New Band Organ
By Bob Ebert
It's been a while since I have posted - but I haven't been sleeping! About a year and a half ago I mentioned we were having a band organ built that would use an electronic module music reading system. It is done, and if all goes well, we will be at N. Tonawanda next week.
The instrument is a "StrassenOrgel" made by Organ Supply Industries in Erie, PA. It has 20 notes and 46 pipes. There are 20 wood (bourdon) pipes, 13 pan pipes and 13 metal violin pipes plus bass and snare drum, cymbal and glockenspiel.
The music reading system is like the ones on the 20 note small street/monkey organs that Paul Fisher has had at recent band organ rallies.
Our "Strassen Orgel" is a small instrument, but quite versatile and, to our ears at least, quite pleasing both in and outdoors. The various registers (pan and violin pipes, glockenspiel, and percussion) can be independently added or subtracted. The action is direct electric and powered off of 12 volt batteries. There is a built-in battery charger. The wind supply is by a bellows using either 120 volts plugged in or hand cranked.
The Electronic Module Music Reading System carries the name of Synergistic Systems, Inc. The model number is MPV 4000. The music card is made by Fugitsu. I am not much of a "techie" so I can't give you a lot of info on the system. However, this is roughly the way it is done; the music is played into a MIDI file on a PC, percussion is added if desired, and then it is "burned" into the Fugitsu card that the module uses.
Marcia, our daughter Sherri, and I hope to see many of you at N. Tonawanda. We should be fairly easy to find. The band organ carries the name "Erie Shores" (we live in Rocky River, Ohio which is on Lake Erie, and the organ was built in Erie, PA). We also plan to have our Raffin 20/31 monkey organ which will be in a "Studebaker Junior" cart (if I can fit the latter into a minivan).
Stop by and say hello.
Bob Ebert
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(Message sent Thu 18 Jul 1996, 20:32:02 GMT, from time zone GMT-0400.) |
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