Organ Pipe Research: Is 16ft Open-Top Flue Open at Bottom?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the design of a 16ft open-top flue organ pipe and whether it is open at the bottom where air enters. Participants note that most flue organ pipes, including those referenced, are typically open at the bottom and taper in diameter to connect to the air manifold. Key references include Fletcher and Rossing's work on pitch frequencies, indicating that an 8ft rank produces a 65 Hz pitch, and the Nazard website, which clarifies that a 2ft flue corresponds to middle C at 512 Hz, though some pianists consider it to be 260 Hz. The discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding the physical properties of organ pipes in relation to sound production.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of organ pipe acoustics
  • Familiarity with pitch frequency calculations
  • Knowledge of flue pipe design
  • Basic principles of sound wave propagation
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the design and function of flue organ pipes
  • Explore the relationship between pipe length and pitch frequency
  • Study the differences between open and closed conical ends in organ pipes
  • Investigate the impact of air manifold design on organ pipe performance
USEFUL FOR

Organ builders, acousticians, musicologists, and anyone involved in the design or maintenance of pipe organs will benefit from this discussion.

curlyman
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Hi can anyone help me? I am researching into organ pipes, and dealing with a flue organ pipe that is 16ft long and open at the top, my conundrum is: is the organ pipe open at the bottom where the air flow enters? i can find no definitive answers, can anyone help/send me a link?
thanks
 
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I can't really say between the different types. Admittedly I thought there was one basic design and slight variations from that. The ones I have seen were open on the bottom. They taper down in diameter and then basically plug into the air manifold. There is a Dirty Jobs episode where they clean a pipe organ and every single pipe. Here's a link that may help:

http://www.lawrencephelps.com/Documents/Articles/Beginner/pipeorgans101.html
 
Fletcher and Rossing (http://books.google.com/books?id=9CRSRYQlRLkC, p557) state that the lowest note of an 8 ft rank produces 65 Hz pitch. If use http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/waves/opecol.html, I find that a 65 Hz fundamental is produced by an ~8 ft (2.4 m) open or closed conical end.

http://www.nazard.co.uk/organ.html#pitch states that a 2 ft flue produces middle C. They state this to be 512 Hz, but most pianists think it's 260 Hz. If I use 260 Hz in the hyperphysics calculator, I find that it corresponds to an ~2 ft (0.6 m) open or closed conical end.

Nazard also says that a stopped 8' Diapson is only 4' long.
 
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