Tuning and maintenance
The tuning and maintenance of organs are important parts of our work. Our tuners live in several regions of the Netherlands and are permanent employees of ours. As in large restorations, we first examine the main features of an instrument and how we can preserve these as fully as possible. The organs that we work on, we bear in mind, have existed for centuries already and will continue to be played on, after our work, for many centuries to come.
“The voicing or tuning of an organ is a creative matter. Where does the false tone come from? Why is a pipe not doing what you want it to do? This is a puzzle and makes up the fascination of the work.”
Tuning and maintenance always go hand in hand
Every time we tune an organ, we inspect it systematically and immediately carry out any minor repairs. Because every part directly affects the sound! Our tuning also involves the removal of faults in intonation and small mechanical or electro-pneumatic defects. Think, for example, of the straightening of a collapsed pipe, the lubrication of the motor, the soldering of a crack in a pipe, or the aligning of the keys.
And if there is a bigger problem? Then we will immediately discuss this with you and inform the head of maintenance about it. He will then draw up a report detailing the exact state of the organ, the needed maintenance work, and recommend a way to proceed.
Even if the organ is not being played, it must be regularly serviced and cared for. In this way, we can always promptly intervene if parts get worn out or partially collapse, so as to prevent them breaking down altogether. If you have signed an organ maintenance contract with us, we will call you up when it is time for a maintenance visit.
What we do
Monitoring
How is the state of the organ
Inspection
Disruptions, intonation defects
Reparation
Minor repairs carried out on site
Adjusting
Corrections volume/character of sound
Report
After voicing or on request
When carrying out a general, or major, re-tuning we go through everything and re-establish the tuning of the instrument all over again from scratch. This is necessary in cases where the loss of proper tones has gone so far that re-tuning individual pipes can’t solve the problem. Once such a re-tuning has been completed the sonority of the whole organ is restored so that the instrument can really shine again.
A minor re-tuning is less intensive. Here we concern ourselves only with what is plainly out of order in the tones. We carry out a careful checking of the tuning so that the organ, afterwards, once again sounds good.
Sometimes, the acoustic starting points of an instrument are in order, but something seems not quite right about it. In such a case, sound and character must be preserved, but the organ must be made to sound better. We do this via an intonation check: we repair or adjust those pipes which do not sound like the rest.
In a re-voicing, our team completely reconstructs, from scratch, the sound of an organ. We take into account here all aspects, from the pipework through the materials down to the wind-supply. A re-voicing also involves a change in the character of the organ. In the case of a heritage-protected instrument, special approval is required for this. Also possible, is the re-voicing of a specific register.
Tuning & maintenance: information and tips
Maintenance & management
Protocol building-dust
Control of indoor atmosphere
Folder climate control
Saving of energy
Webinar churches
Our team for tuning & maintenance
Our tuners and voicers are themselves musicians. Since we play the instruments ourselves, we can give a musical direction to an organ and render the playing of it as pleasant as possible for a client. If an organist states that the “touch” of a keyboard seems off, or that one particular key is slow to return after being pushed down, we understand the problem and all it involves.
We keep one another on our toes because we all contribute to each other’s work. What do we want to achieve, what decisions are needed to do so? Together, we draw the musical lines, exchange our ideas and make a good plan. We do this as a team. All this occurs in close consultation with the Organ Consultant who is, for us, a vital “sounding board” for ideas.
Ordering tuning & maintenance
Our team (re-)tunes and maintains many instruments all around the world. In churches, concert halls, universities and other auditoriums.
Are you interested in having your organ (re-)tuned, maintained, or voiced? Feel free to contact us!