Mega-Hyper-Ultra Organ...

[Corno Dolce]

Hey Master Krummhorn,

I'd bet that Sir Frederik, you, and I would have our hands full at this organ console:

http://cfgray.com/images/taliesine05/GodsOrgan.jpg

Cheerio,

CD

[methodistgirl]

WOW! Now that's huge!
judytooley

[Corno Dolce]

Aloha Ms. Judy,

Yeah, its got lots of pipe-rank controls. If it had the actual amount of pipes, you'd probably need at least three tuners/regulators to keep it in tune.

Cheerio,

CD

[Krummhorn]

That is one doozy of a console ... one would need 8 foot long arms and 5 assistants to play it. Just imagine the nightmare of wiring that would be required inside the console ... and the technician looking through 15 miles of wiring looking for a short ... carrumba!

Too bad ... or maybe a godsend ... that it is not an operational console. If memory serves correctly, there are no pipes hooked up to it as it "plays" a digital recording through a couple speakers.

[marval]

Hi CD

Now that is one organ that takes up a lot of space.

Any idea where it is?


Margaret

[robmcw]

This non-functioning console is located in Wisconsin.

[marval]

Thank you robmcw, good to know that.


Margaret

[Contratrombone64]

That is one doozy of a console ... one would need 8 foot long arms and 5 assistants to play it. Just imagine the nightmare of wiring that would be required inside the console ... and the technician looking through 15 miles of wiring looking for a short ... carrumba!

Too bad ... or maybe a godsend ... that it is not an operational console. If memory serves correctly, there are no pipes hooked up to it as it "plays" a digital recording through a couple speakers.

I always think Octopuses would make Excellent organists LOL

[Contratrombone64]

This non-functioning console is located in Wisconsin.

So, did they plan the organ, build the console and then run out of money for the pipe work? LOL

[Corno Dolce]

Nawww, methinks it was built as a fluke.

[BrianLarkin]

definitely need a Howard Seat for that baby.

[Fretless]

This non-functioning console is located in Wisconsin.

Heh, when I saw the picture it reminded me of when I went to The House on the Rock in Wisconsin and they had a whole room full of pipe organ consoles--same place? It's been 24 years since I saw that room, but I still remember it. My dad got a big kick out of it, being an organist himself.

[dll927]

I've seen pictures of that one before.

Having lived for 39 years in the Los Angeles area (I no longer do), I can assure you there are some "monsters" around there. As most of you are probably aware, First Congregational now claims to have the largest church organ in the world. Around the late '60s, after their Schlicker organ was put up in the west balcony, I had season tickets for their concert series. It shook the place then, and that was before they emptied out the seats in the crossing balconies and filled those up with pipes, too. That church is also something of an architectural jewel, at least for L.A. Visit www.fccla.org. or put the church name into Flickr.

A bit to the south, Crystal Cathedral is about next in line, although they claim the acoustics in the place are for the birds. I've only been there once, and they were having a wedding, so they shooed everybody else out. After that, when the bridal party came down the aisle, the organist went on one of those suspended reed contraptions, and you could hear it clear outside!! (It's glass, remember!!)

A few other notables: Wilshire Methodist, Lake Avenue Congregational in Pasadena, First Presbyterian in Pasadena, and I understand the one in the new Disney concert hall is quite a shaker, even with its "crooked" 32's. And the list goes on. BTW, I understand that First Congregational now has a 64 footer, but I don't know if it's the real size or not.

[Corno Dolce]

Aloha dll927,

FCCLA has a Gravissima 64' which draw a 32' plus and probably plays the fifth above ergo, 21-1/3 on a neighboring rank. They have a Diapason 32 and a Bourdon 32 in the pedal. So the Daipason 32' is drawn and then the Bourdon 32 gets *keyed* for the 21-1/3' quint which will result in a 64' sound formant.

Cheerio,

CD

[Contratrombone64]

Having lived for 39 years in the Los Angeles area (I n longer do), I can assure you there are some "monsters" around there.

Hi there

I have a lovely CD at home called historic organs from San Francisco. Not all enormous monsters are necessarily good organs...