Hauptwerk : using the VSTi version

[Ghekorg7]

Greetings to all !

Let's say that we have to practice at home a work for Pipe Organ and orchestra or some church sonatas for positiv and strings or practice our part on basso continuo inside a chamber orchestra and want to hear the resoults and fix mistakes or adjust our way of performing the piece.
Or just have fun playin' music that we can't do it at home.
How can we do that ?
VSTi option of Hauptwerk gives us the solution.

I experimented for a month now, trying different combinations and here is what I'm proposing and open a general discuss on the matter.

1. First we need a VST host to "put" Hauptwerk in. There are many around, very best to acceptable, in all OS and taste. I concluded to Reaper in 64bit for windows 7 - can have both Midi & audio recording, is not expencive and has allmost everything -.
64bit OS is a thing to consider cause Hauptwerk sets need much memory to operate ok (usualy close to or above 4MB goin' to 8 and 13 MB !).
Opening Hauptwerk inside a host it's easy, just like the standalone version, considering that the host rules on audio/midi set-up, BPM and other things.
Hauptwerk is so flexible that can be ok in a row of dificult situations.
Of course everything works on 32bit OS, but with smaller sets.

2. Next we need a VSTi orchestra, a good one with high quality sound to match Hauptwewrk's and the end result to be like the real thing. I used three of them: EWQL free(with personal registration and licence)symphonic Orchestra, Miroslav Vitus Philharmonic and cinematic strings (for Kontakt4). There also work, DSK strings, brass and Symphonia VSTi s, dut with lower sound quality.

3. Next a good VST convolution reverb, to put everything in the same place with the same acoustics and this is important. So we can use the option in Hauptwerk to cut the original release samples and have a dry set. Then we set off the reverb on Orchestras to dry them out also.

I'm not contiuing with other VSTs (EQs, compressors ect) cause this is up to more studio work , than to my intention on this thread.

Caution : some Hauptwerk sets work on 48.000 hz, while others on 44.100 and the program do not open if we don't set everything at the same rate : Host/Hauptwerk/Orchestra/Reverb .

Now we load our favorite Hauptwerk set and have two options for the orchestra part. Either we record ourselfs the parts or we invite our friend to play/rec the orchestra. After practice we can record everything with the host and hear what we accomplished.

I had a great time playing Vivaldi's Concerto in Am ! First recorded the strings and then loaded Hauptwerk with the terrific Mietke Harpsichord and enjoyed music! (care must be taken to temeraments)
Imagine how will sound Saint-Saens Organ Symphony......and how better prepared an organist can be before the rehearse with the real thing starts !

I did another thing with VSTi version of Hauptwerk.
I just wanted a custom organ combining St.Carlo's one man/ped as great and Oosterwijwerd's one man/ped as positiv ( Both work at 48.000Hz).
How to do that ?

The first solution is to write to Milan and ask for a custom licence for a new ODF and ask permition from the sample sets producers and a lot of work makin' this custom ODF.
I went elsewere with what I had in hand. I did a copy of Hauptwerk x64.dll and opened two Hauptwerks inside Reaper !
I then cut the release samples from both and changed the Oosterwijwerds great manual to swell. Both pedal stops used for the new pedal section. I send both signals to York Minster (convolution reverb) and I'm happy with my new VPO !

I confess I didn't stop here. I wanted a..... four manual/ped..!!
Imagine what happened....

So, I said what I wanted to say and start this thread and I wish that in the future we can have a VSTi version of GrandOrgue to play with!!!

Best regards
Panos

[Ghekorg7]

I attach a sample of what I played with my hybrid St.Carlo/Muller VPO and recorded with Reaper direct to mp3.
Hope you like it. Tell me about it.

Cheers
Panos

PS Please try not to listen with computer speakers...

[wljmrbill]

very nicely done.. smooth, legato and nice sounding registration.

[Ghekorg7]

Thanks Bill ! so kind of you.

I wanted the Italian principal 8' stop for accompaniment and the solo from the exellent Holpijp 8'+Fluit 4'+ Sesquialtera with tremullant from North European Muller Organ ...!

How else could I do this ? Physicaly imposible... Digitally in 21st century ..posible.

(pedal reg ~ St.Carlo Contrabassi 16'+ Muller Bourdon16'/Holpijp8'/viola d.G8'/ Fluit 4')

I 'll try to post more, in a later date, something with clavecin/str. orch, or positiv/str. orch, to make my point stronger .

Cheers
Panos

[ggoode.sa]

Hi,
In a similar setup to Panos (Hauptwerk VSTi and EWQL Symphonic Orchestra in Reaper) here is an improvisation for Trumpet and Organ played by Andre Nel (my partner) http://www.sa-virtualorgans.co.za/do...mpetImprov.mp3
The organ is my free 4M/P English Cathedral for Hauptwerk see (http://www.sa-virtualorgans.co.za/HW...hCathedral.htm).

I'm looking forward to hearing more from Panos

GrahamG

[Dorsetmike]

Is this Cathedral set likely to appear for GrandOrgue?

[ggoode.sa]

Hi Mike,
It will probably appear in GrandOrgue format at some time later in the year, with some modifications/updates. The HW version uses 4 free sample sets, but one of those has license restrictions when being used in non HW software. The ranks from the St Stephens, St Augustines, and Prudhoe methodist are already available for GrandOrgue, so it will 'simply' be a matter of performing the up-octave or down-octave conversions where needed, and then finding other ranks to fill the holes left by the St Annes (I already have some from other free organs, I just need time to get them all together - and I have other higher priority projects at the moment). The Free Edition of Hauptwerk does run the Cathederal sample set, so if you have some good bandwidth you can download Hauptwerk and the three sample sets needed by this one - and try it out... or get to work on creating the .organ file needed for the GrandOrgue version
GrahamG

[Ghekorg7]

Is this Cathedral set likely to appear for GrandOrgue?

Mike you just asked what I wanted to and surely I prepeared to post about.

The work Graham did for this set is great and went through a real Odyssey to get it right for us and for Free !
It's an exellant set.

We all want a BIG organ for GrandOrgue with lots of stops, with the abillity to play on almost every style, from Medieval to Romantic.

An English 4manual Cathedral for GrandOrgue.Full stereo and clean bright sound. Wet or Dry doesn't matter, although dry's better 'cause we will "put" it wherever we want with Jack connection kit/convolution reverb...

Cheers
Panos

[greatcyber]

very interesting info here guys, thanks.

[greatcyber]

The first time I listened to Panos' piece winamp never played it. I tried again and got it working. Beautiful.

As far as Graham's partner's piece, I have been using that as an "alarm" on my rainlendar on my desktop. That way I'm bound to not miss any appointments as it is much longer than any "alarm" sound would be. I love it!

[Mat]

Hey Panos,

I'm following your advice and reading this thread.

I went elsewere with what I had in hand. I did a copy of Hauptwerk x64.dll and opened two Hauptwerks inside Reaper !
I then cut the release samples from both and changed the Oosterwijwerds great manual to swell. Both pedal stops used for the new pedal section. I send both signals to York Minster (convolution reverb) and I'm happy with my new VPO !

I'm not sure if I got it right. I copied the Hauptwerk.dll file and, as you say, I then opened HW on two separate tracks. Now, if I'm working on two HWs (st. Annes on both) does it mean that I have to load the sample set twice?

[ggoode.sa]

Hi Matt,

Each track will load its own instance of whatever VSTi program you're using, and each instance will have its own memory space and configuration. So, yes you are loading the St Annes twice. Why not get some of the other free sample sets so that you can load them as well?
St Stephens, St Augustines, Prudhoe Methodist, Enigma, Brut Letchun, Stiehr Mockers - Romanswiller...

GrahamG

[Ghekorg7]

Hallo Mat !

As you see I did that not to load twice the same set.
My aim was to mix different sets so I can have in one organ the stops I like most

Of course this can be done with the excellent Oberwerk programm from Yves, but it needs the basic or advanced versions to work.
Or (the best solution) to get in touch with Hauptwerk and recieve the custom built organ files. This requires basic/advanced versions of course.

So the solution I offered here is for the free HW3.
Try Oosterwijwerd set. The original was a "stand alone" positiv of the era, like extracted from a big organ.
So try set it as a positiv in your custom organ inside Reaper and use the St.Annes swell as a solo and so you get a 3 manual organ.
Ah, the pedal stops of Muller can be added to to ones of St.Anne so you increase the pedal stops !

Don't forget to send the signal of Muller to SIR2 too ! and set the same levels on send as you done with St.Anne so one can hear the same mix from all ranks !

And something else. Inside Reaper you don't need the release (reverb like) samples on HW3 sets. Cut them out completely on load. You 're gonna use SIR2 for environtment !
(And gain polyphony and/or memory...)

Have fun with your new custom thing !
Panos

[Mat]

Thanks for your posts, guys.

You see, I only have one physical keyboard and no pedalboard whatsoever (yet). So, I can set up barely a one-decker. And I have to choose wheter I'm using Great or Swell, or both - with couplers. That's why I need to open HW on two tracks - so I can record the pedal part separately. Now, I tried to load the sample set twice but due to low RAM my PC couldn't handle it. No wonder, I'm working on 1 GB. So, my problem still remains unsolved...

As for other sample sets - I do have St Stephens and Stiehr Mockers (both original and extended) but use them only with GrandOrgue.

[ggoode.sa]

Hi Matt,

I know that this thread is about HW3 as a VSTi, but it sounds like you need to be using GrandOrgue with MIDI Yoke and recording tracks in Reaper to send to GrandOrgue via the virtual MIDI cables.... Interested?

GrahamG