May 2003
Research and Teaching

Bradford Technology attracts Arts Grant

The Arts and Humanities Research Board is supporting some unusual musical research at the University.

Dr Peter Comerford (pictured right), of the Department of Computing, has been awarded £52,000 to investigate the problems involved in using digital sounds in combination with pipes in so-called 'hybrid' organs.

Peter said: "Hybrids are becoming more popular, but there has been no systematic work to find out what makes for musical success - or failure - when digital sound is used alongside pipes.

"It is not just a question of putting good quality pipes with good quality electronics. Starting from our own experience of hybrid organs we will be looking at factors related to organ tonality, to tuning - including keeping the digital sounds in tune with the pipes as the temperature changes - and to sound output."

Experimental work in the project will use Bradford Enhanced Synthesis Technology (BEST), a sound synthesis system designed at the University, to discover exactly what factors are important in a hybrid instrument.

The aim is to define best practice in this area, and to test the results of the research in an actual hybrid organ.

The work was supported by a recommendation from the President of the Royal College of Organists Simon Lindley and received an 'A' grade from the peer review panel.

6 May 2003

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