Nora sez, "My father, a retired software engineer, amateur musician, and OG-maker, is building a pipe organ in his and my mother's living room. The project (which has involved moving to a new house, selected in part due to its organ-friendly design) is being documented on his blog.
My dad is awesome."
Yes, yes he is.
Although the organ is far from complete, I've been having fun playing it. Yesterday one of the Gemshorn pipes (F below middle C) kept sounding after I released the key — a cypher!
Quite apart from its other meanings, the term "cypher" is used to describe an organ pipe that keeps playing after the key is released (or in some cases, before any key at all has been pressed).
In most cases this is due to a mechanical problem with the valve which controls the pipe. Sometimes playing a series of staccato 64th notes on the key will clear it, but not this time.
(Thanks, Nora!)
