Richards explained the scheme in The American Organist of July, 1924, saying:

The basic idea supporting the design...was not just to build another big organ. Our efforts were directed toward the production of a true concert organ, while at the same time endowing it with the greatest degree of flexibility and tonal color.

No single school of organ design dominates the ensemble; but what was considered to be the best of each school, together with some radical ideas of the designers, were incorporated into the general scheme.

Such hitherto debatable questions as high versus low pressure Diapasons; double harmonic Tubas; unenclosed Tubas; reed Mixtures; and unit augmentation, have all been reduced from the realm of theory to actual practice.

The Diapason experiment is most interesting. Standing side by side, we have the high pressure, high cut, narrow mouth, leathered lip Hope-Jones type and the wide mouth, low cut, low pressure Schultz type Diapason. Determination of which is better is not easy. It depends in no small measure upon the musical training of each individual. It may be said generally however that the Hope-Jones type embodies greater development of the ground tone with a great sense of weight and dignity, undoubtedly of greater carrying power. Considering the smaller scale, the Schultz type is nearly as loud when heard close at hand, but is of a very different quality. It inclines more to a silvery ring. Without being stringy its color is vastly brighter and is somewhat more tractable in the build-up. The low pressures combine well, with little loss of power, there being no tendency toward sympathy. Where only one Diapason is to be included, our experience seems to indicate that the Hope-Jones type is to be preferred, to be followed by the low pressure type where the size of the organ admits.

There can be no debate about the harmonic Tubas. They are in a class by themselves. Greater purity, trebles that balance the bass, more stable tuning and regulating, and real reed quality to the very top are the advantages. It is no longer necessary to use closed tone reeds to obtain smoothness. The double harmonic reeds give refined quality with even greater power and brilliance.

The Tuba Sonora demonstrates that the drive against the unenclosed Tuba has been over-done. For a thrilling climax it is unexcelled. The clear, ringing, jubilant tone... holds its own against the entire Diapason chorus and gives an effect not to be found in any other American organ.

The reed mixtures, "Trombone Chorus", is another demonstration that has proved an unqualified success. No one, not even the builders, believed this experiment to be practical. Mr. Seibert Losh alone was sympathetic, though doubtful; but the result has more than justified its trial. "A fifty stop organ by itself," was the instant comment of a veteran voicer when he first heard it. Our confidence in the result was largely based upon the knowledge that the Trombone reed develops the fifth to a very large extent, and that consequently emphasis of the off-unison ranks would undoubtedly result in the reinforcement of the partials, and the resultant increase of the ground tone, that produces a virtual blaze of tone. The success of the unit augmentation as applied to this organ is beyond question.

...the principle of unit augmentation is to be applied in such manner as not to violate the fundamental principle of true organ design. This means that in no case are the fundamental ranks of the organ to be unified so as in any way to effect the ensemble, but that unit augmentation is to provide for greater flexibility and, most important of all, new tone colors by means of derived harmonic augmentation. This principle, as applied in this organ, has opened an entirely unexplored field of tone color production.

...most of this harmonic augmentation is derived from the floating organ, which augments the Orchestral or Choir division. Much unit augmentation has been done in the case of the Pedal, with such results that in the opinion of many organists the Pedal is the finest and most outstanding division of the organ.

The Great Organ is, as it should be, the foundation of the entire tonal design. Very few organs can boast a Diapason Chorus so extensive as provided here...

The Grand Cornet is virtually a organ in itself, standing upon a separate 73-note chest (511 pipes). Any or all of the ranks can be drawn separately, by means of individual tablets. They do not come on until the Grand Cornet Stop-key is depressed. The pipes are of the low pressure, wide mouth variety similar in design to the low pressure Diapason but winded on 7½". The Grand Diapason is voiced on 7½" wind, is of the Hope-Jones type, made of heavy metal, and, as above indicated, gives a big pervading tone. The First Diapason is of the Schultz model. It is made of very heavy spotted metal with a mouth as wide as the pipe, low lip, very fully blown upon 3¾" pressure. The pipes in this rank are exact duplicates of the famous Schultz diapason at Tyne Dock and are made from sample pipes procured in England through the kind offices of Mr. George Ashdown Audsley.

The Second Diapason is voiced very much like the first except that the mouth is slightly smaller and the scale is somewhat smaller. It is made of heavy planed metal and is similar in scale to the Schultz diapason at Armley. The [Diapason] Phonon is voiced like the modern high pressure Diapason but without a leathered lip.

The manual Trumpets are voiced to provide additional brilliance for the Diapasons without changing the quality of the foundation chorus...the Tuba Sonora...is one of the outstanding features of the organ. Voiced upon 20" wind, unenclosed, and standing immediately back of the case, it provides a body of tone of almost overwhelming grandeur. When used in solo it requires the entire Diapason Chorus to provide a suitably balanced accompaniment. Made of very heavy metal, the rank is noteworthy because it is the only doubly harmonic reed in the United States. The resonators are of normal length to F-sharp, where the first harmonic begins. This is carried up as a single harmonic to g2, when the pipes jump to their double harmonic length and continue to the top of the compass, the pipes actually speaking their third harmonic.

The effect is to provide a wonderfully clear tone of suitable strength to balance the bass, a feature in which most reeds fall short. It likewise admits of dispensing with the usual flue pipes in the upper octave.

The Solo division is noteworthy for its variety of reeds. The Tuba Magna is a unit doubly harmonic in the upper octaves and carried to the top note of the Clarion by means of trebly harmonic pipes. To avoid weakness in the middle register, due to unification of the reed, a Royal Trumpet has been introduced. This being of fiery reed character adds brilliancy as well as depth to the solo reed chorus. Another novelty is the Grand Viols. These two strings are the most powerful the writer has ever heard in an organ. Among the smaller reeds, the French Horn and the Saxophone are very characteristic of the orchestral instrument. The Stentorphone is a true Diapason of somewhat novel design.

The Pedal Organ with its three 32's produces a very massive foundation. By extending suitable ranks, a Seven Rank Mixture has been provided in addition to the Grand Cornet playable from the Great.

The Orchestral organ...has been called Orchestral rather than Swell because it lacks some of the features found in a true Swell Organ. It is made up entirely of Strings and reeds. The variety of strings makes almost any orchestral effect possible. Situated between the Orchestral and the Choir swell box is a third swell box containing a floating organ. This unit applies the necessary flute tone for the orchestral division and likewise a large number of off-unison ranks which constitute the most radical departure from conventional tonal design. The combinational possibilities of the Twelfth, the Gross Tierce, and the Seventeenth [the latter two stops being derived from the Gemshorn Celeste, #60] in the floating division, with the unisons in the Orchestral or choir divisions, result in tone colors entirely different from those to be found in the usual organ, providing a seemingly inexhaustible supply of new tonal effects.

The Choir division possesses a novelty in the unified Dulciana. The effect of this Dulciana chorus must be heard to be appreciated. The 1' when drawn with other Choir voices produces a sparkling effect of great charm.

Situated in the left gallery is the Trombone Chorus. From two ranks of reeds on 10" pressure a reed mixture has been produced which draws at 16', 8', 5¹/3', 4', and 2²/3'. The result is a most surprising effect. The off-unison ranks, absorbed in the unison ranks, produce a most amazing reed chorus which fills the whole auditorium with a dominating body of sound. Directly opposite is the Echo division containing two excellent reeds, a string, and a pair of beautiful Spitzflotes.