Celeste placement question (again, but slightly different question)

[sesquialtera16]

Re: Question on setting wind pressures....



in the usa symphonic organs of the 20s the covered flutes of large scale such as the stopped diapason 8 usually do not blend well with keen strings</P>


the melodia 8 seems to do better</P>


it has a binding effect provided it is not voiced full but rather more moderate or medium power</P>


then it works to enhance any combination it is used in be it strings, an oboe, clarinet, diapason or other flute including a stoppered one</P>

[NYCFarmboy]

Re: Question on setting wind pressures....





Yes I can raise the wind to 6 inches (on the opus 412) easily with the blower I have on it now....that Zephyr puts out 7.5 of static, raising the curtain I can get the 412 chest to over 6 inches BUT then it runs out of wind VERY fast playing more than a few stops at once. At 4.75 inches it does play ok as long as I don't use the 16' coupler on the opus 412...when I put on the 16' coupler it starts sagging when I'm playing all the stops on it.......at 6 inches it starts sagging even without the 16' coupler on holding big chords at full organ on the bottom octave.....


The 822 is winded by itself now using the original Spencer blower that is pretty noisey. I think the curtain is set all the way open and it is running at 5.21 inches of wind....which is probably just fine, but I do want to take it down to 5 inches even as the diapason rank is a tad too powerful/shrill (in the upper sections of the pipework of that rank) on the opus 822... I think bringing the pressure down just a bit will help out on that.


I think going with 2 HP blower on the 412, (feeding 16 1/2 ranks) and moving the 3/4 horse blower to the 822 (feeding 5 1/2 ranks) will work just fine.



one reason we never set the pressure higher yet on the opus 412 is Ed is afraid the leather condition is so bad that we'd be blowing out leathers having it set high, but we will set it at 6 inches on Monday and let it play at that for a while and see how it goes.


I Do want to keep that lush orchestral romantic sound I have now with the strings, melodia and soft and very gentle 'grand diapason'...if the sound becomes less lush/orchestral and overly strident by raising the pressure to 6 inches I'll put it back to 5 and recut the Melodia pipes to make it tunable at 5 inches....as I LOVE that lush orchestral sound it produces now...and it does sound wonderful now, but I WOULd like to have it a bit louder so that the swell shades would be more useful when I get them installed as I think they will cut some of the sound coming out even when open all the way.


Sesq16: I seem to recall seeing a Melodia in a NEW organ installed somewhere pretty recently...I dont' think I had seen a Melodia rank in a new organ construction in ages. As noted, I was not overly thrilled with the Melodia rank I have when I played it as a solo stop at the church in Nevada, Iowa where it came from...such a "dull" sound without much tonal character other than being nearly "characterless" in flute sound.....but as a blending stop...WOW..it really adds depth/richness to the strings without overpowering them...for that reason alone I think it is an amazing rank to have, but definately a "luxury" rank for a larger or medium sized organ..... I now see it having a very important place.....again i really thought very seriouslyl I'd put that rank in and pull it out very quickly, replacing it with another rank (I have an extra Bourdon rank I could put in its place), but now for sure the Melodia is definately staying.

[sesquialtera16]

Re: Question on setting wind pressures....

the one most beautiful melodia i have ever played and serious;y liked was a 1920s hillgreen stop on a 9 rank organ that the church inherited when it bought the neighboring church for a sunday school back in the 60s. that melodia was refined and lush. u could play it for hours. it blended with the dulciana and other voices. some melodias are less nice. some are hooty. some fat and dull. still i know how to use the one in the gallery of the organ i am allowed to use. it is not bad. a 1900 rank. full but not overly so. melodias are nice overall. maybe the windway is open too much on some examples.