What is the difference between a pipe organ and a digital church organ?

Agreements

A traditional pipe organ and a digital church organ have many similarities, but also major differences. Both instruments are used in many churches for accompaniment of congregational singing, choral singing or musical accompaniment to a church service. A pipe organ and a digital church organ both have keyboards, pedal and registers.

Differences

However, the sound generation is different. With a pipe organ it is primarily about wind-driven sound generation, where this takes place digitally with a digital church organ. In a pipe organ, the sound is created by wind that enters an organ pipe. Due to the length and shape of the pipe, different sounds are created.

A digital church organ also has these sounds, but as samples (recordings of pipes) that are played through speaker systems.

Sound experience in the church

Every church or hall is different. One organ is in a small chapel or church hall where other organs can be found in imposing cathedrals, such as the Dom in Cologne. Because of the size and composition of the instrument, not every organ is suitable for every room. The organ of, for example, the Grand Cathedral in Liverpool would of course not come into its own in a small chapel, while an organ from a local village church would be too small to fill the St. Paul's Cathedral with organ sounds.

A pipe or a digital church organ?

With a pipe organ, it comes down to the correct selection of organ stops and the composition of the pipework. With a digital organ it is important to work with a very accurate and balanced audio system.

Only an audio system that allows all organ stops to sound optimally can be used in a church or hall. Of course, the acoustics, furnishing and architecture weigh heavily in this. Placing a (digital) organ therefore requires a lot of preparation and coordination before the optimal sound experience in the church is achieved. Content Organs has the experience, knowledge and expertise to provide your church congregation with non-binding advice or to guide the entire process. We also have an extensive selection of church organs, our so-called Chapel Series.

Receive tailor-made advice without obligation about installing a digital church organ in your church/hall via our contact form.

Playing our church organs yourself

When you have the possiblilty to travel to the Netherlands, you can discover the various possibilities of audio system setups for your church yourself. In the organ factory of Content Orgels, arrangements of various Chapel organs can be listened to and played. In this way you experience for yourself what a Content church organ can offer your congregation and you can inform your church council or organist team in the right way. When visiting Ermelo, a tour of the organ factory and R&D department is of course possible. Contact us for an appointment.