Very effective specification tool, delivery on time, accurate documentation, simple wiring, very efficient diagnostic tools and utilities, very responsive support and swift response time on change requests. The resulting organ is reliable, easy to use, the MIDI interface is useful to play remotely.
Note: Specifications for this organ are posted in the "Portfolio" section.
Manufacture d'Orgues Promonet (Ref#: C722)
"I recently finished replacing the console on a pipe organ here in Boulder. The new unit, provided by Robert Turner, was based on a Classic Organ Works control system. Installation, as these projects go, was pretty painless due, in no small part, to the quality of the product and the support I got when questions came up. I worked primarily with Catherine but everyone was friendly and helpful when she wasn't available. As a first experience with unfamiliar equipment, this one was great. Just wanted to say thanks to you and your staff."
Art Kuczek
2004-02-12
Re. Trinity Lutheran Church, Boulder, CO
Art Kuczek, Boulder, CO (Ref#: C706)
"I purchased a Rodgers model 22B analog organ new in 1968 and used it as my residence practice organ for many years. Realizing that the analog technology had been greatly eclipsed by digital tone generation, I set about exploring the possibilities of a digital/MIDI conversion of the organ using available commercial HW (Hardware) and SW (Software). After finding the Classic Organworks website, a quick exchange of e-mails with Henry Wemekamp at Classic convinced me that the project was perfectly feasible using a combination of the Ahlborn/Galanti Archive modules and Classic’s HW and SW. After downloading Classic’s “Organworks” design program, Henry and I worked out an approach which would use the Ahlborn Classic archive module while retaining some of the old analog stops in the Rodgers. Within a month of my initial contact with Classic, Henry delivered all the HW the project required. In about two months of spare-time work, I installed Optical switch boards in both keyboards, mounted and wired the CCU, Stop interface and Stop driver boards and special driver boards to interface the CCU with the –12V diode keyers in the Rodgers for the retained analog stops. The documentation supplied with the HW was excellent and the few questions I had were quickly answered by Classic. By Thanksgiving of ’99, I was happily playing a brand-new instrument, a 2-manual stoptab console with a very complete stoplist and wonderful digital voices from the Ahlborn. The Classic firmware which ran the organ interfaced the Ahlborn module seamlessly with the organ stop-tabs, a very important feature for a project of this nature.
Phase 2 of this project began when I acquired a very nice used Rodgers 990 3-manual drawknob analog organ in the Spring of 2000. The flexibility of the Classic system allowed an easy expansion of my organ to 4 divisions, incorporating 2 additional Ahlborn modules, the Archive 201 and Romantic models. While Classic developed new firmware and readied additional HW for shipment, I cut apart the two consoles. After installing the higher side panels from the 990 console onto the 22B console to accept the drawknob wings, all 3 keyboards and the nameboard from the 990 were transferred resulting in a 3-manual drawknob console which is only 31” deep and will still go through a standard door opening!
Installation of new stop driver boards from Classic to handle all the moving drawknobs and matrix-wiring of the pistons and toe studs completed the second re-build. After plugging in the new firmware chip, I began playing an instrument I had been dreaming about having for many years but never really thought was possible. The organ speaks through 12 100W amplifiers, each channel passed through its own Alesis digital reverb unit. The resulting sound is magnificent, and visiting organists who have played it compare the sound and available console features favorably with high-end organs from Rodgers and Allen costing far more than I have invested.
Since completion, the organ has been played almost daily with absolutely no problems. The instrument is a constant source of joy and certainly one which I never thought I would have as my residence organ."
Donald Ahnemann
Allendale, NJ, USA
2001-07-18
View Project:
Mr. Ahnemann's residence organ is featured in our Portfolio: Job Number C499/C555
Donald Ahnemann (Ref#: C499/C555)