Do you want to compare VPO and real organ ?

[musicalis]

Hello

My friend Lars, a very good american friend and talented organist has recorded "Lithanie" in his church. He plays exactly the notes such I have written but with a nice feeling and his registration is more beautiful than mine.

Please, listen the two versions and make your comments.

VPO version
Lars' version

Registration used by Lars :
Sw - 8' Gemshorn, 8' Gemshorn Celeste
Gr - 8' & 4' Gedeckt, Tremulant
Pd - 16' Gedeckt, 8' Gedeckt

Midway through the piece, the melody line changes registration to 8' Principal, and played an octave lower, then returns back to the original setting to the end.

[Krummhorn]

I might mention that for the recording I used my Zoom H4 Digital Recorder placed about 15 feet from the pipes ... parallel to the organ bench.

The organ is a 1979 Möller Pipe Organ, 9 rks ... (some of the pipework is visible in my avatar to the left) ... this is the organ in the church where I have been the organist since 1982.

[jhnbrbr]

An interesting exercise! I do prefer it with the real organ and the human performer, but I have to say that so far as the quality of the tone goes, there isn't such an enormous difference. I suppose this isn't surprising because a VPO should give you similar quality to a recording of a real organ. If, on the other hand, you were to set up the VPO in the church and compare the two directly maybe the real thing would come out better because the sound straight from the pipe will always be better than coming through speakers. Anyway, I enjoyed listening to it, so congratulations to composer and interpreter!

[wljmrbill]

I too enjoyed both renditions and the composition. There is a marked similairity between the too I noticed and as I am new to this virtual business am impressed with the sound. Thanks to both of you.

[Krummhorn]

Thanks, jhnbrbr and wljmrbill ...

Glad you enjoyed listening and offering your comparison notes.

It's actually a fun experience doing these recordings for Jean-Paul - I use similar stops in the live recording that closely match those of the VPO registrations whenever possible.

[greatcyber]

Superb to you both! The tonal quality in the VPO is wonderful and to my ear, sounds quite nice. But then, I always marvel at the sounds one can achieve from looped samples and a computer. I guess I shouldn't be what with one can do with technology these days. And Krummhorn's version - fab. And I would expect no less from him.

After all, they are both recorded sounds from a pipe organ, right? Just that JP's version came from samples he took the diligence to acquire from the net and assemble into a usable "instrument?"

[AllanP]

To my ear, the electronic sound is a bit harder than the pipe sound. Since both are being reproduced thru speakers, either could be used depending on individual taste.

Hearing the sound directly would probably show more drastic differences.