The Baldwin Cinema III
Theatre Organ - 1979
Blue Book says
2 61-Key Manuals
25 Pedals
Tremolo & Vibrato
Percussion Presets
PErcussion Attack
Reverb
Automatic Rhythm (16)
Ensemble Presets
Fantom Fingers
Manual Rhythm
Headphone Jack
Exuberant Horse Shoe Organ
This rare American organ is extremely heavy due to the massive wood construction. Two rows of tabs form spectacular horse shoe, alas many tab switches are rhythm selectors for the beat box only. Keyboard action is pretty nice, I was surprised, that the keyboard make is quite the same as on the Dr. Böhm CnT and later.
Inside are the TOS divider generator and electronic key switching circuits. The wiring of all footages are done on several huge printed circuit boards. Tibia filters are twice per octave and sound very fine. Sawtooth ranks are added by 3 octave and are nice too (Böhm Orchester has 5 octaves sawtooth and sounds much more like rectangle waves...)
There is an own circuit for the piano rank with polyphonic percussion (percussion can be disabled, to get additional organ ranks), great.
Pedal mechanics does not convince me a lot, a bit fragile but it does its work. There is a 16" brass sound which reminds me on the symphonizer wave shape sound of the early Lowreys.
What does really turn this organ into a theatre organ is the extraordinary tremolo effect. It does not have a mechanical Leslie, but a lush Chorus circuit with quite a lot of switches andf possibilites.
The rhythm accompaniment allows the combination of styles and instruments, it is fun to play with. Fantom fingers is Baldwin's contribution to the One-Finger-Play for laymens, useable is the arpeggiator which reacts to every crooked chord.
Uahh, why these ugly round knobs?
The sawtooth ranks of the upper manual and the tabs of the piano circuit, called Fantom Fingers.
Sound Examples in mp3