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Stops and Technology

The mechanisms by which a pipe organ operates changed very little until the late 19th century.  Electric blowers and electro-pneumatic key action revolutionized organ building.  Advances in solid-state technology during the 1960s and 70s eventually replaced mechanical stop and capture action.

One feature of organ consoles remains virtually the same: drawknobs.  Many organists prefer drawknobs to the tilt-tab or rocker-tab method of controlling pipe ranks.   In this photo from a 1950s organ, stop action was completely mechanical even after electronic memory levels were added later.

The console seen below is currently in our shop undergoing a complete renovation.  The drawknobs of each console are nearly identical, but the stop actions have no resemblance.