Big Nelly [DLRP]

[eyore]

[Split from topic 4249 [topic=4249]Theme Park Audio Pr0n[/topic] —Admin]

Disney has a lot of behind the scenes tours. I wish they would offer a tour around the music used at the parks (meeting LMNOP and showcasing how music is pumped out at various locations). I'd love to see how all of this works.

I've only been in DACS once, a very long time ago, and that's before I had a portable digital recorder.

I hope DLRP picks up on these.
Last year (while asking a CM from the ride about the fate of the workings of Big Nellie from the carousel) they told me it was all on a single CD that they played.
Still, I suppose that's a step up from the authentic punch card organ they used to use.

 

[DavidG]

I hope DLRP picks up on these.
Last year (while asking a CM from the ride about the fate of the workings of Big Nellie from the carousel) they told me it was all on a single CD that they played.
Still, I suppose that's a step up from the authentic punch card organ they used to use.

I don't think the CM in question really knew what they were talking about.... The Carrousel loop is housed backstage with the general area loops, out of reach for most CMs. I'll have to add that even I don't know for sure what they use for these nowadays and they might have guessed correctly.

DLRP attractions with multiple audio tracks now generally use the Alcorn/McBride binloop systems, though there still are some of the original Eprom cabinets waiting for replacement as well.

 

[eyore]

I don't think the CM in question really knew what they were talking about.... The Carrousel loop is housed backstage with the general area loops, out of reach for most CMs. I'll have to add that even I don't know for sure what they use for these nowadays and they might have guessed correctly.

I don't suppose you know what happened to the inner working of Big Nelly do you?
You are quite right that the CMs seemed very lacking in the details of her (although they were quite interested by the time I had finished talking to them about it).
I've drawn a blank finding out when they switched from the live organ to the recording although I suspect it was in the mid 90's.
This type of mechanical music is also a little hobby of mine.
You can buy Nelly tunes here
http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/5897420-big-nelly
Alas, not the park ones though.
Yes, I have bought them - if only to remember what she sounded like..

 

[DavidG]

I don't suppose you know what happened to the inner working of Big Nelly do you?
You are quite right that the CMs seemed very lacking in the details of her (although they were quite interested by the time I had finished talking to them about it).
I've drawn a blank finding out when they switched from the live organ to the recording although I suspect it was in the mid 90's.

This may actually warrant a separate topic, I guess, but for the moment I'll just reply here... moderators, feel free to split if appropriate!

I was quite intrigued by this as I have absolutely no recollection of what played at the Carrousel before the current loop was installed (I somehow didn't spend much time in Fantasyland in the early years...) so I've been combing the DLP archives trying to find out more on this topic.

Unfortunately I only found a total of one (1!) document that even mentioned the Carrousel music! It's a Fantasyland audio track list of sorts (not a track list in the Forum's sense, i.e. no individual titles are given) from way back in 1988. It actually states that there was to be a music loop synchronized with the mechanics of the carrousel organ, presumably making it look as if it was played live while actually being pre-recorded... Now, that same document mentions a working band organ for the Labyrinth, so I don't know if it reflects what was eventually installed... (who knows, maybe the working organ was switched to the carrousel eventually...)

Do you have any direct evidence that Big Nelly played live music, rather than simulate it?

 

[eyore]

I don't suppose you know what happened to the inner working of Big Nelly do you?
You are quite right that the CMs seemed very lacking in the details of her (although they were quite interested by the time I had finished talking to them about it).
I've drawn a blank finding out when they switched from the live organ to the recording although I suspect it was in the mid 90's.

This may actually warrant a separate topic, I guess, but for the moment I'll just reply here... moderators, feel free to split if appropriate!

I was quite intrigued by this as I have absolutely no recollection of what played at the Carrousel before the current loop was installed (I somehow didn't spend much time in Fantasyland in the early years...) so I've been combing the DLP archives trying to find out more on this topic.

Unfortunately I only found a total of one (1!) document that even mentioned the Carrousel music! It's a Fantasyland audio track list of sorts (not a track list in the Forum's sense, i.e. no individual titles are given) from way back in 1988. It actually states that there was to be a music loop synchronized with the mechanics of the carrousel organ, presumably making it look as if it was played live while actually being pre-recorded... Now, that same document mentions a working band organ for the Labyrinth, so I don't know if it reflects what was eventually installed... (who knows, maybe the working organ was switched to the carrousel eventually...)

Do you have any direct evidence that Big Nelly played live music, rather than simulate it?

Nothing that would stand up in court
The bellows were certainly working (you could feel the air from the pipes) and the drums situated on either side of the organ (now removed) were playing. The sound also increased considerably when you passed the organ which doesn't happen now.
That could be, as you suggest, that they used the bellows to pump the air through but removed the reeds etc and engineered the music (say by placing speakers only in one section so the music swells and fades as it would with a live organ - they already do this with the single speaker to the left of the booth on the Dumbo ride, of course - and it's noticeable when recording the music whilst riding).
The drums DID work (you could see the skins moving and sound most certainly came from them
(I can't see how the skins would move without striking them).
Whilst I was researching this aspect, I did come across several web pages that stated that Nelly was, indeed, live (these were mechanical music pages relating to the organ, not the Park, and celebrating the fact that Disney had preserved what was held as an important instrument )but I have only been able to find the one that I linked to since though.
There was some enthusiasm shown that Disney was using a live organ but, of course, they may have been fooled if, as you suggest, Disney chose to use a little showmanship and create the illusion of real music. Let's face it, Disney has this down to a fine art.
I should have noted those pages and linked to them as sources for the information, bother!
I'll have to trawl the internet some more.
Isn't it amazing how such information is missing after such a relatively short period of time?
I feel a quest coming on
Do please keep me informed if you find out anything else about her.
http://www.bandorganmusic.com/music/Paul%20Eakins%27%20Gay%2090%27s%20Collection.pdf says that she went to WDW first so maybe the answer could lie there?.