Voicing Organ Pipes
Hello All, It has been more than one year since completion of my JS20 Busker organ. In time, I come to realize that my first attempt at voicing the pipes was not that successful. So, finally I got the courage to get to the problem. It involved chiseling out all the pipes upper lips, making new ones, and try the voicing again. This time using a not-so-permanent glue when fixing the new parts. I am submitting for your appreciation two recordings, the before and after. Voicing the pipes, second attempt: Before: http://members.cox.net/fernie88/BuskerBefore.mp3 After: http://members.cox.net/natalia.mello/BuskerAfter.mp3 The upper note pipes are still higher in sound volume than the others. Next I will try to restrict the airflow to these pipes to get all in uniform sound volume. Regards, Wagner Mello

Thats 100% better Wagner. Regards Peter

Hi Wagner, I know just what you have been going through! It sounds much much better now, less lisp. Even to my untrained & tone deaf ear. I have yet to fnd a 'trouble shooting' list for voicing pipes and have concluded it is a bit of a black art, perhaps 95% experiance and 5% educated guess. There are so many variables. The worst of it is the one way ticket, once the wood is removed it is none too easy to put it back. That said I put the wood back in the form of plastic padding several times on the 'voyage of discovery' and once I had learnt/found out what I needed to know binned the whole pipe and made it again 'proper'. What are you going to make next? Edward.

Voicing organ pipes is indeed a specialised and very skilled craft, such that good pipe voicers were always able to find employment. When Robert Hope-Jones left England to set up organ manufacture in the USA he took his best voicers with him. Peter Jordan

Hello everybody, Would there be any interest in a pipe voicing instructional video? Or some kind of guide? Is there nothing available to the AOBs? Rob.

I would be interested in a pipe-voicing video Stephen

and so would I Rob, very interested. Greg

Add me to the list. I would, however, MUCH prefer a written booklet. Diagrams with arrows and drawings are far more friendly when you want to study them, and of course photocopy them and scribble your own notes on top. Video instructions give a good overview but scribbling notes down as it plays might be improved upon. Diagrams with the terminology etc is invaluable. Rob, as you know, I have a book in print (Alan has it) so if you want any pointers don't hesitate to ask! Edward.

Respectfully, there are many books on the subject, but a visual and aural demonstration that allowed one to see the changes being made and then hear the differences would be a fabulous contribution to the field. Written descriptions of what you are listening for may work for some people, but for many of us actually hearing the before, during, and after of the voicing would make a huge difference in being able to practice and reproduce the process. So a strong vote for a video! Cheers, Roger

Voicing Organ Pipes
Tank you all for the comments and tips. To Edward: Next I will be punching music rolls. I have so few... Need to learn some about arranging. To Greg: Thanks for the tip. I will try it. About voicing, I found some good information on the web: Johan Liljencrants gives some good theoretical information, including calculation and curves for the cutup at: http://www.fonema.se/ Phil Radford's videos are a good help, this one is dedicated to tuning and voicing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CPxaEfFhGI Wagner

I agree that a video is the way to go, after all we are talking about adjusting a pipe to change it's sound so it's quite important that we hear the results of a change. Greg

I agree that a video could provide just that bit of practical insight into the art of voicing not available by merely studying a book. However, the ultimate would be a personal demonstration by a voicer on the job. I have had the privelege of practical guidance from a Dutch expert for mechanical organ pipes, and by a voicer in a prominent church organ firm who even allowed me to take over for a while when regulating pipes on site. Regards, John

Yes this was a problem for me when I started making pipes would love to see a professional video on the subject, I’m sorry about mine it’s a bit naff , I removed it from youtube once but I was repeatedly asked if I could put it back. I was considering a new video on this subject but I was under the impression that now one was interested that much.

Hello everyone, That's interesting. Yes I was assuming that the trainee voicer already had some pipe scales drawings, that they had already made the pipes & that they just needed some pointers on voicing. I was thinking video, as that's the only way to convey the effects of voicing. You can see & hear the effects. Rob.