Second Touch

[organpower]

any thoughts???

[jbird604]

Re: Second Touch

Are you referring to the organ mechanism or the religious experience?

[organpower]

Re: Second Touch

ummmmm....the organ mechanism

[soubasse32]

Re: Second Touch

I believe this applies only to theatre organs; as such, I have no experience with it.

[FrenchHorn8]

Re: Second Touch

It also applies to a couple Skinner combination actions.  The manual pistons have a second touch that also activates a pedal piston.

[Guest]

Re: Second Touch



My friend with a 3/18 Wurlitzer/Morton has second touch on accomp and uses it frequently; My Allen R3/11+7 has second touch on accomp and I don't use it at all. Most Theatre organs have second touch on Accomp and maybe Great or more. Classic organs generally don't have it all.</P>
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[Guest]

Re: Second Touch

What is "Second Touch"?

[myorgan]

Re: Second Touch



[quote user="Hook &amp; Hasting"]What is "Second Touch"?[/quote]</P>


THANK YOU!!!! I have been wondering that same thing for years!</P>


Any help, guys &amp; gals? Could someone describe it in detail? Thanks in advance.</P>

[Jay999]

Re: Second Touch



Hi Guys and Gals....Second touch is found on theatre organs. It provides a means of playing a counter harmony on the Great and Bombarde manuals, (usually with the right hand) at a louder volume than the melody, sort of like a Trumpet adding a few complimentary notes. On the Accompanyment it provides a means to add counter harmony, or double the melody note in the baritone range (usually played by the left hand). In the pedal, it provides a means to add a loud note on (usually) the last bar, or a trap, like a crash cymbal, or bass drum.</P>


For each manual where 2nd touch is designed into the instrument, (and the pedal), there is a seperate group of stops meant for playing in the 2nd touch medium. These stops are madeup of louder solo stops, like Post Horn, Tuba, Trumpet, etc. On the accm. manual especially, there are three families of 2nd touch stops present....as the accompanyment is the more important 2nd touch medium. There are the louder solo stops, PostHorn, Trumpet,loudest of the flue stops, etc....then theSolo to Accm. and Great to Accm. for doubling the right hand melody....and then there are the very soft stops for ending a piece with a lastchord, played on the last bar, with a Chrysloglott, (or Harp, or Piano, or Chime).</P>


Mechanically, there is a2nd touch spring under the manual and pedal keys thatstops the key travel about 3/4 way down. If you depress the key harder it will give way and travel further down until it hits the keybed felt. In this second, stronger push, when the key travels further, it encounters the 2nd touch contacts.</P>


Practically all theatre organists develop a technique for playing 2nd touch, as it adds so much more to their playing style. George Wright's playing style was famous for his left hand doubling of the melody in the baritone range. His great influence on all thetheatre organists of today begins with a mastery of left hand baritone solos, played on 2nd touch.</P>


Someone also mentioned 2nd touch pistons....that too is part of theatre organs. All general pistons usually draw stopson the Great and Pedal in the first touch....pushing further into the 2nd touch of a general piston will bring on all other divisions. Sometimes, even the divisional pistons are set up to draw the division stops on the first touch, and some special effects or stops on the 2nd touch, like couplers or percussions.</P>


Hope this helped you know what 2nd touch is. It's almost as much fun as playing Bach on a good tracker instrument!</P>
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[PeteKnobloch]

Re: Second Touch



If you download the Miditzer Style 216 software at http://www.virtualorgan.com/ it can demonstrate how 2<SUP>nd</SUP> touch works on a real theater pipe organ only virtually on your PC. Go to the download area and install the style 216, it is free. If you are worried by giving out your email address, just skip this and go directly to it by the "OR continue to other... Click here" option. </P>


Turn on some of the softer stops for the accompaniment manual and also select stops under the tab labeled "Accomp Second Touches". With the mouse, click on one of the accompaniment keys and you will hear the normal sounds selected for that manual. If you press the space key, it adds in the 2<SUP>nd</SUP> touch voices that you have selected. This simulation isn't perfect in that if you move to another key with the space bar pressed at the same time, it won't sound. But this gives you the general operation of 2nd touch. </P>


There is a toggle switch labeled "TRAPS" 1<SUP>st</SUP> and 2<SUP>nd </SUP>just above the pedal stops. This is used to select whether the trap line is triggered from the 1<SUP>st</SUP> touch contacts or the 2<SUP>nd</SUP> touch contacts on the pedals. To show how this works, select a stop like TUBA along with the CRASH CYMBAL on the pedals. If the switch is in the Traps 1<SUP>st</SUP> touch position, then the crash cymbal will be heard if any of the pedal keys are pressed. If the toggle switch is changed to Traps 2<SUP>nd</SUP> touch, the crash cymbal will only be heard if the pedal is pressed hard when the 2<SUP>nd</SUP> touch contacts are closed. This is simulated by clicking on a pedal key then pressing the SPACE key which causes the playing note to go into 2<SUP>nd</SUP> touch mode which then sounds the cymbal. </P>


Pete</P>
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[myorgan]

Re: Second Touch



[quote user="PeteKnobloch"] If you download the Miditzer Style 216 software at http://www.virtualorgan.com/ it can demonstrate how 2<SUP>nd</SUP> touch works on a real theater pipe organ only virtually on your PC. Go to the download area and install the style 216, it is free. If you are worried by giving out your email address, just skip this and go directly to it by the "OR continue to other... Click here" option. </P>


Pete[/quote]</P>


Pete,</P>


Great resource. Thank you! Thanks also for the pre-explanation of what the site will ask for. When it requests an e-mail address, I just put in "[email protected]". They're welcome to send as much stuff to him as they like!</P>


[quote user="Jay999"] Hope this helped you know what 2nd touch is.[/quote]</P>


Jay,</P>


Thank you so much. I now understand, though not in practice. I'd imagine that one would have to develop keyboard technique second-to-none in order to pull this off! I think I'm probably too old to start now. But I understand, thanks to your post.</P>


Thanks again.</P>


Michael</P>

[PeteKnobloch]

Re: Second Touch



Michael,</P>


I have never seen any abuse with my email address at this site and I trust Jim Henry who was the creator of Miditzerto keep it this way. They use this to send messages when major versions of the software are available. The last biggest change was the visual layout of the graphics and a record/playback feature. Click on the play button and there is a 20 min. concert called "Console Up.mid" which is Christmas music which is about the time that this version wasreleased.</P>


Pete</P>

[Guest]

Re: Second Touch



My organ has only 2 manuals but has 2nd touch on both manuals. The 2nd touch can be used to bring out a melody when it is not the top note of a chord. It also allows for some effects which would normally require 3 manuals. As explained above, theatre organists typically use the second touch on the accompaniment manual (which on a theatre organ is the lowest manual, the choir on a classical instrument). My instrument does not have a relay for the second touch but uses a separate set of added contacts under each key for each added stop which complicates the console wiring and makes adding more second touch stops complicated.
</p>

I use the second touch occasionally, but I am not a really accomplished player. The second touch allows me to change registrations in a manner similar to having a third manual. It is not difficult to use and sometimes is quite useful. The 2nd touch stops are Tibia 8', Trumpet 8', chimes, and triangle on the Accompaniment. The solo (Great) manual has Trumpet 16', Tibia 8' only. I am not quite sure what the original use of these stops was intended. Present day organists have evolved a modern style of playing that primarily uses the Accompaniment 2nd touch to bring out a counter melody or to add emphasis. The Solo (or Great) is not often used. </p>

The third manual on a Wurlitzer rarely or never has 2nd touch, the first two manuals always have it. The pedal has it for traps only.</p>