From: lstowell@pyrnova.pyramid.com (Lon Stowell)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Re: Speaking of Pipes
Date: 14 Apr 92 01:28:55 GMT
Reply-To: lstowell@pyrnova.pyramid.com (Lon Stowell)
Organization: Pyramid Technology Corp., Mountain View, CA

In article <3340209@hpcc01.corp.hp.com> kirk@hpcc01.corp.hp.com (Kirk Lindstrom) writes:
>>
>Speaking of pipes, does anyone know how to decode what Telarc gives you
>in with the CDs of organ music?  For example:
>
>GREAT
>Principal     16
>Viola Major   16
   
   This is the "main" keyboard on the organ.  Principal and Viola
   Major are the names given to the entire set of pipes.  The 16 is
   the length (or equivalent length) of the LONGEST pipe the set.  
   
   Thus for your sample organ...on the main (usually the lower)
   keyboard, you can have a Principal stop (timbre) which goes down
   to ?32? (any AGO readers out there???) Hz.  You can also have a
   Viola Major which goes down to the same frequency.  These two
   would be used more for harmony...more typical keyboard stops are
   the 8 foot range (the main tune range) or the 4 footers.  
   
   A 16 Principal would be exactly one octave below a 8 foot
   Principal....and a 4 foot Principal would be an octave
   above...when you hit the SAME physical key on the keyboard.
   
   Actually it appears you have the PEDAL and GREAT keyboards
   reversed...as PEDAL on most organs usually has Principal and
   Bourdon...a reedy and brassy bass respectively.  It is rare to
   see a non-octave related pipeset on a pedal....

>PEDAL
>Principal     32
>Principal     16
>Quint         5-1/3

    The PEDAL is for the footboards of the organ.  The number is the
    (frequency equivalent of) the longest pipe size.  Note that you
    don't have to have a 32 foot pipe to be considered a Principal
    32....all it means is that a Principal 32 note will be exactly
    one octave below a Principal 16 note when you stick your
    clodhoppers on the same key and pull the two stops.  

    A Quint 5-1/3 is a non-octave related key.  Sorry can't remember
    the math to convert this to the musical interval for you.....but
    you can do it yourself.  

    An 8 foot stop (for example Principal or Flute 8) will have a
    note equal to the piano key for that same physical key.  So if
    you pull the 8 foot Principal on the GREAT keyboard, you get the
    same note as a piano for the "Middle C".   If you pull a Flute
    4, while hitting the same key, you get the (piano note) of one
    octave higher.   

    The most common stops are 16 foot for the pedals, 8 foot for the
    keyboards.  Sometimes you have 32 foot for the pedals.

    On the keyboards you usually have 8 foot melody stops, 4 foot
    stops (or couplers...more), and 2 foot stops.  The 2 footers are
    of course two octaves above the "piano key" frequency.

    Most organs have COUPLERS as well.  A doubler coupler adds the
    effect of a 1/2 length stopset to the main key.  So if you have
    a Principal 8 on the GREAT (keyboard) and you hit the doubler,
    you get the effect of a 4 foot Principal added...or now you have
    the main tone and the same tone an octave higher.  

    Most organs also can couple keyboards together...GREAT to PEDAL
    will cause a key on the PEDALS to play the sound set for the
    pedals plus the sounds from the GREAT.  

>CHOIR
>Cymbel        II-III
>
   The CHOIR is usually a secondary set of stops.  On most organs,
   there are at least two keyboards (plus pedals).  The main one is
   the GREAT, the upper one is USUALLY called the SWELL.  

   I can't tell what the Cymbel stop marked like this is doing....

>My guess it is the names of the different pipes being played. 
   
     It is basically the names of the pipes or reeds yes. It also
     gives the frequency range of the set of pipes (called a stop)
     compared to the standard...,which is the 8 foot set whose keys
     are the same fundamental as a piano.  


>Is there
>a book or something I can get to understand it all or should I just enjoy
>the music?
>
   Get an organists manual.  Or just a book on pipe organs.  See if
   the book has any kind of approval by the Americal Guild of
   Organists....