gazman

Yep, agreed. At least it wasn't as fast as some organists take it.... :angry:

Oh, I don't know. A 1ft doesn't need much wind. And, clamped to a traditional slider soundboard, they can be very effective....with rock-steady wind, should you want it. :angry:

Would I be uncharitable if I suggested that he improvised on this because he's unable to play the real thing?

Thanks Pierre. However, I can only go on what I've seen thus far.... G

Eloquently and perfectly summed up, Brian.

With due respect to Olivier Vernet, he does seem to be using this discussion board solely for his own publicity.

Sennheiser HD 555. They cost me a little over £100 a couple of years ago, and were probably the best £100 I've ever spent. My electronic organ sounds absolutely superb with them, and they cover a very wide frequency, certainly all the frequencies you're likely to hear. They're very comfy and light too. The only downside, if you're using them in a room with somebody trying to listen to something else, is that the other person will probably hear some of what is coming through the headphones. Courtesy of my local electrical shop (now unfortunately closed) I tried a number of headphones with my organ before purchasing a pair, and these came out best of all. There was a more expensive pair of Sennheisers (about £150 I think), but I didn't notice any difference. Don't buy anything cheap - they're not worth it. I've tried cheaper headphones, and the quality is significantly poorer. I would strongly recommend these - I love them! See http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/icm_eng.nsf/root/05342

Well, that's very enlightening, Pierre!

You're not the only one!

True! But, in my experience, the DACs are unfortunately often more concerned about the alteration to, or the removal of what's presently in the church, rather than what is likely to be installed.

I think you must be fortunate with the DACs which you've come across. Certainly, I've seen far worse than you've described installed in some churches. And I've come across the odd case of purism where a pipe organ hasn't been allowed reasonable updating and modernizing for dubious "historic" reasons.

Ditto!

I can understand Barry's point of view and sympathize with it somewhat. I certainly wouldn't want to feel that we have in any way caused embarrassment to our generous hosts by discussing electronic organs. Actually, I must confess to feeling some discomfort towards the feelings of those at Manders when I read of the publicity being given to a recently completed organ in Oxford, and another new organ which is being erected in the unmentionable city, fascinating though these threads are. I think these threads are potentially more discourteous to our hosts (in that we are giving "free" publicity to other organ builders) than discussing - mostly - the pitfalls of electronic instruments. However, electronic organs exist and are a fact of life. I guess that at least 50% (and probably much higher, actually) of those who post on this board and who are organists own an electronic organ for home practise, and very useful these instruments are too. I actually find mine to be a very pleasant and musical instrument in its own right; indeed, far superior to a number of second and third-rate pipe organs I have played. Of course a fine pipe organ is almost undoubtedly the correct instrument for churches which can afford them. But electronics do have their place where a pipe instrument is unsuitable or unaffordable - chiefly for home practise. I doubt that many places which would be looking to have a new organ built, or an existing instrument rebuilt by our hosts would be the sort of places to consider an electronic substitute anyhow.

And very pleasant too!

Ah, I think that could be where I came across it, come to think about it.

I seem to recall one by Sinclair, but can't remember anything else about it at the moment.

Good! Intriguing post, though......

And they're both rather well known for improvisation.....

I very much doubt he's "done a Vierne"! Well, at least, I hope not......

I've always felt speakers to be the weak point. For example, my home practise organ sounds fairly good through the speakers, but magnificent with a decent pair of headphones. But often electronic organs have to cope with conditions in which even the best pipe organ would sound foul (a small living room, say, carpeted with curtains and a sofa, or a small non-reverbrant church). Indeed, a couple of years ago we had to take my organ to a church to play for a funeral of a friend of mine, the blower of the pipe organ having given up the ghost. And, in a spacious church, I have to say that my toaster sounded very good indeed, even with internal speakers. And it drove a congregation of several hundred people successfully. A number of people came up to me afterwards to say that they thought it sounded better than the church's pipe organ and I rather agreed with them. This comes from a fellow who is a firm defender of pipes over electronics - me! I guess it's something to do with the costs to develop, and whether it's cost-effective. Perhaps the manufacturers think that with so many organists regularly playing on e.p. action it wouldn't be worth developing this for a "niche" market. Pianos, of course, NEED to be touch sensitive.

Check a certain well-known auction site, though. I bought mine there with a saving of about £75 on the RRP and about £50 cheaper than I could find it elsewhere.

I agree too, for what it's worth!

Each to their own! Having grown up with St. Mary's as my parish church throughout my early and teenage years, and having not only played it many times but having heard it at numerous concerts and services, I still maintain that it is very loud in the church. The player at the console is not aware of this, though. My understanding - although I'm happy to be corrected as I'm only going on hearsay from a local organist who has known it for many years - is that when it was moved from the west gallery and crammed into the north transept, it was found to be inadequate in volume in its new position. In order to improve matters it was revoiced and loudened (Willis III?) and a new Large Open Diapason added to the Great to try and increase its power. When it was restored to the west gallery, the Large Open Diapason was removed and a new Mixture inserted in its place, but no other tonal alterations were made apart from the addition of the Piccolo which replaced another register on the Choir, and the organ was left as loud as it was when it was previously revoiced.