Virtual organ reproduces sounds from world’s great cathedrals

Technology is capturing and reproducing the unique sound of some of the greatest cathedral organs across the world.

Technology is capturing and reproducing the unique sound of some of the greatest cathedral organs across the world.

Sitting in his study at Breamlea in southern Victoria, Tom Healey could be anywhere in the world as he devows iconic organ pieces by Bach and Widor. Close your eyes, and you could be sitting in Hereford Cathedral in the UK or a huge church in Caen, northern France with the music reverberating around you.

The acclaimed pipe organist/conductor has a “virtual organ” operated by an Apple Mac computer loaded with the sound made by each pipe in each of several hundred cathedral organs. He uses a conventional display, keyboard and mouse to configure the sounds that take into account the echoes and reverberations of the cathedrals themselves.

Acclaimed Australian pipe organist Tom Healey

“I’m told by people who have played the original organs, then they hear the virtual organ, that it’s just like the real thing. It’s extraordinary.”

The virtual organ is one of only a handful made by Melbourne-based Australian Virtual Organs and uses an Apple Mac computer to reproduce the sound of each organ pipe in each location.

Developers spent hundreds of hours capturing the sounds which are stored on a computer disk.

Mr Healey said the virtual organ cost well over $40,000.