notes that are lacking something in scaling and regulation. Because of this, what manufacturers actually put into their instruments can be meager sampling per rank which doesn't really do justice to the objective of making a "digi" organ sound like the real thing. When the best samples are lacking, things like wind noise ("chiff") and delay as longer pipes get on speech are largely overlooked which creates a sound that's too focused and straight if not sterile. The biggest problem manufacturers face is, what can be done at what price. Piano and organ companies experience periodic lulls in sales, there has always been rabid competition among them, and it's a fact of life that some sampled organs have been seriously compromised in order to stay price-competitive. The marketplace for "digi" organs is such that, most purchasers are looking for more stops, more manuals, more memory, etc., rather than the very highest quality sound. Manufacturers are faced with designing, engineering, assembling, and providing their line of products to dealers in a way that balances quality with sales potential and still turn a profit.
With this in mind, no sub/super couplers, programmable crescendo, or programmable tutti were provided to this organ. The crescendo shoe is limited to 8-position, general pistons limited to 6, memory levels limited to 8, it can only be tuned by division, celeste stops automatically draw the mate rank tuned true, and built-in drawer reverb leaves much to be desired. Two voicing variations [A/B] per stop allows the organ to store more sounds on fewer drawknobs. Volume knobs are limited only for Great and Pedal divisions. If all divisions are tuned exactly true to the Great the sound is wooden and lifeless, but if tuned too far away from the Great 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. Since the ear will tolerate a little bit of sharpness but not the same degree of flatness the Echo can be tuned 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 can tuned a trifle more sharp than the Echo, the Choir a trifle flat to the Solo, and the Pedal barely sharp to the Swell. This can be 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.
Mistuned ranks (celestes) inserted by pipe organ builders typically are never drawn for the full organ, but in an organ like this one some of them can be drawn with advantage in fuller ensembles, provided they don't create a disturbing pitch "warble," to simulate the random effect of minute pitch variations among real pipe ranks. Some very patient trial-and-error experimentation is needed for this, of course, it's a bit tricky to keep from going overboard, 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. With manual tremolos being adjustable for depth and speed, compound orchestral-styled tones of great beauty are possible by coupling divisions possibly with a tremmed voice or two thrown in.
Only 2 percussion stops (Great Chimes & Solo Harp) were provided in this organ. The top octave of the Great Chimes (C#50 to C61) is 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 represents 49 equivalent bars. The Solo Harp runs all the way up to top C6 without doubling back and thus comprises 61 equivalent bars. Every stop in this organ including Chimes and Harp is equipped with 2 voicing variations (A and B) controlled by tilting tablets which permits the organist to select from 168 equivalent ranks. The A voicing reflects more traditional voicing whereas on B the strings and reeds typically have less fundamental and more harmonic content. Principals and diapasons sound more wide-scaled and neutral in tone, and flutes are stopped and hollow-sounding.
Based upon their sound, the stops in this organ run the full gamut from excellent to poor, and the "European sounding" samples it has are admittedly not everyone's cup of tea. Some of the stops are quite fine, some not as good, some are identical on both A and B, and many do not enter well into combination due to being awfully strong. In the Great the 8- and 16-foot Principals on A are large scale and very big like English 1st Opens. On B they both sound more like large scale Tibias. The Salicional is more like an English 3rd Open on A and on B is less strong and sounds with a prominent 12th. The Flute Celeste is good if the Great volume knob turned down all the way. The 4' Rohr Flute is a big, burbley flute good for solos in its lower range. Both Trumpets speak with a noticeable 3rd [17th] and do not enter well in combination. The Cornet is loud which makes it a a good solo stop. The Mixture and Fourniture are both voiced on the loud side. In the Swell the Principal and Viole are both good and together are very French sounding. The Gedeckts are all good and available at 6 pitches. The reed chorus stands on a big Contra Fagotto that's good. The Trompettes are both a bit dull in tone. The Hautbois is full-toned with a very prominent 12th and 17th that best lends itself in combination with fuller ensembles. The Plein Jeu is very strident but has a nice high end break back. In the Choir/Positiv the 8-foot Principal is fairly big like an English 2nd Open but dull in tone. The Hohl Flute is full-toned, open on A, stopped on B, and good for solos on A or B, with or without Tremolo. The Cromorne is good on A, more like a Clarinet on B. The Mixture is good in ensemble but also on the loud side. In the Solo the Diapason is strong and fairly neutral in color which makes it valuable as a helper stop to add power to any of the big 8-foot reeds without appreciably affecting their timbre. In combination with the Gamba it inclines to a French Montre in tone. The Gamba and its paired Celeste are both good and identical on A and B. The Gemshorn Octave and Octavin are both very bright and penetrating. The Bassoon on A is very realistic for an actual Bassoon, and on B it's brighter in the midrange and rounder in the bass. The Orchestral Oboe is thin and keen, making it good for solos and lending brightness to plenum registrations. The tone of the Cor Anglais is dull and assertive but good coupled to the Pedal for adding definition to moving bass lines in contrapuntal music. Due to the 5th manual being so far away the Echo stops work best when coupled to other manuals. The Cor De Nuit is good on A and excellent on B where it's very French sounding. The Erzahler and its Celeste are beautiful on A. On B the tone is thinner and speaks with a prominent 2nd harmonic, or octave. The Echo [string] Celeste is stronger than expected and actually a bit louder than the Solo Gamba Celeste to which it can be coupled with fine effect. The Echo Mixture is quite good. The Echo reeds are all poor save for the Vox. In an age where there are so many vile examples, the Vox Humana in this organ is "one to die for" and with the Echo tremulant correctly adjusted to flutter at the proper depth and rate is wonderful for playing Franck. On A it's mixed with a very soft helper stop, and on B it's all by itself. In the Pedal the 16-foot Principal and Octave on A are like a big English Open Wood, and on B are dull and flutey in tone. The Lieblich Gedeckt is a valuable voice for quiet passages, and the Violone and Sub Bass are both of medium strength and quite good. The Fagott is big with a brassy timbre like a Trumpet and is thus best saved for the very fullest combinations at the end of a work. The four 4-foot Pedal stops are all good for solos on A or B. The Pedal Contra Bourdon in this organ is rather quiet, matches the Violone in tonality in its middle octave, and is a valuable stop useful as a Contra Violone. The Contra Bombarde in this organ is also big and brassy, highly charged with color, and weaker in fundamental than the typical French Bombarde.
Because the Pedal division in this organ is a bit undersized perhaps for an instrument of this size, the Great stops are so assertive, and the Great keyboard due to age has developed a few unreliable notes, this division is now being treated as a coupling division to the Pedal with the function of the main manual shifted to the bottom keyboard using couplers, as in French organs. In this application all 3 expander modules complement the organ's voices and each other, creating a fusion that melts together into a signature sound. Every playable voice including those of the expander modules are independent with no unification or duplexing, and every manual 16-foot stop runs all the way to the bottom without breaking back. Voices of 2-foot pitch or higher either break back in the top octave or [in the case of the Baldwin/Viscount stops] end at the top with some dead notes. The Pedal Fourniture is the only compound harmonic-corroborating stop in the instrument having no breaks in its compass.
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 main instrument commands the equivalent of 5,779 sounding pipes using either A or B voicing variations at a time. With both Allen modules contributing the equivalent of another 430 sounding pipes at a time and the Ahlborn module contributing another 1,370 sounding pipes, the instrument has expanded to 135 equivalent ranks and 7,579 equivalent pipes controlled by 112 speaking stops.
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 expressible 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 amazingly life-like, new signature voice of this instrument has come about from a) the peculiar one-of-a-kind combination of external amplifiers, mixers, equalizers, reverb engines, long throw subwoofers, and unique array of conventional speakers and speaker pipes through which it now speaks, plus b) the number and type of external sound modules which supplement its tonal forces -- voices which when blended with each other and with the instrument's own stops are capable of creating remarkable combinational tones of great beauty, realism, and sheer, thrilling power. The premise of always using the modules when performing at this organ, due to their superior sampling, is responsible in large part for the making of its sound. Another good premise is to think of the Solo as being part of the Swell. This creates a massive palette for coloration of sounds and a massive dynamic palette for nuancing the music. If the hands happen to go to the Solo, the Echo can be blended in.
CONSOLE LEFT STOP JAMB
CONSOLE RIGHT STOP JAMB
May this outreach and educational ministry
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as you continue to grow
and nurture your love
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King of Instruments.
STOP LIST
GREAT (26 ranks)
16' Principal, 8' Principal, 8' Bourdon, 8' Flute Celeste II, 8' Salicional, 4' Octave, 4' Rohr Flute, 2-2/3' Nazard, 2' Super Octave, V Cornet, IV Mixture, VI Fourniture, 8' Trumpet, 4' Trumpet, Chimes, Tremolo
SWELL (16 ranks)
16' Lieblich Gedeckt, 8' Principal, 8' Gedeckt, 8' Viole, 8' Viole Celeste II, 4' Geigen, 2-2/3' Nazard, 2' Flautino, 1-'1/3' Larigot, III Plein Jeu, 16' Contra Fagott, 8' Trompette, 8' Hautbois, 4' Trompette, Tremolo
CHOIR/POSITIV (14 ranks)
8' Principal, 8' Hohl Flute, 8' Dulciana, 8' Unda Maris II, 4' Principal, 4' Stopped Flute, 2' Doublette, 1/3/5' Tierce, 1' Siffote, IV Mixture, 8' Cromorne, Tremolo
SOLO (13 ranks)
8' Diapason, 8' Major Flute, 8' Gamba, 8' Gamba Celeste II, 4' Gemshorn, 4' Orchestral Flute, 2' Octavin, 16' Bassoon, 8' Tuba Mirabilis, 8' French Horn, 8' Cor Anglais, 8' Orchestral Oboe, 4' Tuba Clarion, 8' Harp, Tremolo
ECHO (18 ranks)
16' Dulciana, 8' Cor De Nuit, 8' Erzahler, 8' Erzahler Celeste II, 8' Echo Celeste II, 4' Flauto D'Echo, 4' Erzahler Celeste II, 2' Flautino, III Mixture, 16' Bombarde, 8' Festival Trumpet, 8' Bombarde, 8' Vox Humana, 4' Bombarde, Tremolo
PEDAL (20 ranks)
32' Contra Bourdon, 16' Principal, 16' Sub Bass, 16' Violone, 16' Lieblich Gedeckt, 8' Octave, 8' Gedeckt, 4' Super Octave, 4' Flute, 2' Block Flute, V Fourniture, 32' Contra Bombarde, 16' Fagott, 8' Trumpet, 4' Clarion, 4' Schalmei
COUPLER PISTONS
Swell to Great, Choir/Positiv to Great, Solo to Great, Echo to Great, Swell to Choir/Positiv, Solo to Choir/Positiv, Echo to Choir/Positiv, Solo to Swell, Echo to Swell, Echo to Solo, Great to Pedal*, Swell to Pedal*, Choir/Positiv to Pedal*, Solo to Pedal*, Echo to Pedal*
*Manual to Pedal couplers duplicated with toe pistons
*
BOTTOM LINE
It would be ungracious and unwise to dismiss the digital organ as a mere imposter. The best of them serve a real artistic purpose. They make study and performance possible where none would otherwise exist. They are, in the most literal sense, instruments of access. And in a culture where music education continually retreats from the sacred and the serious, anything that brings Bach into more hands and homes cannot be altogether bad.
The sensible conclusion therefore [if one can be permitted to sound reasonable in so romantic a debate] is that the digital organ should not be seen as a rival but as an ally -- a younger cousin, perhaps, lacking in pedigree but not in potential. Let the cathedral keep its pipes, and let the studio have its samples; the art will survive in both so long a musicians of sincerity and taste continue to play.
The organ's greatness has never depended solely upon its materials. It depends upon the intelligence and conviction of the player. When one sits at the console, whether surrounded by windchests or loudspeakers, one assumes the same ancient vocation -- to turn air, or electrons, into spirit. The miracle lies not in the mechanism, but in the mind and heart which command it.