March 28, 1940 – September 1, 2012 A supporter of artists of all kinds, especially writers, poets, painters, and musicians, not just in terms of being a patron, but as a friend and booster, checking in with acquaintances new...
A DIY Thumb Piston Layout Template for your Virtual Pipe Organ Project
In 2022, I’ve been working on the High Desert Touring Classical Organ project I began with my father 20 years ago. I’ve been updating the instrument to use a computer running VPO (Virtual Pipe Organ) software system, such as...
Rest in Peace, Douglas Montgomery Richardson
December 8, 1935 – April 13, 2017 Doug (“Monty” to his folks and siblings) was a man whose life spanned an amazing variety of events and interests. From nuclear reactor operator to photographer, health physicist to carpenter, electronics expert...
The Tale of the World’s First* High Desert Touring Classical Organ – Part 6 – Lighting and Miscellany
All that Glows… Lighting was very important for this project because some concerts would be performed in otherwise total darkness. But if one adds up the current draw of the typical 12V light bulbs used in consoles, they quickly...
The Tale of the World’s First* High Desert Touring Classical Organ – Part 5 – What’s Inside?
A Look Inside the Console Most of the action takes place on a removable shelf behind the stop tabs. The Ahlborn units sit on either side of the MIDI-handling PC boards in the middle. Below is a photo with...
The Tale of the World’s First* High Desert Touring Classical Organ – Part 4 – All Those Parts…
The Final Parts List (These were the components used in 2002. The instrument has seen a few upgrades and changes since that time.) Primary Tone Generation AhlbornArchive Model “201” A number of MIDI modules with organ sounds are available...
The Tale of the World’s First* High Desert Touring Classical Organ – Part 3 – Construction
Constructing the High Desert Touring Classical Organ In the beginning, the plan was not to build an organ, but rather to find a cheap instrument on eBay, one which could be “disposable” if the desert conditions proved too harsh....
The Tale of the World’s First* High Desert Touring Classical Organ – Part 2 – The Concerts
The Concerts The concerts were a great success! Our camp offered seating for 25, and at most events, we filled all the seats (plus a few camping lounge chairs). There were also dozens of passers-by, as the “street” on...
The Tale of the World’s First* High Desert Touring Classical Organ – Part 1 – Overview
(* Some Restrictions Apply) Overview Each year, the Burning Man event takes place in the Black Rock Desert in NW Nevada. Around 30,000 participants travel from all over the globe to take part in this exercise in temporary community. Every person...
Light Mandala – A Sound and Light Sculpture
This project was inspired by an installation we did two years earlier, “World Lotus”. Commissioned for the da Vinci Days festival in Corvallis, this time around I created original music for the show, programmed the main lighting effects (others...