Organ keys are noisy
  • TLMlover
    Posts: 57
    Hi Everyone,

    I'm a beginning organist (classically trained pianist, just starting to use pedals in a very rudimentary way), (my mother was a concert organist turned church organist so I heard fabulous organ music during all of my childhood and early adulthood).

    My question is: why are the keys making noise on the 1993 Allen ADC220 I play at church? I haven't heard this much noise from other organs I have played in other churches. Is my technique part of the problem? I've tried experimenting with touching the keys more firmly, more softly, more staccato, more legato, a little of everything, and haven't found a great solution.

    A friend at a different parish plays a very old and not well maintained Rogers organ probably from the 60s, and one of the keys on her organ makes an extremely pronounced clicking sound when touched.

    Is there any "home remedy" for this type of noise? I assume on my parish's organ it's a matter of no maintenance, high humidity and high temperature in the church, etc. (air conditioner set on 86 during the week!!!)

    Any ideas?

    Thanks in advance!
  • PhilipPowell
    Posts: 124
    I suggest posting on the Organ Forum. I can almost guarantee the guys over there will be able to identify your issue if there is one.

    organforum.com
  • RMSawicki
    Posts: 132
    F.Y.I. That's "Rodgers", with a "d" in the middle. It was the first name of the company's founder, Rodgers Jenkins.

    In any case I agree with sending the question to "Organ Forum".

    Gaudete in Domino Semper!
  • wspinnenwspinnen
    Posts: 18
    Speaking generally, it depends on the instrument, the type of keyboard, and how well it's maintained. One of the concert organs I had in graduate school clicked, but that's because it was a tracker instrument (that is, the keys were directly connected to the pipe). Electro-pneumatic ones I've played are usually quiet, such as the current organ I play.

    Whether the keyboard clicks or not, it's not really a matter of your technique. I've played Bach (ordinary touch) and Messiaen (overlegato) on the clicking tracker I mentioned from my grad school days. Each piece clicked the keys.

    If you want someone to check it out, call the nearest Allen dealer.
  • TLMlover
    Posts: 57
    Great advice, everyone, thank you! I especially appreciate wspinnen's suggestion that my technique might not be to blame for the clicking. It was really helpful to know about the tracker clicking no matter what piece you played.

    I actually asked ChatGPT about causes of clicking and the answer was very good. It even gave me suggestions for how to clean inside the keyboard and apply graphite powder! Lol. Not sure I'm up for that but I can at least try to get the sacristan to set the A/C a bit lower, as the temperature definitely could be having an effect on the keys and other parts of the organ.

    Thanks everyone!
  • GambaGamba
    Posts: 590
    @TLMlover

    The problem is most likely that the ADC220 was pretty much the cheapest organ Allen was making in the 80s. I have some doubt about your date of ‘93; the ADC models came out in the early 80s, and by ‘93, even the cheapest Allens were using the newer MDS prefix and tech. Maybe the dealer had old stock!

    No maintenance should be required. I would expect the keyboards are just clapped out after 35 years, in the same way the suspension on a ‘93 Civic would be by now!

    Thanked by 3Abbysmum irishtenor francis
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