In the Chambers

The chambers are rooms containing the sound-producing parts of the organ – pipework and percussions – and associated items like windchests, regulators, building frames etc.

The organ speaks from the chambers into the auditorium via the shutters (very occasionally, a chamber used for percussions, bass pipes etc. may not have shutters).

Theatre organs are generally totally enclosed in chambers; small and medium-sized instruments in one or two chambers and the largest instruments perhaps in three or four chambers, although there are no hard-and-fast rules.

Chambers should be constructed and positioned so that they are reasonably soundproof, but so that the sound is projected into the auditorium when the shutters are opened. For a medium-sized instrument, the two typical chambers would each be 12 to 14 feet wide, 11 feet high and about 8 to 10 feet deep. These dimensions and proportions can vary, although low headrooms can present considerable problems.

Shutters

Windchest

Manual Chest

Magnet

Pallet

Motor (Pneumatic)

Valve

Top Board

Bottom Board

Rack Board

Rack Pillar

Pipe Stay

Unit Chest

Off Note Chest

Wind supply

Regulator

Trunking

Blower

Wind

Tremulants

Construction

Passage Board

Ground Frame

Percussion

Non Tonal Percussion

Tuned Percussion

Chimes

Chrysoglott

Glockenspiel

Marimba

Piano

Sleigh Bells

Xylophone

Silent Picture Effects

Where are the pipes?