Bruce,  After owning a couple of Aeolian residence organs (2/26,
4/56), I perhaps can help you with this problem.

First of all, e-mail me the Opus number of your organ.  What I need
to know is if it was one that didn't have a console, just the player,
or if it had the usual console.  I am also just curious which organ
you own.

There is a wonderful -- no, absolutely fantastic! -- book on the
Aeolian Organ and the history of this residence organ company.
Contact, on the web, the Organ Historical Society and order "The
Aeolian Organ And Its Music" by Rollin Smith.

New Duo-Art rolls can be purchased from Kegg Pipe Organ Builders, also
on the web.  They are super precision cut and well worth the price.
Chuck Kegg is doing all the good Aeolian music and none of the boring
stuff they also made.  [Visit http://www.keggorgan.com/  -- Robbie]

> It came with the original electro-pneumatic switching unit and a newer
> 1970's vintage solid state switching unit.  Are there any thoughts as
> to which one I should use or should I get rid of both of them in favor
> of one of the new computerized systems that lets me play the organ
> using MIDI files?

The electro-pneumatic system you are describing is the stop reversible
system for the player.  Unless you replace this with a new digital
system, expensive, use the original.  The way it works is when one
stop hole in the roll comes by, that turns the stop on; the next time
it comes by it turns the stop off.  The switch system also controls the
shutters and some internal couplers that are vital and are internal to
the player system.  You must have them to properly play the Duo-Art
rolls.

It is deadly reliable if releathered with great care and the springs
are set correctly.  Unless someone has fooled with it, it should be in
good working condition.  I never had problem with any of mine.

Your organ is no doubt a totally duplexed organ, wherein each pipe has
two pneumatics in the chest and all stops play on both manuals and the
Pedal.  Unless you can find some firm to build you a custom replacement
for this entire Aeolian switch system, keep the original and use it.

> My second question has more to do with aesthetics and tonal structure.
> I like the theatre organ sound just as much as I like the classical
> organ sound so I'm considering adding a rosewood xylophone and a few
> ranks of theatre organ pipes.  Most organ builders cringe at the
> thought of this.  (Keep in mind that most organ builders consider theater
> organs totally bereft of any musical value).
>
> Has anyone out there tried this and if so, how did you like it?  Please
> keep in mind that none of the pipework or chests that came with this
> organ are original so I wouldn't be bollixing up a pristine instrument.

Now, this depends on what ranks you actually have.  Just what chests do
you have and what ranks are on them?

Aeolian had a very specialized set of voices that the rolls want in
order to properly play the Duo-Art rolls.  If this organ was something
else than an original Aeolian -- like a Duo-Art player attached to some
other organ -- then this is a totally different matter.

The regular Aeolian ranks were not theatrical at all but were intended
to play orchestral, opera, operetta and some popular music.  The real
thrust was orchestral transcriptions: for this you really need to have
the original ranks or duplicates of the same voices.

> Lastly, is there someone out there who is good at repairing damaged
> metal pipes or knows some tricks of the trade?

There are some really good organ men who could repair your pipework.
Where are you located?

Jim Crank