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The end of the road for the Hauptwerk monopoly

Started by David Pinnegar, January 30, 2020, 01:10:26 PM

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David Pinnegar

In my opinion the Hauptwerk project and associated sample sets are really important for being able to introduce us to different types and styles of instrument, and repertoire.

But Hauptwerk is . . . well people make criticisms of Hauptwerk that are well known. Not only that but getting any sort of response for a request for help is simply out of the question unless upon a very commercial basis. Goodwill is held for naught.

And then there are creators of sample sets created for version 4.2 which simply don't run on version 4.1. In this category is one of the instruments sampled by Piotr Grabowski http://www.piotrgrabowski.pl/ as well as all the organs painstakingly sampled in Malta https://maltesepipeorgans.webs.com/ where there is an extraordinary collection of pipe organs both original and of historic importance as well as a number imported, installed, restored and maintained by Robert Buhagiar.

So it's a real pleasure to see two new software projects coming along.

One is Organteq from the makers of Pianoteq. The piano software is really extraordinary and the organ software from the same stable works really well - https://www.modartt.com/organteq and it will be a pleasure to see future development of this.

The other is Grand Organ which I haven't had the opportunity of trying yet but looks interesting and created with an ethos of helping and promoting the future of real existing pipe organs. https://digitalvpo.com/

Andrew Jones designed the software from scratch, he says, following the maths of the appropriate tasks. He writes:

QuoteHowever, this isn't just yet another VPO up for sale.  Our project from the outset was to try and make VPO less threatening and actually help the pipe organs they imitate.  It was also important to us to encourage more young organists by offering it to them for free, and any proceeds that come from the software and sample sets, actually goes back to help protect and maintain the real thing.

Our staff donate their time freely.  The costs of running the company are relatively low, so we are able to pass on more than just token donations to the organ funds.

We also specialise in helping create a new sampled organ, perhaps which may need some help and restoration, and making a digital replica available, to raise funds for that organ.  In most cases we offer this without taking any proportion of the proceeds.  On a case by case basis.

We also like to intervene as early as possible for organs which are otherwise playable but at risk, which can be sampled and at least preserved digitally before they rot.  Again, if we can help stop that organ being at risk, then we will.  We are only limited by how much support we get from the organ community.

In my opinion this is the true spirit of organ enthusiasm and just what the organ world needs.

Best wishes

David P

revtonynewnham

Hi David

If you get round to trying Grande Orgue I'd be interested in your comments.  I'm intending to try it when I have time - I'm still getting very tired after my recent health issues, and there's a lot of Sue's stuff still to sort out.

Every Blessing

Tony

ILP

David

I have no connection with Hauptwerk other than being a long term satisfied user, both at home and with some electronic ranks for the pipe organ in church.

I have to disagree with your comments, especially as the forum continues to offer good support (much of it at present by the software designer), and a well-known independent consultant has been appointed as support manager. There is also a new customer service manager.

Your problem with version 4.1 / 4.2 is easy to solve. If you have a version 4 dongle, you simply download the newer version.
http://www.downloadhauptwerk.com/win

You will know that version 5 is now available, and this is at a cost - as all major version number updates have been. There are a few steps that need to be taken to use certain sample sets  created for previous versions, but these are relatively straightforward. Support has been freely available.

I have tried other organ software, and I have to say that none of it compares in terms of quality of sound and realism.

Regards
Ian

David Pinnegar

#3
Dear Ian

I'm delighted at your satisfaction with the software and its results, and I have a very creditable instrument at Hammerwood at Hammerwood Park thanks to the generosity of a wonderful fellow St Maximin enthusiast and which will be expanded in due course. In that regard thank you so very much for advice and links to the upgrade download.

I'm not the only one scratching my head with lack of ability to get support for Hauptwerk software - not even the suppliers of the Version 4.2 sample sets know about how to sort that out so your help here is really wonderful. Thank so much.

At a school in Surrey I'm helping with sorting out an installation they're building, a four manual instrument that's presented one obstacle after another and getting any answers from Milan Digital Audio has been wholly unproductive.

Of course application of their software should be simple but it seduces into what can be ambitious projects and the school called me in having installed a forty channel audio system. Getting this working has been a nightmare and we're not out of the woods yet. MDA leaving their customer out in the cold has not generated enthusiasm. They give me the impression that they think they've got such a hold on the market they really couldn't care less about anyone battling to get quite complicated systems based on their software to work. I look forward to being proved wrong.

In the meantime Organteq new on the block comes from a very experienced instrument simulation software stable and appears promising. Simulating pianos is much more complex than simulating organs and they've achieved Pianoteq with very great success. Meanwhile Grand Organ sets out not only to provide good organ reproduction but to support pipe organs and the pipe organ industry. I'm not at all sure that MDA can put claim to such brownie points and it would be interesting to hear your opinion of their software.

Without question Hauptwerk does place high demands on computers. The Organteq software is small and it's the intent of Grand Organ also to get it to run on much lower end computers. This will be helpful for young people getting into organ simulation and certainly the Pianoteq software runs happily on my laptop. In preparation for http://hammerwood.mistral.co.uk/programmetuningseminar.pdf the Pianoteq software was exceptionally helpful in helping in the decisions of which tuning schemes to use for real instruments.

Best wishes

David P


David Pinnegar

Quote from: ILP on February 03, 2020, 10:41:11 PM
Your problem with version 4.1 / 4.2 is easy to solve. If you have a version 4 dongle, you simply download the newer version.
http://www.downloadhauptwerk.com/win

In insertion of my name and email address and clicking on the appropriate upgrade button, the Submit does nothing but take me back to the home page.

Perhaps it might be easy to see why it might not be difficult to be disillusioned with the Hauptwerk service. MDA's new customer service manager will have some convincing to do.

Best wishes

David P

ILP

David

I take the point that the software is complex, and places quite high demands on computers, but this is how it obtains its excellent results and caters for (eg) multi-channel sound systems. I have 10 channels for a few stops on the hybrid organ in church, which work very well in the context. Once you see the logic, the setting up all does work well, but this can be tricky, even though the documentation is detailed and comprehensive.  On the other hand, a small to medium sized organ running into stereo speakers, perhaps with a sub, will run on an i3 laptop with 4 GB RAM with only an ASIO capable soundcard (eg Behringer under £20). Hardly extreme!

BTW many HW sample sets, including some Milan ones, do support the real instrument.

I've also sent you a link by PM.

Regards
Ian

David Pinnegar

Dear Ian

Thanks so much both for your encouragement, help, and link which is really appreciated.

However, the apparent don't-care attitude of MDA hasn't won them universal admiration and encouragement of competing systems might be cause for them to change in a better direction. Hauptwerk has had some 8 years or so of support from prime first-page linking from this forum, without apparently an ounce of gratitude or recognition. In contrast the suppliers of the competing softwares are extremely genial and perhaps MDA might appreciate the value of such in the future.

The new customer service manager certainly has some work to do and perhaps his employment is at least a start.

Best wishes and many thanks,

David P