New Johannus
Pipe Organ Interface
With the latest innovations in technology Johannus has now introduced a pipe organ interface system which offers customers many options for using digital electronics combined with organ pipes. By utilizing the new HSSW (High Speed Single Wire) MIDI interface concept Johannus is able to offer a single wire MIDI to control pipe organs from of the Johannus organs.

There are many Churches who have pipe organs which are beyond economical repair, but have certain parts which are worth retaining if it were a viable proposition. Some Churches just cannot afford to spend the large sums of money required to repair or rebuild an entire pipe organ but would be quite prepared to investigate the possibilities of combining their present organ with the benefits offered by today’s digital organs.

The options fall into several categories:

1. PIPE ORGAN CONSOLE REPLACEMENT

There are situations where the pipe organ console has ‘worn out’ and is in need of replacement. In these instances Johannus can supply a brand new console which would include programmable MIDI, sets of couplers, large capture system, transposer and many other features normally associated with digital organs. Many designs of console are available to choose from to suit the particular style of organ required. The customer has the ability to choose which pipe organ stops and digital organ stops are to be combined on the new console. The organist also has the option of using pipe stops only, digital stops only, or can use the pipe and digital stops together. The console may be selected from the wide range of readily available standard Johannus organ consoles and hence there are large cost savings compared with the cost of a pipe organ builder having to build a custom console.

2. ADD A PIPE ORGAN MODULE TO AN EXISTING JOHANNUS ORGAN

A new Johannus organ can be expanded with a newly built pipe organ module. The pipe module can be supplied by Johannus or, alternatively, can be supplied by a local pipe organ builder who could act as a subcontractor. The Johannus pipe modules typically contain six ranks of pipes ranging from 8’ through to 1’. The pipe stops can be assigned to an existing digital stop on the Johannus organ by use of the HSSW system.

3. ENHANCEMENT OF EXISTING PIPE ORGANS

In many cases there are good pipe organs which lack some essential stops. Johannus s is able to add digital stops to an existing pipe organ. Pipe organ digitally sampled sounds can be accessed via the pipe organ keyboard contact system and operate a self contained digital system including amplifiers and speakers. Pipe organs tend to go off pitch with temperature changes and to compensate for this Johannus has an automated tuning system to compensate for the de-tuning of the pipes.

4. BUILD A NEW JOHANNUS PIPE ORGAN

For Churches wanting a pipe organ Johannus is able to provide a complete pipe organ built from scratch. These organs will be built with the HSSW system and customers will be able to design a custom specification to suit their own needs and tastes.

Nelsen Organ Works and Johannus will be very pleased to offer quotations for any of the above 4 options. With today’s modern digital techniques none of the above options are particularly complicated or expensive and will represent excellent value for money, particularly when compared to the price of having a complete rebuild of your existing organ. In order to provide a quotation Nelsen Organ Works will need all the relevant information concerning the pipe organ. If possible it would be helpful to supply a full history of the organ, the stoplist, couplers, voltage and impedance of the relays etc. and an indication of console size if a new console is needed. Johannus is also able to provide full pipe facades and these can be built to customers or architects designs.
Charles Nelsen
Marshall Nelsen, Jr.

1678 Stephens Drive
Wayne, PA 19087-1023
610-783-7309
610-246-8420 - mobile
nelsenorganworks@comcast.net