Gerald Oehring & Associates Church Organs
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Innovative Mechanical Organs

A precise, light and responsive action is essential to truly enjoy playing a mechanical action instrument. Long-term reliability is also crucial. A mechanical action Ruffatti organ utilizes truly innovative materials and advanced techniques which allow us to achieve such results.

The Tracker Connections
Traditionally, the tracker connections between keys and windchests have been made with metal wires or thin slices of wood, called “trackers”. If the tracker runs are long, weight adds up: the springs at the pallets need to be strong enough to support the entire action, and this contributes to the detriment of a responsive and light touch at the keyboards. In addition, wood can easily warp with humidity thus creating friction and causing adjustment problems.

A new, hi-tech material has been introduced for the tracker runs: carbon fiber wire, a material which is widely used in space technology and top-end racing sports. Its characteristics are astonishing:
  • the flexural stiffness of carbon fiber is comparable to spring steel
  • the weight of carbon fiber is one tenth of spruce
  • carbon fiber is totally unaffected by atmospheric changes
  • carbon fiber is unbreakable: it can only be cut by an abrasive
Picture
Carbon fiber wire
Being a much stiffer material, carbon fiber requires fewer mechanical supporting connections, thus reducing friction. It is therefore ideal for long tracker runs, which are necessary when a console needs to be detached from the organ case. A detached console allows the organist to better evaluate the tonal balance and often enables a more efficient layout of the choir.
Picture
Long tracker runs made with carbon fiber wires. Their stiffness requires fewer mechanical supports (in the photo: the white elements), thus reducing possible points of friction.

The Mechanical Elements

All mechanical elements in Ruffatti organs are designed to reduce friction, but also to allow for easy replacement. Many of them are assembled with a “clip-on” technique, such as in the elements shown below. Any replacement part can be installed in seconds.
The two elements of this “pendulum” are assembled by simple pressure and can be taken apart again in seconds.
Picture
Picture
Picture
A rollerboard featuring carbon fiber wire and wooden elements which utilize the “clip-on” technique
The “Floating” Action
Frequent mechanical adjustments are often necessary on mechanical action organs. At the change of
seasons, the tension of the trackers can become excessive, producing ciphers, or notes that play out of control. Likewise, the tension can become insufficient, reducing the “travel” of the keys. Such behavior causes difficulties for the player and higher maintenance costs.

The main cause for the instability of a mechanical action is the influence of changes in humidity, which affect wood. The use of carbon fiber reduces the problem, but other parts can cause residual movement. Ruffatti organs utilize a truly effective self-adjusting device for each of the keyboards and for the pedalboard, which eliminates the problem. Keyboards do not go out of adjustment and always perform reliably and correctly.

The stop action
The stop action in our tracker instruments can be totally mechanical, electric, or both (called “dual action”, by which stops can be activated both mechanically and electrically). In the latter two instances, we utilize special solenoids to pull the sliders.

Friction can vary due to climatic changes, and that can affect the speed of operation. The “smart solenoid” that we use is able to automatically detect the resistance of the sliders, and adjusts its force accordingly. As a result, the speed of operation of the stops remains constant under any climatic conditions, a feature that can make the difference when rapid registration changes are required.

Picture
The “smart solenoid” that pulls the sliders at the windchest
Electric Couplers
When coupling two or more keyboards in a mechanical action organ, the weight, or key resistance, at the “receiving” keyboard increases, and that makes playing more difficult. To avoid the problem, especially in large instruments, electric couplers are introduced in some cases. They maintain a lightweight and constant key touch no matter how many couplers are engaged. This system is not new, but a few technical features need to be introduced to make it truly efficient and reliable. Let’s look at a few of them.

Precision is of the utmost importance. If we play two or more sounds from different divisions with the same key, it is essential that these sounds are perfectly synchronized, producing a single attack: this is where the advanced technology comes in: at the “tail” of the key levers we install optical sensors, which read the mechanical movement of the key precisely and send a signal to the windchest. This guarantees perfect synchronization between the mechanical and electrical systems.

Picture
In the windchest, a series of magnets is connected to the mechanical pulldowns in such a way that both the mechanical and the electrical action of the pallets is guaranteed. The magnets are located inside the pallet box, well protected, out of sight, and, at the same time, noise-insulated.
Picture
Click below for find interesting information on our Research and our Innovation on Mechanical Organs.

CLICK HERE for History of research .            CLICK HERE for Research on sound.           CLICK HERE for The wind supply.
CLICK HERE for The Hyperdynamic Expression Box.  
THE RUFFATTI STORY
        (The Origins and
       The Ruffatti Family)


The Pipes

The Consoles

Windchests
Organs


Organ Design

Materials

Innovative Mechanical Organs

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  • HOME
  • Fratelli Ruffatti
    • The Ruffatti Story >
      • The Origins
      • The Ruffatti Family
    • Organs
    • The Pipes
    • Organ Design
    • The Consoles
    • Windchests
    • Materials
    • Innovative Mechanical Organs
  • Global Organ Group
    • DAN MILLER MONTHLY MUSIC AND TIPS ​ The gift of music from Rodgers to you.​
    • Featured Organs
    • Johannus >
      • Church Organs
      • Home Organs >
        • Live 3T-A, About
        • LiVE 3T-A, Reasons for chosing
        • LiVE 3T-A Technical Specifications
        • LiVE 3T-A Stop List
        • Stuido 370, About
        • Studio 370 Technical Specifications
        • Studio 370 Stop List
      • Johannus Videos
    • Rodgers >
      • Infinity Series
      • Artist Series
      • Inspire Series
      • Hybrid Organs
      • Rodgers Instruments Videos
  • About Us
    • Contact
    • Meet the Owner
    • New Showroom
    • Installations >
      • Trinity Lutheran Church Arapaho, NE
      • St John's Lutheran Church Pilger, NE
      • Saint James Catholic Church, Liberty, MO - Johannus D 470
      • Trinity Lutheran Church - Leavenworth - Johanus Ecclesia T-370
      • Grace United Methodist Church, Hastings Nebraska
      • Saint Vincent de Paul Catholic Church - Seward, Nebraska
      • First Presbyterian Church - Gardner Kansas
      • Trinity Episcopal Cathedral - Omaha Nebraska
      • Christ Lutheran Church - Norfolk Nebraska
      • St Barnabas Parish Omaha Nebraska
      • Mount Calvary Lutheran Church - Holdrege, NE
      • Geneva United Methodists Church - Geneva Nebraska
      • Luther Memorial Church Syracuse Nebraskaebraska Johannus Opus 270
      • Saint Mark Catholic Church - Independence, MO
      • Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church - Fordyce, Nebraska
      • Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Hartington Nebraska
      • Episcopal Church of the Resurrection Blue Springs Missouri
      • Elmont United Methodist Church Topeka Kansas
      • Residential Installation Omaha Nebraska Johannus Opus 270
    • Service >
      • AGO Timely Tips
    • Gerald Oehring & Associates Videos
  • USED and DEMOS
    • Consoli 1 Rank Pipe Addition for Rodgers Digital Organ
    • Reed Organ
    • Consoli 1 Rank Pipe Addition for Rodgers Digital Organ
    • Two Rank Pipe Addition for Rodgers Digital Organ
  • NEWS
    • 2022 Rodgers Dealer Meeting
    • Rodgers Inspire 343 in Lincoln
    • September Organist Concert and Workshop
    • Rodgers Inspire 343 in Lincoln
    • Global Organ Group Expands Distribution in U.S.
    • Dedication Service Weller Hall Concordia University Seward NE organist Jeff Blersch
    • Gerald Oehring & Associates Now Representing Johannus
    • Rodgers Announces a Tonal Revolution
    • The Rodgers 361 Papal Organ
    • Rodgers Instruments: Technology and the Modern Organ
  • EVENTS
    • A-SPECIAL-EASTER-CONCERT-2020-BY-DAN-MILLER
    • February Organist Concert and Workshop
    • SOUND-CHOICES-FOR-THE-ORGANIST-BY-DAN-MILLER >
      • Dan Miller BIO
      • Dan Miller CRITICAL ACCLAIM
      • rsvp-Dan-Miller-concert-and-workshop
  • Newsletter Subscribe