Ahlborn-Galanti 2100 Owner's Manual - is there a website?

[cnr1949]

I fiddle around with the parameters for each stop on my A-G but I don't really know what I'm doing and the owner's manual I received with the organ doesn't explain the options very clearly (it assumes I know the effect each Voicing adjustment will have, also the effect of changing Wind Pressure, etc.).

Is there perhaps a website (an A-G owners' forum would be good) where I could find simple explanations of the effect of adjusting the Voicing options?

Also helpful, would be a website that suggests settings to clearly enhance the differences between the four voicings: American Classic, French, Romantic, and Baroque.

Does anyone have any helpful suggestions for me?

Robert

[jbird604]

I don't know the answer as to a website, etc., but I'm guessing your ears will be your best tool. Some of the changes one can make in a typical organ are quite subtle, others are significant. The nature of each change is probably most apparent on certain stops, but not all.

For example, wind pressure might affect the sound of a loud reed stop, so you should be listening to such a stop when making that adjustment. Then check all the other stops to make sure you haven't affected something in a bad way. Other parameters, such as the level of a given stop, should be obvious. Knowing exactly where to set these levels takes some experience and knowledge, but just do it to suit yourself. If there are tuning adjustments, you can experiment with various degrees of de-tuning for each stop. You don't want to overdo that, of course, but how much of it you need is purely a matter of opinion.

I assume there is a factory reset that will clear your edits and restore the organ to a decent default situation if you really mess up! The factory default is always a good place to start, then think carefully about each change you make. Take notes about all your changes and make only a few at a time until you are sure what each change does to the entire organ.

Anyway, I hope someone with more knowledge of that particular instrument will chime in.

[arie v]

Robert,

If you have the "Organist UserGuide" AG2000 book, you pretty much have all there is to explain the functions of the organ.

I understand your difficulty, part of which is the way things are described in the book, and partly the sophistication of the organ.

Part of it too, is that the store or dealership that sold the organ are pretty much clueless as the purchaser,and don't want to learn the workings of the organ. This goes for a lot of digital organs sold these days. Manufacturers are increasing the flexibility and complexity of instruments, but do little to help the customer derive maximum benefit of all these features.

Anyways, it sounds like you know how to navigate the organ with the programmer, you feel you don't understand how the parameters change things.

I would suggest the following, get a clear handle on what are global settings, what are divisional setting, and what are note to note parameters. Since you mention wind pressure, this basically mimics the effect of playing stops and notes on the wind pressure conditions this causes. To hear the difference dial the parameter to max sag and play a big chord. Then do the same thing with maximum boost. You should hear a noticeable difference that way. Just playing 1 note of 1 stop is not going to make an audible difference.

As to different schools of organbuilding, one can mimic say a baroque organ, by selecting samples that most clearly align to a baroque organ. Each stop tab has a variety of samples from which to choose.

Now the hard part is selecting samples, which in the end sound like a cohesive organ. This is where knowledge and experience come in.

Best way to learn may be to get some hands-on at the console with someone guiding you. If you come to Toronto, buy me a coffee, I will give you some of my time to help you better understand the organ you have.

AV

[cnr1949]

Thanks Arie. I was hoping you'd weigh in on this question, also thanks to jbird604 for your suggestions. My brother's thinking of leaving Oshawa, heading back west, so I'd better get down there real fast to take advantage of your private tuition.

I've tried the method you've suggested Arie, setting parameters to Max and Min to note the difference - but I've always done it playing just one note - perhaps the chord method will be more effective with some of them...and yes, there's always returning to the factory setup - or to one of the previous voicings I liked and I've saved to disc.