THE ORGAN PARTS SUPPLIER
The organ, also known as the queen of instruments, is actually an entire orchestra. Its size and architecture suggest that many trades are involved in the construction of an organ. Architects, structural engineers, carpenters, fitters, electricians, electronics engineers, programmers and, of course, the organ builder. The organ builder is responsible for the appearance, construction and sound of the organ.
The organ building companies themselves are mostly smaller craft businesses. When we talk about a normal-sized organ building company, there are usually no more than ten well-trained employees. The exception is companies with twenty employees, rarely companies with thirty or more. Not every organ building company can manufacture every part for its instrument itself, nor would this be financially feasible. Organ builders need a reliable supplier and this is exactly where the company Otto Heuss Orgelteile from Lich comes into play. Otto Heuss Orgelteile uses modern CNC machines in its production. Today, it is impossible to imagine our production without them. Precision coupled with the corresponding cost awareness is essential. For example, motors and magnets are manufactured in the metalworking department, contacts and switches in the electrical department and keyboards, organ benches, manual and pedal keyboards in the woodworking department. The organist presses the keys on the keyboards, which are first pre-machined on CNC machines and then finished by hand. Mammoth, bone and many different types of wood are used in the highest craftsmanship.
As a large proportion of the products manufactured by Otto Heuss are destined for export, there must be no complaints. On the one hand, they damage the company's reputation, and on the other hand, custom-made products, e.g. the unique console, cannot be reproduced promptly, let alone delivered to the place of use within or outside Europe. Precision is therefore the top priority in product manufacture! The actual workplace of the artist at the organ is the console. In the past, it was usually purely mechanical, but today it is a masterpiece of various techniques. It is the largest component manufactured by Otto Heuss. It is always unique and is subject to the design and requirements of each instrument. At concerts in philharmonic halls, concert halls and churches, the organist is always in the spotlight with his workstation “the console” and presents his skills to the audience. This alone shows that this must be an elaborate piece of jewelry. Only the finest woods and materials are used here. Care is taken in the design to ensure that all components are in the right place. It incorporates mechanical, electrical and electronic control elements. The designer takes care to design the console ergonomically so that everything is within easy reach and all the controls are located where the user would expect them to be. The Otto Heuss designers are in constant communication with organ builders, organ experts and organists. Everyone contributes in their own way to creating a masterpiece of organ building.
The console is also the brain of the instrument. Mechanics, electrics and electronics are combined in it and work together. Otto Heuss Organ parts has been able to place numerous developments on the market in the course of its long existence. The motto “tradition and progress” has been the company's guiding principle. Today, modern organ building is firmly linked to Otto Heuss Organ parts and is equipped with many Otto Heuss products. Continuous further development of organ parts is therefore a must for us. Today, stop and coupler combinations are assembled and then programmed with the help of PLC systems. These playing aids retrieve the correct timbre from the instrument in real time. This technology also ensures that the organ divisions can sound together. Otto Heuss has set itself the task of being able to supply its own spare parts from times long past. The company is currently in its 4th generation, so many years have passed. An advertising slogan in organ building from the 1970s was: “Organs last for centuries”. Ensuring the supply of spare parts is a major challenge for the company. We live in fast-moving times and the industry thinks in terms of warranty periods of one to two years at most, with a spare parts supply of perhaps ten years. What does this mean for organ building, where an instrument has a 10-year warranty and is still considered almost as good as new after twenty years? Employee training for new components is mandatory. The technology from times long past must be taught and passed on to young employees. This and many other things make our job so exciting and interesting. It never gets boring at Otto Heuss. Varied tasks with great colleagues and customers are fun. The young team works at the highest level and you feel at home under the umbrella of the organ parts specialists.
Stefan O. Heuss