How to build a Hauptwerk Organ

Back To Articles

Organ Workstations for Home, Studio and Practice

Today, there is hardware and software available that makes it possible to have a very low-cost organ in your home or studio. At the heart of your home organ is Hauptwerk.

Hauptwerk is a computer program, by Crumhorn Labs, with which you load and can then play different pipe organs

Unlike many home keyboards and professional synthesizers, Hauptwerk has been designed to take advantage of the high processing power and relatively low cost of computer memory in today’s home computers to give a far more accurate rendition of an organ than is possible on most keyboards, synthesizers or samplers. Whereas synthesizers and samplers usually use a few small samples, recorded at intervals across the keyboard and time-stretched to provide the remaining notes, Hauptwerk uses a long recording(sample)for every pipe in the organ. All of these samples are stored in memory (RAM) so that they may be recalled instantly when a key is pressed>

Hauptwerk is an instrument that provides organists with flexibility that was unthinkable until recently:

Play true-to-life sounding models of Silbermann and E.M. Skinner pipe organs (as well as many others), in your own home
Gradually assemble an organ to your requirements, as time and finances permit

What is required?

You need a computer, a copy of Hauptwerk 2, a console that can control Hauptwerk via MIDI, a Hauptwerk 2 organ or two, and an audio system.

A Fast Computer with Lots of Memory (RAM)

With Hauptwerk 2, there are many ways to squeeze a Hauptwerk organ into a smaller computer. While each way of course reduces the realism of the results somewhat, it can make it possible to grow your organ as the financial resources become available. Crumhorn Labs provides on their website the latest information about which computer equipment is best for Hauptwerk. A visit to their website is highly recommended.

It is unlikely very satisfactory results can be obtained with a computer with less than 2GB of RAM and a 2.66 GHz processor. More typically, a computer with 4GB RAM and at least a 3 GHz processor is required. Superb results are said to be achievable with a Mac Pro system.

In addition to the computer, usually, a MIDI interface is required. These are readily available from Classic Organ Works or your neighborhood music store and are relatively inexpensive.

What is Required (Continued)

Keyboards and Pedalboards

To play a Hautpwerk organ, you need a console that can control Hauptwerk with MIDI. If you do not have such a console, you can use MIDI keyboards and a MIDI pedalboard. The MIDI organ keyboards and pedalboards from Classic Organ Works are ideal for use with Hauptwerk.

In general, MIDI keyboards are available in a variety of forms but very few are well-suited to playing organ music. Classic Organ Works supplies MIDI keyboards specifically for organs. Our new CMK-2 MIDI keyboards can be stacked on a table into 1, 2, 3 and 4-manual configurations. They also have a light ‘tracker’ feel to help articulate fast passages. Each keyboard also comes with 20 pistons, so they are ideal for use with Hauptwerk.

The Classic MIDI Pedalboard is a full-sized, AGO-standard pedalboard that feels just like standard organ-console pedalboards. It supports up to three swell shoes.

If you have an organ keyboard or pedalboard that you would like to use with Hauptwerk, it may be possible to turn these into MIDI devices easily by installing a key-scan computer from Classic Organ Works. Classic makes several different types specifically for this purpose.Which one you would need depends on how the organ keyboards and pedalboards have been wired.

If you do have a good console which does not generate the MIDI commands necessary to control Hauptwerk, Classic Organ Works has a product known at the MIDI Control Unit (MCU) which is designed for adding MIDI to an non-MIDI console.

More information about Classic keyboards, pedalboards, key-scan computers and the MCU is available at www.MidiWorks.ca.

Table or Stand?

If you do not have a console, then you do need a table or a stand on which to place your keyboards and you need an organ bench.

At this point, there is not much on the market in the way of tables or stands suitable for organs. The problem generally is that tables and stands that are available are not wide enough for a standard pedalboard to fit underneath. Although there are peopletrying to address this problem, at this point, creativity is required.To see creative solutions by our Hauptwerk clients, go to our gallery

Organ Bench

Most organ-benches are suitable for use with Hauptwerk.

Classic Organ Works has a low-cost organ bench available. It is stained to match the colour of the Classic Organ Works MIDI pedalboard.

Audio System

Usually, it is possible to use headphones to listen to your Hauptwerk organ. However, you will find it significantly more pleasing if you use an amplifier and speakers. The better the amplifier and speakers you have, the better the sound will be.Don’t forget that to reproduce the wonderful sounds of the pedal stops requires good (and usually larger) speakers.

As with any digital organ, it is always much better to use as many amplifier channels as possible.With the new Concert Edition of Hauptwerk 2, up to 256 stereo audio channels are possible.

As a part of its Hauptwerk demonstration, Classic Organ Works uses M-Audio BX-8a speakers and their accompanying BX-10s subwoofer, as these provide excellent sound at a competitive price.These speakers are available from many music retailers, or direct from Classic Organ Works.

Hauptwerk 2 Software - Concert and Studio Editions

We are very proud indeed to present Hauptwerk version 2, the pioneering virtual organ system that can bring with incredible realism the experience and sound of playing any classical or theatre pipe organ from anywhere in the world within the reach of almost anyone with a home computer and MIDI keyboard.

Hauptwerk 2 comes in two editions. The Studio Edition is intended for home and practice use and also as a very affordable upgrade for users of Hauptwerk version 1 or newcomers to Hauptwerk. The Studio edition has its polyphony restricted to 1024 simultaneous voices (pipes), no multi-channel audio output facilities, no MIDI output (for controlling drawknobs), no user per-pipe real-time voicing facilities and no wind supply model, but in all other regards is identical to the Concert Edition.

For those who want the finest sound and control over every parameter there is the Hauptwerk 2 Concert edition. This edition allows you control over wind supply, audio-channel routing, temperaments, voicing, and well… everything!

Hauptwerk 2 Organ Sample Sets

In addition to Hauptwerk 2 software, you need at least one Hauptwerk organ, which is a collection of samples of a real pipe-organ which have been formatted for use with Hauptwerk.

One organ, St. Anne’s Moseley (England), is included with Hauptwerk. There are many more organs available for use with Hauptwerk now and more are under development.Hauptwerk organs are available from the following sources.

Milan Digital Audio

OrganArt Media

Sonus Paradisi

Organ Samples.Com

Prospectum.Com

Evensong

Ott-Orgel