The goal of this innovation is to permit the utilization of a real pipe organ
in locations previously accessible only to electronic instruments.
 

Concept

From an external electric console, which can be placed anywhere, the organist plays the organ in St-Pierre church in Caen. The sound of the organ is heard in real time. This is done in the following manner:

1) At the concert location, the organist's performance is received by a computer, which digitizes the data. The data is then sent via modem over a telephone line and received by a second computer connected to the St-Pierre organ. The data instructs the organ to play, always in real time.

2) The sound produced by the organ is captured by microphones, converted into digital data, and sent back to the concert location. The data is reconverted to analog signal, amplified, and played back through loudspeakers. Again, this entire process occurs in real time.

rack, input cards
computer
modem

 
codec
amplifier
loudspeakers

------------- RTC telephone line --------------

------------- RNIS ligne -------------

modem
computer
rack, output cards

  
    microphones
  mixing
  codec

Technology

The musical result could be valid only if the sound were of the finest quality. Each link of the chain-sound quality of the organ, speed of response time, sound engineering (microphones, mixer, etc.), signal transmission over the telephone line, and quality of the amplifiers and loudspeakers-must be the best currently available. From its conception, the organ at St-Pierre de Caen has been equipped with a double pallet pulldown mechanism-mechanical as well as electric. The latter allow the organ to be played by the remote console. An electric stop action allows registrations to be changed from the remote console.

At the present time, there is a 120-millisecond delay between the moment the organist plays and the moment he hears the sound. This is too much delay, and we hope to reduce it to about 30 milliseconds. Doing so will allow a much wider utilization of this process.



The telephone signal transmission of the sound is currently done using standard analog-digital converters, which may not be ideally adapted to our needs. Eventually, we envision utilizing sound cards in the two computers, requiring the development of software specifically written for this application. 

The partner technicians of the project

Pascal LERAY (Rennes)

Engineer in electronics and information technology, organist and organ connoisseur, Pascal Leray has more than twenty years experience in electronic and computer technology used in organbuilding. In this project, he has directed the electrical, electronic and computer systems, allowing the organ to be piloted from a distance. Additionally, he developed the software for the return of the sound.

Nicolas BARTHOLOMEE et Michel MERTEN - (Musica Numéris)

10, rue Gachard - 1050 BRUXELLES (Belgique) - Tél : 32.(0)2.648.23.45

Musica Numeris is largely recognized for the quality of its sound recording engineering. The firm has recorded over 700 CDs, including the greatest international artists. Musica Numeris has at its disposal a wide array of equipment, including DVD-specific recording equipment, favoring the pursuit of the highest musical and technical quality. In our project, Musica Numeris has been in charge of the sound engineering, up to the point of the analog-digital conversion.

Jean-Jacques BACQUET - (Klinger Favre Audio)

8, rue Richardville - 88100 SAINT-DIE - Tél: 03.29.56.35.70

A music lover, Jean-Jacques Bacquet is a contributor in electroacoustics to the IPC and to the TNS, a sound engineer, a member of the Audio Engineering Society, of the Society Francaise d'Acoustique and of the Commission Superieure Technique du Cinema. The objective of Klinger Favre Audio is to conceive and build electroacoustic equipment of the very finest quality. His competence in sound reproduction in general, and in that of the organ in specific, makes his partnership with the project of the greatest importance.

We have been able to carry out several experimental benefit performances from the CNET, the Caen Memorial, and the Futuroscope. These benefits have permitted us to verify the feasibility of a system with a response time of approximately 100 milliseconds.

The others partners

Jean-Paul COMBET - (ALPHA)

3, rue de Crébillon - 75006 PARIS - Tél : 01.43.26.17.28

Former assistant of Pierre Bergé at the Paris Opera, director of the recording label ALPHA and of the recording collection of the Academie des Arts Baroques, cofounder and artistic director of the Academie Bach (Arques-la-Bataille, Seine-Maritime), Jean-Paul Combet organizes numerous events essentially centered around baroque music.

Combet was assigned to the City of Caen to conceive, organize and coordinate the various events surrounding the inauguration of the organ at St-Pierre church in November, 1997: fifteen concerts, a photographic exposition, and the production of a video.

Jean-Paul Combet has actively supported this project since its beginning.

Marc BLAISE and Michel DELAFOSSE - (City Média)

32, rue des Volontaires - 75015 PARIS - Tél : 01.53.69.10.60

Former advisor of the French Foreign Business, former assistant director general of Sofrinfra, engineering subsidiary of Aerospatiale et de Matra, Marc Blaise joins up with Michel Delafosse and City Media, whose goal is to finance and help the development of start-up multimedia companies.

Marc Blaise contacted me following a story televised in the 8 p.m. news on TF1, which featured the organist Frederic Desenclos playing the St-Pierre organ from the Caen Memorial.

City Media is an active participant in the development of this project.

The city of CAEN

Very quickly, from the first presentation of this technology applied to the organ in the church of St-Pierre, even while it was still in the workshop, the city of Caen has shown the greatest interest in this project. Authorizing the preequipment of the instrument, the city now envisions the acquisition of all necessary equipment for its exploitation (console, computers, microphones, sound reproduction material, etc...)

The Caen MEMORIAL

From the moment he heard about the potential new utilization of the organ, Jacques Belin, director of the Caen Memorial, immediately offered his help in the development of the project. Several times, he has offered the use of the Memorial for our presentations. The Memorial has also given its financial support to the development of the command software.

Last July 9, 1999, there was a performance of the Concerto for Organ, String Orchestra, and Timpani, directed by Francois-Xavier Roth, with the Caen orchestra and Frederic Desenclos at the organ. This concert was the first official demonstration of this process.

See the article by Yves Guilloux in "Le Monde de la Musique," November, 1999.

The CNET and France-Télécom

With the first command prototype, the CNET of Caen has brought its support in improving the response time of the software. Since then, the CNET has always been present at the events we have organized, graciously putting at our disposition the analog-digital converters. The same goes for France-Telecom, concerning the telephone lines.

The organist and the organ world

People are sharply divided over this project. Some support it wholeheartedly, seeing an evolution in the use of the organ, which appears fascinating. Others view it as an insult to and degeneracy of the organ.Ce projet ne laisse pas indifférent. Certains le soutiennent sans réserve, voyant une évolution dans l’utilisation de l’orgue qui leur paraît intéressante. D’autres voient en cela une atteinte insupportable à la tradition et une dégénerescence de l’instrument.

Special thanks go to Alain Mabit, Frédéric Désenclos, Philippe Lefèbvre,

who voluntarily gave of their time and talents in these first presentations.