is this sampleble?

http://www.violaorganista.com/en/home/

At any rate a fantastic instrument !

see also youtube, search for viola organista

example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS9c76V4RDE

Although I have not seen this particular instrument, others have constructed similar bowed keyboard instruments based on this concept. In 2013, a company called Antiquity Music exhibited two different concepts like this at the NAMM show in Anaheim. I played both of these.

One looked somewhat similar to the instrument on Viola Organista's web site in that it had a standard flat keyboard and a barrel-shaped housing for the strings.

The other, which they are offering for sale, is the "Wheel Harp." They simplified the mechanism for the instrument by having a barrel-shaped keyboard!



This was quite odd to play - but it worked. You can see it and find out more at their web site at

http://antiquitymusic.com

I imagine you can sample one, if you buy it first!

Les

The sample of its sound is pretty awful though.

This is similar in principle to the "Solo Cello" feature included in a handful of Compton theatre organs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWYBMx0jbx0

Andrew

This is similar in principle to the "Solo Cello" feature included in a handful of Compton theatre organs.

As was the V'Oleon adapted by Rober-Morton for their theatre organs, though rarely installed.

Danny B.

Someone has restored a Compton near to where I live. They keep adding to it as they acquire more components. They found a Solo Cello ...



More info here: http://ccgi.hnb2907.plus.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/

The theater organ's cello I find awful, and doesn't come even close to the "Da Vinci" instrument by the Polish builder.

The wheel-harp doesn't quite have the same sound either, and it certainly is not very practical to play.

I posted the question more as rhetorical one, because sampling such an instrument is very difficult, as during playing you have control over dynamics. For the same reason, a pump organ cannot be sampled either (it can only be sampled as a static instrument, as if it had a blower). And that defeats the purpose and beauty and uniqueness of such instruments.

Thus, as always, there is no substitute for the real thing.