Is the Viscount Prestige brand discontinued?

[twanguitar]

Viscount's models (in the UK at least) seem to be undergoing rapid evolutions.  For example, their previous flagship 'Prestige' line is no longer on their website, and seems to be discontinued in the catalogues of at least some major Viscount showrooms.  The Prestige used sampled sounds (they called it PCM) and it seems to have been replaced by physical modelling instruments.  Sampled sound organs now seem to occupy only their cheapest ranges, such as those advertised in Organists' Review.

Does anybody know any more?  And do people think it is risky for them to be going so far out on a limb with a technology nobody else uses?  (Look at the Bradford/Musicom story, which was only ever used by a minority of firms and is now more or less dead with the collapse of Copeman Hart and apparently Musicom themselves).

Potential customers might (should) think hard about buying into a minority interest technology!

TG

[dragonser]

Hi,
A good question to which I don't have a good answer.
I guess it all depends on 1. what the new Organs sound like
2. it is easy to voice the physical modelling sounds ?
3 are a range of custom sounds available ?
I guess it is possible that the Viscount physical modelling instruments may not use a similar technology to the Bradford/ Musicom system. unless Viscount let on we may not know.

regards Peter B

P.S I think the Patents for the Bradford system can be found at
<http://www.google.com/patents?id=DfUqAAAAEBAJ&zoom=4&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q&f=false>
Patent number: 4202234
Filing date: Apr 27, 1977
Issue date: May 13, 1980

[revtonynewnham]

Hi

I had an invite to a demon of the latest Viscount range in Morecombe last year.  Especially bearing in mind the prices they are asking (c.£6k for the base model) the sounds are extremely good (on headphones anyway) and not too bad on the inevitable knee board speakers.  Add some additional speaker cabinets and you'd be well away for a budget yet reasonably satisfying practice instrument where pipes just aren't a viable option.  Viscount's "physical modeling" technology has been around for a good 6 years (I came across a 2005 review yesterday), but until now has only been available in their expander modules (I think David has at least one).  There is a range of user voicing adjustments and alternative voices for each stop - I would rate it as very good value for money.  The reeds, from what I heard, were perhaps the weakest point.  Viscount's publicity DVD is worth a watch (it may well be on You Tube - or ask them for a copy).  The pipe & electronic duet at the end of it is impressive.

My guess (not having the technical details) is that the physical modeling is an extension of sampling rather than real-time synthesis (the range of voicing options also makes me think that - but I could be wrong!) 

As to the real-time synthesis systems, I dread to think what the future is for Copeman-Hart (and Musicom - although they also have a significant market share in pipe organ control technology).  The Bradford system is alive and well - but only being produced in small numbers with the involvement of the system's originators, Drs. Peter & Lucy Comerford.  I'm not sure who's building the organs these days - I'll try and find out next time I meet them.  AFAIK, no other firm is using the technology now, which is a shame, but perhaps not surprising given that sample-based systems are easier to set up and require less voicing, as you're not starting virtually from scratch.

Every Blessing

Tony

[dragonser]

Hi,
many thanks for mentioning about the DVD.
I didn't know you could order one from their web site.
details at
http://www.viscountorgans.net/order_promotional_dvd1/index.html


regards Peter B

[revtonynewnham]

Hi

I got a free copy at their demo in Morecombe.

Every Blessing

Tony

[David Pinnegar]

Hi!

Yes - I use a Viscount CM100 expander module - and I am most grateful to the people upgrading to Hauptwerk for passing this and other units on to me at affordable rates.

The module is principally good for baroque reeds - there are great sounds there of Duzians, Trompettes, Vox Humaine of at least three varieties, Muzette, etc etc etc. Yesterday, John Clarke Maxwell wanted a Vox Humana - and although there are at least two or three in other section of the organ, the ability of the unit to assign different stops to different manuals comes into its own.

"Have you got a sub octave coupler" says John - "No" - but no matter, the CM100 has 16ft reeds to choose from and a 16ft Waldhorn did the trick. So it's really brilliant in being able to satisfy at will the caprices of visiting organists, for a Gamba here, or a 4ft reed on the pedals there, or a flute somewhere else or spare Tierce.

Truly versatile.

However, whilst being really great for a single stop at a time or a family of stops, it goes out of its way to produce starting transients, just to be able to say "look here, I can do the job of a pipe - really - yes - really" that I'm not sure that I'd want a whole organ made up of these sounds.

I haven't been able to configure the RS232 interface to be able to look at the pipe modelling parameters of which it is said to be capable of controlling - but I suspect from the computer interface that the voicing options are more to do with volume voicing and presence and position rather than in any way alteration of parameters of the virtual pipe being modelled.

Best wishes

David P

[dragonser]

Hi,
the DVD from Viscount turned up this morning. when I get a chance I will have a look/ listen.
in case anyone wants to look at the Organ Duet version on youtube
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqTXkQTg8qk>

regards Peter B