Bovenkerk Hinsz organ (Kampen) - First beta demo

Can you briefly give us an idea of what is the audio arrangement for these demos? Channels, # of speakers, no doubt makes a difference. Were they recorded live in a room with mics or directly?

Rgds,
Ed

I believe these demos were recorded on the computer, either by hauptwerk or an external program. This means what you hear, is also what would come out if you played the sample set at home. Unless your computer doesn't have enough memory or CPU power to reach the reality level of these recordings.

Continuing on with the beta demos.

Here's the 3rd mvt. of the Bach 5th Trio Sonata BWV 529

Allegro

Registration:

Hoofdwerk (1st entrance)
Holpijp 8
Fluit 4
Superoctaaf 2

Bovenwerk II (2nd entrance)
Holpijp 8
Spitsfluit 2

Pedaal
Subbas 16
Octaaf 8

An amazing sound for so few stops. I guess that's what a huge ambience will do!

[B. Milan]

Can you briefly give us an idea of what is the audio arrangement for these demos? Channels, # of speakers, no doubt makes a difference. Were they recorded live in a room with mics or directly?

Hello Ed,

These were simply done using the built-in Hauptwerk recorder. This is the sound you would get directly from Hauptwerk through a 2 channel audio set-up.

Brett:

I really do agree with all you said about the sense of reality that the photorealistic console provides, and yes one of the "joys" of being an organist surely is the challenge of adapting to a totally new instrument with a unique stop layout.

However (you knew that was coming!) I would point out that many of us are, shall we say, optically challenged - either through age or genetics. So the ability to enhance the ease with which we can view the stops and labels on the touch screen monitors I think is not something to throw off quickly. A very good example is what was done in the most recent release of the St George Casavant of Exemplum Organum. It still looks like an organ, but the stops are a bit bigger, with stronger typestyles, and large button couplers.

All my opinion of course, but I have to agree with Gert, that a console design optimized for use rather than history would really go far to help our (aging, in my case) or just plain poor eyes!

Can't wait to see it for sale!

Brett:
However (you knew that was coming!) I would point out that many of us are, shall we say, optically challenged - either through age or genetics.

I have to state that I very strongly agree with this statement. Younger people, simply don't get it - but they will as they age. If a developer is young enough to NOT need bi-focals, for example, then they really don't understand the eyesite challenges caused by aging. (I know I certainly didn't, when I was younger).

I must be missing something about this discussion. Why not provide the historically accurate photo realistic console rendering AND a functional practical version for those that would prefer it. This is computer software, after all. These are virtual organs, after all. I really wonder how far the "historically correct" argument can or should be carried.

I struggle on a daily basis, reading computer screens, and dealing with music desks that are too high. Yes, I wear bi-focals, as I suspect many people (early 50's) my age do.

Lawrence

Wait until you reach the mid-70's!

Speaking as a non optically challenged (yet), I would always prefer to use the historically correct screen - It just feels better and more authentic to me - all the fun of sitting down at an old instrument for the first time, like a wee boy in a sweetie shop (that's candy store to the linguistically challenged)..... but ..... I would have no objection to paying a few more dollars on the purchase price for any instrument to be released with a second non photo-realistic ODF page aimed specifically at the less well sighted. I suppose there is always the harsh reality that it will come to us all in the end!!

At 55 and I need Tri-focals - just you wait youngins' :-)

[B. Milan]

We'll see what we can do about another display page with larger text. Depending on timing and other work it may need to be added for Volume 2. But, we'll see how things go as the progress continues on development work.

Hi Brett - thanks for giving it consideration! dave

Brett -

Permit me to add my thanks, as well.

Regards,

Lawrence

PS - going to the eye doctor this week, and am going to inquire about "reading glasses" which will mean I will be wrestling with three pairs of prescription glasses.

[B. Milan]

Hi Brett - thanks for giving it consideration! dave

It's no problem to consider things!

Brett -

Permit me to add my thanks, as well.

Regards,

Lawrence

PS - going to the eye doctor this week, and am going to inquire about "reading glasses" which will mean I will be wrestling with three pairs of prescription glasses.

You are permitted! ;) Thanks Lawrence.

I solved my problem in this way. I measured the typical distance of
my eyes to the music on the rack above the organ keyboards.
Took that number along with me when I went off to the eye Dr.
He fixed me up with a pair of organ playing specs which
work just fine for me these days! I can't stand to use either
bi- or tri- focal eye glasses.

Turns out that the distance to the touch screen(s, someday), sitting
where the draw knobs usually are, is also in clear focus as is the
music now.

A bunch of years ago, I was a close friend of Porter Heaps. He had
retired from demo'ing and teaching Hammond organs for about 35
years and moved to Palo Alto near where we were in the early 70's.
He at last had a problem similar to mine with his now retired eyes.
But he had the eye fellow make a pair of glasses for him which were
very different! The lenses had the correction for reading the music,
adjusting the Hammond drawbars, and other controls on his three or
four various Hammond models with the corrections somehow in vertical
stipes in the glass! I never did really understand how he used them
exactly, but he was very happy with them! Just a different way to
build a tri-focal, I guess.

These days, some sort of variable focus lenses would probably be used.

Maybe something like a (built-in) "zoom" lens that the bi-onic man had?

Rgds,
Ed

Wonder if this is a little off topic?