Show Us Your VTPO

[Joe Hardy]

Why not tell us about your VTPO project?  We would all be interested to learn about what you have accomplished or what you are planning.  If you have a digital camera, please consider posting a shot (or several) of your set up.  Tell us about your computer (PC, Mac), OS (XP, Vista, OSX, Linux), CPU, RAM, etc., your soundcard, your audio system, which virtual organs you use, and anything else you might like to say.

[Don Hayek]

This is a good idea Joe. A good idea to learn how far folks have come with this superb way to make fine music at home. All brought about by a very few who had the vision of a DIY virtual organ. I'll start clicking and hope others do likewise. It seemed like a good idea at the time to play "Try to Remember". It's a trick to do just that anymore. It was too large a file for this file uploading system so it can be found at:

http://vans-dogpatch.com/organ//don/don.html

[Dime Bar]

I have a thread runbning with my VTPO see it here.

http://n2.nabble.com/My-Small-VTPO-td2788218.html

[Steven Margison]

OK, talking about my VTPO could take pages -- and will, on my website one of these days. The short story is this. I retrofitted a Rodgers 321B Trio in 1995 for SAMs, multi-level presets, couplers, and external MIDI. A few months ago I decided to revamp it again for the MidiTzer. The software originally written by me has been reworked, all of the original Rodgers voices have now been defeated, and only the VTPO plays (along with some extra percussions left over from my original mods using a Sound Font synth). The "relay" computer runs DOS and a custom program I wrote to run the entire console and export MIDI commands to the MidiTzer. It is a PC-AT 486. The VTPO computer is a new Dell Vostro 220, with 2.66gHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of memory, and dual SATA II hard drives one of which is 10,000 RPM. It runs GigaStudio 3.21 and the 260SP, with the Delta 1010LT card. It is configured as split C/C# voices where possible, with two pairs of "solo chamber" speakers, 1 pair of "main chamber" speakers, 1 single "center chamber" speaker, 1 pair of reverb or surround speakers, subwoofer, and single speaker for the legacy percussions (unenclosed chamber). The solo and main chambers use Harmon-Karden HKS9 speakers, the center chamber is a Harmon-Karden theater system center channel speaker, the unenclosed chamber is a JBL Control Monitor speaker, the reverbs are a pair of Behringer studio monitor speakers, and the sub-woofer is a Harmon-Karden powered sub-woofer. The amps are (5) dual 230 watt Behringer A500 power amplifiers, driven through a Behringer DI800 DirectInject box to isolate computer noise, convert unbalanced from the PC to balanced for the amps, and provide +20db Boost since the Delta card didn't provide enough drive for the power amps. Channels 9,10 for reverb are converted from digital to analog with a Behringer SRC2496 D/A convertor. Amps and computers are not located with the console but remotely with a custom power controller that allows the organ's power switch to control everything including a proper Windows XP shutdown and startup function (the Vostro has been slightly modified to achieve this). All control of the organ is done via the console itself with a few extras controlled by the relay (DOS) computer. Though the 260SP/GSO screens are available at the console via a KVM switch between the two computers the organist does not need to use that access. Presets are in the console and run via the relay computer (24 preset pistons, fully compassed, 5 memory levels, memories loadable from disk for a theoretically infinite number of presets.) Features added in the relay PC that are not a part of the 260SP include Solo manual Octave coupler, Sostenuto pedal on the swell shoe, (4) cheek buttons on the left of the Great and Accompaniment manuals programmable for special effects or other controls, (8) fully programmable toe studs, and more... The photos are of the console, the amp rack and VTPO computer, the relay computer in a coat closet near the console, and the relay computer screen. This summer new stop tabs will be ordered to reflect the change in voices.
Steve Margison
www.organman.com
www.smargison.com
Downers Grove, IL

[Joe Hardy]

Steve,

That is indeed an impressive VTPO, one that is sure to cause a lot of "organ envy".  The Trio looks very good.  It must have been a challenge to have replaced the stop switches with SAMs.   It also looks like you have added quite a few additional pistons.   You and Ed have figured out how to include the sostenuto feature missing in MidiTzer, a very useful theatre organ control.

Great job!!

[Steven Margison]

The sostenuto is actually in my "relay" computer.  When activated it just keeps a copy of the great keys pressed and then electronically "closes" those keys so it looks like my hand is still there.  I'm not doing anything with the 260SP software -- it just doesn't get a key release until the Sostenuto is released.  I added this feature in the 1995 mods and kept it for this version.  Yes, replacing the non-SAM original stop tabs with Syndyne tabs was a major undertaking.  Of the thumb pistons, the 8 in the center of each manual are the presets (total 24) and the 8 to the left side of each manual (total 24) actually function as stop tabs, lighting up to show they are active.  Functionally the organ doesn't know they are not stop tabs.  This gave me 24 badly needed extra stops.  These are also from the 1995 mods and will have to be replaced because different legends are needed on the buttons.  My plan for this round was to add 24 more on the right side of each manual -- but I saw how much I would have to remake of things and then laid down until the feeling passed :-)
- steve -

[engrssc]

You may recall from an earlier post of my simple sostenuto method, that is I use a side (mounted to the upper left side of the Main expression pedal) switch to activate a relay. Half of the relay duplicates the original Rodgers sostenuto circuitry, while the other half (of the relay) interrupts the common connection to the MIDI encoders of the accompaniment (lower) manual (when the sost switch is operated). Since any notes played on the accomp manual only receive an "MIDI ON" and no "MIDI OFF", any notes played are "held". A friend called this a controlled cypher.

 

When the sostenuto switch is released, an 'All Notes Off" is applied to the above MIDI encoders. Works great.

 

Rgds,

Ed

 

In a message dated 6/11/2009 6:49:59 P.M. Central Daylight Time, [hidden email] writes:

The sostenuto is actually in my "relay" computer.  When activated it just keeps a copy of the great keys pressed and then electronically "closes" those keys so it looks like my hand is still there.  I'm not doing anything with the 260SP software -- it just doesn't get a key release until the Sostenuto is released.  I added this feature in the 1995 mods and kept it for this version.  Yes, replacing the non-SAM original stop tabs with Syndyne tabs was a major undertaking.  Of the thumb pistons, the 8 in the center of each manual are the presets (total 24) and the 8 to the left side of each manual (total 24) actually function as stop tabs, lighting up to show they are active.  Functionally the organ doesn't know they are not stop tabs.  This gave me 24 badly needed extra stops.  These are also from the 1995 mods and will have to be replaced because different legends are needed on the buttons.  My plan for this round was to add 24 more on the right side of each manual -- but I saw how much I would have to remake of things and then laid down until the feeling passed :-)
- steve -

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[engrssc]

Wondered how many TO fans know about Hot Pipes! Show Archives which is a web site from Steve Ashley which has free downloads of his TO (music) - Hot Pipes from Valle Radio FM 98.8. This show ordinates from Spain, but is totally in English. The most recent shows (1 hour in length) are available in total. Top notch stereo recordings.

 

Rgds,

Ed

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