Sonus Paradisi - new sample set (18th Century instrument)

[zurek]

Sonus Paradisi released new sample set, this time featuring small Czech historical organ of Rabstejn nad Strelou, built at the end of 18th century. The organ is conserved in the ancient state, it is believed to be one of the few Czech historical organs where the voicing of the Principal chorus was not changed by later repairs. The instrument has 12 stops, typical for the traditional Czech organ building.

The sample set is available in wet, surround and dry version. The demo pieces are offered in wave or mp3 (stereo), but also in the surround, encoded using Dolby Digital. To get the right playback of the surround, you will need an equipment capable of decoding the ac3 (Dolby Digital) format.

Judging from the feedback on the Zwolle, Freiberg and especially Caen sample sets, I am rather confident now that the surround is the way to go in the field of "wet" sample sets. Therefore, the price of the sample set was set low and all the versions are shipped at once (all-in-one package), so that the comparisons of various versions may be easily done by users themselves. Besides being a historical gem, this small instrument in its virtual form may also be good for the surround testing.

[dalest]

ORDER MADE and payed.

thank you very much for this SURPRISE !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gecko]

Can't make an order until I return home in a few days (right now am working from my mother's computer which has old version of everything and payment sites don't always work).

Peculiar organ, and very interesting. Two questions: Is it in a Catholic church? That would explain the limited pedal compass.

Also - is the console really facing the Rueckpositiv? That's strange. (Should it be called a Vorpositiv or something?)

[zurek]

Dear Stuart,
thank you for your comment. Indeed, the organ is in a Catholic church. From 1620 until the end of 18th century, the Catholic confesion was the only allowed confesion in this part of the Habsburg Empire. Therefore, there were ONLY Catholic churches. As the consequence, all the sample sets of Czech historical organs available from Sonus Paradisi are from catholic churches. For this reason, they are also very similar in their structure, as can be noted easily from their specifications. But how would this eplain the limited pedal compass? I remember you wrote an extensive essay on the Santanyi sample set which is on-line and was useful to many people who needed help with somewhat "exotic" specification of Spanish organs. So, now, if you think it useful, we would be grateful to you for writing similar short essay on the "Catholic organ" to explain its peculiarities to the public.

The console is facing the church, ie. the organist sits towards the Positiv (indeed a Vorpositiv, then). In fact, in most cases, the console is a part of the Positiv - as it is the case of the Rabstejn instrument. This is also the case of Peruc instrument. In fact, this is the only possible solution if the Hauptwerk and Pedal are divided into two independent towers. In this case, the usual "Spielschrank" is impossible).

[gingercat]

I see you've not become a fan of dual stop-jambs yet - pity!

[gecko]

From 1620 until the end of 18th century, the Catholic confesion was the only allowed confesion in this part of the Habsburg Empire. Therefore, there were ONLY Catholic churches.

Oh, my mistake is that I'm American and don't know anything about Czech history, so naturally think of Czech history in terms of American history. There were a lot of religious refugees from Bohemia and Moravia who settled here (Bohemian/Moravian Bretheran, various Anabaptists, etc.), all of the Protestant, so I naturally assumed that there were functional Protestant churches (and organs) in the Czech homeland from this time. But, of course, then we wouldn't have had the refugees here ....

As the consequence, all the sample sets of Czech historical organs available from Sonus Paradisi are from catholic churches.

Oh, I sort of assumed that Doksy-Kruh was protestant, not only because it was German, but also because of the pedal. But I wasn't thinking very much about it - the pedal is actually rather like those in Dutch organs up to Sweelinck's time; catholic organists used for playing cantus firmi, the same as protestant organists did (chant rather than chorales). I should have thought more about it.

Anyway, "small" pedals (an octave an a half, typically up to a) were common of South German (and Catholic) organs. I don't know why. At a guess, the big pedal parts that originally developed in N. Germany were specifically associated w/protestant practice (and, in Holland, secular practice), and the catholic organists simply had no use for them. But I don't really know much about these things.

I'm flattered that you ask me to write a little more about these things, but unfortunately I don't have time right now (I'm supposed to be working on another organ project, about the plenum registration for Prof. Maier's Trost organ, but that's going very, very s l o w l y due to lack of time). It's an interesting subject, though; I hope that sometime I'll be able to look at it.

[zurek]

One user of Rabstejn sample set reported, that the installation media arrived damaged to him. He was unable to install the sample set. It unfortunately happens in small number of cases, that the installation media are unreadable upon the arrival to my customer. The DVD media are tested to be error free after burning, but still, it seems that the DVDs are not as reliable as the old CDs. Therefore, I cannot fully guarantee errorfree delivery 100%. Nevertheless, if it happens, that the installation media cannot be read by your computer, please do not panic and do not worry. Simply write to me an e-mail and I will immediately provide a replacement of the bad media. Once you buy the sample set, you can ask any time for new installation media and I will send it to you without delay. - Please remember, you are buying the licence to use the sample set, not the installation media. So, you can simply ask for as many installation media as you wish (within reasonable bounds, of course).

[erikds]

One user of Rabstejn sample set reported, that the installation media arrived damaged to him. He was unable to install the sample set. It unfortunately happens in small number of cases, that the installation media are unreadable upon the arrival to my customer. The DVD media are tested to be error free after burning, but still, it seems that the DVDs are not as reliable as the old CDs. Therefore, I cannot fully guarantee errorfree delivery 100%. Nevertheless, if it happens, that the installation media cannot be read by your computer, please do not panic and do not worry. Simply write to me an e-mail and I will immediately provide a replacement of the bad media. Once you buy the sample set, you can ask any time for new installation media and I will send it to you without delay. - Please remember, you are buying the licence to use the sample set, not the installation media. So, you can simply ask for as many installation media as you wish (within reasonable bounds, of course).

I have received mine early this week.
I installed all versions without any problem.

In 8 GB i could install the Surround Extended version as follows:
- for the front in 24 bit lossless compression, all attack/sustain, loops and releases
- for the rear in 20 bit lossless compression, all attack/sustain, loops and releases
- for the special (noises) in 16 bit lossless compression, all attack/sustain, loops and releases

I have 8 audio channels configured as follows:
- 2 in front for manual 1
- 2 at the side for manual 2
- 2 in rear for surround (= rear) samples
- 2 to subwoofers for pedal and 8' stops below note 56

The surround option created much better realism for me than any other version.

Needless to say that i enjoy this sample set very much.

And its affordability was icing on the cake.

A very happy user indeed,

Erik.

[Gert]

Hi,
I made last week 25 recordings on this nice authentic sample set.
See: http://www.pcorgan.com/SampleSets1793RabstejnEN.html
Best regards,
Gert

[adri]

See my contributions on contrebombarde concert hall; enjoy; all imprvos;

This organ is a wonderful gem. the flute 4' of Man.I alone is worth the sample set alone, IMHO.

It's a small organ, with a very big exciting sound; the acoustics are wonderful,and the pedal 16' helps bring out the organ in a grand fashion.

Just the 8' Flute and the 4' Principal fill the entire room with a wonderful more-than-enough sound.

[jocr]

You're right, the flutes are pretty!
http://www.virtuallybaroque.com/trak3523.htm

James Pressler