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| America's
most complete information resource
for the pipe organ technician or hobbyist. |
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| ORGANS AND ORGAN
HISTORY |
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| MECHANICAL ACTION ORGANS |
SYMPHONIC
ORGANS |
THEATRE
ORGANS |
| The modern pipe organ is the culmination of a thousand years of design, research and evolution. Winded instruments are almost as old as man. It all began when ancient people first learned that simple whistles could be made from plant stems. Later, early mechanical devices evolved that permitted multiple whistles or pipes to be played from a crude keyboard. As the instrument evolved, more complex levers and controls were incorporated. With the event of the mechanical age, mechanical and electrical devices were added, and the organ became virtually an orchestra that could be controlled by one person. Often called "THE KING OF INSTRUMENTS", the organ has become the largest, most powerful, and most versatile instrument ever conceived by mankind. |
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Click here to enter the ORGAN PIPE PHYSICS LAB
Beyond the pipes, themselves, the "action" is the heart of any
pipe organ. Each organ has specifically designed valves to control the
wind that causes the pipes to speak. Much of the characteristic sound
of the organ is determined by what type of action is employed. There are
three basic types of pipe organ actions., mechanical, pneumatically assisted,
and direct electric. Each major category of action has undergone development,
often by different builders, and each category has examples that have
emerged after years and even centuries of refinement.
Click
here for a description of: Mechanical (Tracker) Action Electro-Pneumatic Action Direct-Electric Action |
OR CLICK HERE FOR AN IN-DEPTH STUDY OF PIPE ORGAN ACTIONS AND VALVE PATENT INFORMATION BY MANUFACTURER