An Explanation of the Organ Stops with Hints for Effective Combinations

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1888 edition. Excerpt: ... In combination the 4-ft. Spitzflote ranges in point of power between 4-ft. Flute d'Amour and 4-ft. Gemshorn, which stops it sometimes replaces. Stentorphon. See Tuba Mirabilis. Stop Manuals. See Pneumatic Combination Pistons. Stopped Diapason. See Gedackt. Suabile. See Suavial. Suavial, Suabile. A soft-toned stop like Geigenprincipal, often found on old organs as 8-ft. stop beginning at c', as for instance in the French Church at Berne. Sub-Bass (often labelled Bourdon, Grand Bourdon in England). The name of a stop with a 16-ft. or 32-ft. covered pipe. (See Gedackt.) In small organs, where the size of the church does not admit of the 16-ft. open pipe, Sub-Bass is quite indispensable (or even side by side with this). We advise the use of Harmonica Bass (q.v.) with Sub-Bass, if there is a liberal allowance of pedals, which stop, discreetly giving precision to the sombre fullness of the SubBass, is, in such combination, of special value. In large and small organs Sub-Bass forms one of the most essential stops; and even in the smallest instrument a coupler to the first manual should not be deemed a sufficient substitute. From' an acoustic point of view it is worth mentioning that my experience of the character of this stop is that the same note, which may have a tremendous effect in one part of the church, may scarcely be audible a few paces from this spot. This acoustic peculiarity of Sub-Bass (and other tones of lower registers) has therefore caused great trouble to many a builder, and has often made the satisfaction of experts questionable. Prof. Dr. Forster, of Berne, writes to me on this subject: "It would be doing the organ-builder a great injustice if one attributed this phenomenon to a F faulty construction of the instrument. In...