Working on that now. Perhaps by the end of the year I'll be able to post a performance. In the meantime, check out Jerry Martin. He has a very similar instrument to mine. ru-vid.com
Me too! Stay tuned for the next installment of the series. Recently, the stars have had to be aligned for me to have time to set up my cameras and play something while my 2 year old is occupied with something else.
It's all done and has been working since August 2020, I just haven't had time to make another video yet for updates. I should have more time as summer approaches. Thanks for watching.
Just stumbled upon this video and got hooked … seems very complicated to set-up. You need to be both an organist and a technician - Nice Job it looks great 👍
Thanks for watching! While there were plenty of turnkey models available, I opted for one that was a little more open and flexible. It was unfortunate that a couple of parts weren't shipped initially, but Gerwin at Content was quick to help fix that.
Thanks for watching. Sorry I haven't had much time to myself recently other than just practicing. This instrument was designed to work with Hauptwerk, so you can get an idea of the sound by checking out some other channels in the mean time. I would highly recommend Gert van Hoef (playing at home), James Flores, Vidas Pinkevicius, Jeremiah Martin...the list goes on! All are much better organists than me.
Thanks for the suggestion. I have some foam, but haven't been using it for this organ since there wasn't enough clearance to run my cables out of the holes on the console top. I also play through headphones 99% of the time, so vibration isn't really an issue. I have been considering getting a pair of the IsoAcoustics ISO-200 monitor stands. It looks like those would do the job of isolation, and have open space for running cables. Maybe I'll do it in the future. Take care.
Reminds me of the best Christmas present I got as a child , Parents got my brother and I each our very own Deep freezer box to play in . It was everything from a hideout to a spaceship in my mind , so much fun.
Very cool! I have an old Rodgers 655 in my family room. The original electronics are a couple of HUGE PC boards, and they work fine, but my fantasy is to harvest just the MIDI bits and convert it to Hauptwerk. Effectively have this shell, but without the specific wiring.
I think a regular PC is cheaper and more powerful than a laptop. I’m currently building a dedicated Hauptwerk PC for 1200 euros: 64GB RAM, Intel i9-9900 8-core cpu, 1TB SSD, case and coolers from beQuiet. MacBook is more expensive and doesn’t get close to such specs. 🙂
@@Engineer9736 Yes I have a dedicated PC. 1200 euros is in the ball park price of my computer with similar memory and 8 core processor. Prices have been going down! 1TB SSD is the way to go. I only had around a 230 GB SSD in my first Hauptwerk computer and that was a mistake. That was back in 2008, when SSD's were far more expensive. I think a 1TB SSD back then was over 650 euros.
@@Engineer9736 You are correct. For me, I needed to get a computer that I would be using for several different projects, including video editing, so I wasn't in the market for a dedicated organ computer. I had the specs of my MacBook Pro maxed out, including 64GB RAM, so it suits my needs very well, and even the large sample sets, such as Rotterdam, load pretty quickly. Thanks for your comment!
I am fascinated by your videos as. Intend to buy the same or compatible instrument. I am from NZ in a far corner of the world and our whole population is only the size of a large US city. Content do not have an agency here in NZ and I hear from 2 very skilled technicians who actually repair organs for a living that Haupwerk is not as easy or straight forward to set up as it appears as they have had major problems with their systems. If problems cannot be solved online then we are stuck. However I like what I see with Content and the Sales manager is excellent to deal with and I have confidence of receiving excellent service . So it will be either a Viscount which does have a small agency here and a large Cathedral installation or Content as both have a compact model which I need. I have an older Viscount at home and the sounds are good but it is not portable and I need to do some repairs. what I have heard on line with Content / Hauptwek models sounds fantastic but if I cannot get it to work or solve any problems I may as well not have it. Would love to hear your organ played.
Thanks for sharing so much detail about the organ market in NZ. I've learned! I hope you're able to get your project off the ground. One of the benefits of a Content installation is that they install software on the computer inside so everything can be manipulated remotely by them, for the purposes of installing new sample sets or diagnosing problems.
Nice console Andrew! I'd love to have something like that for my setup.😍 Currently, it's just a 2012 MBP running into a USB>5x5 Motu Microlite MIDI I/O and from there into a Casio WK-1800 keyboard and an old Roland EP-5 keyboard. I run Hauptwerk through GarageBand on the Mac to add reverb, etc. to the 'dry' sample sets, and then via a digital audio out cable to my home stereo system, complete with powered woofers, etc.😉 I had *started* to build a console several years ago out of an old Hammond church organ console and an HWce2 MIDI console encoder from MIDI Gadgets Boutique to handle the 2 manuals and the pedal board. Unfortunately, I became disabled and couldn't continue the project, so the current setup is the next best thing. Still considering getting the wiring finished on the pedal board and using the HWce2 to get the signal to my Motu Micro-Lite. Would be much nicer than trying to split the keyboard on the Casio to get pedals that I can play left-handed and melody with the right!😁 Would love to hear some 'content' from your Content once you get everything all lined out!😉🎵🎶👍
Wow, thanks for the detailed comment! I started out with a very similar setup, except using a Native Instruments or M-Audio keyboard (can't remember which). Sorry to hear that your project came to a halt. I would definitely go full steam ahead with getting your pedal board finished. Having that was the biggest game changer for me, and took the instrument from just being a novelty to something I could seriously practice on. Best of luck!
Hopefully as soon as I can carve out some time for myself. I've been making recordings of other organists recently, so I haven't had much time at home. Stay tuned. In the mean time, you can check out the channel of jerrymartin79. He has the same model I do, but he's a way better organist!
Primarily, I think I was drawn to the aesthetic and reputation of Content Organs. There are some good Hauptwerk organ builders in the United States, but they must not have done a good enough job of advertising to me! I was also considering Arnold Organs. Thanks for watching.
I heard that these consoles can be Haupwerk ready? Do you think just getting a regular midi console is better or not? Thank you for your feedback. Best wishes. W.
William, what you've heard is correct. Most manufacturers, including Content, make turnkey organs that have everything built-in and ready to go for Hauptwerk. The main reason I went with mine, which is essentially just a MIDI controller, is that I already had the HW system I wanted to use set up on my computer and didn't need any additional equipment. As to which option is better, it's all a matter of personal preference and workflow. One of my colleagues in Texas just ordered a Cambiare 312 with everything built in for the sake of simplicity..."all in the box," so to speak. I hope to have a video of his installation also, for comparison. Take care!
When I added Hauptwerk to my organ, all I had to do was connect the midi and audio interfaces to the organ jacks and then to the computer with USB cords and I was done! (Yes, and then auto program the manuals and stops.) You bought this custom built organ, had it shipped in from another country and then you had to be an engineer to hook it up. I hope you didn't pay much for it. You could have gone on eBay, bought a used Alan or Rogers organ with MIDI and lots of stops, had a much easier time connecting it, and the end result would have been a better product.
Hi there. Thanks for your comments. You're right, the big problem with this whole thing was that a very important cable was missing. I've chalked that up to a miscommunication between the US vendor and the manufacturer. Content was willing to send me the correct cable to solve the issue, but I was being a little impatient, so instead I got instructions from one of their technicians about where to find the part on Amazon (can't beat 2-day domestic delivery) and how to wire it up. As far as your other points go, I had a very specific, minimal design in mind, and I had enough financial flexibility to make it happen just the way I wanted. Not interested in drawknobs or tabs, just touchscreens so most sample sets would work seamlessly and retain their original aesthetic. I also wasn't looking for a used, traditional digital console, because a 3-manual instrument like that wouldn't fit through any doors in my house. Eventually, I'll move to a bigger house as our family expands, and this can become a proper installation in a main room. I appreciate you watching and sharing your ideas. Take care.
There is quite a difference between an old used console being reused with Hauptwerk, and a brand new quality console made for Hauptwerk (what you see in this video) 🙂
Mr. Fuhrman. Would you mind sharing the ALL IN estimated cost of your system, minus the Apple and video production equipment? I'm ORGANizing my finances and I would like to know how much to budget. Kindest regards!
Hello, it is me again ! To play Bach, personally I find that the Friesach organ is the best, and the Cavaillé-Coll in Caen for romantic repertoire (Franck, Vierne, Widor). Jacques, from France.
Thanks for your comment, Jacques. I like the Friesach organ myself, but I've been enjoying playing Bach lately with the new Noordbroek sample set from Sonus Paradisi. Of course, French music is a joy to play on Caen!
Interesting to see this organ up close. Must be amazing to own it. Only the price is quite a thing... could buy a very proper new car for it. It makes me wonder if that bit of woodworking + 3 manuals + pedal is really worth that sum. If would be cool if you could show what the feel of the keys is like (without the organ sound). I'm always curious about what the quality of real well-priced organ manuals is like. Congratulations with this organ in any case 😊
Thanks for the comment. It really is quite a spectacular instrument, which is noticeable right away from the craftsmanship. The cost is nothing to sneeze at, but I can say the organ cost less than my car, which I bought about 6 months before this and is pre-owned. Regarding the key feel, the manuals are all Fatar 61TP-60LF, as far as I can tell. Pretty standard model in most organs like this. It has what they call a "tracker touch", so there's sort of a slight snap feel to the key, which is apparently accomplished by some sort of bubble before it makes contact. I definitely prefer this action to a standard electric action organ keyboard that feels more like a synthesizer, as it helps me know better when the note will sound. Those Fatar keyboards aren't that expensive by themselves, so you're definitely paying for the labor here, which is really top notch. The pedals, which use magnetic contacts, also feel great, and are nice and light to the touch.
@@dfuhrman Last week i contacted Content sales about this organ and the price is quite doable indeed! It seems they have 2 versions of this organ: The bare midi console like you have, or a full organ with speakers/their own samplesets/hardware/etc. That last one is like 3 times more expensive than the bare-midi version. I already own Hauptwerk/samplesets/speakersystem/etc so just the bare midi version is good enough. Good info on the manuals. They said that they can deliver UHT manuals which i've been looking at for years, those look really good. Still have to ask them for the additional price for that though. Until to far i've only been playing on a digital piano, which is enough to practice a lot of aspects on, but my interests is really at organ music which requires at least a pedalboard to take some work off your hands. And it's an amazing piece of furniture to own as well 😀
@@Engineer9736 I agree with you, and after some research, decided the MIDI console was all I needed. I'm actually starting to get curious about UHT keyboards or even the upgraded Fatar models myself. I took some things apart last week while my power and internet were down (Texas) and it looks like the keyboards could be easy to retrofit with another model. Also agreed that it's an excellent piece of furniture!
@@dfuhrman I've asked for the UHT manuals but they are like at least 2000$ a piece. Then the manuals will be worth more than the entire original console cost 😜 I've ordered a 4-manual version with wooden key core and 3-swell pedals (one for crescendo, i have the Palace of Arts Budapest sampleset) a few weeks ago. Bit of a gamble as I've never seen the console with my own eyes. Maybe the camera lens of pictures/video stretches the dimensions a bit. I hope the real instrument will be fully to my liking 😀 I've also been thinking to buy real stop switches with LED lighting in the future, and then build from wood some panels with those switches in it as a monitor-replacement. I think that will look way more like a real organ than with touchscreens.
@@Engineer9736 Thanks for the information; that's helpful to know, and even a little more expensive than I was expecting, but sounds about right given their reputation for high quality keyboards. I hope you enjoy it. Sounds like a fantastic instrument!
Hmm - the build quality seems slightly disappointing with lots of veneered chipboard used. I use solid wood when I build Hauptwerk-compatible organ consoles. Moreover, it does not appear that the console is designed in a modular manner that is quick and easy to disassemble.
Thanks for your comment. The sides, table, key cheeks, music rack, bench, and pedalboard are all solid wood. While there is some MDF used, it’s mostly on the interior as shelves to mount the electronics and keyboards, as well as the back cover. Even so, everything has a very sturdy feel. The design is purposely made for permanent installation, so I’m not certain that easy disassembly was one of Content’s goals. Take care!
@@dfuhrman My designs are in solid wood with stainless steel bolts and wing nuts, so it is not necessary to use tools when assembling and disassembling the instruments that I build. For your system, in view of its cost when purchased, I am surprised that the manufacturer skimps with MDF.
@@tommorris3688 ok now I understand your previous comment better about not being modular regarding assembly. Thanks for the follow up. I guess the MDF makes manufacturing quicker when dealing with producing so many organs, but that’s not my area of expertise. I’d be curious to see a catalog of your organs or some pictures, as I haven’t seen too many with a design that’s easy to assemble/disassemble.
@@dfuhrman I used to undertake custom build for individual customers and churches, and have enough parts in stock for building circa 20 organs. I always use solid wood and totally modular design, so consoles can be updated as advanced technology becomes available. So often, I have had to help move 2- and 3-manual unitary-construction consoles, and it is a nightmare when the weight is 250 kg or more. I try to keep the weight of individual items of the consoles I build less than 20 kg, usually less than 15 kg. It means that a single person could shift the organs that I build. The Content 224 was perhaps inspired by the discussions I had with friendly staff at Content Orgels. Viscount has tried to compete by manufacturing the Cantorum Duo that can be used as a MIDI controller to drive a PC with Hauptwerk (Milan Audio Inc.) or GrandOrgue (open-source) software; I am not overly excited about the sound generation technology used internally within the Cantorum Duo, but the intrinsic sound of the Cantorum Duo is probably acceptable for many churches whose congregations are not so discerning.
I think for home organ console is solid wood uselessly expensive and heavy solution... (Indeed, it is necessary for keys and keyboard/pedalboard frame.)
Thanks for watching. While there were plenty of turnkey models available, I opted for one that was a little more open and flexible. It was unfortunate that a couple of parts weren't shipped initially, but Gerwin at Content was quick to help fix that.
