A Small Pipe organ

[Bruise in the Muttastery]

Great: *Open Diapason 8, Bourdon 8 (metal), Spitzflute 4, Clarinet/Oboe (duplexed)
Swell: *Stopped Flute 8 (wood), Spitzgamba 8, Principal 4, Oboe 4/Clarinet 8
Pedal: *Gemshorn 16, Spitzflute 8 * * * *

Tracker action. *The Great is unenclosed with the Open Diapason in the facade with *Bourdon and Spitzflute behind. *The Stopped Flute (wood), Spitzgamba (a mild tapered string), Principal and reed would be enclosed behind. *The Gemshorn 16 and Spitzflute would rest on the floor at the back of the case. * The pipe would be in "A" arrangement so that the organ could be tuned via doors on either side of the case. * *The Oboe/Clarinet would *two different ranks of reeds with the Oboe playing from 4' from low C to tenor A; the Clarinet would be 8' pitch and play from A# to C essentially giving two solo stops on the same chest space with one stop action. *Because the compass of the two reeds would be the same, the organist could change solo voices without having to change stops simply by playing at either end of the keyboard. * The stop could be used as a chorus reed since the change in stops at tenor A/A# would not be that noticeable. *

Any thoughts?

[minibutmany]

This sounds like a really nice instrument, are you coming up with ideas for a new church instrument or were you wanting to build this?

[Bruise in the Muttastery]

The organ would be for a small church. Although i think it would be fun to have an instrument like this at home. I would really like to have a small tracker organ at home. I currently have an Allen ADC4000 and although replacement parts are available they are priced like antiques!!

[crapwonk]

I see a couple of things I would want to change, even for a minimal organ, especially if it needs to support congregational singing:

The spec has no 2' voices or mutations, so there is limited brightness and color/solo options that the upper work provides. Without at least a 2' in the Gt, congregational singing would wander in the wilderness.

There is no option for a solo voice in the pedal. This could be mitigated if you added manual to pedal couplers. You could at least couple a 4' into the pedal that way.

The proposed oboe/clarinet duplexing is unusual to say the least. I substitute on a lot of different organs. I know that there are many variations in how organ mechanics are set up, but I have never seen this arrangement. It would be very specific to this organ, so that a piece worked up for this organ would not transfer easily (reliably under stress) to another instrument, especially if you were using the reed assigned to the lower range of the keyboard. 8' reeds are not necessarily big even at low C, so a full compass down to low C should not be a major space constraint. I would much rather have a trumpet on the swell that balances with full great so I could do a wedding processional or use it in the pedal (using my sw to ped coupler I added above). Put it on the Gt also and I can add it in on the last verse of Ein Feste Berg for a fuller, rich sound. A second lesser reed (a krummhorn, maybe) would be nice, but this organ is lacking in too many other resources to justify the 2nd reed.

I have played on a number of small pipe organs, both practice organs in college and in churches. I do not find pipes for pipes' sake to be that compelling. The small trackers I have played have been German imports; they have all had full principle choruses and small mixtures. They are fun; however, even with my baroque tastes, I would find these to be very limited for extended use.

[minibutmany]

I think the oboe would be more useful for everyday use, but a 2' and a 1-1/3' should be added to the great for more brilliance. If you wish to have a 4' principal on the swell, it would make sense to also have some kind of 4' flute, that way you can build up without completely changing the character of the sound. I think a tremulant on the swell would be very nice.

[Bruise in the Muttastery]

Thanks, everyone..... Food for thought...

bruce

[Bruise in the Muttastery]

from: crapwonk


Since space and money are significant considerations, a 2' is a luxury that I think can be spared. Presently congregational singing is good with 8 and 4 on the electronic; I see wincing when the 2' is added and it seems to cover them up. Granted, it's an electic!


I relized that I did not list couplers but the usual couplers are assumed: Man I - II and I and II - Ped.


It was included in this way to save money and space while providing two solo voices. It would be very simple to use. When you want a Clarinet solo you simply play on the treble end of the keyboard; if you want an Oboe you play on the bass end. The Clarinet starts at tenor A#; the Oboe starts at tenor C. Moving back and forth should be very simple and would not involve any mechanics. This is not designed as a chorus reed.


The room is small and does not need a trumpet stop, especially for a wedding. There has been one in the past two years! Weekly attendance is around 40 and singing is gentle yet enthusiastic.


The building is small, historic, and beautiful (visually and acoustically). It deserves a beautiful pipe organ. A "properly" designed Germanic organ with a full chorus and mixtures would be a waste. If an organ is too loud the congregations is usually reacting to mixtures. I want and organ that has a pleasant sound for supporting congregational singing and in which every stop is potentially a solo stop. I do find small Germanic instruments of limited use, but fun limited use, and I I had one it would also have a severe unequal temperament making it even less "useful" be considerably more fun for ME. I wouldn't do this to a church, however!


from minibutmany
>I think the oboe would be more useful for everyday use, but a 2' and a 1-1/3' should be added to the great for more brilliance. If you wish to have a 4' principal on the swell, it would make sense to also have some kind of 4' flute, that way you can build up without completely changing the character of the sound. I think a tremulant on the swell would be very nice.>
As I mentioned above, the reed "stop" is for solo use. I grow tired of Oboes and Trumpets only. Re the 2 and 1-1/3, this organ does not need brilliance, since the acoustics of the room are very friendly and even the present electronic sounds bright, and provides good support for congregational singing with only two stops on (Diapason 8 and Flute 4 used because they sound the best -- the Diapason 8 and 4 being a unit). I agree that a 4' Flute would be nice in the Swell, but space and money, etc.... As with the couplers, Tremulant is a given that simply neglected to mention.

I would not be opposed to a small digital, but they don't seem to make them. A large two-manual console on a 30+ stop organ would be as out of place as the large scaled reeds and mixtures included on such an instrument.

A suggestion was made by a friend for saving space and money by having the organ completely unenclosed, but in a case, which would work just fine for me.

Thanks again for suggestions.

Bruise

[minibutmany]

I don't think a 2' stop is a luxury at all. The bourdon could be sacrificed, and a 2' doublette would be cheaper and smaller. The organ builder could voice it to work well with singing, the electronic is not really a good model of what sounds good in that space. Even if the 2' is rarely used in hymns, it is a necessity in preludes and postludes.