A greater amount of master general thumb pistons

Looking to make some improvements, one being to add more generals. Seems to be a useful add-on. We seem to have enough divisionals presently. Hauptwerk nicely allows for this addition, now to make provisions to physically install more buttons. As to their being useful, what say you?

Even tho we have some LaunchPads available, seems as if the consensus among the organists is to have the real buttons under each manual.

Our thumb pistons are lighted using Roman Sowa's LITSW boards for control. Very simple configuration.

https://www.midi-hardware.com/index.php?section=prod_info&product=LITSW&R2=USD

Rgds,
Ed

If you do not have them, I would consider adding toe pistons. There are times when your hands are busy and it is easier to use your foot.

Give some thought to the location of the General Pistons.
In the key slip to the left (or right) of the divisional pistons (in groups of four or five) under the top two manuals perhaps?
Above the top manual?
Grouping similar pistons in groups of four(or five) makes them easier to navigate.

Iain

If you do not have them, I would consider adding toe pistons. There are times when your hands are busy and it is easier to use your foot.

Yes, we have 24 toe pistons divided between generals and the pedal rank.

Rgds,
Ec

In the key slip to the left of the divisional pistons (in groups of four or five) under the top two manuals perhaps? Yes, the divisionals are basically in the center.
Above the top manual?Iain

Grouping similar pistons in groups of four(or five) makes them easier to navigate. Don't want to over populate either. Too easy to push the wrong one as creating an oops factor Was thinking of using something similar to those chrome dividers used on theatre organ between the stop tabs, but using small wood strips to divide 'similar' thumb pistons maybe? Never saw that being done on a classical instrument, but there is no 'Thou must not' rule that I am aware of.

Did something else that purists would have a nose wrinkle situation over. That is the organists asked for 8' inter-manual and manual to pedal couplers be added as thumb pistons. As an 'organist aid', we used coloured LEDs. Blue for Swell, Green for Choir, and Orange for the manual to pedal couplers. These in addition to all the couplers above the top manual. The coloured LEDs make it easy to see at a glance which coupler(s) are on esp when the couplers have been added in the c/a. BTW, the couplers on the coupler rail are also (LED) colour coded.

Rgds,
Ed

On British organs it is quite common for reversible pistons to control pedal / manual and inter manual couplers. Usually the are placed below the manual they affect (grt to ped below the great keyboard).

My piston layout can be seen at https://iainstinson.com/images/hauptwerk/piston-layout.jpg.
Iain

Is anyone else having difficulty contacting Roman Sowa?

The hardware items mentioned earlier in this thread are marked "temporarily unavailable" on his website, along with other hardware items I've been seeking to purchase, and my email enquiries have so far gone unanswered.

Andrew

I think he's on holiday. He seems to have abandoned all work communications and disappeared for a couple of weeks!

More like a couple of months, because that's how long it's been since I first tried to contact him.

It could very well be 2 months. His products page states the Summer Break in red.
https://midi-hardware.com/index.php?section=products

Well I last had contact with him a couple of weeks ago.