Rodgers Instruments Corporation begins 2014 with an exciting new series of organs featuring magnificent sound and unmatched tonal flexibility, and with a new deluxe option for its acclaimed Infinity Series instruments.
At a gathering of dealers at Church Keyboard Center on the eve of the Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, Rodgers unveiled its new Artist Series and Infinity Series Platinum Edition organ models.
From a fine wood tambour to energy-efficient LED lighting, Artist Series consoles are built with the quality materials and craftsmanship that classical musicians expect from Rodgers. Cabinets have the same dimensional stability as the top of the line consoles due to Rodgers’ use of time-tested construction techniques and state-of-the-art equipment. Even the pedalboard has a new design that prevents misalignment when the organ sits on carpeting or uneven flooring.
Over 50 Rodgers dealers and staff attended the 2014 new model rollout at Church Keyboard Center led by Duane Kuhn, president of Rodgers Instruments, and assisted by Hector Olivera and Dan Miller demonstrating the organs. Mr. Junichi Miki, CEO or Roland Corp., was also in attendance (lower left).
The Artist Series flagship, the new Model 4589, is a four-manual organ that offers an incredible combination of sound quality and artistic freedom, with a wealth of tonal resources to meet the needs of any kind of repertoire. The specification of the fourth manual enable using it as either a solo or antiphonal division. Hector Olivera was on hand to demonstrate the substantial resources of the Model 4589.
The Artist Series also includes the three-manual Model 589 with tab controls and Model 599 with drawknobs, and the two-manual Model 579 with tab controls.
Rodgers President Duane Kuhn also announced that all models of the Rodgers Infinity Series are now available as Platinum Editions. Each Platinum Edition console includes deluxe wooden keyboards with adjustable tracker touch built in Germany by Ulrich Hermann Tastaturbau; mechanical action drawknobs; and a 16-channel audio system. This beautiful combination of features provides a performance experience for the organist on par with any quality tracker pipe organ.
Written by Church Keyboard Center President Nelson Dodge, the Power Player’s Guide is geared for organists who want to achieve expertise in using all of the extensive tonal resources built in to every Rodgers organ. “If you only pull the stops on a Rodgers organ and look no further, you’ll be using less than 20% of the voices in any of the models–from the smallest two-manual to the largest four-manual,” Dodge said. “The lack of curiosity–or sometimes just plain fear of the ‘technology’–that I observed in many organists that I work with is what inspired me to create this Guide,” Dodge continued.