Used Allen Organ

[Slim Jerkins]

Greetings</P>


I'm looking at an Allan ADC-220 currently up for auction. I've been knocking around so many different ideas right now that my head hurts . . . please allow me to elaborate.</P>


Back in the late sixties/early seventies I studied classical organ as a youth. Once I entered high school I gave it up [stupid as stupid does]. My practice organ was a Baldwin H2 and he organ I took lessons on was an old 3-manual Moller. I've always been a nut for pipe organs since I was six years old. One of the things that always bothered me when practicing were the cheesey sounds eminating from most electronic organs and the stubby little black keys on the Baldwin's pedalboard.</P>


I know - if I was truly dedicated, I would have kept practicing and continued my studies. </P>


Fast forward to present -. Now I've been volunteered to play two Sunday Masses at the local retirement home every other weekend. I've been doing this for two years now. The organ that I play there is an old Hammond - complete with the "How-Great-Thou-Art-Rolling-Thunder" amplifier that acts up all the time (not to mention the stops that cut out, and the keys that seem suspiciously narrower than most other keyboards). Fortunately, most of those attending mass are very hard of hearing so they don't miss too much when I play.</P>


This whole thing has caused me to want to work on my pedal chops and maybe even consider starting back into lessons. Okay -I still have the old H2 available but space in the house is tight. Furthermore, the "A" tone generator has gotten a case of the jitters. Those stubby little black pedal keys haven't grown either. I've been practicing on a single keyboard controlling a PC running Hauptwerk V1.</P>


Questions: How would this Allen ADC-220 sound (compared to A)Hauptwerk and B)the Baldwin)</P>


The Allen has two stop tabs for chorus and vibrato with labels marked "prepared for" on them - what does this mean?</P>


Although the balck pedals don't look as stubby as the Baldwin's they don't seem as big as a regular AGO. I assume these are the "princess" pedals. Are they OK?</P>


I'm wondering if I should fix up the Baldwin and donate it to the nursing home (to replace that wonderful Hammond) and get the Allen - or should I get a keyboard stack and pedals from Classic MIDI Works and build an updatedHauptwerk console?</P>


Sorry for my long-winded first post - I just had a lot of ground to cover I suppose.</P>


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Thanks!</P>


</P>


-slim</P>

[telemanr]

Re: Used Allen Organ



I'd get a keyboard stack and pedals and use Hauptwerk. With the Allen you're stuck with the sounds it makes (not the greatest) and with Hauptwerk (especially version 2) you get a choice of organs and absolutely great sound (depending, of course, on your speaker(s) setup). </P>


That's what I've done. And I've never been happier. I've got the St. Anne which comes with it, the Shantz 3 manual organ and the Litomysl 4 manual cathedral organ and the little Ott organ plus a harpsichord. I'm just waiting impatiently for Brett Milan's Skinner organ to be available in a Hauptwerk2 and then perhaps a Cavaille-Coll organ.</P>


None of this would be possible with the Allan. And 3 manuals are better than 2.</P>


I play much more than I ever did with a corresponding improvement in technique. It's great.</P>


Rob</P>

[Slim Jerkins]

Re: Used Allen Organ



Rob:</P>


Thanks for the quick reply. Another advantage of going with the stack is that I can move everything around by myself. </P>


What are the specs on your HW-2 PC? </P>


My 1Gb AMD machine struggles with the St Annes, two handfuls of keys and another handful of stops pulled. I'd have to build another box for the HW2 console and would like to know your specs.</P>


And yes - I would really would like the C-C sample set too. Now if only I could tip the exchange rate in my favor - instead of their favour!</P>


</P>


-slim</P>

[telemanr]

Re: Used Allen Organ



Well I went whole hog and got a custom built computer specifically for Hauptwerk2 and the future.</P>


It has 2 AMD 285 dual core processors and 8 GB of RAM. Quite expensive. And I'm running WinXP64bit. Because of this I'm using an E-MU 0404 since I wanted to add reverb to dry samples. Plus I never could get the M-Audio 2496 card to work.</P>


I did this partly because I wanted to have the Litomysl organ working and it needed about 6GB and the best you can do with XP normally is 3GB (with the special 3GB switch).</P>


Actually you'd be OK with less such as the less expensive of the two options Martin suggests on his Hauptwerk site. But the AMD processors take much better advantage of the Hauptwerk handling of memory than Intel's do.</P>


I've found that speakers make an enormous difference so I got M-Audio BX8a's and the Subwoofer SBX. The sub only goes down to 30Hz so it doesn't really do the 32' stops but other than that it has mostly taken the "screetch" out of the Litomysl. There are better (more expensive) solutions to subwoofers but for now I'm happy.</P>


Rob</P>

[Slim Jerkins]

Re: Used Allen Organ



Rob:</P>


Next question . . . cooling.</P>


The last two boxes I put together were both AMD machines; one for me, the other for thekids. Since the AMD devices perform dual-duty as space heaters, and I'm cooling them with enough air to wind a moderately sized pipe organ, how do you keep the noise down?</P>


BTW, p92 of the May 9, 2006 PC Magazine has an article showing the use of some aftermarket sound deadening kits for certain PC cases. Perhaps you've gone that route?</P>


</P>


-slim</P>