Presets

[Ron32288]

Hi everyone, it's me again. I have another question about the pipe organ at church. I was wondering, how do I set a preset. All I know is it has a Rodgers 990 console the organ itself IS NOT A Rodgers 990. Also, what is this this Memory Level thing under the stand. Thanks in advance.

[Menschenstimme]

Please forgive me for what may be a a vague response at this time.
This is not really simple presets - it looks like a multiple memory programmable combination action. The "1" is the bottom of the "Down" position and the "UP" position will be the other memories, perhaps from "1" to "99" or even as high as "128" or even "256" etc. The console should have a set button that you would push and hold in while you simultaneously push in the numbered button you want to have save your stop selections. Please try "Googling" Rodgers 990 combination action" -OR- "Peterson MSP 1000." Good luck and God bless!

[jbird604]

The original Rodgers 990 innards of that console would have included a somewhat primitive (by today's standards) combination action. What you have now it surely a much more modern and elaborate system.

In general, modern combination actions all operate in a similar manner. But you need to determine a few things about the system before you can use the capture system.

The "Memory Level" readout, as already pointed out, probably gives access to numerous sets of memories. You must first determine which of the levels you want to work with. If, for example, there are several organists who use this organ, each one may have one or more levels reserved for his/her own use. You'd want to avoid using someone else's memory level and make sure that the one you use is reserved for your use alone.

Then you have to determine if the memory is "locked" in some way. If memory levels can be locked, you may need a code of some kind to open the lock so that you can set the pistons. You might have to refer to instructions or docs that were provided by the installer in order to figure this out, unless you already know or can ask someone else who plays this organ.

OK, so once you know which level you are going to use, scroll to that level, and have it un-locked, the procedure is pretty simple:

1. Set up the stops the way you want them for whatever piece of music you are going to play.

2. Decide which one of the "general" pistons you are going to use to store this registration. (Some of the pistons are "divisionals" and will only memorize the stops of a single division. If you want to memorize stops all over the organ on your pistons, you must use the "general" pistons. Again, the instructions or docs that came with the console should show which pistons are the generals.)

3. Now, simply press and hold the "set" piston, and while continuing to hold the Set piston in, press the general piston you have chosen. Then release both pistons. The registration should now be stored on that piston. Hit "cancel" or "0" to turn off all the stops, then hit the general piston you just stored your stops on, and they should all come back on just as they were.

You can of course repeat that same process using all the general pistons available to you. If you want to set specific stops on individual divisions, you can do that with the divisional pistons. Be aware that some stops, such as couplers, may not set on divisional pistons.

Now, that should answer your technical question. If you are also wanting input on which stops need to be included in your various pistons, that is of course a different question. Someone else may have some ideas on that.