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Thecarl
Member
Username: Thecarl

Post Number: 857
Registered: 04-2005
Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 12:05 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

michigan avenue. the majestic senate theater. the gorgeous old wurlitzer from the fischer theater. and an opportunity of a lifetime! check out this blurb from the detroit theater organ society website (http://www.dtos.org/):

quote:

You can become a "regular member" for $160 per year and enjoy all of the benefits of an associate member as described above, PLUS you receive (after a brief orientation session) a personal, private key fob that allows you access to the theatre 24/7 so you can sit down at the console and play the mighty Wurlitzer up to 2 hours per month. That's not all. You can also, if you so choose, audio or video record the concerts from the reserved "back row" at the concerts, so you can relive all the great performances in the privacy of your own home.



i'll pay the $160 to get the key fob. who wants to lay their hands on the wurlitzer and make some truly grand sound? this is an awesome opportunity! plus we can get this stuff recorded!

the next scheduled concert is in march. i cannot wait that long to see the place come alive with the likes of US! i'd love to see some forumers tickle the ivories - i mean, play the pipes!

LET'S DO THIS! I AM SERIOUS!
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Gannon
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Username: Gannon

Post Number: 14902
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 12:37 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

OH NO...recording from the last row...nearer it is to wall boundaries...will hopelessly skew these recordings with way too much bass.


There will be seats that provide much more balanced frequency response at the microphones...just from how the waves all 'crash and bump' into each other bouncing off the walls, ceiling, and floor.

Might be able to hurt yourself sticking your head in the corner, near the floor. Sound pressure there might be more than unbearable to the resonant cavity we call a skull!


Great idea, though. 56Packman is another who might like to hear about this.


$160, huh? I might do it just to be able to research the effects of prolonged pure tone on the human machine!

This could be fun...we could resurrect that old Roman Catholic study on chordal structure and see what happens when we energize a number of people's resonance points...and conjure up the "devil's chord"!


Do you know what the lowest fundamental frequency is of this old organ? Then what the room will support...the width, length, and height dimensions all restrict wave propogation. Give me dimensions, I'll tell you what will cleanly be produced and what is likely to double or worse in volume!

Then I'd do a survey of the seats to see how the frequency balance is affected...and find the good ones for those with hearing impairment that need to use hearing aids (they need the lowest overall volume and distinct LACK of echoes, no matter how sophisticated the digital signal processing it will never be as accurate as the ear/brain itself).


Curious...
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Thecarl
Member
Username: Thecarl

Post Number: 858
Registered: 04-2005
Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 1:01 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

gannon, will this work?

quote:

To Whom It May Concern:

I am trying to create interest among a group of Detroit preservationists and musicians to visit your facility. A person among the group has asked the following:

"Do you know what the lowest fundamental frequency is of this old organ? Then what the room will support...the width, length, and height dimensions."

As you might have guessed, this particular individual is interested in the acoustics of the facility, and what it would take to provide a quality recording of any such event that might be arranged.

I am anxiously awaiting your response. I would like to host a very appreciative and respectful audience for a concert at your theater, for the enjoyment of the group, and financial benefit of your organization!


Sincerely,
[thecarl]

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Billybbrew
Member
Username: Billybbrew

Post Number: 240
Registered: 07-2005
Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 2:52 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I was a SW Detroit resident who went to see 56Packman play at the Senate a couple of years ago. As a person mainly interseted in church organs, I felt that I should still support the DTOS since they not only were doing a great thing with the organ, but they were doing it in my neighborhood. I asked for information and when I read it, I was shocked. The dues, in my opinion, were very high for someone like myself who just wants to show support. I don't have time to attend the shows, I don't want to play the organ. I just wanted to get a newsletter or something and pay $25-$30/year in dues. Nothing like this was available. The CHEAPEST membership is $120/year. I realize this includes tickets and whatnot and for what you get, it's a good value, but for the people like me that have multiple professional organization dues and various historical society dues and magazine subscriptions, etc., $120 is alot of money, in fact, it's 4 times the amount that it costs to join the Marine Historical Society of Detroit or almost any other historical society. They lost me with that one. Had they had some comparable membership to those, I probably would have joined. To me by not offering memberships affordable to people with varying financial circumstances or even just a passing interest in preserving the organ and supporting the neighborhood, they are cutting their own throats because the average person does NOT have $120 for the bare minimum "associate" membership. Lower dues - more people, likely more income...
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Isle_of_fun
Member
Username: Isle_of_fun

Post Number: 116
Registered: 10-2008
Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 7:49 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thecarl,
thanks for the info , I'm sure there are a few piano/organ players among the many great people on this website.
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56packman
Member
Username: 56packman

Post Number: 2410
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 8:07 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Gannon, there are a set of quality microphones hung from the ceiling and there is a distribution system for the back-row recorders where they receive a line-level input to their machines from those high-quality, very well placed mics. A good friend of mine designed and built this distribution pre-amplifier and it is absolutely silent and has designed-in protection to disconnect an individual output circuit should one person's machine or cords have a short.
That set up has been used to produce many (about 10-12) LPs and CDs in addition to the hobby-type recordings our members make for their own enjoyment.
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Gannon
Member
Username: Gannon

Post Number: 14904
Registered: 12-2003
Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 - 8:21 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Heh, then there will be NO problems...awesome!


Pack, is there a listing of these recordings anywhere? I'd love to hear 'em.

Reproducing organ is absolutely the toughest thing for home hifi...I might only have ONE demo disc though, it hasn't been my favorite in the past...but I'm growing into it.


Haven't seen you stroke the ivories since that night at the German restautant! If you're going to be around this organ, then I'm going to find a way to afford to hear you play it.


And yes, I'll bring my recording gear and plug into that system...I now cannot wait to hear the sounds gathered by it.

Cheers

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