The Excelsior 38 Note Street Organ      

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The Excelsior (Model HT3) is a hand-cranked, portable, mechanical pipe organ incorporating the finest materials and constructional traditions established over many years.

It also has one modern feature - a 12 volt electric action (no mains power required) with music programmed onto a tiny EPROM chip that plays the pipes!

The HT3 emerged in 1998, using the best features of the HT1 and HT2 models.

The new HT3 is:

• Smaller - the new design keeps the same number of pipes
• Lighter - can safely be moved by one person
• Easier to transport - fits into the boot of a small car
• Easier to crank - even by a young child!

THE SPRINGWOOD "REGENCY" MECHANICAL PIPE ORGAN

Our "REGENCY" organ, was developed to perform automatically; A wide repertoire of music, covering almost 500 years, in a refined and historically correct manner. 

To provide musical accompaniment for devotional singing, and special ceremonial occasions.

To create a unique ambience and focal point of interest in a variety of indoor locations.

In the past, many large houses and Museums had mechanical organs, purely, for entertainment. We feel, that to hear a Mozart Serenade, in a house built in the 1780's, would, be a rewarding, and educative experience for many of today's visitors. A piece of music, the same "age", as the furniture, and artifacts of an historical building, must add to the overall presentation, and interest, in a particular room.

OPERATION

The organ requires no specialised knowledge to operate, and can be switched on at regular or specific intervals. A coin operated version option is also available, making the instrument totally operator-free. Once a particular location for the organ has been chosen , the pipework, voicing and air-pressure will be selected to give the best results. 

TWO SIZES OF ORGAN ARE BUILT -  45 AND 54 PLAYING NOTES.

We have approximately 26 playing hours of music, already arranged for the 54 note scale. About 80% of this repertoire is playable on the 45 note instrument.

Our works demonstration organ can play music of either scale, so a good comparison, can be made.

MUSIC 

The organs music is stored on computer floppy discs, each piece being regarded, as a DIGITAL FILE. One hundred music files from our large collection, are supplied free with the organ. Whilst this amount must be regarded as more than adequate, for most applications, further collections, hymns, and special requests can be supplied at reasonable cost. The greatest care is taken in the production of each music file. Music from the Baroque, Classical and early Romantic Periods, form the major part of our arrangements, but Early, Renaissance, and Victorian parlour music, is all playable, on either size of instrument. 

CASEWORK

The case design, based on larger examples from the Regency period, utilizes the classical simplicity of Arch, Quadrant and colour contrast, to frame the ranks of finely polished wooden pipes. Several period colours are available, to complement the intended location and delicately gilded or painted mouldings and carvings, complete the design.

ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATION

The electrical power consumption of our organs is very low, typically, in the order of 110 watts. All electrical equipment, cables, overload protection features, insulation and component mounting materials will far exceed, the standards required by current manufacturing legislation.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES (54 Note Instrument Only)

In addition, to being a mechanically actuated musical instrument, the organ can be played manually, from any standard MIDI keyboard . Also, an organist can directly record his playing onto floppy disc utilizing, one of the many specialised functions, provided on the Disc Drive, supplied with the organ. The recorded FILE will reproduce the music, exactly as played, at the same tempo.

A MIDI keyboard of at least 61 notes is required. This may be a master keyboard, synthesizer, MIDI organ, or digital Piano, set to output on MIDI channel NUMBER 1. (The default channel on most MIDI equipment is channel 1). 

Musical "step recordings" can readily be prepared on computer sequencing programs, such as CAKEWALK and CUBASE. All our music files are prepared using this laborious, but extremely accurate method.

If you have RealPlayer G2 you can listen to the Excelsior by clicking on the music clips below.  You can download your free copy of RealPlayer here.

CLIP 1CLIP 2CLIP 3CLIP 4CLIP 5CLIP 6CLIP 7CLIP 8CLIP 9

Now anyone can enjoy the unique sound and music of The Excelsior