Quote Originally Posted by jt1stcav
It could be the equipment or the recordings or both...I have no way of knowing. But I too have noticed this affect at high volume with pipe organ music as well, especially when the organ is in full crescendo and all stops are drawn, including reeds and mixtures.

The mixture ranks on a pipe organ are made up of several ranks of pipes per note, each pipe playing a third, fifth, or seventh, etc. above unison pitch; in essence between 3 to 5 notes actually playing all at once while a single key on the keyboard is depressed. Imagine playing a chord with both hands so 8 or 9 keys are being played at one time; with a III or IV rank mixture added, there are an additional 24 to 36 notes being played on top of all the other ranks of pipes that make up the ensamble...there are a helluva lot of pipes being played at the same time!

Usually I hear this "harmonic interplay" (thanks, Bingo) at full organ playing large chords from middle C and above on the keyboard (the higher the notes the more noticable it is). And I've noticed this with all my equipment and loudspeakers (and my system has changed completely quite a few times over the years, even from SS to tube). I don't recall hearing this effect during live organ recitals in a church or music hall, or with live orchestral and voice performances (or at rock concerts for that matter)...only in all recordings in all formats (and not just certain ones). Maybe I have heard this during louder live performances; I just don't remember since I don't recall ever concentrating on this particular phenomena.

Thought I was crazy...hell, I am crazy anyway!
Oddly enough, on a pipe organ (I don't have many pipe Organ recordings) I do not notice this aberration at all! But then the only Pipe Organ CD I have is E. Power Biggs where he plays among other things Tocatto and Fugue in D Minor. On this CD the sound is clean as a whistle, pristine...elegant....aberration free. I must add that my SVS SB 12 Plus subwoofer (Hi Grandpaw) carries the low organ pedal notes on that in grand style! I do believe, however, that because of my inability to describe this sound well, many are confusing it with other kinds of aberrations. But that's okay! As I hear more and more comments like yours, I gain a lot! Thanks for helping out!

Old Man Bingo (83)