Allen Elite

[MarkS]

The Allen Elite was briefly mentioned a few days ago in this forum.<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Now there is an advertisement in the June issue of The American Organist.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Is this the "Gold Standard for Organ Building"?</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Does it use a super-duper new generation system--or is it just another reverberation unit and an expansion to 500 alternate voicings? </DIV>

[jbird604]

Re: Allen Elite



Mark,</P>


I haven't seen the ads. Can you briefly describe this new Allen series?</P>


This is the time of year they sometimes introduce new lineups, at the dealer seminar in May. I don't have as much connection with them any more, but haven't heard of any new models coming out. Guess it's about time, though.</P>


John</P>

[MarkS]

Re: Allen Elite

John,<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>There were eight words, something like, "Allen Elite.  The Gold Standard in Organ Building," plus contact information in small print at the bottom of the page.  It could just as well as had  a Zen-like excursion through the woods, with the words "Infiniti."</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>There isn't anything on the Allen website.</DIV>

[Guest]

Re: Allen Elite



[quote user="MarkS"] "Allen Elite. The Gold Standard in Organ Building" [/quote]</P>
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Sheesh, what hubris. They could at least say "the gold standard in digital organ building." I don't think pipe organ builders are going to be flocking to Macungie to learn what their instruments should sound like.</P>
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[arie v]

Re: Allen Elite



Mark,</p>

I'm not an Allen insider, but this "Elite" organ is Allen's version of their "gold standard". You can be sure that in the boardroom, they discussed optics of where Allen is viewed as compared to M&amp;O and Walker, and whoever else has come up on their radar screen. I'm sure that they are increasingly aware that their product was viewed as just another digi organ. This is their answer.</p>

What is inside it? I don't know, but from what I have been able to glean, there is no new tone generator, or otherwise new technology in it. It is basically their no compromise design, expanded audio, fully customizable offering. Their Elite Opus 1, is a 60 stop organ, 30 audio channel organ. Apparently they use lots of their new small speaker system on it to separate out higher pitched stops in their interlaced audio concept. I don't think it has mulitple suites.</p>

Sounds like it could sound much better than their standard models. </p>

Elite Opus #1 is setup in their Octave Hall at their Macungie headquarters.</p>

AV</p>

[jbird604]

Re: Allen Elite



AV,</P>


Interesting. Perhaps like the SDDS organs they made way back in the MOS days, taking the technology to its extreme limits,all the stops pulled out, so to speak. Bet it costs arm+leg+firstborn, though.</P>


Thirty audio channels --With the interlaced audio, there would be the possibility of registering it so that a given speaker system is producing just a single note of a single rank. That would be some interesting sound. However, to do that with 60 stops would take, hmmmmmmmmmmm..... 60 x 61 ...... 3660 speaker systems? Probably not going to build that one just yet. Someone has done it, though. It was called a "pipe organ" ........ curious, huh?</P>


John</P>
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[jbird604]

Re: Allen Elite



Actuallymy Baldwin D422 (c. 1989) has some rudimentary "interlaced audio" with the system programmed to throw a given note into the next available audio output of the 8 main channels. Up to 8 pitches could be sounding each from a separate speaker under the proper circumstances. It wasn't fully worked out, though, and in practice each stop could only appear in one of two channels, whichever was carrying the fewest notes at the moment. I chose to defeat this though in my home installation due to lack of space for all those speakers.</P>


I'm not convinced that this kind of separation is always good, nor that it is the real key to better organ sound. The installer can ruin this kind of technology by mislocating the speakers, giving a quirky back and forth effectyou'd never hearin a pipe organ.Good taste, good acoustics, plenty of audio power, good speakers well-placed -- these are the vital ingredients of a good organ. </P>


But you can't blame the manufacturers for trying. And what wonderful organs they are building today, with every company trying to outdo the others! Competition is good for all of us.</P>


John</P>

[clumber]

Re: Allen Elite



Thanks Admin, for all you do to make this site vibrant and helpful!... I'm sure we all agree on that!</p>

Rest of post deleted by author</p>

[radagast]

Re: Allen Elite

[quote user="clumber"]


Allen's probably got a lot of bright people, feels some heat from independant manufacturers(Walker, M&amp;O, Phoenix, Buch, etc) as Arie says, and if they can set up an "Elite" line where they can get people to spend extra to customize the instrument more, well, why not? I love the Buch home page, nine PA churches! So more details on the Elite line! We must have someone here who works as an Allen rep? Or perhaps someone knows someone who does and can ask them to contribute?
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Andy</P>


[/quote]</P>


I'm not an Allen rep, but I am planning to go out to Philly for Wanamaker Organ Day on June 9th. While I am out there, I am planning on going the relatively short distance to Macungie to the Allen factory. One of the things I will do is check out the Allen Elite Opus 1. </P>


I have several questions about this new series.First, any new samples? Longer?How many samples per rank? Since Allen has been using softwarebased DSP systems since Renaissance came out, I imagine the Elite series still will. But I hope there is some significant difference between Elite and their other organ lines. The extra audio channels should help.</P>


I do know that Allen is going tobe careful that theElite stoplistsare designedlike a pipe organ. Also, someone can get an Elite Theatre organ if they like. This isn't just for classical models.</P>


Elite is a response to botique builders like Marshall &amp; Ogletree, Walker and others. Whether it sounds as good as these other companies remains to be seen.</P>


I do have a scan of the brochure for the Opus 1.</P>


Bill</P>


</P>

[Clavier]

Re: Allen Elite



Is this the one you guys are referring to?</p>

</p>

</p>

[Menschenstimme]

Re: Allen Elite



Looks excellent on paper!</P>


[&lt;:o)]</P>

[radagast]

Re: Allen Elite

[quote user="JPSmith"]


[quote user="MarkS"] "Allen Elite. The Gold Standard in Organ Building" [/quote]</P>
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Sheesh, what hubris. They could at least say "the gold standard in digital organ building." I don't think pipe organ builders are going to be flocking to Macungie to learn what their instruments should sound like.</P>
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[/quote]</P>


Well I'm going to respond to this the way someone responded to me. This is nothing more than "sales hyperbole". If Allen were dissing pipe organs completely, they wouldn't do pipe/digital combos. On the brochure, I have, they state:</P>


"Few pipe organs produce similar results and no other digital organ can match Elite's attention to detail". They could be talking about small, highly unitized pipe organs.</P>


Depending on what they mean by "attention to detail" they are still using sales hyperbole. They are definitely stating that Elite can match or beat other digital organs. But for those who love only pipe organs, it will still fall short.</P>


No flaming here. No arguments. I know there are plenty of people who resent digital organs being compared to pipe organs, but in this case I would imagine that Allen is responding to Marshall &amp; Ogletree's sales hyperbole.</P>


Bill</P>

[radagast]

Re: Allen Elite

[quote user="Clavier"]


Is this the one you guys are referring to?</P>


[/quote]</P>


Now I can see the first one. Something's up with my PC I guess. Yes that is the brochure I have. The implication is that this is substantially more expensive than a similar size Quantum because it's totally custom and it has a lot more audio channels. If it is more expensive than Walker, and it doesn't sound better or as good, I don't see it going anywhere.</P>


I know that in some people's minds the inevitable question will be in comparing this to other custom builders that are less expensive. So be it. Let the market decide what digital organ sounds best.</P>

[Menschenstimme]

Re: Allen Elite



"Non omnes qui habent citharam sunt citharoedi."</P>


That's a good one! LOL!!</P>


[D][&lt;:o)]</P>
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[Clavier]

Re: Allen Elite

[quote user="MenchenStimme"]

"Non omnes qui habent citharam sunt citharoedi."</p>

[/quote]</p>

To whom are you referring?</p>