Style 160C download

[Jim Henry]

A large part of Wurlitzer's production of organs was "piano console" instruments. Today these instruments are rare. Most theatre organ enthusiasts have never seen one. The Miditzer Style 160C gives you the opportunity to see and play a virtual replica of the Wurlitzer Style 160C piano console organ owned by Phil Underwood.This is an interesting instrument. The console was built around a large scale upright piano. Therefore you have an 88 note Accompaniment manual that is also a real piano keyboard. There are soft and sustain pedals for the piano. The piano keyboard is split so that many of the stops are paired and affect only half of the keyboard. There is a lot to learn about this instrument. You won't be able to just sit down at it and immediately transfer everything you know about theatre organs. I'm not going to say anything more right now. Have fun exploring!Here is the link to the Miditzer Style 160C ver. 0.885 alpha 1:

http://virtualorgan.com/virtualorgan/Fi ... nstall.exe

[WERSI-Tifoso]

Jim,
just tried it with provided piano rolls: great!
Hartmut
WERSI-Tifoso2008-11-24 07:35:17

[compton]

Jim
What a xmas present to us all! ---and an early one at that.
Have just downloaded and will have to wait till i get home tonight to try.
By any chance is there a button-toggle switch to turn the piano into a honky tonk version?
These instruments must have constantly sounded out of tune as the piano and the organ go there "separate ways" when it comes to the weather cooling and warming and their tuning.

Ian

[fvanaman]

By any chance is there a button-toggle switch to turn the piano into a honky tonk version?

 
Hmmm. Try the 'Mandolin' tab right next to the Piano tab?
 
I'm presuming that's what you're thinking when writing "honky tonk" - If you want just plain out-of-tune, then the Mandolin tab might be disappointing.
 
Frank

[sadatoni]

Jim
What a xmas present to us all! ---and an early one at that.
Have just downloaded and will have to wait till i get home tonight to try.
By any chance is there a button-toggle switch to turn the piano into a honky tonk version?
These instruments must have constantly sounded out of tune as the piano and the organ go there "separate ways" when it comes to the weather cooling and warming and their tuning.

Ian

I remember a player piano the neighbor across the street had when I was a kid had a button labeled something like "Meloharp"... it gave that honky-tonk sound to the piano while pressed and a roll playing.  (this particular one was powered by... feet - no electricity in this baby).

[greenfox]

Hi Jim
 
This 160C looks like great fun!  Thank you again for all your work to put these together.  It really is a great way to learn how these instruments worked.
 
I have noticed (just using mouse input) that the "Soft" and "Sustain" pedals operate as click on, click off.  It would seem you have deliberately decided they should function this way.  My initial thought is that they would be momentary functions that would only act while they were pressed.  (I do agree that mouse operation is very different to console playing and that you can't actively do two things at once, so that may be why you have made it this way.)
 
I trust the Midi triggers (I see you have grouped on the "Swell" settings window) will be momentary function like the toy counter toe pistons.

[Jim Henry]

The piano pedals do work as you guess for the reasons you suggest.

[silentfilmmusic]

Looking forward to taking this out for a spin, esp considering my typical Miditzer setup uses a single 88 or 76 key controller/keyboard. Thanks!Next step is to collaborate with David Blaine on virtual levitation so we can make the Miditzer rise up out of the pit...Ben

[Jim Henry]

A fun thing to do with the Style 160 is to play one of the many available MIDI files arranged for a solo piano, where everything is on MIDI Channel 1, and change the registration as it plays. Channel 1 defaults to the Accompaniment rather than the Solo so that you can play MIDI files for piano just by turning on the Piano stop. The included "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" and "Ben Hur Chariot Race" MIDI files were made by recording performances of piano MIDI files while I added the registration changes.

[compton]

Jim
Took the 160 for a quick blast last night and I notice that the manuals where round the other way--was going to ask why--now no need to ask.

Who stole the candelabras from the piano?

Is this the largest in pipe rank, piano style consoles that Wurlitzer made?

Cheers
Ian