HELP ME, PLEASE ! ! !

[Guest]

I have been an organist seriously for the last seven years of my life. I'm trading a Yamaha Clavinova for a sixties model Allen analog job with a "princess pedal board". With what ease and dexterity can I modify my organ to accept a new pedal board assembly; . . . I'm thinking of going midi with the whole thing and I want to know if it will be worth it the way it is. I'm getting pictures soon, so I'll know if it's even worth my time. I just want to know what I'm looking into. Is analog a good or bad thing, and how does it work, etc.? I'd appreciate any help or advice you can give me.</p>

Yours,
Chris
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[Guest]

Re: HELP ME, PLEASE ! ! !



First of all go slow and practice your technique.</P>


Older Analog or Digital organs may not have the sound or capability you are looking for. Always drive it before you buy it regardless of the price. </P>


AGO or Princess? No real difference at this point. The Princess is a lot more compact and fits better into a small room. </P>


Installing Midi into an existing console is a lot of teshnical and wiring work. Unless you have a really gorgeous console, I'd look for something much newer.Midi simply expands the sound capability of the organ but introduces a lot of additional problems. The sound can be much better: I have both Synth and Pipe on my organ and the sound is very nice, but my technique is poor. Technique andfootwork are key. Can you play Widor's Tocatta? Some organists do it with their feet!</P>


Here as in life the old adage "No Pain - No Gain" really applies!</P>


Good Luck and put some of your playing on the Net for us to appreciate!</P>


Al Johnson</P>

[OrgansR4Me]

Re: HELP ME, PLEASE ! ! !



I have comments in your other post about the analog sound. Here I want to answer your questions about "princess" pedals. I wouldn't call myself a serious organist and while I gave some attention to pedal exercises in years past, I concentrate more on what I want to play at this point in my life -- a gospel style very condusive to electronic organ and not so imitative of liturgy sounds.</P>


So consider how classical you want your training to be. I own both an Allen with princess pedals and an allen with A.G.O. pedals. The biggest difference is the length of the studs. I have short legs to begin with and sit very close to the console so I've not found any advantage from the greater length. And as mentioned, some of us even move between console and spinet and it isn't a bad thing to feel at home with every organ. You may be asked to play for an occasion where the organ isn't what you are accustomed to andif you limit yourself in your training you'll be very uncomfortable then.</P>


In another post some time back I talked about Jesse Crawford making recordings on the Hammond Chord organ when it was introduced. That's versatility!</P>
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