Inside organ console

[Johnallen]

Hi there. I'm really interested. What is in the pipe organ console to open correct wind channel?

[myorgan]

Hi there. I'm really interested. What is in the pipe organ console to open correct wind channel?

John,

I replied to another thread, to which you posted, and provided the following thread reference: http://www.organforum.com/forums/sho...l=1#post352103

Hope it helps.

Michael

[Terpodion]

Well..... They are all different - depending on the type of action and the age of the organ. It also depends on what you mean by "wind channel." Technically, "channel" refers to a part in a slider chest or ventil windchest. Now I'm getting technical and this is probably only going to leave you even more confused so; back to the console. I'll give you a couple examples. I made a service round the other day and visited a 1967 Aeolian Skinner and one of the organs I built about ten years ago. The Aeolian Skinner was a good sized 3 manual with a rather large console. This console is packed to the lid with pneumatic motors, linkages and primary magnets. It is difficult to get to the inner stuff to make repairs. The organ I built ten years ago has a console that is quite empty by comparison. All the controls are solid state with a few mother boards sitting inside which connect to the keys, pistons and stop switches. All of these connect to a solid state relay inside the organ chamber. This relay acts like a "brain" deciding what to do with the information. The Aeolian Skinner's control system does basically the same thing but it does it with pneumatic motors that open and close switches using electricity and wind pressure.

As far as mechanical action organs, I'll let somebody else explain that - I have to rush off and build another organ.

[davidecasteel]

John, the quick and dirty answer is that the console uses either mechanical levers or electric switches. Mechanical levers actually pull open the valves that allow wind to enter the appropriate pipes. Electric switches activate magnets in the wind chests that open the valves. (There are several different versions of these electric actions, some of which involve secondary air systems that open the valves.)

Basically, mechanical actions use the force exerted on the keys to pull open the valves, and other actions just have the keys close switches that use electricity to do the work. There are proponents of both methods.

David

[nsa66]

I've put together a small album on Flickr of an organ I play occasionally. It is a typical turn of the 20th century tracker instrument as found in many a British church/chapel. Entirely mechanical action on slider chests with fixed composition pedals. Action is in need of some adjustment and pipework could do with a bit of a clean but she hasn't been tuned in over six years and still plays well when allowed to settle to ambient temperature (blower takes air from within the chamber).

Click on, or cut and paste the following link into your browser and it should take you there. Out of interest, NPOR reference is R00001.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/neilan...7645398226716/

Hope this, and my attempt at technical labels are useful to you.