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Clyde (clyde)
12-14-2006, 08:39 AM
Hi David,

(I have put my reply to your link to http://virtualorgan.com under this topic, as I think others may like to follow it up).

This is a great link that you have given for this Theatre Organ.

It certainly is of interest to me, as I have been looking for an alternative Organ to the Classical organ that I could use for the more 'Gospel' type hymn.

I have downloaded the 'free' organ. It is surprising small in its 'footprint' in that it consumes minimal memory and disc space.

AND IT SOUNDS GREAT.

I found that I had no trouble driving it from Composer, using the Midi Yoke interface between Composer and the MidiTzer. It is easy to assign a Composer stave to a midi channel, and thereby drive each manual (and Pedals) separately.

A separate Stave is used to control Pistons and stop changes. In the MidiTzer Settings, you are able to export to a CSV file the controls for changing the stops and Pistons. The meaning of this file is not immediately obvious, but what I have found it to mean is as follows:

(a) Piston changes are really Midi Instrument Changes.
(b) Individual stop changes are switched on by controller 81 (giving it a certain value as in the table). Individual stops are switched off using controller 80 (giving it a certain value as in the table).
(c) Swell shutter controllers (volume control) are also done by using the assigned controllers and giving them a value (1-16000). For example, using controller 11 (Swell Main) with a value of 8000 1/2 shuts (or opens) the swell shutters.

In regard to recording the output from the organ, our old friend Audacity is used (and suggested on their web page). It works well, and also records in stereo.

(In regard to stereo, Theatre organs usually have the pipes split between two swell chambers, one on the left and one on the right. The little circle above each stop indicates which side the pipe is in - the black center dot indicates the right, and the white centre indicates the left. In actual fact the stereo recording in Audacity records gives them a slight pan towards the left and right, not an all or nothing effect).

So can I say David, this is a great find that you have shared with us, and one I most certainly will take up. Can I suggest that if other forum users of Composer are interested in some good organ sounds here is a good place to start - and the price is right .... FREE!


With many thanks ... Clyde

David Jacklin (dj)
12-14-2006, 01:19 PM
Hi, Clyde:

I'm glad you like MidiTzer. As I said in the other thread, I've been having a ball with it -- the Washington Post March is fabulous on it.

We are working, with my theatre company, on a special project for a festival of authentic Victorian melodramas that have a connection to a famous 1900s theatre troupe from my town. We are hoping to create a "silent movie" from one of the scripts and have live actors narrate the dialogue. A theatre organ would top off the show! Having discovered the Mighty MidiTzer, I may go whole hog and build an actual organ console, using an old Baldwin church organ that I have in the garage and the guts from some second hand home keyboards (anything that sends midi will work) and a couple of unused computers from my house.

Because, of course, we need some more keyboards in our home -- there are six in this room alone!

David

David Jacklin (dj)
12-15-2006, 12:52 PM
Hi, again, Clyde:

You mentioned you were looking for a more "gospel" sound. Do you know about Organized Trio?

Here's a link: http://www.kvraudio.com/get/682.html

It's a full-on Hammond B3 simulation, including rotary speaker and distorted tube amps. It's donation-ware. Keyboard magazine chose it as one of their best in a recent overview of B3 wannabees. I use it a lot, although my actual Hammond M-102 is taking over some of that.

You'll need a VST host to run it. Look for Herman Seib's VSTHost or SaviHost, both free.

David