Found this video on YouTube along with some others--thought any jukebox and organ fans in Applianceville would like this.This is a dance hall or restuarant organ made in Belguim.These are still made today and quite popular in Europe.There are many videos of them on Youtube.This is just one of them that had robot like figures that played saxophones,drum kits and accordians.I can't get the link to work-go to Youtube and type in "DeCap organ" you will find the Decap organs with their "robot Band"Its quite a kick watching the robots "play" their instruments as the organ plays.The cuts they show are of organs built in the 1950's play from cardboard perforated music "books"and the organ has a Hammond organ chassis inside.
Invasion of the DeCap Musical Robots!
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I LOVE this ~
outrageous. love it love it love it. I never knew such a thing existed.
Are we to believe this model was originally built in the year 1957?
Anyway...it's a must see..please, do not hesitate to see this.
Happy Feelings.
B
I LOVE this ~
outrageous. love it love it love it. I never knew such a thing existed.
Are we to believe this model was originally built in the year 1957?
Anyway...it's a must see..please, do not hesitate to see this.
Happy Feelings.
B
Thanks Bundtboy for making the link work.thought Applianceville folks would like to see the DeCap Organs.A few years ago a freind had a collection of jukeboxes and a similar Mortier dance hall-restaurant organ.We were playing several songs on it-would cue up the music book in the keyframe-then I would run out front to listen and watch the organ play.It didn't have "robots" on the facade-but two accordians,and a saxophone.The keys on them moved as the organ played-and the accordians made the "squeezing" motions as the organ played.His mortier used a pipe organ instead of an electronic Hammond as the "Robot" Decap does.If you look at the picture of the Decap organ before it plays you will see the speakers on the ends.Both Decap and mortier were building automatic pipe organs like these long before jukeboxes-in Europe they were used sort of like jukeboxes.The resturant owner would play the music for the patrons.Decap is still in business today-they make traditional cardboard "book" organs or ones that use MIDI-and others that use a keyframe or the MIDI-the organ can be played from either one.
book player
Yes, Tolivac, I'd have thunk so too.
This past weekend I was given the opportunity to crank another book player, the De Kei Street Organ, which is all wind operated and non-electric, but does use the folded books of music and requires a strong constant cranking action to maintain it's operation.
I can't wait to go back and do it again~.
Let's hear it for AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, guys~. Yeah~.
...if you don't get it, you don't get it, and most people don't. That's why some of us are exceptional. Thank you very much.
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B
Yes, Tolivac, I'd have thunk so too.
This past weekend I was given the opportunity to crank another book player, the De Kei Street Organ, which is all wind operated and non-electric, but does use the folded books of music and requires a strong constant cranking action to maintain it's operation.
I can't wait to go back and do it again~.
Let's hear it for AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, guys~. Yeah~.
...if you don't get it, you don't get it, and most people don't. That's why some of us are exceptional. Thank you very much.
<object width=425 height=350> <param name=movie value=> </param> <embed src= type=application/x-shockwave-flash width=425 height=350> </embed> </object>
B
robotic figure
two of these on the front strike their bells while the music plays, not unlike the DECAP musical robots which start this thread. I wonder if they even read the same books of music - depends on how many notes they play, as they come in various sizes.
two of these on the front strike their bells while the music plays, not unlike the DECAP musical robots which start this thread. I wonder if they even read the same books of music - depends on how many notes they play, as they come in various sizes.
awesome~
Yes, indeed, I think my buddy's organ is very similar to the 2nd link, with a center section which has two additional chambers left and right of it with an ornate facade.
I have some Lp's of Fair organs as well and have always hoped some day to go to Amsterdam and see them in person. It truly is on my dream travel to do list.
Thanks for sharing, mielabor - Loved it~.
B
Yes, indeed, I think my buddy's organ is very similar to the 2nd link, with a center section which has two additional chambers left and right of it with an ornate facade.
I have some Lp's of Fair organs as well and have always hoped some day to go to Amsterdam and see them in person. It truly is on my dream travel to do list.
Thanks for sharing, mielabor - Loved it~.
B
Well, before you go check the activity listings. I made these movies during a street organ festival in the centre of Amsterdam on the 27th of October. There were about 15 street organs to be seen (and heard of course) all located within short walking distances from each other. Apart from these special occasions, street organs are now mainly found in shopping areas on Saturday afternoons and then you will see only one organ at a time.
The organs are not limited to Amsterdam. You can find them in other Dutch cities too.
See link for organ festival listing:
The organs are not limited to Amsterdam. You can find them in other Dutch cities too.
See link for organ festival listing:
Music book compatibility-No-another organ manufactueres book generally will not play on another makers unit-each maker had a diffrent way their keyframe tracker bars were laid out.They have "tracks"much like a modern multitrack analog tape recorder.You can assign a track to whatever instrument you want to play-much like a recordist can assign tracks on the tape to record an instrument during a recording session in the studio.also on these organs "multiplexing" may be used-this is used to shift intrument registers or pipe ranks-iE determine what instrument is to play or what ranks of pipes to be played-If a certain combination of holes in the music pass over the bar-the combination of "tracks" activates the rank or turns it off.Somewhere at home I have a booklet that shows the tracker bar diagram of Whurlitzer band organs.It shows what holes or tracks that play the instruments as the roll passes over the bar.And it showed what combinations of holes that have to be passes to activate or deactivate pipe ranks or percussion instrument registers.At the same time the indivudual holes play a pipe or whatever.Its clever techonology-forerunner to modern technology.I like the cuts on YouTube of the various organs-its pretty nice.I am glad DeCap is still in business.If only they can appeal to resturants in the US-would be very neat to see and hear the colorful organ play instead of the crappy canned rock music.Would be a great patron calling card for them.That is what we could call "dinner Music".Really love the neat street organ Bundtboy shows in his link-Where is this instrument?Is it in a private collection or a museum?And yes-I also like the Street organs-have recordings of them I have bought from various suppliers.Sadly some of them are no longer in business.They are LP records,cassettes and CDs.Thats another thing I collect-recordings and info about automatic music instruments.they are fascinating devices.
