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mixture stop not working - help!

Bach>Meer

New member
Hi all

When I engage the mixture stop on my organ firstly no sound is coming out of it and secondly, when the stop tab is clicked into action, there is a sound very much like the tremulant sounds like when it is activated - like a whirring noise.

Organ is electropneumatic stop tab action.

Any takers as to what could be happening here?

cheers
kevin
 

pcnd5584

New member
Hi all

When I engage the mixture stop on my organ firstly no sound is coming out of it and secondly, when the stop tab is clicked into action, there is a sound very much like the tremulant sounds like when it is activated - like a whirring noise.

Organ is electropneumatic stop tab action.

Any takers as to what could be happening here?

cheers
kevin

Not exactly without seeing it - but (in combination with one of your previous posts), it does sound as if your stop/combination action is beginning to fail to some degree. Is the instrument constructed with slider chests? (And is the Mixture on the main Swell sound-board, or is it on its own chest?) Also, are the sliders activated by slider motors? In addition, can you get someone to move the stop-key, whilst you are inside the instrument, observing what is - or is not - happening? You would probably find that, if the slides are operated by slider motors, these are fitted outside of the Swell box, at the base and along one side. It may be that there is a wire which has come loose. Or (depending on the make and design of the slider motors), the control box (on the top, usually) may have burned out - has there also been a slightly unpleasant 'plastic- melting' odour lately? I should need the answers to these questions, before suggesting a remedy.

However, as usual, I would add the caveat - these things are best investigated by your organ builder.



(Incidentally, did you get my replies to your previous PM?)
 
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Bach>Meer

New member
Hi pcnd

Thanks for this and yes apologies - many thanks for your PM - really useful as always - very much appreciated.

There's no smell and I think that sliders are used. There is a box to the bottom side of the swell box - I had a look before. There is a sound as if something is not quite connecting properly and its a continuous sound - a whirring sound. Maybe a wire loose then?

thanks again
Kevin




Not exactly without seeing it - but (in combination with one of your previous posts), it does sound as if your stop/combination action is beginning to fail to some degree. Is the instrument constructed with slider chests? (And is the Mixture on the main Swell sound-board, or is it on its own chest?) Also, are the sliders activated by slider motors? In addition, can you get someone to move the stop-key, whilst you are inside the instrument, observing what is - or is not - happening? You would probably find that, if the slides are operated by slider motors, these are fitted outside of the Swell box, at the base and along one side. It may be that there is a wire which has come loose. Or (depending on the make and design of the slider motors), the control box (on the top, usually) may have burned out - has there also been a slightly unpleasant 'plastic- melting' odour lately? I should need the answers to these questions, before suggesting a remedy.

However, as usual, I would add the caveat - these things are best investigated by your organ builder.



(Incidentally, did you get my replies to your previous PM?)
 

pcnd5584

New member
Hi pcnd

Thanks for this and yes apologies - many thanks for your PM - really useful as always - very much appreciated.

There's no smell and I think that sliders are used. There is a box to the bottom side of the swell box - I had a look before. There is a sound as if something is not quite connecting properly and its a continuous sound - a whirring sound. Maybe a wire loose then?

thanks again
Kevin

If the sound is similar to the noise of wind escaping, it could well be the following: given that the Conacher rebuild dates from 1954, they would probably have fitted pneumatic motors to the slides, and the later work on the stop and combination action retained these pneumatic primaries*. From your description, it is possible that the skin has split on one of these (they are similar to, but larger than, pallet motors). If this is the case, then the motor will have to be removed, dismantled and re-covered. Unfortunately, this is not something which should ever be attempted by anyone other than the organ builder.



* The NPOR states that the stop action is electro-pneumatic - which is certainly possible, given the relevant dates of work undertaken.
 
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