| 1958 |
Tektronix invites its engineers to come up with new products. Rodgers Jenkins and Fred Tinker present a plan to make classical organs. The Tektronix board says no, but President Howard Vollum, a theatre organ enthusiast, and Jack Murdock personally help get the business started.
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| 1959 |
In January, Opus 1 (38 stops, 3 manuals, 8 generators) is played in Salem, Oregon at the inauguration of Gov. Mark Hatfield.
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| 1960 |
Rodgers moves to its permanent home, a 16-acre site in Hillsboro. The first all-transistor organ is built.
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| 1966-68 |
Rodgers builds a touring organ for renowned organ virtuoso Virgil Fox, who popularizes organ music nationally with his “Heavy Organ” concert tour. Rodgers is featured on TV programs including Ed Sullivan, the Mike Douglas Day-time Show, the Carol Burnett Variety Show, and Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows.”
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| 1970 |
The first successful pipe-electronic combination organ is sold to a home in Gig Harbor, WA.
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| 1974 |
Rodgers installs a five-manual console in New York’s Carnegie Hall, the largest electronic organ ever built at that time. Virgil Fox plays the dedication concert.
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| 1977 |
Rodgers is purchased by Columbia Broadcasting Systems. The “Black Beauty” touring organ is played for the inauguration of President Jimmy Carter.
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| 1985 |
Rodgers becomes part of Steinway Musical Properties.
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| 1987 |
Rodgers is first to introduce MIDI in church organs and first to make MIDI a standard feature on its church organs. Rodgers completes the installation of the Second Baptist, Houston organ, a custom five manual instrument with 193 ranks and 10,473 pipes.
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| 1988 |
Roland purchases Rodgers, which becomes its North American manufacturing facility.
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| 1990 |
Rodgers engineers develop a new multiple high-speed processing system (PDI™), which dramatically increases the realism of Rodgers organ sounds.
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| 1992 |
The first use by an organ company of memory cards to store music and sound sequences - another Rodgers innovation.
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| 1995 |
Rodgers introduces Voice Palette™ stops, a set of built-in alternative voices that vastly expands the tonal colors and music styles at the organist’s fingertips. The first sequencer and sound module for the organ are also introduced.
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| 2001 |
Rodgers’ 3-manual Trillium organ is featured with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at the inauguration of President George W. Bush.
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| 2003 |
Introduction of Allegiant organ line.
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| 2005 |
Introduction of Trillium Masterpiece Series organs and the Rodgers Organ Architect online ordering system that allows the buyer to customize virtually every feature of the organ.
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| 2006-07 |
Expansion of the Trillium Masterpiece Series line with four and five manual organs. Rodgers also launches new environmental initiatives to become compliant with RoHS, a European directive intended to reduce hazardous substances in manufacturing.
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| 2008 |
Introduction of two new small consoles, the Model 538 and the Insignia 548, along with the 2-manual Allegiant organs: Model 658 and Model 678.
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| 2009 |
Creation of the Masterpiece Signature Series and expansion of the Allegiant line with the Model 648 and two 3-manual organs.
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| 2010 |
Introduction of the Rodgers 500 Series.
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| 2011 |
Introduction of the Model 578, the first Rodgers organ built with Roland's revolutionary SSC "super chip" technology, delivering superior performance in a more compact, sleek design that consumes less energy and needs less maintenance. Addition of the FR6 subwoofer and the FR1 tone cabinet built with strong, lightweight Kevlar® for quicker speaker driver action, greater accuracy and longer product life. First year of the Rodgers North American Classical Organ Competition.
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| 2012 |
Introduction of the Rodgers Infinity Series, with new Natural Pipe Realism™ for an unparalleled new level of pipe organ sound quality, greater flexibility with Library Access™, the first self-contained organ pedalboard design and standard adjustable bench with storage compartment, and more features that make it the most exciting digital organ ever built.
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