06th Oct 2009
Music Keyboards and the Organ Sound
By far the most impressive of all keyboard instruments is the pipe organ, and many music keyboards today are able to electronically reproduce its sound. Cathedral and grand concert hall organs are amazing to listen to, and to be able to play a music keyboard and get a cathedral organ sound, even just to listen to on your headphones, can be really exciting. Pipe organs are challenging to sample accurately, particularly those in churches and cathedrals since the space they’re in is essentially part of the instrument’s sound. Also the low pedal stops are challenging to reproduce with speakers.
There have been several attempts to reproduce the sound of a pipe organ electronically while creating a music keyboard instrument that is more portable and cost effective. Some of these include the spinet and combo organs, but the Hammond organ was the most notable attempt at recreating the sound of a pipe organ. The original Hammond organs use mechanical tonewheels to generate sound, and a combination of the waveforms produced – controlled by drawbars – imitated the effect of a pipe organ’s diverse mix of tones. It ended up having a distinctive sound that was adopted for performance in jazz, blues, and rock music particularly. The Hammond organ was invented in the 1930s and it wasn’t until the end of the 20th century that electronic music keyboards were able to reproduce the distinctive sound of this instrument by way of synthesizers. Nowadays, only a few select music keyboards such as the Hammond-Suzuki XK3, the Nord C2, and the Roland VK-8 can claim to closely reproduce the sound of the Hammond organ.
Organ Sound Samples
A realistic pipe organ sound can be generated from a digital music keyboard via digital synthesis or, more authentically, using sound samples which are actual recordings of a real instrument. Most organ sample libraries will have samples of each individual pipe and/or collection of pipes. Most music keyboards like arrangers and workstations have on-board pipe organ sounds that are synthesized digitally. Only a few professional music keyboards and home consoles have authentic pipe organ sound samples built-in. The Nord C2, perhaps the most portable example, can reproduce a baroque pipe organ sound. There are home organ consoles by Roland such as their Atelier series and C-series organs which use the Roland/Rodgers sound library featuring authentic pipe organ samples from Rodgers Instruments digital organs.
For those who are on a budget, don’t have the space for a large organ console, or want to expand their library of organ sounds, pipe organ sample libraries are a great and fairly inexpensive way to play authentic pipe organ sounds at home (or even on the go) using your existing console or MIDI-capable music keyboard. A computer with a sample streaming (a.k.a. sample playback, or sampler) software program such as Gigastudio 3 or Kontakt 2 is also required. There are a few good pipe organ sample libraries available. One is the Vienna Instruments Vienna Konzerthaus Organ, a high quality library of a concert hall organ. Peter Ewer’s Symphonic Organ Samples feature the Cavaille-Coll organ at the Eglise de la Sainte Madeleine in Paris, one of the finest church organs in France. Notre Dame of Budapest Pipe Organ Samples is another high quality sample library of two symphonic pipe organs in Hungary. Hauptwerk Virtual Pipe Organ is a sampler program specifically designed to stream pipe organ samples. It provides full control of the sound and hardware interfacing. There are a number of high quality sample libraries of various pipe organs throughout the world that are recorded to be used with Hauptwerk. All of these libraries capture multiple individual pipes, the combinations of stops, the space the organ is in, and other details such as windchest noise to create a realistic sound. Searching for organ samples or virtual organ samples on the web will bring up other quality organ sample libraries.
Virtual Organ Setup
To create your own virtual organ setup you can combine the software mentioned above, a computer, and a combination of MIDI devices. Any music keyboard with MIDI in/out or usb connectivity will do the job of allowing you to play the organ samples mentioned above. It’s better, however, that the keyboard has full-sized, “organ weighted” keys so that it feels like a real organ. Organ keys are “lighter,” or easier to play than piano keys due to the difference in mechanical action required to produce a tone. Semi-weighted keyboards are typically the best option whereas graded-hammer action keyboards are less desirable (unless you like the touch of a piano keyboard when playing an organ). See my post on weighted keyboard action for more clarification.
To get the most authentic feel of playing a real pipe organ you’ll want to have multiple manuals (keyboards) and an organ pedal board, and perhaps an array of MIDI switches and expression pedals to simulate the pistons and pedals on a real pipe organ. You’ll need to find a way to stack the keyboards in a similar configuration like that of an organ console. Some people build their own wooden keyboard stack (the cabinetry that holds the keyboards), take apart the MIDI keyboards, take just the bare-bones keyboard components and necessary electronics and fit them into the wood stack. There are a variety of organ pedal boards that are MIDI-capable, or there are kits with the required electronic components to make a pedal board MIDI-capable. For toe pistons, thumb pistons, and expression pedals one can use a variety of MIDI switches available at pro-audio retailers that normally were designed for electric guitar and keyboard effects and MIDI functions. You can program these switches for memory settings or other organ console functions in the sampler software. For those who are truly into “do-it-yourself,” there are companies that sell keyboard kits, pedal boards, MIDI controller electronics, and even drawknob panels to those who want to build a custom organ console from scratch. The Hauptwerk website has a forum and other resources with a wealth of information on building a custom digital organ console.
To put it all together, you can connect all the MIDI devices (keyboards, pedal board, etc) to a multi-channel MIDI interface that connects to your computer (typically via USB), or connect the devices to your computer’s usb ports or a usb hub if they have usb connectors. On your computer you’ll want to have the sample streaming software such as the Hauptwerk or Kontakt 2, and then your library (or libraries) of organ samples. Once you have everything connected and the sampler program is configured, you’re ready to play. You’ll want a high-quality sound card (internal or external) on your computer to which you can connect headphones or a high-quality loudspeaker system, one that can reproduce the lowest frequencies of sound to hear the low rumble of 32‘ organ pedal stops. Multi-channel speaker systems are a great way to play around with simulating multiple divisions sounding from different locations, and to fully enjoy the sound of the organ and the reverb in a large cathedral or concert hall.
Today’s technology has come a long way in allowing keyboard musicians to have a satisfying experience playing a pipe organ virtually on electronic music keyboards. Not only is the physical experience of pressing the keys simulated accurately to a high degree, but also the sound that is produced is very realistic as well (with a good set of speakers or headphones, of course). Realistic pipe organ samples, such as those of famous cathedrals and concert halls, have been increasing in number and quality, and MIDI has made it possible for even those with a low budget to have the experience of playing a pipe organ in a home and studio environment.
By far the most impressive of all keyboard instruments is the pipe organ, and many music keyboards today are able to electronically reproduce its sound. Cathedral and grand concert hall organs are amazing to listen to, and to be able to play a music keyboard and get a cathedral organ sound, even just to listen to on your headphones, can be really exciting. Pipe organs are challenging to sample accurately, particularly those in churches and cathedrals since the space they’re in is essentially part of the instrument’s sound. Also the low pedal stops are challenging to reproduce with speakers.
There have been several attempts to reproduce the sound of a pipe organ electronically while creating a music keyboard instrument that is more portable and cost effective. Some of these include the spinet and combo organs, but the Hammond organ was the most notable attempt at recreating the sound of a pipe organ. The original Hammond organs use mechanical tonewheels to generate sound, and a combination of the waveforms produced – controlled by drawbars – imitated the effect of a pipe organ’s diverse mix of tones. It ended up having a distinctive sound that was adopted for performance in jazz, blues, and rock music particularly. The Hammond organ was invented in the 1930s and it wasn’t until the end of the 20th century that electronic music keyboards were able to reproduce the distinctive sound of this instrument by way of synthesizers. Nowadays, only a few select music keyboards such as the Hammond-Suzuki XK3, the Nord C2, and the Roland VK-8 can claim to closely reproduce the sound of the Hammond organ.
Organ Sound Samples
A realistic pipe organ sound can be generated from a digital music keyboard via digital synthesis or, more authentically, using sound samples which are actual recordings of a real instrument. Most organ sample libraries will have samples of each individual pipe and/or collection of pipes. Most music keyboards like arrangers and workstations have on-board pipe organ sounds that are synthesized digitally. Only a few professional music keyboards and home consoles have authentic pipe organ sound samples built-in. The Nord C2, perhaps the most portable example, can reproduce a baroque pipe organ sound. There are home organ consoles by Roland such as their Atelier series and C-series organs which use the Roland/Rodgers sound library featuring authentic pipe organ samples from Rodgers Instruments digital organs.
For those who are on a budget, don’t have the space for a large organ console, or want to expand their library of organ sounds, pipe organ sample libraries are a great and fairly inexpensive way to play authentic pipe organ sounds at home (or even on the go) using your existing console or MIDI-capable music keyboard. A computer with a sample streaming (a.k.a. sample playback, or sampler) software program such as Gigastudio 3 or Kontakt 2 is also required. There are a few good pipe organ sample libraries available. One is the Vienna Instruments Vienna Konzerthaus Organ, a high quality library of a concert hall organ. Peter Ewer’s Symphonic Organ Samples feature the Cavaille-Coll organ at the Eglise de la Sainte Madeleine in Paris, one of the finest church organs in France. Notre Dame of Budapest Pipe Organ Samples is another high quality sample library of two symphonic pipe organs in Hungary. Hauptwerk Virtual Pipe Organ is a sampler program specifically designed to stream pipe organ samples. It provides full control of the sound and hardware interfacing. There are a number of high quality sample libraries of various pipe organs throughout the world that are recorded to be used with Hauptwerk. All of these libraries capture multiple individual pipes, the combinations of stops, the space the organ is in, and other details such as windchest noise to create a realistic sound. Searching for organ samples or virtual organ samples on the web will bring up other quality organ sample libraries.
Virtual Organ Setup
To create your own virtual organ setup you can combine the software mentioned above, a computer, and a combination of MIDI devices. Any music keyboard with MIDI in/out or usb connectivity will do the job of allowing you to play the organ samples mentioned above. It’s better, however, that the keyboard has full-sized, “organ weighted” keys so that it feels like a real organ. Organ keys are “lighter,” or easier to play than piano keys due to the difference in mechanical action required to produce a tone. Semi-weighted keyboards are typically the best option whereas graded-hammer action keyboards are less desirable (unless you like the touch of a piano keyboard when playing an organ). See my post on weighted keyboard action for more clarification.
To get the most authentic feel of playing a real pipe organ you’ll want to have multiple manuals (keyboards) and an organ pedal board, and perhaps an array of MIDI switches and expression pedals to simulate the pistons and pedals on a real pipe organ. You’ll need to find a way to stack the keyboards in a similar configuration like that of an organ console. Some people build their own wooden keyboard stack (the cabinetry that holds the keyboards), take apart the MIDI keyboards, take just the bare-bones keyboard components and necessary electronics and fit them into the wood stack. There are a variety of organ pedal boards that are MIDI-capable, or there are kits with the required electronic components to make a pedal board MIDI-capable. For toe pistons, thumb pistons, and expression pedals one can use a variety of MIDI switches available at pro-audio retailers that normally were designed for electric guitar and keyboard effects and MIDI functions. You can program these switches for memory settings or other organ console functions in the sampler software. For those who are truly into “do-it-yourself,” there are companies that sell keyboard kits, pedal boards, MIDI controller electronics, and even drawknob panels to those who want to build a custom organ console from scratch. The Hauptwerk website has a forum and other resources with a wealth of information on building a custom digital organ console.
To put it all together, you can connect all the MIDI devices (keyboards, pedal board, etc) to a multi-channel MIDI interface that connects to your computer (typically via USB), or connect the devices to your computer’s usb ports or a usb hub if they have usb connectors. On your computer you’ll want to have the sample streaming software such as the Hauptwerk or Kontakt 2, and then your library (or libraries) of organ samples. Once you have everything connected and the sampler program is configured, you’re ready to play. You’ll want a high-quality sound card (internal or external) on your computer to which you can connect headphones or a high-quality loudspeaker system, one that can reproduce the lowest frequencies of sound to hear the low rumble of 32‘ organ pedal stops. Multi-channel speaker systems are a great way to play around with simulating multiple divisions sounding from different locations, and to fully enjoy the sound of the organ and the reverb in a large cathedral or concert hall.
Today’s technology has come a long way in allowing keyboard musicians to have a satisfying experience playing a pipe organ virtually on electronic music keyboards. Not only is the physical experience of pressing the keys simulated accurately to a high degree, but also the sound that is produced is very realistic as well (with a good set of speakers or headphones, of course). Realistic pipe organ samples, such as those of famous cathedrals and concert halls, have been increasing in number and quality, and MIDI has made it possible for even those with a low budget to have the experience of playing a pipe organ in a home and studio environment.
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