Hello, OrganNet.
 
**********GRILL CLOTH
 
Grille cloth is an interesting subject.  The most common stuff used is
called "Mellotone".  It is supposed to be acoustically transparent, but
the name scares me.  I guess it is as good as anything.
 
HOWEVER - we did an organ some years ago where we had the Great exposed
and the rest (SW, POS, PED) behind a huge mellow-tone grille.  For three
years we struggled to keep the organ in tune with itself.  Then came time
to redecorate the chancel, and we did an experiment: we took down the
cloth.  Within a matter of hours, the organ slid together into better
tune.  We tuned it.  It stayed stable.  Aha!  The cloth was not
appreciably changing the sound of the organ, but it was limiting the
air circulation around the various divisions.
 
So.  We found some neat stuff made by the Macklanburg-Duncan Co.,
somewhere out in Oklahoma, which is an expanded aluminum grill material.
When you look at it straight on, it looks textured-solid; when you look
at it from an angle, it looks open.  We installed it.  Never had any
tuning drift after that.  And, you can spray paint it any color you want.
 
We have since used the stuff on a number of other builders organs which
were divided chambers swathed in mellough-toene (sic!), always with the
result that tuning drift was eliminated.  Also, in this climate,
mildew was cut down by a whole lot once the air started circulating.
 
BTW,
Do you know how depressing it it to work in a flat black organ chamber?
 
**********FINALE
 
I got Finale for Christmas.  I sweated a bit in learning it.  It can
do just about anything you like.  I'm about to upgrade to the next
version - for $10.00!  I'll second the recommendation.
 
**********CORRECTION
 
I gave an incorrect recital date a while back.  David Higgs will be
playing for the Spoleto Festival here in Chas. on * 11 JUNE * at
11 PM.
 
-AJO
 
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Allan J. Ontko                                      [log in to unmask]
Ontko & Young Co. Inc.                                   Pipe Organ Builders
Charleston, South Carolina                                OrganCADD Software
            Tradition and Innovation in American Organbuilding
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