Utilising DSL’s design and manufacturing services, Hymn Technology has provided a long-term, cost-effective solution for churches, schools, the Armed Forces and anyone else who needs a ready-to-play, portable music repertoire.
Alan Kempster, Director, Hymn Technology said: “Pipe organ maintenance is unaffordable for many, and even the best digital organs in the world need someone to play them. What we have produced is a robust, high quality alternative which doesn’t need an expert musician or continuous financial upkeep”.
The Hymnal Plus HT-400’s backlit LCD touchscreen guides the user through the straightforward process of selecting and playing a tune as well as many options including changing the tempo, pitch, or number of verses.
Challenge
DSL was commissioned to design and manufacture a new and improved version of Hymn Technology’s digital music product.
Alan says: “After struggling to find parts for our 12-year-old product, we needed to develop a fresh iteration from scratch.
“As we didn’t have the in-house skills to develop it ourselves, we needed to find an expert design engineer in a company which could manufacture it too. This was surprisingly hard to find, so we were relieved when we came across DSL.”
First meeting
After receiving a detailed specification, the DSL team researched the spec in detail, learning a lot along with way about tune repertoires, key signatures and the performance idiosyncrasies of psalm chants!
Alan says: “At our first meeting, I was struck by the team’s enthusiasm and flexibility. While they had never worked in our sector before, I trusted that they could apply their skills and experience to modernise our product. After obtaining the very competitive quote, I went with my gut, and I’m so glad I did”.
Solution
A new enclosure, designed in consultation with DSL, included a purposeful move away from resistive touchscreens to capacitive screens to make it more responsive. DSL’s Design Manager Kevin Kilford says: “As well as being more user-friendly, a capacitive touchscreen has the added benefits of durability, improved clarity and is completely sealable.”
Kevin also led the software development, moving Hymn Technology away from chips and hardware to a more flexible solution which will greatly reduce the reliance on hardware which could become obsolete.
Kevin says: “I really enjoyed the software development of this product. I knew we could work with Alan, who knows his trade better than anyone, and make the project a success. The music industry was new to me and I found myself absorbed in such a unique way of bringing music literally to the masses!”.
Testimonial
Alan and the Hymn Technology team were 100% satisfied with the finished product and the successful working relationship with DSL. Alan says: “The end result was nothing other than brilliant; better than I ever expected. The circuit board design alone was a work of art! Plus, despite additional alterations, there were no additional or hidden costs along the way.
“DSL is responsive, committed and an all-round really nice bunch of people to work with.”
Click here to find out more about the Hymnal Plus and Hymn Technology.