From the OHS PC Database, derived from A Guide to North American Organbuilders by David H. Fox (Organ Historical Society, 1991) -

An organization of organbuilding firms and suppliers founded in 1944; 31 member firms in 1991.

From the OHS Database Builders Listing editor, July 15, 2016. -

APOBA has adopted a position on electronic voices added to pipe organs.

1. The members of APOBA do not favor the practice of replacing organ pipes with electronic substitute sounds. We do not find the substitution of electronic sounds for true pipe sounds to be an improvement of the pipe organ.


2. APOBA recognizes and accepts, however, the occasional use of the following electronic sounds in a pipe organ:

1. 32- and 16- Pedal Stops.


2. Percussion Effects. Non-pipe sounds in the organ such as chimes, harp, celesta, and others were popular for effects in orchestral and theatre organs. They are occasionally requested by churches or their agents. They have infrequent use in the literature for organ and have little or no effect on the basic pipe organ.


3. MIDI Interface. The MIDI interface makes non-pipe sounds from electronic sound sources playable on the pipe organ keyboard. It has utility in those churches that use music composed for synthesizers and sound modules in addition to the traditional music for pipe organs.

Source: The Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America. "APOBA Principles Concerning the Use of Electronically Generated Sounds adopted March 2000." Accessed July 15, 2016. http://apoba.com/downloads/apobapositionregardingelectronicsounds.pdf

Associated Pipe Organ Builders of America (APOBA) website.