Wet version of Milan audio Skinner organ

[stephen robertson]

I was just about to order the original wet version of the Skinner organ when I noticed the note saying that there was only one release sample per pipe. Does this mean that this set is not really suitable if one wants to play Toccata type music with rapidly repeating notes, or is it ok. Was hoping to order before we lose the discount but if the set can't really cope with complex music I would rather not.

[imcg110]

The wet Skinner is indeed quite an old sample set with single release in a biggish acoustic. It is not that it unsuitable for toccata playing - it is just that others will do it better. IMHO the best is the MDA Metz Cavaille-Coll. Worth every penny!!

[stephen robertson]

Thanks Iain - I already have the Metz and am very pleased with it, was just considering the different style of the Skinner.

[telemanr]

I think you'd find the Wet Skinner unsuitable for rapid Toccata type pieces. It produces a ringing sound because of the reverb tails when playing staccato notes. It drove me crazy.
If you have reverb then the dry Skinner doesn't suffer from the same problem but I think the St. Georges from Oshawa (which is dry) is quite a versatile instrument too and very reasonably priced. Especially since the Canadian dollar is now quite low.

Rob

[vidarf]

The masterworks skinner is a dream to play toccatas and fast passages on - works like a charm! Love that organ, but will probably get the metz cavaille-coll too. :) That should give a very versatile pallette of sounds, I guess.

I am running a system with 8 GB RAM, P4 dual-core, Vista 64 and - believe or not - creative audigy 2. Not a single glitch yet, except that I need to upgrade to the full version of HW to be able to hit the tutti button. Seems that 1024 voices is a bit too little (lots of glitches and missing sounds) when you enter hurricane mode. :)

[imcg110]

have a look at this too

http://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/music/618

It is the wet skinner with the reverb tails truncated and artificial reverb added - yet another option!

[Johannes Sørensen]

One thing is to listen to a recording, another thing is to play the sample set oneself.

I have both the wet and the dry version of the Skinner, and have tried to truncate the releases of the wet version too.
The reverberation don't just affect the releases, and that is clear to hear when you play.
The wet Skinner is very wet. Also when you play the wet Skinner with truncated releases, the steady tone is still affected by the great reverberation, and when you press a key, the attack and chiff of the tone are blurred out and nearly drown.
The celeste and the tremolo sounds unnatural and weak, masked by the reverberation.

Furthermore it is a question of wet contra dry, but not just that.
I think the two versions of the Skinner organ represent two different generations and quality levels of sample sets. The dry MasterWorks version is the newer and the superior one, and of the two I only use that.

Best regards
Johannes