Content digital organs

[jmcpher1]

Wyvern organs at the top end of their range are indeed based on phoenix technology but at the bottom end I believe they use Content technology albeit using their own "English" samples.

Comparing Johannus with Content depends on your taste. Both are equally good at this price range. The Contents seem much smoother in tone than the Johannus and more suited to "romantic" temprement but the Johannus give good baroque tone.

You should try and buy the best you can afford and paying attention to the number of sound channels/amplifiers is as important as the quality of the samples used in the instrument. The more channels that the sound is spread over the more satisfying the end result will be.

Although I have a Wyvern Sonata I am particularly impressed with the Johannus new Vivaldi series which seems to have taken technology that bit further which might suggest that Johannus has got the edge at present in the technology war. No doubt Content will catch up soon.

[Clarion]

You should try and buy the best you can afford and paying attention to the number of sound channels/amplifiers is as important as the quality of the samples used in the instrument. The more channels that the sound is spread over the more satisfying the end result will be.

While the multi-channel stuff might aptly apply as a general principle for most church installations; it has little importance for a home organ installation.

I suspect that my Canadian Phoenix III/44 is probably a leading edge home installation. Instead of a whole bunch of channels to clutter our home; taking advantage of modern technology, this instrument utilizes a Lexicon 400 reverb and surround sound system. The front end employs a couple of corner-mounted stereo speakers, along with a couple powered sub-woofers that most ably take care of the bottom end. The rear of the room accomodates a couple of rear channel speakers which support the back end of the surround sound sytem.

I am fully satisfied with this setup.

[wljmrbill]

sorry do not remember model number was in 1981 if that helps. Yes I have played Allen, Rodgers and a pipe organ with digital "ranks "added to it ( strange but sounded very nice).....

[Ntalikeris666]

While the multi-channel stuff might aptly apply as a general principle for most church installations; it has little importance for a home organ installation.

I suspect that my Canadian Phoenix III/44 is probably a leading edge home installation. Instead of a whole bunch of channels to clutter our home; taking advantage of modern technology, this instrument utilizes a Lexicon 400 reverb and surround sound system. The front end employs a couple of corner-mounted stereo speakers, along with a couple powered sub-woofers that most ably take care of the bottom end. The rear of the room accomodates a couple of rear channel speakers which support the back end of the surround sound sytem.

I am fully satisfied with this setup.

How much did you get your phoenix organ?

[Ntalikeris666]

Wyvern organs at the top end of their range are indeed based on phoenix technology but at the bottom end I believe they use Content technology albeit using their own "English" samples.

Comparing Johannus with Content depends on your taste. Both are equally good at this price range. The Contents seem much smoother in tone than the Johannus and more suited to "romantic" temprement but the Johannus give good baroque tone.

You should try and buy the best you can afford and paying attention to the number of sound channels/amplifiers is as important as the quality of the samples used in the instrument. The more channels that the sound is spread over the more satisfying the end result will be.

Although I have a Wyvern Sonata I am particularly impressed with the Johannus new Vivaldi series which seems to have taken technology that bit further which might suggest that Johannus has got the edge at present in the technology war. No doubt Content will catch up soon.

Have you played on a vivaldi?

[Ntalikeris666]

While the multi-channel stuff might aptly apply as a general principle for most church installations; it has little importance for a home organ installation.

I suspect that my Canadian Phoenix III/44 is probably a leading edge home installation. Instead of a whole bunch of channels to clutter our home; taking advantage of modern technology, this instrument utilizes a Lexicon 400 reverb and surround sound system. The front end employs a couple of corner-mounted stereo speakers, along with a couple powered sub-woofers that most ably take care of the bottom end. The rear of the room accomodates a couple of rear channel speakers which support the back end of the surround sound sytem.

I am fully satisfied with this setup.

How much did you get your organ?

[Clarion]

How much did you get your organ?

Sorry Ntalikeris666;84876; but my lack of response to your question was intentional.

As someone living here in Ontario, Canada; located just an hour down the road from the impressive new Phoenix Canada manufacturing facility, I am not at all convinced that my experiences or prices incurred here in Canada would be in any way relevant to your European locus.

Regards
Claron

[Ntalikeris666]

Sorry Ntalikeris666;84876; but my lack of response to your question was intentional.

As someone living here in Ontario, Canada; located just an hour down the road from the impressive new Phoenix Canada manufacturing facility, I am not at all convinced that my experiences or prices incurred here in Canada would be in any way relevant to your European locus.

Regards
Claron

BTW i dont know if phoenix in Europe is the same as phoenix in Canada.
About the cases, surely its not. I dont know about the sound though. I contacted a dealer of Phoenix in the UK and the prices were quite good. For a 45 stop 2 manual organ they charged 15500 ~ Pounds (17900~ Euros, or 25400 $ ) without the installation and delivery.

By the way , i played on a content Mondri 5800 model (Their Highest end models) and the sound was pretty nice! The flues did not "scream" in the upper notes, mixtures were nice, and reeds were majestic. Also they seem to have implemented quite well the MAS (surround) technology. It is not the same as Johannus. I have played on both. Its far better (in my ear).
Generally, i think that content has more European sounding organs, whereas Phoenix are a bit more american (without saying in any way that they are bad) I am not a fanboy of neither of them , so please i would like to hear an undistorted opinion. BTW have you played on a content?
(a new one)

[FelixLowe]

Hello there,

Have you tried visiting the German page on Content organs, provided by a German shop? It provides a recital of organ works played on various models of the brand. The link is www.sakralorgelwelt.de/content/. There, find the button called Klangbeispiele on the left, and you will see a long playlist.

Generally speaking, from what I know, the company can offer different voicing, that is, English or Continental. However, their ordinary voicing in is in what organ literature would call the North German Baroque tradition to the degree of sounding like some Danish and certain other organs in Germany. In the past, there were ancient organs in Eastern Germany, that sounded similarly. For the pipe organ equivalent, the digital brand seems to emulate the Marcussen and Son's pipe organs produced in Denmark. The characteristics include forceful, articulate principals, and high-pitched mutations such as the 1' and 1 1/3' are made available for use. Also, the mixture and cymbel are unique, when compared to South German Baroque organs. Overall the voicing is lean and clear-cut, devoid of excessive fat lower harmonics.

I disagree with certain unfair comments I've read about the voicing. If you get a CD that features the old organs of Denmark, you will get general picture of the tonal quality which is extremely well emulated by Content. More often, we hear sounds produced by other digital organs in the South German tradition.

Someone had asked about a comparision between Content and Johannus. The latter featured a similar voicing more than 10 year's ago, but it seems to have altered its voicing in its more recent lines.

Also there are a few Content organ sound excerpts one can find on youtube.

Regards,
Felix

[Ntalikeris666]

Hello there,

Have you tried visiting the German page on Content organs, provided by a German shop? It provides a recital of organ works played on various models of the brand. The link is www.sakralorgelwelt.de/content/. There, find the button called Klangbeispiele on the left, and you will see a long playlist.

Generally speaking, from what I know, the company can offer different voicing, that is, English or Continental. However, their ordinary voicing in is in what organ literature would call the North German Baroque tradition to the degree of sounding like some Danish and certain other organs in Germany. In the past, there were ancient organs in Eastern Germany, that sounded similarly. For the pipe organ equivalent, the digital brand seems to emulate the Marcussen and Son's pipe organs produced in Denmark. The characteristics include forceful, articulate principals, and high-pitched mutations such as the 1' and 1 1/3' are made available for use. Also, the mixture and cymbel are unique, when compared to South German Baroque organs. Overall the voicing is lean and clear-cut, devoid of excessive fat lower harmonics.

I disagree with certain unfair comments I've read about the voicing. If you get a CD that features the old organs of Denmark, you will get general picture of the tonal quality which is extremely well emulated by Content. More often, we hear sounds produced by other digital organs in the South German tradition.

Someone had asked about a comparision between Content and Johannus. The latter featured a similar voicing more than 10 year's ago, but it seems to have altered its voicing in its more recent lines.

Also there are a few Content organ sound excerpts one can find on youtube.

Regards,
Felix

Check these out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CleDeNiCPS4&fmt=18
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azx1y62xmNc&fmt=18

Regards,
Nicholas

[FelixLowe]

Hello there,

Although the D4000 and D5000 of Content sound superb in the headphone, listening with the organ's inbuilt or professional loudspeakers mounted on the wall may well be a different matter. However, I suspect the Mondri series is a better solution as it has 18 speakers in it. In fact, whenver budget permits, the number of speakers, in my view, should be doubled. 36 speakers, and at least two subwoofers. And more stops can be added in a custom Mondri, I guess. The reason I say this is because it seems that a few excepts on youtube featuring a Dutch guy playing his resident Content organ has pretty realistic sound projection, even though the quality of recording of those excepts are not first-class. So the trick really is the number of speakers, aside from the sampling technology. Please view this video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVgpz...eature=related. However, the Mixture heard in verse 2 of this clip is rather insipid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5u-ykr6WPo. I don't know if it is because of the quality of the recording or the character of the Mixture itself.

But by enlarge the number of speakers is almost a decisive factor in creating more realistic organ sound production.

Felix