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The unprecedented capabilities of the Musicom
pipe organ control systems and their patented high speed digital synthesis
technology employed by Cantor, in combination with our custom software
applications as well as our personal design and tonal concepts are the key to
what differentiates the tonal quality of our organs from any domestic digital
organ in production today.
Cantor's custom software applications and dedicated computer hardware is used to
accurately produce the pipe speech in real time, not as a recorded sample. This
robust system is considered by many to be far superior and offer more flexibility than digital organs using sampling technology.
Totally independent voicing:
The true benefit of real time tonal generation by a computer over other organs
with sample technology is the ability to instruct the computer how we want to
define the actual speech generation process. Through the actual analysis of the
specific speech characteristics of organ pipes and their relation to each other
as the organ is played, the computer is programmed to exactly replicate
each pipe's speech and tonal attributes. This programming defines every aspect
of both the sound and speech characteristics of the pipe and their relationship
to the organ under playing conditions .
To accomplish this, computer systems generate the pipe's tone from the
ground up with complete control over the sound of the pipe. This includes the
other physical properties that are related to physical pipe speech including
wind load. The speech of an organ pipe is a uniquely complex process. The
resulting sound is directly affected by a combination of physical properties
including the pipe's physical dimensions, the composition of the pipe metal, and
the unique relationship between the shape of the mouth, its position in the
pipe, and its width and height. All have a part in the final tone that a pipe
makes.
Differences in organ literature, personal taste, acoustic specifications of the room, application of the organ, style, and architectural proportions all determine the final sound, size, and disposition of the instrument.
Sound Generation and the Effects of Real Time Tonal Generation vs. Sample Technology
Organ pipes create a sound that is far more complex than what appears to be a steady tone accented by an initial attack or "chiff". In reality, organ pipes create a very complex and rather unstable waveform that is constantly changing and interacting with numerous outside variables such as flux in wind chest pressure, sympathetic vibrations from other pipes, and influences as subtle as air moving in the room. When carefully listening to a pipe organ, these nuances are noticeable and recognized as part of what defines the organ's unique and individual sound.
A similar effect is present when the key is released. This is more noticeable on Classical and Baroque organs of lower wind pressure than some of the high pressure symphonic organs from the mid-20th century that have been coined "American Classic". Many reed pipes, especially, will often produce a distinctive release sound as the tongue stops vibrating. Another nuance of pipe speech is the randomness of pitch and slightly different sound from any given pipe at any given time. This is evident in playing repeated notes as a result of the pipe vibrating from the previous note played.
An example of a waveform of a trumpet as the key is released. (duration of
release tone = .45 sec)
Pitch variations and sympathetic vibrations are a real effect. Various notes
when played together will result in slight variations of pitch. These are not
faults, but natural laws of nature. A pipe played an octave higher or lower will
result in a slight pitch variation. If we recognize these ever-so-slight
variations and influences over hundreds or even thousands of pipes in an organ
case, one can appreciate the nature of the randomness that creates a sound that
is unique to the organ.
Sample Technology
Organs using sample technology use a relatively short recorded (sampled) sound that is digitally repeated (looped) by the computer at a rate that is undetectable by the human ear until the key is released. Unfortunately, due to the "repeated nature" in looping of recorded samples, they can not take into account or replicate the natural random affects of pipe tone over longer periods.
As previously mentioned, organs using sample
technology rely on short recordings or "stored samples" of the pipe sound that
are played back at high speeds to create the required note length. Typically,
these organs store several cycles of each note to create the required wave forms
for playback. A single cycle of an 8 foot stop results in a time period that is
barely audible by the human ear. Given the constant dynamics and natural
fluctuations of tone over time in natural pipe speech, it is clear that these
natural dynamic changes cannot be incorporated in the sample tone.
In comparing Sample Technology to Real Time Technology, samples have an
inflexibility that becomes apparent to many discerning ears after even a short
period of time. This inflexibility can be illustrated by imagining a piece of
music being performed by a computer program vs. the same music being performed
by a talented musician. The computer program will play the notes accurately, but
the performance lacks life and musical qualities.
Real time tonal generation overcomes this problem by programming in many of the same random aspects of pipe speech and their effects on pipe sound over long periods of time. Because the computer is actually generating the pipe tone in real time, it is easier to control these changes and offer a natural sense of unpredictability in the tonal relation between notes and other voices at any given point in time. Other organ companies may use the term "Real Time Sampling" or some other description to identify their method of tonal production. Typically this probably signifies that longer samples are employed but there is a limit to storage space with the average digital organ requiring notes of any length in excess of the stored sample to be looped digitally.
It becomes obvious that digital sampling cannot simulate the complex factors associated with what we hear as pipe tone in a real organ by sampling tones as short waveforms and replaying them repeatedly.
To keep this example as simple as possible, we will view only one aspect of steady state tone - one single note to demonstrate a pipe waveform over time.
Here is a pipe waveform over a period of .013 seconds (about 1/100 sec). This
waveform spans 4 complete cycles.
Here is the same wave form at 1/10 (.1) seconds. Even at this short
period of time you can see noticeable variations in the waveform.
Here is an example of a pipe tone over a 1/2 (.5) second period.
Notice the visible flux in the waveform, a result in random activity. If these
variations are present in only 1/2 second, the amount of random activity over
much longer periods becomes even more evident. During actual playing conditions,
the variations will be even more prominent over long periods as a result of
pressure levels and demand on wind chests, tonal movement as a result of other
pitches, speech effects, etc.
All of these factors can never be predicted or incorporated into a sample for playback because of the random cause and effect nature. In short, they are all caused by external influences as a result of playing any given music on any given combination of stops. Even if sampling technology were able to afford long samples, the effects are always the same so a certain sterility would always be present. Sampled organs try to solve this problem by incorporating some tonal movement effects, or attempts to image sound fields much in the same way that a home theatre system works. This, along with other chorus type effects, does help with the problem of sterility to a limited degree, but many people soon recognize this foreign intervention as unnatural compared to a real pipe organ sound. In short, an organ with sample technology must rely on the sample that is stored in memory which is basically unchangeable.
Real Time Tonal Generation used by
Cantor
As musician/engineers looked to simulate believable pipe organ tone, it became evident that the computer is the best way to produce complex tone. They also recognized that the computer would need to operate in a free environment with the ability to do what computers do best, make random calculations based on inputs. Rather than using the computer to play stored sounds, real time systems use the computer to create the sound through a simulation.
Much like complex flight simulators, we use computers to produce pipe organ tones by accepting
instructions from the player
and incorporating those instructions through a continuous process of cause and
effect. The range of variable instructions are really quite obvious. The
organist plays and provides keying (note) data. This keying data is analyzed as
to which notes are to be played and which specific stops are pulled together
with how the keys are being played (fast, slow, chords, single notes, etc.).
This information, along with other variables recognized by the system, all
combine to render the calculation process. The simulator will take into account
specific stops that are drawn and react to the way they are played. The systems
will account for tuning variations by pitch and temperament, and process this
information to create pipe sounds that move in reaction to each other in the
same way any pipe organ would react - all in real time.
Most people who hear real time systems will easily recognize the articulation of
speech and tone as well as the distinctive blend as the full chorus of the organ
is drawn. In order to produce the complex sounds, the computer needs to
calculate and produce the sounds on a note by note, stop by stop, basis. In real
time systems, each pipe has its own sound and speech characteristics. As
previously mentioned, the simulation takes into account instabilities such as
performance issues, tonal movement, wind supply, frequency fluctuations, etc.
Even when the organist holds notes or chords while playing other notes, the
calculations continue to take into account these effects on the sound of the
held notes just as in any pipe organ. These are the characteristics that breath
life into any organ performance or hymn accompaniment.
Voicing and tonal finishing.
Voicing of any organ is critical. The voicing of the typical electronic digital organ is often left to the local organ salesperson which raises immediate questions as to the specific degree of skill or knowledge required to realize the full potential of any given organ.
Typically in organs employing sample technology, the voicing is limited to specific variables of the stored sample with defined latitudes in adjustment.
In a real time tonal production, the voicing capabilities are literally infinite. The degree of flexibility is so great that one can literally redefine any given stop's harmonic structure to literally turn a typical flute stop into a reed or principal. Successfully voicing an organ is an extremely complex issue that requires specific knowledge as well as a critical ear to discern the subtle nuances present in voicing any organ pipe. To voice any organ, the organ voicer must have the developed skills to shape and color the organ's sound in any given room. This requires not only the ability to hear and understand the attributes of specific stops, but to assemble the tones of each stop in relation to the entire organ. Voicing of church organs must be done in the room in a real time environment. In this way, the voicer makes the best use of the tools at their disposal to regulate the sound of the organ to best suit the room and the tonal needs and requirements of the organist or congregation .
Traditional organ building and pipe organ
sound are the inspiration for what we strive to accomplish in our organs.
Additional Information to Consider
I consider myself to be a consultant to churches and musicians looking for a solution to a pipe organ alternative. I am a trained church musician and pride myself in conducting my business to the highest principles and ethics. Cantor offers some distinct advantages over other electronic organs as well as some pipe organs. Typically, digital organs are “off the shelf” items that are manufactured and sent out with standard stop lists. All of our organs are built to your specifications at no additional charge.
I believe the future of the digital organ will soon be measured by the sound quality that can be achieved by the custom digital organ builders like Cantor and several others. The degree of detail and tonal quality of our organs will be rivaled by only the most sought-after pipe organ builders.
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