While I understand you're asking about a specific thing you're looking for... you're asking in a forum that has a lot of people who will not suggest something that is either not the ideal or forbidden by church documents issued in the 1950s.

You could look into used church bells for around the same price as an electronic carillon system.

An example:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-c1835-Andrew-Meneely-Bronze-Church-Bell/171860894980?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid=777000&algo=ABA.MBE&ao=1&asc=32475&meid=a3ff869e6d124cb886197712e4770214&pid=100009&rk=1&rkt=1&sd=251627979563

While this won't ring itself at various points during the day, your staff and school children could have different ringing tasks assigned to them.

I don't know enough about bells to recommend specific ones, but there seem to be a lot of used church bells for sale. While the electronic thing might be the easiest and most stress-free option, a REAL BELL is something that is much more ideal, especially for liturgical use.

The document and quote most people will cite is found in this post. The church has seemingly been silent on this point since 1958 - so whether or not this forbidding is still "in force" is certainly something that can be debated...

http://www.adoremus.org/1958Intro-sac-mus.html

"91. Every effort should be made to furnish all churches, public and semi-public oratories with at least one or two bells, even though they are small. But it is strictly forbidden to substitute any kind of machine or instrument which merely imitates or amplifies the sound of bells mechanically or automatically. Such machines may be used, however, as a carillon in accordance with what has been said above."

A picture of our """belltower""" is attached (which, incidentally, is on the side of the church that faces the highway, not the neighborhood).

Doohickey!
How colourful!
A synonym for simulacrum?

It should be understood that Musicam Sacram's provision on bells is in the context of their use for the sacred liturgy; in the previous section, it excludes the use of carillons for liturgy, and that explains why it permits the use of electronic carillons.

Many years ago, when I was a student at the University of Houston, a wealthy dowager donated a carillon to the university, situated in the tower atop M.D. Anderson Library. Except that it wasn't a carillon. It was a carillon simulacrum, made by (I really hate to mention the name) the Schulmerich Company. I was chosen to travel to Princeton, N.J., to learn how to play this instrument. The good part is that I had a wonderful week in Princeton, stayed at Westminster Choir College, and learnt a great deal about bells, both continental carillons and English peals. However, the Schulmerich people did not endear themselves to me. First of all, I deeply resented that they were, in a word, fake. But, even worse, they chortled with glee that they had put half a dozen bell founders out of business. I would never, ever, recommend them or any of their fellow simulacrum manufacturers to anyone for any reason. Like organ simulacra, the entire business is built on deceit and falsehood. As I would take a few ranks of real organ over many 'ranks' of a simulacrum any day, I would, likewise, be happy with my one or two real bells and shudder at the thought of fakes. I learnt much that week that has served me well. I also learnt a lot about just how fake fakes are... and how fake they really sound. It's really bizarre driving by these churches who have these loud speakers blaring out what would be the sounds of bells, but there is no evidence of campanille or belfry to house them - just some amplifiers tucked away somewhere.

I think that Fr Jerabek's 'little belfry with one real bell in it' is utterly charming, beautiful, and admirably real.... and honest. What more could one want?

We understand what you want, but I'm not sure there are many experts in the field of digital carillon systems here on the board to offer you sound advice... this is a board that is mostly about Gregorian chant and sacred music... many of us can't operate the VCR.

Having said that, the last church I worked at that used a digital carillon for hymns was just about the worst thing I've ever heard. The hymns would play out at 3 points during the day and the speakers, which were poorly maintained and were probably full of pigeon.. stuff... would have a static-ish quality. The organ sounded like it was being played by a pianist who didn't believe in block chords and arpeggioed everything. I knew people who lived in the neighborhood around the church that were very turned off by the loud hymn playing several times per day... these were Catholics and they weren't necessarily offended by the fact that there were hymns, but by how bad they sounded.

I'm sure technology has come along way since then (the system was installed about 20 years ago), but whenever I hear people bring up such systems, that's all I can think about.

Jon Laird wisely asked:

Why do we insist on trying to sell Father something he explicitly said he is not looking for?

I'm glad I gave Fr. an advance warning that some of the comments would be unhelpful responses from purists.

Now that we have established that:
(1) The church already has one real bell, thereby meeting the directive in 1958 "De musica sacra";
(2) The building cannot physically accommodate a set of real bells;
(3) and electronic carillons are permitted...

It would be such a fine thing if further comments could be focused on answering Fr.'s question.

"there is nothing to be gained by adding artificiality to what you already have."

That is, frankly, not beyond reasonable dispute. I have heard good or reasonable electronic carillons - in my own community, there are two (one better than the other), which can be pleasantly heard sounding off the hillsides of our municipality for a mile or so at certain hours of the day; I have heard crappy ones (that's how I can tell the difference). I couldn't tell you the technical specs or makers...

And I loves me a peel of real bells, mind you, and think that a Catholic church without at least one proper bell is in a state of undress, as it were.

One of the joys of a place I used to live - Cambridge, MA - was that in Old Town Cambridge (aka the area around Harvard), there are many towers (some secular) with working real bells, and on festive occasions it's quite the thing to hear them all sounding off at the same time. It's not pre-revolutionary Moscow, nor is it Venice, but it's a lot more than can be said of most other American city centers.

A digital synthesizer is not a pipe organ.

Fixed.

PPS - I appreciate the comment from CharlesW concerning Maas-Rowe carillons.

My experience with Maas-Rowe has been good. It was also helpful to have a local company that services most of the carillons in the city. This guy is really good at keeping them working properly. I would think the quality of service in your area would be something to consider.

I hope Jackson and Adam never need pacemakers, or other life-saving "simulacra." They will be in deep doodie if they do. LOL.

A more appropriate anatomical metaphor would be tattooed eyeliner and lip injections.

You can see that at any mass in the U.S. LOL.

Essentially to follow somewhat outdated rules, you want to pay a sexton to be at the church at 6 AM, Noon and 6 PM to ring the angelus by pulling the rope.

(St. Paul's where I grew up had a custodian do this. Every day. And also for weddings and funerals and Sunday mass.)

YOU SHOULD NOT ELECTRIFY THE CHURCH BELLS. IT IS VERBOTEN!

YOU SHOULD ONLY TELL TIME BY LOOKING AT YOUR WRIST SUNDIAL.

With all due respect, carillons are extra, a luxury. If you have a bell, I'd suggest you use it and use it well, and not try and add something that is not necessary in a less than ideal way.

As Adam said, we really ought to keep the quality of arts as high as possible.

With no respect at all, so is heat and air conditioning.

With no respect at all, so is heat and air conditioning.

Exactly. So they shouldn't be put in if they detract from the worship of God. However, most of the time, they don't...

wondering if anyone has had experience

As Charles says, quality of service in your area is a crucial consideration. A couple of jobs ago my duties included resetting a Schumerich carillon clock c. 1970 to/from daylight savings time. This involved reading a big manual and shuffling punchcards into the correct order. Finally it went off making inopportune ice-cream truck noises during Holy Week, and I pulled the power cord. As far as I know no one has been able to reboot since.

Better count this in the "con" column.

Jackson, I hope that, when you were in Princeton, you had an opportunity to hear, see, or otherwise experience Princeton University's 67-bell Carillon in Cleveland Tower at the Graduate College. While a graduate student there, I lived at the GC and greatly enjoyed the weekly Sunday afternoon recitals on the Carillon, as well as the friendship and sage guidance by Julian Bigelow, the university's carillonneur, who maintained and oversaw the upgrade of the carillon into one of the world's outstanding instruments.

https://vimeo.com/102530958

Call Steve Doerger at Verdin Bell Co. in Cincinnati Ohio. Not pushy and very knowledgeable.

I believe the bell control system at my church is made by Schulmerich. We have four real bells, with an electronic control system.

I have found their service department to be slow but friendly and effective. I would not rule them out as possible vendors.

There is much more profanity in America on Sunday than in all the other six days of the week put together, and it is of a more bitter and malignant character than the week-day profanity, too. It is produced by the cracked-pot clangor of the cheap church bells.

A digression on churchbells from Twain's A Tramp Abroad.

Jackson,

For change ringing, you need All Creatures Great and Small

I'll add another, if I may (please don't judge me on their choice of tune!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlxfK4Rd31s