Allen TT-4 Custom organ from the late 80's

We visited some friends in another state this week who have recently acquired a magnificent-beyond-description Allen organ unlike any other I've seen. This is a custom organ built in the late 80's with "TT-4" technology, which is an extreme extension of the ADC technology used in Allen's stock organs of that decade.

TT-4 organs have computer "cages" like ADC and large MDS organs, but use very different tone generator boards. Each stop gets a dedicated computer board in the cage, some stops even occupy more than one board. The audio is also incredibly elaborate. This organ has 16 discrete audio channels, amps, and speakers, so each channel only has to carry two or three stops, vastly less "crowded" that the typical situation where a channel must carry 8 or 10 or even more stops.

The degree of realism, detail, and accuracy goes far beyond anything you will hear from a stock model organ. Even today's most up to date digital technologies do not produce as realistic and defined a sound!

If I'd had time, I would've demoed each individual stop, but our visit was brief. I did get to try it out with a hymn. But even with my clumsy playing you can get a sense of the power and majesty, the clarity, brilliance, crispness, and astonishing realism of this instrument. This felt exactly like playing a marvelous pipe organ, and the reverb system they have added to it made it seem like a world-class pipe organ in a fine church or cathedral setting.

[saxachewon]

Sounds better than many pipe organs I've heard--and the reeds will never be out of tune!

[pianoplayer]

Incredible! Wish my Allen MDS-16 sounded like that.

[WillGardlcc]

Quite a nice sound for an Allen. Most Allen organs I’ve played have been nothing short of pitiful, so it’s nice to see a beautiful instrument make a beautiful sound! I wonder what a newer Allen or Rodger’s would sound like in that room?

[James_Bowie]

What a great sound! Very nicely played! 👍👍👍

[stpetersparis]

This could be a very notable Allen. It is possible this organ was built when Lawrence Phelps was the custom organ person at Allen Organ. Phelps was a pretty prolific pipe organ builder - that could explain why this one is so nice.

[Richard-vqud]

It does sound fantastic. I think the acoustics is what makes the organ. The best organ in the world sounds aweful without acoustics

[jrzzrj]

👍...great sound..for an old dog!. (I mean the organ)...lol