page_title: Electric organ
section_title: Digital church organs (1971–)
hierarchical_section_title: Electric organ / In churches / Digital church organs (1971–)
caption_attribution_description: Modèle d'orgue numérique - Orgue Johannus Rembrandt 4090 (construit en 2006) Digital organ
context_page_description: An electric organ, also known as electronic organ, is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally designed to imitate their sound, or orchestral sounds, it has since developed into several types of instruments:
  Hammond-style organs used in pop, rock and jazz;
  digital church organs, which imitate pipe organs and are used primarily in churches;
  other types including combo organs, home organs, and software organs.
context_section_description: Digital church organs are designed as pipe organ replacements or as digital consoles to play existing pipes. They have largely displaced the pipe organ for churches that use an organ for musical accompaniment. The differences in sound timbre between piped and digital instruments are debated, but modern digital organs are less expensive and much more space efficient.
  Digital organs are a viable alternative for churches that may have a pipe organ and can no longer afford to maintain it. Some pipe organs, on the other hand, might be playable without major rebuilding for many decades. However the high initial cost, and longer lead time to design, build, and "voice" pipe organs has limited their production. Another reason that all-digital and pipe/digital hybrid organs now significantly outsell pipe organs is the dwindling number of pipe organ dealers. Many churches are hundreds of miles from dealers capable of selling, installing and servicing pipe organs.
  Most new digital church organs synthesize sounds from recorded pipe samples, although some including Eminent model the pipe sound by additive synthesis. Modelling the sound is done by a professional organ "voicer", who finishes the organ in its location, much like the process of regulating and voicing a pipe organ. These organs also use very high-quality custom-designed audio systems. The builders of both custom and factory digital church organs include the firms of Ahlborn-Galanti, Allen, Eminent, Johannus, Makin, Rodgers, Viscount, and Wyvern.
caption: 2006 Johannus 'Rembrandt,' an example of a large digital organ
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