What separates the organ from everything else in the musical universe is its incredible dynamic range, astronomical number of stop combinations and possibilities for color, unparalleled range of 11 octaves, and sheer thrilling power sitting atop a pervading if not thunderous bass sensed at times as purely physical subsonic energy.  To reproduce something of the same big effects electronically it's necessary to have some knowledge of audio, electrical connections in general, and subwoofers in particular.  Josef Anton Hofmann was the first audio engineer to describe the placement of woofers inside enclosures bringing these three independent variables into play:  1) small enclosure [cabinet] size, 2) deep [low] bass production, and 3) high [output] sensitivity.  He showed that if engineers pick any two of these parameters, the third one will be compromised.  This principle has become known as Hofmann's Iron Law.  For example, if we want a sub with low bass reach and high output sensitivity, then we have to go with a larger cabinet.  If we have to have a small cabinet due to space considerations but still want high output sensitivity, then some low bass reach will be compromised.  So, in the end, speaker selection is all about trade-offs.  In an electronic organ of even moderate size very low bass reach into the 20Hz range really is a must.  When space is restricted and a smaller cabinet also is a must, then the sub's cone driver will need to be pushed with a lot of watts from a big amp to counteract sensitivity loss.  Today most sub manufacturers want to offer extended bass response in a smaller cabinet, so they tend to put most of their R & D [research/development] efforts into speaker output sensitivity.  While the newer sensitivity ratings are perhaps less than many consumers would like, the wide availability of high-power amps make the trade-off a reasonable one.

How the listener notices bass depends on room nodes.  Very few owners have an ideal listening room in their residence let alone one large enough not to be affected through the bass/deep bass bandwidths.  While the sound from a single subwoofer is omni-directional, it matters where in the room its cabinet is placed [WARNING:  these are heavy, some weigh over 100 lbs.].  More bass will be noticed when it's against a wall, and the most when it's in a corner.  While the music plays, as we move around the room we can notice areas of greater bass in places and in other places suckouts where it isn't nearly as strong.  The preferable way to get around this is to use multiple subs positioned about the room [four will usually fix just about any node problem].  For the lowest Pedal stops to get clean, tight bass from a speaker cone a lot of air has to be moved.  This isn't so proportional to woofer size as one might suppose.  Some 18" woofers aren't rated below 40Hz while some long throw subs no bigger than 12" actually move more air and can reach well down into the 32-foot octave to 18Hz.  On the other hand, larger woofers need to work less hard to attain the same volume.  When loudness alone isn't what we're after, and good subsonic reproduction of the signal with sufficient power is the chief objective, it's entirely possible that a few 12" long throw subs with listed frequency responses in the 20Hz range positioned about the room and pushed with big amps can yield better results than half as many 18" subs. 

The crossover [cut-off] frequency of a subwoofer is the frequency at which the sub kicks in with bass.  Unless one spends thousands of dollars on a super-sized mega-subwoofer powered by an amp of sufficient size to run a radio station single-handedly most home theatre-style subwoofers generally tend to roll off quickly below 30Hz.  This can be counteracted to some extent by using equalizers which boost the signal stream up to a +12dB gain and adjusting bandwidth settings to boost frequencies in the subsonic 20Hz range by the same amount.  In general, when the frequency range of the other bass woofers in the room is known, the sub's crossover, if adjustable, should be set roughly 10Hz above the lowest frequency the other speakers can handle cleanly.  Some careful listening and experimentation is needed until the ear finds a smooth transition between the other speakers and sub.  The idea is to make the slight overlap and blending so seamless that the bass cannot be localized and everything will play in unison.

CAUTION:  All loudspeakers [woofers, tweeters, horn drivers, midrange drivers, subwoofers, etc.] used in electronic organ speaker systems are non-linear devices, meaning a type of device whose output is not directly proportional to its input.  This relationship does not plot as a straight line on a graph but rather a curve, indicating a non-linear response.  As such they are not perfect and, like all other electronic audio devices, will have components which generate some very minute but unwanted harmonics which are measurable as total harmonic distortion [THD].  The less THD the better [anything under 2 per cent is considered good], but that's just the nature of the beast.  The subject is an in-depth and very technical topic for those who wish to dive deeply into its details, but, the point is, since it would be impossible to have a loudspeaker with zero THD, the goal is to reduce it as much as possible so that it isn't audible to recording microphones or to the ear.  In the case of organ sound, as with conventional stereo systems, multiple speakers of different types and sizes are a requisite.  When, for example, one master-of-all-work 12-inch woofer receives the instrument's entire audio signal stream the mammoth excursion movements the cone driver makes to generate low bass bandwidths interferes with its ability to make the finer movements required for higher frequencies.  The result (called intermodulation distortion) ends up sacrificing some midrange clarity.  This type of distortion is best reduced by running the audio signal through a crossover network which divides it into different bandwidths which then can be assigned to play through different-sized drivers each built specifically to best reproduce those frequencies.  Multiple subwoofers therefore do more than reproduce bass, low bass, and subsonic bandwidths -- they improve clarity in all the other bandwidths.  Because overdriving of amplifiers and powered speakers also can have them compromised it's a good idea to set their volume levels no higher than around 2/3 maximum -- NEVER all the way up -- to avoid overheating and allow room to accommodate any sudden surges in the signal stream.  Make a habit of turning on amplifiers and powered speakers only AFTER their power strips are turned on, not before, and always turn everything off in reverse sequence.  Failure to do this sends unwanted power surges and explosive sounds through the equipment with possible damage.  Please remember this.          

All sampled voices in this instrument are sourced, separated, and stored by division on computers inside the console, one for each manual and Pedal.  A single master computer controls these 6 "slave" computers.  Voices, couplers, and tremulants are brought on or retired by means of lighted drawknobs and lighted manual and toe pistons.  Lighted rocker tablets paired with an 8-position factory-set Crescendo indicator are built into the rail above the top manual controlled MIDI, Voicing Variations, and divisional Reeds Cancels.  All drawknobs and rocker tablets remain in alignment in both on/off positions.  Standard TRS (1/4" phone) jacks in the back of the console allow for up to 3 separate mono outputs per division along with a pair of special combined mono outputs for Great/Choir-Positiv/Pedal and Swell/Solo/Echo, all for connection of external powered speaker cabinets.

The power requirement to run the console is 520W.  Its self-contained speaker system consists of a lone pair of 12" woofers each powered by its own 80W amp having a combined audio output power of 160W.  The console is supplied with adjustable factory reverb, 2 tremolo speed controls [Swell/Echo + Great/Choir-Positiv/Solo], and 2 tremolo depth controls [Swell + Choir-Positiv].  The three external speaker systems [MAIN/MONITOR, PEDAL, & AUXILIARY] involved in its new voice are composed of a non-factory mix of new and pre-owned equipment.

ONE MORE CAUTION:  Input/output jacks are made to work either with balanced or unbalanced signals, or with both.  With a so-called "unbalanced signal" there are only 2 conductors; one carries positive, the other carries negative and doubles as a ground.  The advantage of a so-called "balanced signal" is that because the ground is separate from the negative conductor there is less chance that radio frequency interference will get into the signal stream and create hum.  When an annoying hum is noticed in a subwoofer at half volume which gets louder as the volume is cranked up it's often due to such interference, called a "ground loop."  RCA input plugs are unbalanced in this respect because they lack a separate 3rd pin for ground.  To steer clear of ground loops, balanced output signals should always arrive either at balanced input [3-pin XLR] jacks OR bare wire connections.  Switching out any RCA input plugs on the audio cable to a balanced [3-pin] XLR input plug -- OR, lacking an XLR input jack on the sub, using the sub's bare wire input connections -- is almost always successful in eliminating the annoyance of hum as the volume is cranked up, allowing maximum performance from the sub.  Please remember this.

YET ANOTHER CAUTION:  ALWAYS PLAY IT SAFE.  Instead of plugging everything into unprotected wall receptacles, ALWAYS connect the power cords for the console and any other electronic devices [external amplifiers, mixers, equalizers, reverb engines, voice modules, powered subs] to a power strip that has either a built-in circuit breaker (to protect against overloads in amps) OR a surge bar having a surge suppressor (to help protect against sudden spikes in voltage).  Even when surge bars are used, very high voltage surges from nearby lightning strikes may succeed in blowing a fuse inside the console anyway, thus, while they do offer some protection, owners may prefer to switch off surge bars [and power strips] when the organ is not in use.  Power strips and surge bars should always come with a long enough power cord to plug directly into a wall receptacle or receptacle expansion plate, NEVER into an extension cord or second power strip.  We NEVER daisy chain power strips or extension cords one to another in series [See blog, Conn Speaker Pipes, for more about wiring] as this changes the electrical resistance [impedance] of the circuit.  If the subwoofer or other device is built to receive a 2-socket power cord and none is available, then a 3-socket power cord having a separate ground may be substituted IF AND ONLY IF the "square within a square" symbol appears next to the plug-in jack.  This symbol indicates that the device is equipped with an internal Class 2 ground which shields against electrical shock.  In the absence of this symbol, USE ONLY a 2-socket cord, as its negative pole is made to double as a ground.  Failure to do this can result in deadly electrical shock or fire.  Please remember this.

STILL ONE MORE CAUTION:  If another device such as an expander voice module is connected which sums all of its divisions into 2 [R/L stereo] outputs, then BOTH its outputs need to connect in series with the R/L inputs [balanced 3-pin XLR jacks preferred] of the reverb engine, EQ, and speaker system in use to avoid signal loss.  It's best NEVER to go from R/L stereo out to mono in.  This would connect 2 outputs together [L and R audio] which, in most cases, even when both channels are carrying the same signal, can cause a failure of the output driver for one or both channels.  In such a situation the 2 outputs together get shorted.  As for trying to merge 2 different signals into one, DON'T.  Many audiophiles familiar with the age old adage ["Anything that can be hooked up wrongly, will be"] rightly feel that wye connectors (also known as Y-splitter cables or adapters) should never have been created.  A wye connector used to split a signal into 2 lines is being used properly.  A wye connector used in reverse to mix 2 different signals into one is being abused and may even damage the equipment involved.  Here is the rule:  outputs are always low impedance and must ONLY be connected to high impedance INPUTS -- we never, never try to merge 2 different outputs directly together using a Y-splitter backwards as a combiner -- NEVER.  If we do, then each output tries to drive the very low impedance of the other, forcing both outputs into current limit and likely damage.  At a bare minimum, severe signal loss will be the result.

Please remember all these things.

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This instrument speaks with its new voice through a custom-designed arrangement of equipment, as follows:

1.  The MAIN/MONITOR SPEAKER SYSTEM -- is pipeless and receives low line output from all 6 divisions of the instrument through 1/4 inch jacks in the back of the console.  These connect with a Peavey XR8300 power mixer supplied with dual 300W continuous power amps, minimum impedance 4 ohms, controlling MAIN and MONITOR channels, respectively, each of which is supplied with its own separate built-in 7 band graphic equalizer (EQ).  These settings are identical for both MAIN and MONITOR channels and include a flat signal @ 80Hz and negative boost of -12dB @ 250Hz, 500Hz, 1kHz, 2kHz, 4kHz, & 10kHz.  The Peavey mixer combines these 6 channels into a single mono output signal and then routs it to a TC Electronics M300 dual engine processor which, using its hardware reverb engine, enriches the signal with Large Cathedral reverb adjusted to provide a rich 6 second of colored decay time with the full organ.  From there the enriched signal connects with a DOD model SR231Qx 31-band dual graphic EQ which boosts both channels with a gain of +12dB.  Bandwidth settings here are set for +12dB boost @ 20Hz, +9dB boost @ 25Hz, +6dB boost @ 31.5Hz, flat @ 40Hz, negative boost of -6dB @ 50Hz & 20kHz, and all other bandwidths a negative boost @ -12dB.  This equalized, enriched signal is then returned to the Peavey through both DOD output jacks where a touch of built-in Peavey reverb is added, both channels are boosted by +10dB, and the signal is routed to the mixer's output jacks.

The Peavey's rear MAIN output jack connects via a splitter cable with a) an Acoustic Audio BR-10 passive 3-way monitor cabinet supplied with its own crossover network, 10" woofer, 4" midrange cone, 10" x 4" horn tweeter, listed frequency response 29Hz-20kHz, and b) with a specially repurposed Audiopipe TXX-BCD3-12 DVC 12" passive, high power subwoofer in an unported box.  This is an extreme excursion dual 4 ohm car audio sub rewired in series @ 8 ohms, rated at 900W continuous power, and has a frequency response of 20Hz [32-foot D] up thru 900Hz.

TIP:  When testing subwoofers it's advisable to first set volume controls at half position or less and perhaps no higher than 2/3 to 3/4 after that, this to provide some buffer space and avoid compromising the speaker cone in the event of any sudden, extremely strong bass pulses in the signal stream.

The Peavey's front MONITOR output jack connects via another splitter cable with a) a ported BIC America PL-200 powered sub equipped with a 250W amp @ 8 ohms and 12" long throw woofer, listed frequency response down to 21Hz [32-foot E], crossover set at minimum [30Hz], and b) with an unported Polk Audio PSW505 powered sub supplied with a 300W continuous power amp @ 8 ohms, 12" long throw woofer, frequency response down to 23Hz [32-foot F], and crossover set a minimum [60Hz].  This MAIN/MONITOR SPEAKER SYSTEM is pipeless and pushes 300W (Peavey main/Audiopine) + 850W (Peavey monitor/BIC/Polk) = 1150W.

Two additional voice modules are part of this same MAIN/MONITOR speaker system.  The MIDI OUT jack at the back of the console, after connecting with an Ahlborn Archive Classic expander module [See below], sends unaltered MIDI THRU information to a pair of Allen MDS-Expander II external modules.  These Allen expanders are nice additions and have some good sounds.  In this application they are  MIDI-connected in series to each other and controlled by their respective MIDI couplers.  Since this organ's general and divisional pistons do not capture voices from external modules the Pedal, Swell, Great, and Choir MIDI rocker tablets are operated like ventils which bring on or retire combinations from both modules preset in advance.  Each module supplies one voice at a time per division from among a selection of 99 sounds aboard, including classical organ ranks, mixtures, mutations, pianos, harpsichords, orchestral instruments, bells, & other theatre organ percussions for a splash of color.  In this application the first Allen module [A] sends MIDI THRU in turn to the second Allen module [B], and both send speaker out signal back to the Peavey power mixer.  Because this organ's Pedal division is a bit undersized perhaps for an instrument of this size, and because certain notes in the middle octave of the Great are no longer reliable, the workaround has been to use the Great mostly as a coupling division from or to the Pedal and to transfer the function of the main manual to the Choir/Positiv to which all other divisions save for the Great may be coupled.  These Allen units contribute in a material way to this instrument's signature sound by being tuned differently -- sharp by 4 Cents (4/100ths of a chromatic semitone) for Allen A and flat by 4 Cents for Allen B -- to more closely approach the random tuning characteristics of real pipe ranks.  Their voices, all 8 at a time, play reverbed through both MAIN and MONITOR channels.

2.  The ARCHIVE SPEAKER SYSTEM --  is also pipeless and specially and separately set up using the MIDI output jack from the back of the console to connect with an Ahlborn-Galanti Archive Classic module.  The Archive series of expander modules, of which there were 4 available stop lists [See blog, Expander Modules Part I], were meant to be a MIDI-operated support module but are practically a complete organ in a box.   Each model was intended to work primarily with Ahlborn-Galanti organs, other digital organs, or MIDI-equipped pipe organs, and provided a number of adjustable and sophisticated features including an additional 20 voices [10 Division A stops, 6 Division B stops, 4 Pedal stops] and over 20 equivalent ranks.   These expanders are also nice additions and have some particularly good sounds.  When enriched with reverb, equalization, and sufficient amplification the results with one of these Ahlborn expanders can be game changing.  Since this organ's general and divisional pistons do not capture voices from external modules the Pedal, Solo, and Echo MIDI rocker tablets are operated like ventils which bring on or retire combinations from this module's general piston memory preset in advance, the Pedal MIDI rocker tablet doing double duty in bringing on both Allen modules at the same time.  In this application the Archive's MIDI THRU jack passes the console's MIDI information on to the Allen A module of the MAIN/MONITOR speaker system [See above].  The Archive module sums its 3 divisional channels into 2 outputs in stereo.  Since the various divisions can have different "pipe array" windchest output patterns, in this application Division A is set to play from the 4th [Solo] keyboard and to have the deepest notes in the center, Division B is set to play from the 5th [Echo] keyboard and puts the deepest notes to the far left and far right, and the Pedal division is set divided to the left and right.  Doing things this way, both of these manual departments are clearly contrasted, the different pipe patterns avoid a "sameness" in the sound, and the bass is heard everywhere.

This module's 2-channel audio output is run in series first through an Alesis Nanoverb 18-bit digital effects processor which enriches the signal with Hall 2 reverb adjusted to provide a rich 6 seconds of colored reverb time with the full organ.  The 2-channel Nanoverb audio output connects in series with the balanced inputs of a DOD model SR831Qx 31-band dual graphic EQ which provides a +12dB boost to the reverb-enriched signal.  Its bandwidth settings are specially set for +12dB boost @ 20Hz, +9dB boost @ 25Hz, +3dB boost @ 31.5Hz, 40Hz, 160Hz thru 250Hz, & 20kHz, flat @ 40Hz, 125Hz & 315Hz thru 16kHz, and negative boost of -3dB @ 50Hz thru 100Hz.

The 2-channel DOD balanced audio output is then run in series to the balanced [3-pin XLR] inputs of an unported Velodyne F-1800RII 18" powered subwoofer supplied with a 600W continuous power amp, 2.5 ohm nominal impedance, frequency response down to 16Hz [32-foot C], and crossover set at [50Hz].

The Velodyne's RCA output jacks rout the remaining signal stream stripped of subsonic bass to a Sunbuck AS-22 stereo mini audio amplifier rated at 50W per channel, 300W per channel max, frequency response 20Hz-20kHz, and speaker impedance 4-8 ohms.

The bare wire outputs of this stereo mini amp connect in turn with a passive BSR stereo subwoofer cabinet having its original worn-out 15" paper cone woofer removed and retrofit with a new Memphis 15" speaker cone wired @ 8 ohms.  This cabinet's crossover captures all remaining bass frequencies from 120Hz on down.  The remaining stereo signal which leaves this cabinet stripped of all low bass is then sent to a matched pair of passive BSR model DR-1550R 5-way acoustic suspension "Colossus" stereo cabinets each rated at 150W, 200W max.  The original worn-out paper cones in these cabinets also were removed and the cabinets retrofit with new Memphis 15", Pyle 8", and Pyle 5" cones with the original 2" ceramic tweeters and crossover networks retained.  These cabinets divide the signal stream into 4 bandwidths [high bass/low midrange, high midrange, treble, very high treble] and rout it in this manner:  [120Hz-800Hz to 15" speakers, 800Hz-1.2kHz to 8" speakers, 1.2kHz-3.4kHz to 5" speakers, and 3.4kHz+ to 2" ceramic tweeters].  This ARCHIVE SPEAKER SYSTEM is pipeless and pushes 600W (Velodyne) + 100W (Sunbuck) = 700W.

   3.  The PIPE SPEAKER SYSTEM -- employs 7 sets of speaker pipes and a Rockville RPM80BT 8-channel power mixer equipped with dual 250W continuous power amps which receives signal from the entire organ through 6 individual low line jacks at the console.

The Rockville's built-in 5-band EQ is set flat @ 60Hz with negative boosts of -12dB @ 250Hz, 800Hz, 2kHz, & 8kHz.  The Rockville's high line 8 ohm output signal is routed from there via its three 1/4 inch output phone jacks:

1) firstly to the RCA input jack of a ported Sony SA-3000 powered sub supplied with a 100W continuous power amp and 12" long throw woofer.  This Sony sub's listed frequency response is down to 20Hz [32-foot D#], and with its crossover set a maximum [200Hz] all notes from about 8-foot tenor G# and below speak through it.  This unit is side-firing, situated to the right of the console, and disperses sound in that direction.  Its bare wire outputs send signal stripped of bass to a pair of passive Conn speaker pipes [models 145-1 center elevation & 146-2 right elevation, both gold finish].  Each box of speaker pipes is rated for an 8 ohm load, equipped with 2 pair of Cletron 6" X 9" oval speakers mounted end to end and wired in series parallel.  These are designed to operate only at treble and high midrange frequencies with a practical downward limit of 200Hz corresponding to the 8-foot tenor G# note [208Hz].  This Sony sub's RCA output jack connects in turn with the RCA input jack of an unported Sony SA-WM200 powered subwoofer supplied with a 100W amp, 8" long throw woofer, and listed frequency response of 28-200Hz.  This sub then routs the bass stripped signal to a second pair of Conn speaker pipes [models 145-3 left elevation & 146-3 left elevation, both silver finish].

NOTE:  Conn speaker pipes [See blog, Conn Speaker Pipes, May 12, 2016], one of several attempts invented to improve the sound of electronic analog organs, are strictly treble and upper midrange units.  The Conn theory was that individual frequencies generated by the upward firing 6" x 9" oval speakers mounted end to end inside the pipe box would find their own tuned pipes and make them resonate.  What Conn engineers also observed when the pipes were tuned was that they not only resonated at fundamental primes but also at higher overtones of the harmonic series measurable up through and including the 5th harmonic [seventeenth].  So, besides providing a dispersion of sound vertically upward throughout the listening space and a subtle but measurable buildup and decay of sound when keys are pressed and released, respectively -- pneumatic effects which can be heard but not counted -- these units impart to manual stops a very discernable brightness to individual voices and a nice accent to strings and reeds.  Therefore, for best results, too ensure that the effects produced by the pipes don't get swamped, it's helpful to use an equalizer to slightly suppress midrange and treble bandwidths reaching any other speakers.  To say that this invention works wonders is no exaggeration, but, since these are strictly treble and midrange units, SHIELDING THEM FROM ALL BASS AND LOW MIDRANGE FREQUENCIES IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST.  This can be easily accomplished by filtering the signal stream before it arrives at the pipes with a small 100W home theatre-styled powered subwoofer and setting the sub's variable crossover at 200Hz which will strip the incoming audio signal of all bass and low midrange bandwidths.  The signal also may be boosted up to +12dB if needed by connecting an equalizer in series between the organ and subwoofer and adjusting its output boost control accordingly.

2) A second 8 ohm line out from the Rockville connects via a splitter cable with the RCA input jacks of a ported Klipsch KSW200 powered sub equipped with a floor-firing 12" bass reflex woofer, 200W continuous power amp, and a listed frequency response down to 31Hz [16-foot C].  With its crossover set at minimum [40Hz] its bare wire outputs rout the remaining signal stream to a ported Sony SA-W3000 powered sub supplied with a 100W continuous power amp and 8" long throw woofer.  The Sony's listed frequency response is down to 20Hz [32-foot E], and its cutoff is set at maximum [200Hz].

Its wire output terminals rout the remaining signal stripped of bass to a third pair of Conn speaker pipe boxes [models 145-2 right elevation & 146-2 right elevation, both silver finish] each equipped with the same passive Cletron 6" x 9" oval speakers mounted and wired the same way.

The second cable from the splitter connects with the RCA input jacks of a ported BIC America Formula F-12 powered subwoofer equipped with a 150W continuous power amp, 12" long throw woofer, frequency response down to 25Hz [32-foot G], and crossover set at 40Hz.

3) The third 8 ohm line out from the Rockville connects with the RCA input jacks of a ported JBL Sub150 powered subwoofer equipped with a 150W continuous power amp, 10"bass reflex woofer, and listed frequency response down to 35Hz [16-foot C#].

Signal from all 6 of the organ's divisions is sent via a pair of console out jacks to the 2-channel 1/4 inch input jacks of another DOD model 231 series II 31-band graphic EQ which boosts the signal with a gain of +12dB [all bandwidth settings identical with its sister 31-band dual graphic in the MAIN/MONITOR system].  The equalized, boosted signal is then routed via its 2-channel 1/4 inch output jacks to the R/L 1/4 inch stereo  input jacks of a separate Radio Shack MPA-250B stereo amp rated at 250W continuous power.

The Radio Shack's bare wire outputs then connect with a) the bare wire inputs of an unported Definitive Technology ProSub1000 powered subwoofer supplied with a 250W amp, 10" long throw subwoofer pressure coupled to a 10" low pass radiator, listed frequency response down to 18Hz [32-foot D], crossover set at 50Hz, and b) the bare wire inputs of another Audio BR-10 passive 3-way monitor cabinet supplied with its own crossover network, 10" woofer, 4" midrange cone, 10" x 4" horn tweeter, and listed frequency response of 29Hz-20kHz.

A single mono out RCA jack from the Radio Shack also connects with the RCA input jack of a Sony SA-WMSP1 powered sub supplied with a 50W amp, 8" woofer, and listed frequency response down to 28Hz [32-foot A].

A separate Choice Select ST2060 amp rated at 60W continuous power receives input from the Choir/Positiv, Swell, & Solo divisions via its RCA input jacks.  This amp is specially employed to run one more set of speaker pipes.  With its treble/bass controls set flat the manual signal from this amp is routed via bare wire output jacks to a pre-owned specially custom-built PVC pipe speaker box [created in Lodi, California by the McCurdy Corporation] made of 12 general purpose 3-1/2" diameter PVC [polyvinyl chloride] cylindrical pipes of equal diameter [3-1/2"] bundled together and positioned vertically on end over a wire baffle situated above a round opening in the top of a square, hollow wooden box, inside of which is mounted a single upward-firing Radio Shack passive 12" woofer wired to play all frequencies arriving from the amp.  This unit is positioned behind the console and disperses sound in that direction.  These pipes cut to various lengths are engineered to sympathetically resonate with fundamental low midrange and upper bass frequencies generated by the 12 chromatic semitones from 200Hz [4-foot A] down one octave to 100Hz [8-foot A].  It's practical upward range actually extends one semitone above 8-foot tenor A to about 226Hz, overlapping slightly the lower limit of the Conn model 146 speaker pipes and extending their effects an octave lower without noticeable break.

This PIPE SPEAKER SYSTEM pushes 500W (Rockville) + 200W (Sony/Sony) + 450W (Klipsch/Sony/BIC) + 150W (JBL) +  550W (Radio Shack/DefTech/Sony) + 60W (Choice Select) = 1910W.

In its final configuration the project to upgrade this instrument with its 3 external speaker systems fully engaged [not counting the trio of expander modules, trio of 31-band equalizers, & both reverb engines] involves a power draw of 4280W.  Speaker cones range across 10 sizes:  one 18" SUB, one 15" SUB, five 12" SUBS, three 12", two 10" x 4" horn tweeters, two 10" SUBs, two 10", three 8" SUBS, two 8", twenty-four 6" x 9" ovals, two 5", two 4", & four 2".

The goal of this project was to take a digital electronic organ from a former generation and endow it with improved tone quality, ambience, expanded tonal spread, and multiplied power in as cost-effective way as possible.  By hunting down new and repurposed electronics and cobbling together some very diverse and unlikely elements in bits and pieces over time, and with study, dutiful reckoning, and painstaking and patient experimentation using the ear to fine tune all controls for balance, the finished result has been transforming.  The instrument's new signature voice is warmer all around, stop combinations are captivating, and the full organ pulsates with life, presence, realism, and incredible power.  What made this instrument into a musical wonder has been the precise mix of disparate and unlikely equipment, its configuration, and its settings.  The three speaker systems through which the Viscount, Allen, and Ahlborn voices play, their amplification, hookups, and adjustments, all have been carefully and strategically balanced to bring out the very best they have to offer and to blend with and complement each other.  It has opened up for the player virtually limitless registrational possibilities for the creation of compound tones of great charm, beauty, and utility.  The reverb engines, equalizers, and speaker pipes have contributed acoustical resonance, fine control of frequency bandwidths, and subtle harmonic and pneumatic effects which have greatly enriched the sound.  Perhaps most importantly, it no longer becomes necessary to go to the building at odd hours, turn on the heat, and practice in poor lighting to experience something much closer to the real thing.   

It can be very hard to get all notes of a rank in a pipe organ to sample perfectly.  Most ranks have notes which are "off" either in volume or tone.  What manufacturers actually put into their instruments therefore must make up for that, so, a few good samples per rank comes close but doesn't really make a "digi" organ sound quite the same as real pipes.  Things like wind noise ("chiff") as certain flue pipes get on speech have been put into digi-organs like this one, but the result still can end up sounding a bit too focused and straight.  The biggest problem manufacturers face is, what can be done at what price.  Piano and organ companies experience periodic lulls in sales, there has always been rabid competition among them, and it's a fact of life that some sampled organs have been seriously compromised in order to stay price-competitive.  The marketplace for digi organs is such that, most purchasers are looking for more stops, more manuals, more memory, etc., rather than the very highest quality sound.  Manufacturers are faced with designing, engineering, assembling, and providing their line of products to dealers in a way that balances quality with sales potential and still turn a profit.

With this in mind, no intramanual couplers, programmable crescendo, or programmable tutti were provided to this organ.  The crescendo shoe is limited to 8-position, general pistons limited to 6, memory levels limited to 8, it can only be tuned by division, celeste stops automatically draw the mate rank tuned true, and built-in reverb leaves much to be desired.  Two voicing variations [A/B] per stop allows the organ to store more sounds on fewer drawknobs.  Volume knobs are limited only for Great and Pedal divisions.  If all divisions are tuned exactly true to the Great the sound is wooden and lifeless, but if tuned too far away from the Great the beating is nasty and very objectionable.  The trick is to find that sweet spot which has each division tuned just barely different from true but not enough to produce objectionable undulations.  These minute tuning differences are essential to the mimicry of a real pipe organ where every pipe speaks extremely close to true pitch, but not quite.  Since the ear will tolerate a little bit of sharpness but not the same degree of flatness the Echo can be tuned a very tiny bit sharp and the Solo a very tiny bit flat so that, when the hands go to the Solo and the Echo is blended in, the random tuning effect of a pipe organ is suggested.  Similarly the Swell can tuned a trifle more sharp than the Echo, the Choir a trifle flat to the Solo, and the Pedal barely sharp to the Swell.  This can be accomplished by drawing the loudest 8-foot reed in each division, coupling them one at a time to the Great Trumpet, listening for beats, and adjusting divisional tuning knobs accordingly.

Mistuned ranks (celestes) inserted by pipe organ builders typically are never drawn for the full organ, but in an organ like this one some of them can be drawn with advantage in fuller ensembles, provided they don't create a disturbing pitch "warble," to simulate the random effect of minute pitch variations among real pipe ranks.  Some very patient trial-and-error experimentation is needed for this, of course, it's a bit tricky to keep from going overboard, but the ear is still the best judge as to how much of this "pitch seasoning" may or may not be good for the sound recipe.  With manual tremolos being adjustable for depth and speed, compound orchestral-styled tones of great beauty are possible by coupling divisions possibly with a tremmed voice or two thrown in.

Only 2 percussion stops (Great Chimes & Solo Harp) were provided in this organ.  The top octave of the Great Chimes (C#50 to C61) is wired to double back an octave, but, unlike the Chimes in many pipe organs, it did go all the way down to bottom C1 and thus represents 49 equivalent bars.  The Solo Harp runs all the way up to top C6 without doubling back and thus comprises 61 equivalent bars.  Every stop in this organ including Chimes and Harp is equipped with 2 voicing variations (A and B) controlled by tilting tablets which permits the organist to select from 168 equivalent ranks.  The A voicing reflects more traditional voicing whereas on B the strings and reeds typically have less fundamental and more harmonic content.  Principals and diapasons sound more wide-scaled and neutral in tone, and flutes are stopped and hollow-sounding.

As expected, the few samples used per rank in this organ greatly affects the tonality of its individual stops, and the "European" samples used are not everyone's cup of tea.  Some voices are not bad, some must be used sparingly, some are of little use being overly assertive or too dull in tone, and the tonality of some do not even line up quite with their labels.  Some of the chorus reeds are poor, some voices sound exactly the same on A and B, and the Great stops are still loud even with its volume knob turned down.  The Great 8-foot Principal is extremely big like an English 1st Open, and when a leaner chorus is desired the Salicional which is more like a 3rd Open in tone and strength is better.  On B the Salicional is less assertive, keener, and has a prominent 12th inclining to a Quintadena tone.  The 16-foot Principal is also a big 1st Open and on B is dull and flutey in tone.  The Flute Celeste paired with the Bourdon is very strong but good if the Great volume knob is turned down all the way.  The 4' Rohr Flute is a big, burbley flute full of color.  This stop in its lower range is good for solos.  Both Great Trumpets are dull and speak with a noticeable 3rd [17th].  The Cornet is a good solo stop.  The Great Mixture and Fourniture are both voiced on the loud side.  In the Swell the Principal and Viole Celeste are both voiced stronger than expected.  The Gedeckts are all good and available at 6 pitches.  The reed chorus which stands on a big Contra Fagotto and a pair of Trompettes of medium strength is good but on the mild side.  The Hautbois is strong with a very prominent 12th and 17th making it better for solos and less good in ensemble.  The Plein Jeu is assertive.  In the Choir/Positiv the 8-foot Principal is like a 2nd Open in strength and dull in tone.  The Hohl Flute is open on A, stopped on B, and good for solos on A or B, with or without Tremolo.  The Cromorne is strong on A, more like a Clarinet on B.  The Mixture is good in ensemble.  The Solo Diapason is smooth and less assertive than the Swell Principal, enters well into combination without dominating, and can be used as a helper stop with any of the big 8-foot reeds.  The Gamba and its paired Celeste are both good but, as stated, sound exactly the same on A and B.  In combination with the Diapason and Echo Erzahler on B the Gamba inclines to a French Montre in tone.  The Gemshorn Octave is bright with good blending qualities, and the Octavin is a Flute Harmonique in tone.  The Bassoon on A is good, very realistic for an actual Bassoon, and on B it's brighter in midrange and rounder in the bass.  The Orchestral Oboe is very keen but blends extremely well with the Ahlborn Corno di Bassetto to make an excellent solo stop.  The Cor Anglais is extremely big and very dull in tone.  In the Echo the Cor De Nuit is good on A and excellent on B where it's very French sounding.  The Erzahler is a bit strong but most beautiful on A.  On B it's tone is thin, not as strong, and speaks with a prominent octave.  The Echo Celeste is voiced stronger than expected and is louder than the Solo Gamba Celeste.  The Bombarde chorus suffers from poor sampling and is best replaced with the Ahlborn chorus reeds.  The III Mixture however is quite good.  In an age where there are so many vile examples, the Vox Humana in this organ is exceptionally good and wonderful for playing Franck.  On A it's mixed with a very soft helper stop, and on B it's all by itself.  In the Pedal the 16-foot Principal on A is very strong like a big English Open Wood, and on B the tone is dull and flutey.  The Lieblich Gedeckt is a valuable voice for quiet passages, and the Violone and Sub Bass are both of medium strength and quite good.  The Fagott is big, dominates when introduced, but in combination with an 8-foot flue stop is good for the start of fugues in baroque registration style where it throws out a very clear 16-foot Pedal line, providing good contrast with whatever selected manual plenum registration is above it.  The four 4-foot Pedal stops are all good for Pedal solos on A or B.  The 32-foot stop marked Contra Bourdon in this organ needs strengthening and is peculiar in that it's voiced to yield an unimitative string tone that very closely matches the 16-foot Violone.  In terms of tonality this stop would be more properly labeled "Contra Violone" and is best thought of in that context.  In a pipe organ such a stop of such grave pitch, being formed of full length open cylindrical metal pipes with good mixing qualities, would be preferable to the typical covered flute stop composed of quadrangular wood pipes of half length marked "Sub-Bourdon" or "Untersatz," a voice requiring less vertical space and less costly to build but whose tone in the bottom octave becomes painfully indeterminate, as might be expected.  The Contra Bombarde in this organ also needs strengthening and, unlike the typical French Bombarde, yields an unexpectedly smooth tone bearing a close resemblance to the Pedal 16-foot Fagott.  In terms of tonality this stop would be more properly labeled "Fagottone" and is best thought of in that context.  In order to do them justice this big reed and the Contra Bourdon require at least 15-band equalization and copious external amplification using multiple long throw powered subwoofers, preferably supplemented with a reverb engine.

Because the Pedal division is a bit undersized perhaps for an organ of this size, the Great stops are so assertive, and the Great keyboard due to age has developed a few unreliable notes, this division is best treated by coupling it to the Pedal with the function of the main manual shifted to the bottom keyboard using couplers, as in French organs.  As for the Allen expanders, the 16-foot Basson on Allen A (which adds harmonic richness) matched with the 16-foot Gedackt on Allen B (which adds fundamental to the reed) when assigned to the Great MIDI coupler provide helpful unison color and definition to the Pedal.  Similarly, the 16-foot Quintaten on Allen A and the 16-foot Diaphone on Allen B can be assigned to the Choir/Positiv MIDI coupler where they combine to provide gravity, strength, and harmonic richness for this manual division.  The 16-foot Trumpet of Allen A matched with the 8' Hautbois of Allen B when assigned to the Swell MIDI coupler adds a bit of power and fire to the Swell reed chorus.  The 16-foot Principal of Allen A matched with the 10-2/3-foot Principal of Allen B may also be used to advantage when assigned to the Pedal MIDI coupler to provide the resultant (differential) 32-foot tone.  In this application 4 other independent Pedal stops of full length 32-foot pitch are available to the organist.  Every playable voice including those in the support modules are independent with no unification or duplexing.  Every 16-foot stop runs all the way to the bottom without breaking back.  Voices of 2-foot pitch or higher either break back in the top octave or, in the case of the Baldwin stops, end at the top with some dead notes.  The Pedal Fourniture is the only compound harmonic-corroborating stop in the instrument having no breaks.

GREAT

2' Super Octave G56 -- C61, 6 dead notes at the top

SWELL

2' Flautino G56 -- C61, 6 dead notes at the top

1-1/3' Larigot doubles back from C#50 -- B60 over 11 notes (C49 and C61 are dead notes)

III Plein Jeu doubles back from F#43 over 19 notes

CHOIR/POSITIV

2' Doublette G56 -- C61, 6 dead notes at the top

1-3/5' Tierce D52 -- C61, 11 dead notes at the top

1' Sifflote G44 -- C49, G56 -- C61, 12 dead notes at the top

SOLO

2' Octavin G56 -- C61, 6 dead notes at the top

ECHO

2' Flautino G56 -- C61, 6 dead notes at the top

This represents a total of 111 equivalent small pipes in the manual divisions which have been made not to sound.  When this is factored in, the main instrument commands the equivalent of 5,779 sounding pipes using either A or B voicing variations at a time.  With both Allen modules contributing the equivalent of another 430 sounding pipes at a time and the Ahlborn module contributing another 1,370 sounding pipes, the instrument has expanded to 135 equivalent ranks and 7,579 equivalent pipes controlled by 112 speaking stops.

Three phone (1/4") output jacks per division, plus two special output jacks for the entire organ, 20 in all, provided at the back of the console allow it to send as many separate output signals to external amps and/or speaker cabinets.  The console is Guild standard, supplied with Fatar premium keybords, MIDI friendly, and equipped with lighted MIDI rocker tablets for MIDI program changes by division which make it capable of storing sounds from an external sound module on its piston memory.  Separate divisional cancels which operate by pressing the various divisional labels situated at the top of the stop jambs are also provided.  The combination action is computer capture with 8 programmable memory banks.  Additional console controls included as standard are Ventil tilting tablets which silence reeds or mixtures (duplicated with toe studs), a Pedal to Great (Automatic Pedal) reversible piston, a reversible Tutti piston and toe stud, "0 [zero] pistons" which remember starting hand registrations, unison intermanual and manual to pedal couplers, registered Crescendo shoe with 8 lighted positions, separate expression shoes for the Swell, Choir/Positiv, Solo, and Echo divisions, an All Swells to Swell piston which makes the Great and Pedal expressable through the Swell shoe along with all the other divisions, divisional Tremolos adjustable for depth and speed, adjustable Great, Pedal, and Master Volume, adjustable Brilliance control, transposer, pitch control, divisional generator tuning, and headphone jack.

The amazingly life-like, new signature voice of this instrument has come about from a) the peculiar one-of-a-kind combination of external amplifiers, mixers, equalizers, reverb engines, long throw subwoofers, and unique array of conventional speakers and speaker pipes through which it now speaks, plus b) the number and type of external sound modules which supplement its tonal forces -- voices which when blended with each other and with the instrument's own stops are capable of creating remarkable combinational tones of great beauty, realism, and sheer, thrilling power.  The premise of always using the modules when performing at this organ, due to their superior sampling, is responsible in large part for the making of its sound.  Another good premise is to think of the Solo as being part of the Swell.  This creates a massive palette for coloration of sounds and a massive dynamic palette for nuancing the music.  If the hands happen to go to the Solo, the Echo can be blended in.    

CONSOLE LEFT STOP JAMB

CONSOLE RIGHT STOP JAMB

STOP LIST

GREAT (26 ranks)

16' Principal, 8' Principal, 8' Bourdon, 8' Flute Celeste II, 8' Salicional, 4' Octave, 4' Rohr Flute, 2-2/3' Nazard, 2' Super Octave, V Cornet, IV Mixture, VI Fourniture, 8' Trumpet, 4' Trumpet, Chimes, Tremolo

SWELL (16 ranks)

16' Lieblich Gedeckt, 8' Principal, 8' Gedeckt, 8' Viole, 8' Viole Celeste II,    4' Geigen, 2-2/3' Nazard, 2' Flautino, 1-'1/3' Larigot, III Plein Jeu, 16'        Contra Fagott, 8' Trompette, 8' Hautbois, 4' Trompette, Tremolo

CHOIR/POSITIV (14 ranks)

8' Principal, 8' Hohl Flute, 8' Dulciana, 8' Unda Maris II, 4' Principal, 4' Stopped Flute, 2' Doublette, 1/3/5' Tierce, 1' Siffote, IV Mixture, 8' Cromorne, Tremolo

SOLO (13 ranks)

8' Diapason, 8' Major Flute, 8' Gamba, 8' Gamba Celeste II, 4' Gemshorn, 4' Orchestral Flute, 2' Octavin, 16' Bassoon, 8' Tuba Mirabilis, 8' French Horn, 8' Cor Anglais, 8' Orchestral Oboe, 4' Tuba Clarion, 8' Harp, Tremolo

ECHO (18 ranks)

16' Dulciana, 8' Cor De Nuit, 8' Erzahler, 8' Erzahler Celeste II, 8' Echo Celeste II, 4' Flauto D'Echo, 4' Erzahler Celeste II, 2' Flautino, III Mixture, 16' Bombarde, 8' Festival Trumpet, 8' Bombarde, 8' Vox Humana, 4' Bombarde, Tremolo

PEDAL (20 ranks)

32' Contra Bourdon, 16' Principal, 16' Sub Bass, 16' Violone, 16' Lieblich Gedeckt, 8' Octave, 8' Gedeckt, 4' Super Octave, 4' Flute, 2' Block Flute, V Fourniture, 32' Contra Bombarde, 16' Fagott, 8' Trumpet, 4' Clarion, 4' Schalmei

COUPLER PISTONS

Swell to Great, Choir/Positiv to Great, Solo to Great, Echo to Great, Swell to Choir/Positiv, Solo to Choir/Positiv, Echo to Choir/Positiv, Solo to Swell, Echo to Swell, Echo to Solo, Great to Pedal*, Swell to Pedal*, Choir/Positiv to Pedal*, Solo to Pedal*, Echo to Pedal*

*Manual to Pedal couplers duplicated with toe pistons