VISCOUNT NORTH AMERICA

What Environment Does An Organ Perform Best In?

keys on an organ

A pipe organ is an instrument that creates sound through a series of pipes, all controlled by a complex system of valves and levers. Due to the unique design and construction of a pipe organ — which is similar to a large piano — it requires a specific environment to perform at its best. In this blog, our Viscount Organs team will explore the ideal environment for a pipe organ to thrive and produce the best sound.

person playing organ

Room Shape

The ideal room shape for a Viscount organ or general church pipe organ is a rectangular or square space with high ceilings. This is because the sound of the instrument needs room to resonate and develop, and a rectangular or square shape provides the ideal space; the high ceilings also allow for the sound to project and create a full and rich sound. This is what makes a large church sanctuary the perfect place for a Viscount legend organ.

concert hall with organ

Room Size

The size of the room a Viscount organ is in also affects its overall performance and sound. A room that is too small can cause the sound to become muffled and congested because the music doesn’t have space to breathe. However, a room or church sanctuary that is too large can cause the sound to become diffused and lack definition. The ideal room size for a church pipe organ is typically between 1,500 and 4,000 cubic meters, with a length-to-width ratio of around 3:2.

organ in a church

Room Material

The materials a certain room is made out of also impact the sound of a Viscount legend organ. Wood, stone, and plaster are ideal for creating a warm and resonant sound. In addition, a room with minimal sound absorption — such as carpeting, drapes, or soft furnishings — is also desirable for allowing the sound to fully develop and project.

close up of pipe organ pipes

Other Important Factors

Other factors that can impact the performance of a church pipe organ include the location of the instrument within the room, the presence of other sound sources, and the acoustics of the room. Our Viscount Organ experts recommend placing the instrument in a location that allows for the sound to fully develop and project, typically towards the center or back of the room. Other sound sources, such as speakers or instruments, should be kept to a minimum to avoid interfering with the sound of the pipe organ.

Discover more tips for caring for and getting the most out of your Viscount organ! Read our blog for more tips and advice, and shop all our Viscount instruments!

The Unico series is a line of classic organs developed with Physis® physical modeling technology, entirely designed and patented by Viscount’s Italian research facilities. With this new approach, based on physical modeling of the pipe organ, you will enjoy the most faithful and malleable sound on the market today.

Thanks to accurate audio reproduction and powerful reverberation effects, Viscount has transferred the magnificence of a large pipe organ into the convenience of a compact instrument.

The Unico series has a rich library of customizable settings and parameters which allows you to select, assign and store hundreds of additional registers. Features are easy to access through a discrete backlit main control display.

The SONUS series is a line of classical organs developed with exclusive Physis® technology - designed and patented by Viscount’s laboratories. Based on modeling the physical phenomena involved in pipe organ sound generation, the sound generated is incredibly authentic.

On top of Physis® sound generation technology, we have designed a revolutionary new audio system called RAR (Real Audio Rendering). Thanks to RAR technology, you can totally manage the impression of three-dimensional space in which the instrument is placed – from the smallest room, all the way up to a large cathedral setting. The new Viscount RAR (Real Audio Rendering) technology represents a significant step forward in terms of definition, spatiality and body of the sound, which is the most authentic way yet to create that magical effect of the most important organ stop – ‘the ambience’. Sitting at the console of the new Viscount Sonus, you will experience the most realistic impression of the instrument and its setting available from any digital organ you may care to play.

The OUVERTURE is an organ with 3 keyboards, complete pedalboard and 55 registers - each of which can select hundreds of organ and orchestra voices. There is also an orchestra register for every section of the organ which can be selected from the numerous options available.

The organ comes with 8 organ styles (4 fixed and 4 programmable) that allow the organist to create and store an infinite number of combinations, either in the 128 internal memory locations or externally via USB memory. The parameter settings are easily accessible through the graphic display on the front panel. The “Tracker Action” style keyboard accurately detects touch by obtaining the speed of actuation of the keys, making it possible to feel a "Tracker Touch" effect, i.e .the correlation between the "touch" of the organist and the transient attack of each virtual pipe.

Developed with the award-winning and patented Physis® physical modeling technology, which reproduces the physical phenomena involved in the sound generation of the pipe organ, the Ouverture is capable of generating the highest-fidelity, most authentic church organ sound.

Chorum instruments faithfully reproduce the sounds of a pipe organ with proprietary ARTEM technology (Advanced Real TEchnology Music) designed by Viscount's Research and Development labs in Italy.

The richness and beauty of stops are enhanced by an accurate reverberation system, able to recreate a great variety of acoustic environments, from a small chapel to the largest cathedral.

Chorum organs are highly functional, yet simple to use; you can store a large selection of memories and recall your stop combinations.

Unico Collection

Our flagship Viscount organ line powered by our patented Physis® (Physical Modeling) Technology.

Sonus Collection

Physis® Technology & the most powerful self-contained audio system available.

Chorum Collection

Our sampled-sound based Viscount organ that beats all others in price & value for the money.

Physis® Pianos

The most advanced digital piano on the planet using Physis® Technology.