105 Key Decap Robot Dance Organ plays 'Kabouter Dans' at Widnes 2010

Filmed here is Norman & Mary Kendall's 105 key Robot Decap playing 'Kabouter Dans' and then 'Sugar Bush' followed by 'Sarie Marais' at this year's Widnes Organ Rally, run by the Fairground Organ Preservation Society.
You may notice the snare drum beat is very slightly behind the music - this is presumably caused by the offset in the midi file not being quite enough - i.e the pulse telling the snare drum pneumatic solenoid to operate is not 'before the note' by a big enough margin, the pneumatic being slower to respond than the electronic musical notes, obviously.
The tambourine and robots feet seem to be operating at the correct timing.
The accordion is genuine and is actually playing, not a sound recording.
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Further info (thanks to Stephen Simpson of Happy Cow Music): The basic organ was an Albert Decap dance organ, the Robots were made by Norman himself, with Stephen's suggestions as to functions etc. The organ was converted to midi when the original Albert Decap electronics gave up and Stephen devised the new system. The pneumatics are slow and such the percussion has to be advanced in the midi file, refinement of the midi files is ongoing. The accordion is real but also supported by the electronics.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• robot
• decap
• kendall
• widnes
• organ
• rally
• dance
• dansorgel
• midi
• accordion
• electronic

[happycowmusic]

The basic organ was an Albert Decap dance organ, the Robots were made by Norman himself, with my suggestions as to functions etc. The organ was converted to midi when the original Albert Decal electronics gave up and I devised the new system. The pneumatics are slow and such the percussion has to be advanced in the midi file, refinement of the midi files is ongoing. The accordion is real but also supported by the electronics . Stephen S

[nickn5nl]

@happycowmusic Great useful info there, I've taken the liberty of including part of it in the description. Many thanks!

[petermackett37]

2:35 Sugar Bush and Sarie Mareis.

[nickn5nl]

@petermackett37 Excellent, thanks for that :)

[petermackett37]

@ceredigio I have no idea,it probably came from Decap Herentals,they arrange their own music.

[ceredigio]

@petermackett37 Albert Decap arrangements? Who arranged Kabouter Dans?

[IanPostlethwaite]

@AuntieGavioli I think the robots and instruments were salvaged from an original Decap robot band, I read somewhere, Norman along with Stephen Simpson rebuilt it and it uses one of the models of the Roland Sound Canvas commonly found in many Decap electric / part electric organs

[trainguy111]

Amazing how the accordionist looks at the organist. By the way, what are the names of the three robots?

[AuntieGavioli]

adorable instrument. Norman built it himself I think and the robots he made. Very clever and it generated a great deal of interest!