Electronic organs - circuits, experiences and interests

[Mike Watterson]

Even most of the acoustic pipe organs have keyboard & stop electrical switches, solenoid electric valves at the bottom of each pipe and an electric motor for the air supply. I repaired the valve wiring and the motor on on one a couple of times. In both cases it was corrosion due to damp in the church. I varnished as much solder joints and bare wires I could access. All the wiring was individual solid copper enamel wire apart from the mains. I never found where the solenoids were powered from. It also has a motor driven revolving baffle option, I guess a sort of tremolo action.

I was given a couple of 12″ speakers apparently from a scrapped electric or electronic organ about 25 years ago that I built into reflex cabinets with 6″ driver (infinite baffle) and horn tweeter on top of the reflex box.

The steam organs are amazing. I presume purely mechanical keyboard to valves connecting steam to pipes.