Mon Apr 02, 2018 6:39 pm
Good evening all!
I constructed my first Hauptwerk console in 2008-2009. It has served me well for ten years. But I secretly had a wish to build a more conventional looking console with more of the playing aids that one sees and uses in real pipe organs - thumb pistons, toe pistons ... etc ... etc ...etc. The design for such a console was subject to much unconscious and conscious brain effort over the past 3-4 years or so. By early last year I had decided more-or-less how it would look - I was ready to start!
So in August last year, once again, as in 2008, the garage became the workshop, and our cars were forced to remain on the drive! And here is the result - more photographs are available http://forum.hauptwerk.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=16819 in the Images section of this forum.
Here is a general view:
Briefly, about the design, construction and components:
The Three Manual Keyboard Stack was made for me, to my design and is constructed in a highly traditional way, with long key-sticks, proper base boards, cherry naturals and ebony sharps/flats. The style is Baroque, and the action is very tracker-like (I play two tracker organs regularly). There are 37 thumb pistons, all but the Cancels being illuminated (using Hauptwerk's "Scoped Pistons" arrangements).
The Control Section has buttons for all the main functions (Organ/Combination set selection and Load; Combination Stepper; Setter button; Audio + MIDI Recording; PC Shutdown). It also has mains control for Audio, MIDI and PC on. There is a 2 x 16 LCD display which, with most of the control buttons, eliminates the need for a PC keyboard and screen except for installing or configuring organs. Much of the Control Section is controlled by an Arduino Teensy.
There is a 16 switch set of Illuminated Rocker Tabs which mainly provide for Couplers.
The Stop Jambs, left and right have 60 stop buttons each, and are micro-switch operated with associated LEDs. Each stop jamb has its own MIDI Encoder and Decoder Board. I would have had moving solenoid actuated draw stops, but 120 of those would have been very expensive!
The Toe Pistons are traditional in style, five are illuminated and select pedal combinations whilst the sixth is a Pedal Divisional Cancel.
The Pedalboard is 30-note, and concave-radiating as per the RCO model, and its derivative AGO, although it does have one deviation from the conventional design.
The pedalboard also has two Expression Pedals, driven by Hall Effect transistors and button neodymium magnets.
The Computer is an Intel NUC "Skull Canyon" and is highly compact. It is equipped with an i7 CPU, 32Gbyte RAM and two 1 Tbyte Solid State Discs. Windows 10 x64 Professional is installed.
The System Hardware interfaces via a 4x4 Input/Output MIDI Hub, and a 7-way USB Hub.
Audio is provided by a 16-channel USB Audio Device connected to seven speakers and a subwoofer, with a total power of about 750 Watt RMS.
Shortly I will post a link to a web-page which will illustrate the main stages in the construction of the console. I will also be posting my OPUS I console in the For Sale section of the forum.
Thanks for reading!
Best wishes,
Kenneth Spencer
I constructed my first Hauptwerk console in 2008-2009. It has served me well for ten years. But I secretly had a wish to build a more conventional looking console with more of the playing aids that one sees and uses in real pipe organs - thumb pistons, toe pistons ... etc ... etc ...etc. The design for such a console was subject to much unconscious and conscious brain effort over the past 3-4 years or so. By early last year I had decided more-or-less how it would look - I was ready to start!
So in August last year, once again, as in 2008, the garage became the workshop, and our cars were forced to remain on the drive! And here is the result - more photographs are available http://forum.hauptwerk.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=16819 in the Images section of this forum.
Here is a general view:
Briefly, about the design, construction and components:
The Three Manual Keyboard Stack was made for me, to my design and is constructed in a highly traditional way, with long key-sticks, proper base boards, cherry naturals and ebony sharps/flats. The style is Baroque, and the action is very tracker-like (I play two tracker organs regularly). There are 37 thumb pistons, all but the Cancels being illuminated (using Hauptwerk's "Scoped Pistons" arrangements).
The Control Section has buttons for all the main functions (Organ/Combination set selection and Load; Combination Stepper; Setter button; Audio + MIDI Recording; PC Shutdown). It also has mains control for Audio, MIDI and PC on. There is a 2 x 16 LCD display which, with most of the control buttons, eliminates the need for a PC keyboard and screen except for installing or configuring organs. Much of the Control Section is controlled by an Arduino Teensy.
There is a 16 switch set of Illuminated Rocker Tabs which mainly provide for Couplers.
The Stop Jambs, left and right have 60 stop buttons each, and are micro-switch operated with associated LEDs. Each stop jamb has its own MIDI Encoder and Decoder Board. I would have had moving solenoid actuated draw stops, but 120 of those would have been very expensive!
The Toe Pistons are traditional in style, five are illuminated and select pedal combinations whilst the sixth is a Pedal Divisional Cancel.
The Pedalboard is 30-note, and concave-radiating as per the RCO model, and its derivative AGO, although it does have one deviation from the conventional design.
The pedalboard also has two Expression Pedals, driven by Hall Effect transistors and button neodymium magnets.
The Computer is an Intel NUC "Skull Canyon" and is highly compact. It is equipped with an i7 CPU, 32Gbyte RAM and two 1 Tbyte Solid State Discs. Windows 10 x64 Professional is installed.
The System Hardware interfaces via a 4x4 Input/Output MIDI Hub, and a 7-way USB Hub.
Audio is provided by a 16-channel USB Audio Device connected to seven speakers and a subwoofer, with a total power of about 750 Watt RMS.
Shortly I will post a link to a web-page which will illustrate the main stages in the construction of the console. I will also be posting my OPUS I console in the For Sale section of the forum.
Thanks for reading!
Best wishes,
Kenneth Spencer
Kenneth Spencer
Music Site: http://www.my-music.mywire.org
Project Page: http://www.my-music.mywire.org/opus_ii.htm
Books on Hauptwerk and Computing; Novation Launchpad overlays: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kaspencer
YouTube Videos: http://www.youtube.com/kaspenceruk
Music Site: http://www.my-music.mywire.org
Project Page: http://www.my-music.mywire.org/opus_ii.htm
Books on Hauptwerk and Computing; Novation Launchpad overlays: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kaspencer
YouTube Videos: http://www.youtube.com/kaspenceruk
