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Smallest and Biggest you've played?

Argoth

New member
Lets see now: The largest I've played is the five manual at St. Sulpice - the smallest one being the one I own of 64 non-unified or borrowed stops spread over 4 manuals.

Wow, you've played the organ at St. Sulpice! And you own a 4 manual organ??? Post some details! ps- what does non-unified stops mean? :confused:
 

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Hi Argoth,

I use the term unified very freely - A rank of pipes consisting of 85 pipes so that one can play at 16' to 4' pitches. Non-unified for me means independent ranks of 61 pipes. Now, since my organ is a digital organ, I have 61 sounding notes per rank It's a four manual organ made by Walker which I custom specified the stop list. I'll send you a spec list by P.M.

Btw - I hope to visit the Wanamaker organ soon - 6 manuals and almost 29,000 pipes.

Cheers,

Corno Dolce
 
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Soubasse

New member
Hi Corno,

Quick question re playing at St. Sulpice: Was it good for you too?:)
I found it a rather religious experience (to say nothing of sitting at the same console as Messrs Dupre, Widor, Roth et al ... sigh!)

I didn't know Walker made digitals as well (are you talking J W and Sons?)

Matt
 

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Hello Soubasse,

Walker Technical Company in Pennsylvania made the *guts* of the instrument - R.A. Colby made the french terassed console. Yes, the experience at St. Sulpice left me in a state of exaltation which is still with me seven years hence. It served as the main inspiration for my own machine.

Cheers,

Corno Dolce
 

Soubasse

New member
I had completely the wrong continent! God what a twonk :eek:. (It was probably from just having played our own J W Walker the previous day. Besides with your location being 3.08568025 x 10^103 meters away from earth it was difficult to tell!). So, you have a custom-made digital with a terraced console? I hate you - in the nicest possible way of course!:) Any pics and specs? I'd be fascinated to hear more about it - obviously you'd never be wanting for a decent practice instrument ... I'd love to have even a mediocre digital at home for practice.

Cheers,
Matt
 

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Hi Soubasse,

On another thread you shared what you had for instrumentation. It seems that you've got quite the array of instruments and appurtenances. By the looks of it, you've got even more sound combinations possible than I do. Do you have a midi-pedal keyboard hooked up to any of your synths? Below is a website for some ideas:


http://www.laukhuff.de/english/midipedal_e.html


Cheers,

Corno Dolce
 
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Soubasse

New member
Just checked out that link. What novel idea! I've had my eye (on and off) on the Roland AGO pedalboards for a while with the thought that with a specially made bench and stand for at least three synths, I could do some decent practice. As yet though, the finances haven't been kind and are unlikely to be for a very long time. I do have a friend who has actually made a trigger-to-MIDI converter for a house organ so that he can control various electronic devices from the pedalboard. I may explore that avenue.

Have you seen the page that Wendy Carlos has documenting the building of her own behemoth? A combination of several Kurweill keyboards, a custom made pedalboard and stand for one heel of a formidable hybrid synth/organ console.
 

Soubasse

New member
I wrote:
"One heel of a formidable hybrid synth/organ console" which naturally implies that you can't use your toes. What a pillock - that's what I get for not proofing before I send.

http://www.wendycarlos.com/wurlynew/index.html

It's fairly long but it's a fun read for gear nerds like me.

Interesting animal, that Atlantis - it's looks as though it's trying to be a modern, digital answer to the famous Yamaha GX1 (which was also a rather dreamy instrument to sit at and play). Sorry, I'm hijacking this thread somewhat.
 

Corno Dolce

Admiral Honkenwheezenpooferspieler
Hi Soubasse,

Thanx for the link. Hijacking this thread? I certainly don't detect it - maybe I'm too stupid - a bunny with a pancake on it's head. :grin::grin::grin:

Cheers,

Corno Dolce

p.s. Sheesh - I'd go bananas at that console belonging to Clark Ferguson - man am I salivating - imagine the possibilities!!!
 
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AeroScore

New member
I wrote:
Interesting animal, that Atlantis - it's looks as though it's trying to be a modern, digital answer to the famous Yamaha GX1 (which was also a rather dreamy instrument to sit at and play). Sorry, I'm hijacking this thread somewhat.

Interesting you mention the GX-1...I knew the primary tonal designer for that instrument all too well for many years, a fellow by the name of John Seng (whom I've mentioned in this forum before for his studio work on organ and synth in the 70's and 80's in Hollywood). He did a LOT of consutling work for Yamaha at that time, after spending several years as a tonal consultant and product specialist for Hammond in the 60's. He passed away at the age of 64 a few years ago, alas.

Speaking of custom-built, digital organ/synth setups, check out my music teacher, Chester Smith's website at www.feetnfingers.com, and the impressive 3 manual, 32 AGO pedal instrument he calles the "Fox 2000 Special." Manual keys and pedal board were specially built for him in England, and the case work was built by Ken Chrome. The instrument uses MIDI to access a bank of tone modules, and thumb pistons for all registration changes...no "stops" on the console at all.


Dean
 

Soubasse

New member
Just now looked at that link and damn, that is one hell of a nice piece of kit!:eek: I believe that if I ever had the money (which sadly is supremely unlikely) I would go down the same road of a custom made job. What I loved about the GX1 though was its immediacy - it was a very comfortable instrument to sit at and not just play, but program as well. To be able to grab any number of programming/performance controls and have it all work immediately gave it the "living" quality that many pipe organs have (and yes, I am aware of the irony of that statement:)). It's been my impression that the designing team were thinking (amongst other things) of the players' emotional response when this instrument got off the drawing board.

You knew John Seng?! I'll bet there were some fascinating conversations there. Looks like we may have to start a new thread on this.:)

Matt
 

AeroScore

New member
You knew John Seng?! I'll bet there were some fascinating conversations there. Looks like we may have to start a new thread on this.:)

Matt

To quote Sir Ian McKellan in the movie "Gods And Monsters," playing James Whale: "Take off your shirt, and I'll tell you all about it!"

Dean :eek:
 

Mat

Sr. Regulator
Staff member
Sr. Regulator
Regulator
The smallest I've played was a one-manual organ from 1765. It had five stops. Years ago, when I was on vacation in northern Poland, I was visiting a heritage park when I found out there was going to be an organ recital in a small, historical church there. I attended the concert and afterwards I asked the organist if I could possibly have a quick go at the instrument. To my big surprise he agreed and that's how I got play an approximately 240-years-old pipe organ. Oh, did I mention it didn't have a pedalboard?

The biggest was a three-decker made by the Sauer company. It had 48 stops.
 

Nikam

New member
Thanks for bringing this thread out of the archives and into the limelight Mat! Hadn't come across it, so am looking forward to digesting all that has gone before. :D
 

smilingvox

New member
Smallest was a home-made, but very well crafted, portative of 3 octaves (2' small-scaled open wood Flute)
The largest was the Boardwalk Hall organ (M-L). Hopefully, she's ok. No word yet.
 

artemisn

New member
I've only played for 2 years, but the smallest I've played would have to be my university's positive organ of four stops - Three flutes of 8', 4', and a Nasard 2 2/3', along with a Vox Humana 8'.

The largest would be monster over at Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, TX. 10,600+ pipes, 191 ranks, 129 stops, and five manuals. Sadly, it lacks 'character,' and is understandably hard to register. It's a unique instrument, to say the least.
 
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