Robert never worked for Popper or any other instrument factory.  His
band organ started with a Wurlitzer tracker bar, and he built the
instrument around that, with home-built chests and mostly rebuilt
used pipes from various sources, as well as some homemade pipes.
The sound is that of a band organ, in that it's open toe voicing
on 6" wind pressure.  It's brutally loud!

He originally planned to play Wurlitzer rolls on it, but once he did
he was very disappointed with their arrangements and decided he could
do better himself, which he did.  He was frustrated with the lack of
chromatic scale tones so added these where he could, e.g., replacing
the coin slot and re-roll holes, as well as adding some holes.

Robert's rolls on that band organ were punched for the Wurlitzer system
as he adapted it, but they wouldn't be playable on a regular Wurlitzer
because so many chromatics would be missing (and the re-roll could be
activated in the middle of a number!).

The three(!) player rolls for the organ I inherited are unique to that
instrument, and so those rolls would not be playable on other organs.

Disposition:

Melody (f'-f''')
8' Principal
8' Open Flute
8' Stopped Flute (later addition, early 1980s)
4' Mixture III (originally 4' 2-2/3' 2', later with 2-2/3'
   stopped to make a second 4')
Bells

Solo (f0-g')
4' cover flue (always on)
8' trumpet (selectable)

Bass (C-B)
8' Flues III (was 8' 5-1/3' 4', later 5-1/3' changed to second 4';
   always on)
8' Trumpet (selectable)

Bass drum with cymbal
Chinese cymbal
Triangle
Wood block

I actually composed and punched a roll under Robert's supervision,
a waltz in F major.  So he taught me his secrets of articulation,
which science is perhaps the most important ingredient in the success
of Robert's compositions and arrangements.

Timothy Tikker
tikkertimothy@gmail.com.geentroep [delete ".geentroep" to reply]