Doric Organ
Encyclopedia
The Doric Transistorized Organ is a model of combo organ
produced in Italy
in the 1960s. Doric organs were also sold under the brand name Ekosonic and were marketed as being the "lightest on the market" at 40 pounds. Much like early Farfisa
combo organs, Doric organs featured a monophonic
bass section and a polyphonic lead which emulated other instruments by using transistor oscillators and a frequency divider section. The Doric never achieved the same fame as Farfisa and Vox organs, perhaps due to limited distribution and a lower price point.
The Doric 61TT featured controls activating
In a nod to traditional organ
s, the control for stops operates in a push-pull manner, activating 4', 8', and 16' stops.
operated on standard 120V power, the cable connecting the unit to a wall was very unique, and, as a result, many organs are sold without plugs and users are forced to either replace the jack with an IEC
standard, fashion a plug from appliance cords, or buy expensive vintage cables. The power supply that the jack connects to converts household current to 9 V
DC
.
, each generating a given tone in a scale. At the far left is a single circuit for the bass notes which shares a circuit board with the solid-state vibrato mechanism. As with many organs of the same vintage, Doric organs often have problems with electrolytic capacitor
s which overflow or burn out over time.
Combo organ
A combo organ is an electronic organ of the frequency divider type, generally produced between the early 1960s and the late 1970s. The combo organ concept, at least in the context of mass-production, is thought to have been born from the accordion, probably in Italy, as the brainchild of necessity...
produced in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in the 1960s. Doric organs were also sold under the brand name Ekosonic and were marketed as being the "lightest on the market" at 40 pounds. Much like early Farfisa
Farfisa
Farfisa is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy.The Farfisa brand name is commonly associated with a series of compact electronic organs, and later, a series of multi-timbral synthesizers. At the height of its production, Farfisa operated three factories to produce instruments, in...
combo organs, Doric organs featured a monophonic
Monophony
In music, monophony is the simplest of textures, consisting of melody without accompanying harmony. This may be realized as just one note at a time, or with the same note duplicated at the octave . If the entire melody is sung by two voices or a choir with an interval between the notes or in...
bass section and a polyphonic lead which emulated other instruments by using transistor oscillators and a frequency divider section. The Doric never achieved the same fame as Farfisa and Vox organs, perhaps due to limited distribution and a lower price point.
The Doric 61TT featured controls activating
- VibratoVibratoVibrato is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms of two factors: the amount of pitch variation and the speed with which the pitch is varied .-Vibrato and...
On - Vibrato Full
- SaxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
- HornHorn (instrument)The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
- ViolaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
- DiapasonFlue pipeA flue pipe is an organ pipe that produces sound through the vibration of air molecules, in the same manner as a recorder or a whistle. Air under pressure is driven down a flue and against a sharp lip called a Labium, causing the column of air in the pipe to resonate at a frequency determined by...
- TromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- ReedReed (instrument)A reed is a thin strip of material which vibrates to produce a sound on a musical instrument. The reeds of most Woodwind instruments are made from Arundo donax or synthetic material; tuned reeds are made of metal or synthetics.-Single reeds:Single reeds are used on the mouthpieces of clarinets...
- FluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
- OboeOboeThe oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
- CornetCornetThe cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
- ViolinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
In a nod to traditional organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
s, the control for stops operates in a push-pull manner, activating 4', 8', and 16' stops.
Power Plug
Although the Doric organs sold in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
operated on standard 120V power, the cable connecting the unit to a wall was very unique, and, as a result, many organs are sold without plugs and users are forced to either replace the jack with an IEC
International Electrotechnical Commission
The International Electrotechnical Commission is a non-profit, non-governmental international standards organization that prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies – collectively known as "electrotechnology"...
standard, fashion a plug from appliance cords, or buy expensive vintage cables. The power supply that the jack connects to converts household current to 9 V
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
.
Operation
Inside the Doric is a line of circuits labeled with the syllables of solfegeSolfege
In music, solfège is a pedagogical solmization technique for the teaching of sight-singing in which each note of the score is sung to a special syllable, called a solfège syllable...
, each generating a given tone in a scale. At the far left is a single circuit for the bass notes which shares a circuit board with the solid-state vibrato mechanism. As with many organs of the same vintage, Doric organs often have problems with electrolytic capacitor
Electrolytic capacitor
An electrolytic capacitor is a type of capacitor that uses an electrolyte, an ionic conducting liquid, as one of its plates, to achieve a larger capacitance per unit volume than other types. They are often referred to in electronics usage simply as "electrolytics"...
s which overflow or burn out over time.