Features

The Compass

The original compass of the manuals is 56 keys. The same compass is available in the virtual model. The pedal compass is 30 tones.  

Sample Quality

The samples are offered in 24bit/48kHz quality, multiple releases (3 levels). Plain wave formant (no encryption). The reverberation time is up to 6 seconds for the ambiental version. The sample set is offered in the surround (four channels), in the wet and in the dry variants.

Tremulants

Many ranks of Borstwerk, Rugwerk and Bovenwerk offer recorded tremmed samples (recorded tremulants). These special tremmed ranks can be identified by the word "tremmed" in the rank description. Load these special ranks together with the normal rank to get the correct behavior with the tremulant engaged.

The ranks where no tremulant was recorded, an alternative Hauptwerk tremulant model is used while processing the left and the right channel independently. This gives considerably more convincing results than using plain Hauptwerk tremulant model. Hauptwerk v.4 does not natively support independent left and right channel treatment. For this reason, you can see the Left and Right component on certain ranks in the rank loading menu. It is important to load both the left and the right component of the front ranks into the same audio stereo output of Hauptwerk (the front or main output) to get the full sound of the stop. Similarly, it is important to load both the left and the right component of the rear rank into the same rear audio output. This is done in the Rank Audio/Memory Options Loading and Routing dialog (when the organ is loaded for the first time, or when it is loaded via the Load Organ Adjusting Rank Audio Output menu entry). Please note that the Left and Right componets of a rank are not mono wave files, but stereo files with the opposite channel muted (since Hauptwerk does not allow for hard-panning left and right mono wave files). For this reason, it is essencial that the left and right components are loaded into the same stereo audio output.

Variants of the sample set

• Surround: the surround recording uses 4 independent channels for each virtual pipe (for each sample). The sound of the organ pipes is captured by the front microphones, the church response by the rear microphones. The 4 channels are extracted from the recording and assembled to the sample set. The two front channels are used to supply the sound of the organ to the front speakers, while the 2 other channels offer the response of the church. You can use these two channels to feed your surround (rear) speakers. Please note, that at least 4 speakers are needed to reproduce the multi-channel audio.
   
  • RAM requirements (full surround):
     
    • 16-bit: ca. 28 GB
    • 20-bit: ca. 45 GB
    • 24-bit: ca. 60 GB

    To load on 48GB machines: load everything in 20-bit, while the most used ranks (8-feet principals, flutes and similar) try loading in 24-bit depth.

     

• Wet: For use in headphones or other 2-channels environment: please disable all the ranks marked by the word "rear" in the rank audio output dialog when loading the organ for the first time. By doing this, the rear ranks will be muted and only the two front channels will load. The RAM consumption is reduced to half.
   
  • RAM requirements (wet only):
     
    • 16-bit: ca. 13 GB
       
    • 20-bit: ca. 25 GB
       
    • See the screenshot for an illustration how to identify the rear ranks (there are two kinds - a normal rear rank and a tremmed rear rank), all of these may be selected and muted (by clicking on the box near to the "Rank enabled?" question and selecting "No".

• Dry: samples are recorded from very short distance (mostly inside the organ case) using many channels. The result is offered as 24-bit, 48kHz dual-mono samples which can be used in self-reverberating venues (such as churches) or mixed with a digital reverb. Multi-channel approach is very much recommended for reproduction of the fully developed organ sound. It is not uncommon that at least a pair of speakers is used for each division, the more the better. Please note that the dry sample set is for specialized use, since the sound of dry pipes (if used as it is "out-of-the-box") is normally surprisingly unpleasant and harsh. For home use, the wet or surround sample set is recommended.
  • RAM requirements, full sample set loaded in 24-bits: 12.4 GB