The pricing of the software is shit. $600 and it does NOT include major updates is a scam. Let loose the sails and raise the colors for it's a pirates life for us.
As far as I am concerned, HW is the same as Grande Orgue -- with a few more bells, whistles, and much higher cost. Albeit, for someone who knows little about computers and programming, I suppose it is a useful tool. The sound is exactly the same, being dependent solely upon the samples, and the audio system used.
Or, get Organteq 2 for $269. No upkeep. When Organteq 3 comes out, we don't know the upgrade price AFAIK, but the upgrade from version 1 was $29. To me it definitely sounds god enough, but others can disagree.
I wish your help with Hauptwerk had been around 10+ years ago when I invested in a high-powered PC (with all the appropriate interfaces) to make my Hammond XK-100 play Hauptwerk. Although I actually got it to work (somewhat), the software was far to daunting for me so I let it expire. (I think I was running version 2 or 3.) The sound is really amazing, though. Sold it all!
Your video is very good. Thumbs up. Now to the topic. Hauptwerk is for amateurs. Possibly some "but-I-Am-A-Pro" will say: but I am a pro and I use it. Well, OK, I did not defined what is an amateur. But I want to define what makes Hauptwerk (even more Grandorgue and derivated products) - as practice organ - questionable. #1 you face a computer with all its potential problems. Dont sell your car, you will need it to go to the church and practice there, be sure of that!!! #2 you practice with a huge reverb. This fails in matter of precision. You become more amateur, you regress or you dont progress. In the barock, organists practiced on pedal clavichords or harpsichords: terribly precise. In the romantic time on pianos: still quite precise. At some time in the past on pedal harmonium: no quite precise but at least without drowning reverb. #3 you are in a situation that educates you to inauthenticity. Authentic is: practice very precisely at home (dry, I guess) and adapt in-situ. I found very helpful a mic in the church connected to closed headphones. And depending if I have time: record #4 its terribly expensive. The program is expensive, once you start you want more power in your computer, you need absolutely an external sound card, you need the best of the best of speakers, not said you want a console with at least 3 keyboards and motorised stops: you falled in the consumerism trap. And instead of continuing to be an organist when you are not practicing, you think of you next upgrade... #5 now for purists: Hauptwerk mixes the samples electronically. On a pipe organ, there are three kind of "mixing devices". Either you play a tracker (sometimes electric transmission) and the pipes are mixed tone-per-tone (the wind channel they stand on gives kind of synchronization), or you play (generally pneumatic, sometimes electric transmission) pipes that are synchronized per stop. Or you play a unit organ. Hauptwerk cant reproduce the synch of the tracker, or it should sample all possible combinations of stops (you would need a supercomputer). #6 my solution: I bought a pedal harmonium (16-8; 16-8; 8-4) for the beginning (I am back in Germany after 10 years abroad). My main organs are 13km away (III/P) and 21km (I/P very precise) and I am there or there 6x/week so I can arrange enough time to practice before choir rehearsals. 1x/week would be enough. Costs: 250,-- for the harmonium (650,-- for the car rental, I feel ashamed). Be happy with Hauptwerk, but dont complain when the money is gone, and you feel frustrated for many reasons.
Thanks for doing this. I need to refer back to your video every time I set up my or a friend's system, and your review is the most straightforward one I've found.
This is very useful, however I ran into an obstacle following the download to my PC. The PC prompts for a choice of what to use to open it. I have not found anything which works.
Presumably, if you're configuring for a youtube feed, you only mix to a 2 channel stereo mix and try to emulate the physical locations of that particular physical organ.
JUST what I wanted. I’m thinking of purchasing HW and this helped me get rid of some of my apprehensions and fears regarding doing so. Can’t wait to see some of your other postings now!!
I tried hauptwerk but ran into keyboard problems that the release of keys did not register, and ended up with their free sample organ doing the bagpipes. for people with the right equipment this is probably not a problem.
I'm having my own Casio CT X3000 connected to Grand Orgue(can't afford Hauptwerk) but I'm too satisfied how recorders of this organs were so passionate to let us play the sound of a real pipe organ even in our house or using a cheap keyboard like mine. The most satisfying part is to maximize the settings of the organ to fully satisfy the experience like even in only single manual keyboard, you can make it like you're playing two manuals
Fantastic learning time for me. I have configured Hauptwerk by much confusion already. After watching this video only, I backed up and did the things you showed how to setup the software. It sure made a difference with this organ. I'm using Theater und Philharmonic for my upcoming client I'm putting this system together for. It is amazing software, but the book is somewhat confusing. Your video on this part was an eye opener! Thank you for your time to help those of us using Hauptwerk. Looking forward to seeing more of your videos. BTW... I'm using the "TUP" organ because of one of your videos playing that organ. Thank you again!!
Hi. I see you have a lot of knowledge about Hauptwerk. How are your organs run? Maybe you know how to configure the program to run after turning on the power, i.e. turned on the system, then hauptwerk started and samples were loaded. Not every organist knows how to use a computer. Is it possible to do it like in a normal digital instrument?
Sadly I followed this following problems with routing multi channel audio and have been left with no sound whatsoever and a completely disabled system 😢
Given the option of buying sample sets in dry or surround, what is the more sensible choice? Setting up custom routing and reverbs sound a bit too daunting to me, so I lean towards surround.
If I wish to transport an organ like this to a church, and use for congregational singing (with PIANO), is there an easy way to TUNE the organ to the PIANO? (quickly)
I just connected a similar system except my laptop is state of the art and I'm using a Kawai CA99 Concert Artist digital piano. My issue: there is a delay from when I play a note to the sound coming out of the piano speakers. How do I fix this?
