Thomas Grace wrote in 020927 MMDigest:

> Many are building small home organs with a single rank of pipes.

What kind of organs?  Crank-organs?

> The part that always is hard to find for projects like these is
> a very small "affordable" blower.

If you are talking about crank-organs, I wonder what the term "blower"
is supposed to mean.  I have seen, in various variations, crank-organs
with blowers as well as fairground organs (partly) converted to such
systems.

While I do understand the advantage of a constant air-stream, I still
consider a [bellows] pump mechanism as "the heart" of an organ, so:
If it _is_ a crank-organ, why not build an appropriate pump for it?
Consider it another part of the project.

Not too long ago I was reading about some young fellow who had built
an organ like that as more-or-less a school project, and about how much
good response he got from that and how he can now call himself an
organ-builder (?manufacturer?).

I, for my part, am saying: as much as you might have had your problems
with getting that blower working with your pipes -- and even if you
were able to solve this tricky part -- as long as you didn't build your
own pump you never really built an organ.

I know, I know -- I guess we are getting back into that subject, "Oh,
but even we want to develop into the new century [but] alas it is a
traditional instrument."  Still, new technologies don't necessarily have
to be superior.

Just a thought... (worth 2 cents ;-))

greetings by(e) InK -- Ingmar Krause

P.S.: I could just the same go on again about MIDI vs. books/barrels/discs
... Oh, well ...