George Moore speculates on MIDI and band organs made from old pipe
organ parts.  He has come to the right place.

First and foremost he needs to get a copy of the Wurlitzer 104/105
plans published by Bob Stanoszek, 17641 Sagamore Road, Walton Hills,
Ohio 44146 USA.

I would also recommend the COAA, which is an association of American
carousel organ enthusiasts.  MBSI and AMICA also have regional chapters
that promote organs rather than collecting.  One needs to shop around,
but the interest is out there.

One thing to point out is something I call the "MIDI minefield".  MIDI
is a digital representation of musical commands.  It is not a universal
panacea or a general file format.

I started a similar project nearly a year ago, starting with an
Octet UM-0 MIDI interface unit and a rank of classical pipes off the
Internet.

A blower is good, especially for constant duty and new work.  One
member showed me how to use a leaf blower.  If one could afford it,
then a ventus blower specifically for organ work would be preferred.

A regulator is necessary, so one must have some sort of system for
covering a framework with leather or pneumatic cloth.  Were I to start
now I would definitely start with the regulated wind supply and
reservoir.  This determines the pressure and how loud the pipes are.

There is a simple way to make a chest. I have not tried it but it was
used in flute clocks.  Holes are drilled at even intervals through a
thick board.  The toe holes are drilled part way through and a slot is
cut between the two.  The chest is made from four layers of wood.  The
bottom is solid.  The next layer has a large cut-out and supports the
pallets.  For MIDI I would recommend Riesner or Peterson direct
electric actuators.  The channel board mounts above this.  The final
board is the toe board.  The toe board covers the routed or carved
channels.  In the toe board are holes in which the pipe feet sit.

A more complex chest is a pitman chest.  This can be made on a drill
press, however it has some complex valving.

A real issue is where is the music to come from?  You can not just make
MIDI files of other peoples roll's and such.  A lesson I learned early
on is that a given arrangement is specific to a particular voicing of
pipes.  Some of the better arrangements, such as Mel Wright's, are
protected under intellectual copyright.

I purchased a large collection of old book music.  I now learn that the
rights holders are still existent and would not want the music given
away on the net.  On the other hand, if you had a music roll frame,
there are a number of enthusiasts who do from time to time sell existing
rolls or recut rolls or books.

I do hope this will change, and a fund created where reasonable
royalties can be sent, so that the music does not loose popularity from
lack of accessibility by those under 56 years of age.

As for instrument costs: the controller and the magnetic actuators are
the most expensive.  Plan on 12 to 15 US dollars per note.  The smaller
band organs had 46 or so notes, and the mid and large size had 52 to
72 note channels.

Mixtures, especially in the bass, were common with pipes sounding an
octave or a 5th above the note used to describe the channel wind is
delivered by.  Some of the arrangements are not intended for even
temperament and may require a diatonic temperament, or a key other than
the key of C.  The "MIDI minefield" is where one tries to describe note
channels by MIDI event numbers, or even worse by frequency.

A year ago someone told me to choose a scale and stick with it.  That
was advice I was able to profit by.  I would recommend a good look at
the 3 American Wurlitzer scales such as the 125 or 165 scales.  The
150 scale has it's admirers but is designed for a specific class of the
music associated with merry-go-rounds.  In all the cases the pipes are
paramount.

A study of the book, "American Carousel Organ", by Ron Bopp, will
help you understand that these three scales play many different types of
instruments.  It must be understood that the pipes were chosen for a
given sound or effect.

And, above all, make some time for attending band organ rallies.  This
way you can hear exactly what MIDI sounds like on a barrel organ not
designed for such compositions, or MIDI on a machine where the correct
music is played.  Unlike England and the Netherlands, we have a big
country and it does require one to travel 1000 miles or more to attend.

Expect to spend three years or more working on a band organ.  It will
not happen in a few months.  The more you learn the less satisfying
is the "three month wonder".

Julie Porter