The "Decap" Belgian Dance Organ, (built by Gebroeders Decap in Antwerp) one of the few in existence today, was found in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium.

This instrument was considered "portable" back in its heyday. It would be set up and moved from dance hall to dance hall every six months!

This marvelous machine plays cardboard "book music", similar to the player piano paper roll.

The Decap measures 12 feet tall and 24 feet long. It features 535 pipes, 2 accordions, 2 saxophones, a snare drum, bass drum, woodblock, tempo block, cymbals and a high hat!

It practically replaces the need for an orchestra...and the sound is deliciously marvelous.
The Decap’s full orchestra sound and light show inspires its listeners to spontaneously break into dance.
The organ follows instructions from strips of perforated cardboard that were typically 33 feet long per tune which needed to be loaded one at a time.
(image courtesy of acpilmer.com)
Click here to see and hear the Decap in action!