Linux Online - PC-enabled tones rise from ruins of 9/11

PC-enabled tones rise from ruins of 9/11


Publication:	EE Times	Date:	Dec 04 2003

As the towers of the World Trade Center crumbled on that September day two years ago, the plume of debris they spewed claimed a victim that, although not human, was nonetheless irreplaceable to those who loved it: the mighty pipe organ in Trinity Episcopal Church at Broadway and Wall Street. Dust and detritus from the collapse rendered the church's 80-year-old Aeolian-Skinner organ unusable.

But that lesser tragedy opened the door to a unique story — of musical skill, love of an instrument, insight into signal processing and innovation in electronic systems design — that this year has brought about a resurrection of sorts. Today a new mighty organ plays at Trinity — not a pipe organ, but perhaps the most innovative electronic instrument ever to fill a sacred space.