Tuning Knob; Random Detuning; Temperaments - Rodgers 940 Manual

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TUNING KNOB

The OXFORD 940 is equipped with a TUNING knob. This allows the entire organ to

tuned

easily and quickly to a piano or musical instrument not at standard concert pitch (A 440).

If the

TUNING knob is pushed in, the organ will remain at standard concert pitch, and turning the knob

will have no effect. To alter the pitch, pull the TUNING knob out until it clicks, then turn the knob

to set the pitch.

the OXFORD 940 has been augmented with pipes, the TUNING Knob can be

used to bring the pipes and electronics in tune with each other. The range of the TUNING knob is

one-half semitone sharp or flat.

RANDOM DETUNING

One of the essential ingredients of pipe organ ensemble arises from the small amount of pitch

error in each pipe. No matter how carefully an instrument is tuned, small changes in temperature or

humidity will cause the pipes to drift from their original pitches. Reed pipes are especially prone to

drift over time due to "creeping" of the tuning wire with cyclic temperature variations.

The Random Detuning feature causes selected notes to receive a small amount of detuning. The

amount of detuning is chosen at random for each note of each voice; some notes will not be detuned

at all. The number of notes detuned and the maximum amount of detuning are selected for each

voice to mimic the behavior of an equivalent pipe set. For instance, reeds will exhibit more pitch

error than flues. Because the detuning is random, there is no degradation of the overall temperament

of the instrument, and the amount of detuning is no more than one would experience in a recently-

tuned pipe instrument.

This detuning process happens each time the organ is turned on. Once computed, the pitch of

each note remains constant. Thus, the tuning will be a little different, as it would

with a pipe

organ, each time the organ is used.

TEMPERAMENTS

Although most instruments today are tuned in the Equal Temperament system, there has recently

been a renewed interest in historic temperaments and their effects on the music written for organs

employing these temperaments. The OXFORD 940 provides the organist with a choice of eight

temperaments: Equal, Kimberger, Werckmeister I, Werckmeister III, Mean-tone, Pythagorean,

Young I and Young II. Note: Temperaments other than Equal should be used with care, since most

other temperaments are appropriate only for a limited range of music.

To choose a temperament:

1. Hold SET and tum the SELECT knob to locate the TEMPERAMENT menu item.

2. Release the SET piston, and turn the SELECf knob to choose a temperament. The tuning

is altered immediately.

The organ will always return to equal temperament when first turned on.

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