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Innovative Design Method for Matching the Pipe Organ to the Acoustics of the Room

Final Report Summary - INNOPIPEORG (Innovative Design Method for Matching the Pipe Organ to the Acoustics of the Room)

The objectives of the INNOPIPEORG project were:
1) Creation of a data and knowledge base of the emitted sound power of the most important (about 9-10) pipe ranks.
2) Development of the demonstrator of an instrument for the measurement of room acoustical properties required by the organ builders.
3) Development of a new, scientifically-based measurement method and a software code for the measurement and evaluation of the acoustic properties of the room from 16 Hz using the developed demonstrator instrument.
4) Development of a new acoustic design method of pipe organs for optimal matching of the organ to the acoustic properties of the room.

To be able to achieve objective 1 different measurement methods have been tested for the sound power measurement in organ pipes. Several different commonly used methods could not be applied for open flue pipes, because of very special physical features of the sound source. Because of this a new measurement method had to be worked out to be able to carry out the sound power measurements for creating a data and knowledge base of the emitted sound power of the most important (about 9-10) pipe ranks.

Objective 2 was fully achieved. At the first version of the developed low frequency sound source tests showed that it was not ideal for room acoustic measurements, so another system with applying a loudspeaker in the low frequency range has been developed.

The measurement method and the software code for Objective 3 were successfully developed.
The previous results were used for developing an acoustic design method of the pipe organ for ensuring a good matching of the pipe organ to the acoustic properties of the room. The design procedure consists of the following design steps:
- measurement of the low frequency properties of the room by the LOFFS system;
- selection of the acoustically best position of the pipe organ in the room;
- calculation of the required acoustic power of the planned pipe organ for ensuring the necessary loudness in the room filled with audience;
- determination of the scaling (pipe length, diameter, mouth width, flue width, cut-up) for the diapason ranks by using the IMPORA system;
- determination of the best locations of the largest pedal pipes using the LOFFS system.