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Music on the Holodeck: Pipe Organ

Ed Johnson

As soon as the JE Holodeck opened, Seaplane eagerly began developing a custom scene devoted to the pipe organ which had already been under construction for several months. He and Galileo physically built the organ console (including manuals, pedalboard, stops, and bench) using the fabrication machinery of the robotics lab, all programed to perform just like a real organ -- then added an impressive set of virtual organ pipes -- thus creating an entire pipe organ accurate in both function and appearance.

Now the new pipe organ needed a suitable venue to show off its awesome power. After some debate among the whole staff, the team finally settled on a very traditional setting: a stone chapel, complete with gothic arches, thus reflecting an important historical organ milieu, but without the overtly religious overtones. Seaplane and Lilabelle then fine-tuned the organ audio program to emulate not only the unique sound of a historical pipe organ but also the astonishing acoustics often associated with this historical building design.

Several JE staff members have musical keyboard experience, so after the new pipe organ debuted, a long queue quickly developed of those eager to play the new instrument. From the outset, the pipe organ concerts proved very popular, and this scene quickly became the most frequently rezzed among a variety of available options.


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