Take Care of Your Vintage Pipe Organs With Viscount Organs
Pipe organs produce a magnificent sound that can instill great emotion. Just like any other instrument, the sound is dependent on being properly tuned. Did you know it can take 10 to 12 hours to properly tune an organ? Pipe organs are incredibly complex sound systems and present an additional challenge when it comes to tuning. Here are a few common signs that your pipe organ needs to be tuned.
Keys Do Not Rebound Properly
Any organ, especially vintage organs, could have key contact issues. When an organ key is played, it should connect with a wire that will relay the note through the pipe and various amp settings will allow the note to be heard in a specific tone. Dirty key contacts show up as crackling or whooshing noises when you press certain keys. Some keys may work only intermittently, some won’t work at all, or some will work only on certain settings. No matter the case, it’s essential that you consult a professional to examine the problem.
Major Chords Do Not Sound Harmonious
The last thing you want is for your pipe organ to be so out of tune that chords don’t sound harmonious. This is a telltale sign that your organ needs to be tuned. This tuning issue could be connected to each key’s individual tune setting or an issue somewhere else within the pipe flue. If an entire rank (group of pipes) is out of tune, major adjustments will need to be made by a sound or electrical engineer that knows how pipe organs work.
There Is a Dead Note
If you go to play a note and don’t hear any sound come from the pipes, you have a dead note issue. The source of this issue could be a sign that the magnets are corroded, causing the coils to burn out and cease to function, which leads to the armature valves (small round disks) that allow air in or out of a pouch may not sealing properly. It could also mean that you need updated console technology, which is a very common reason for pipe organ dead notes. Speak to one of our team members today to return beautiful music to your pipe organ.
Recent Environmental Changes
Pipe organs and church organs are very sensitive musical instruments, especially to temperature, because the expansion and contraction of pipes can lead to a disturbance in pitch. It’s recommended to have your pipe organ tuned after each season change to reduce these problems. If the main room or building with your organ has a problem with consistent temperature control, you may need to have your organ tuned more frequently.
When you need to bring power and a classical sound to your church and its services, there really is no substitute for a well-constructed pipe organ. Your parish will no doubt cherish the memories made during mass events through the music. Contact us today and let us work together in order to find an organ that satisfies your church’s need for beautiful and memorable music. We are the largest organ supplier in the world with years of experience under our belt and we want to make sure that you’re set up with the highest quality instrument.