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Another Newbie needs help

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magnaton

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Re: Another Newbie needs help

PostFri Aug 10, 2018 10:14 am

player1 wrote:Magnaton and John,
I was looking today at midi interfaces and audio interfaces. From lefranc22's post, using an audio interface means I would not need a midi interface. Can I buy a audio interface and use that to do the experimentation magnaton lined out?


Yes, several of the audio interfaces recommended for HW include a MIDI port so a single cable to the computer can handle both audio and MIDI. There was one thread a while back that mentioned where a user stated his interface unit was maxed out with all x audio channels active plus the MIDI port in use. In this setup the interface became overtaxed with dropped notes and latency playing fast passages with heavy registration. The simple solution was to add a separate MIDI interface. So 2 separate computer connections one for MIDI the other for audio.

Your profile doesn't state where you are located, but here is a simple, inexpensive MIDI interface I used for years with out issue just to get started.
https://www.amazon.com/VicTsing-Cable-Converter-Keyboard-Adapter/dp/B00ACGMOA6/ref=sr_1_17?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1533913840&sr=1-17&keywords=Midi+interface
Other more robust interfaces would be the Roland UM-One, iConnectivity Mio, or M-Audio Midisport Uno all under $40 US.

player1 wrote:Magnaton and John,
Regarding multiple channels, I would like to buy the equipment now so if I chose to go that way in the future, I will not need more equipment. Need I get a more sophisticated audio interface to do that or will a E-MU usb interface be enough? While we are at it, should i go for a unit with FireWire? Several on the "Requirements" list have that in the title. I need some understanding here.


Modern audio interfaces are now USB or Thunderbolt. Years ago, FireWire was the only viable option as USB-1 was too slow. USB-2 (and now USB-3) offers the bandwidth and speed that meets or surpasses FireWire so this standard (IEEE 1394) is kind of being phased out. Some interfaces still offer that port for backwards compatibility. Many Macs had a FireWire port as standard for years.

Keep in mind that audio interfaces are marketed for the home studio or professional recording studio market. Their specifications and details explain how they work with live recording & playback and the quality of their inputs. With HW we are only concerned with "output" quality and number of output ports or potential number of output channels. The advice here is to search the forum for "audio interface" and read past discussions, take note of makes and models and comments. If you are looking to be 'future proof' then I'd recommend a unit with at least 8 to 10 channels. Before making a purchase, read the owner's manual and focus on the true number of "independent" output channels. A couple of models piggy back the the main channels or channels 3 & 4 to the headphone jack. If you never intent to use headphones then this point is moot. If you do, its nice to know that the headphone jack is independent of any output channels.

Danny B.
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organtechnology

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Re: Another Newbie needs help

PostFri Aug 10, 2018 1:05 pm

magnaton wrote:
player1 wrote:Magnaton and John,
I was looking today at midi interfaces and audio interfaces. From lefranc22's post, using an audio interface means I would not need a midi interface. Can I buy a audio interface and use that to do the experimentation magnaton lined out?


Yes, several of the audio interfaces recommended for HW include a MIDI port so a single cable to the computer can handle both audio and MIDI. There was one thread a while back that mentioned where a user stated his interface unit was maxed out with all x audio channels active plus the MIDI port in use. In this setup the interface became overtaxed with dropped notes and latency playing fast passages with heavy registration. The simple solution was to add a separate MIDI interface. So 2 separate computer connections one for MIDI the other for audio.

Your profile doesn't state where you are located, but here is a simple, inexpensive MIDI interface I used for years with out issue just to get started.
https://www.amazon.com/VicTsing-Cable-Converter-Keyboard-Adapter/dp/B00ACGMOA6/ref=sr_1_17?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1533913840&sr=1-17&keywords=Midi+interface
Other more robust interfaces would be the Roland UM-One, iConnectivity Mio, or M-Audio Midisport Uno all under $40 US.

player1 wrote:Magnaton and John,
Regarding multiple channels, I would like to buy the equipment now so if I chose to go that way in the future, I will not need more equipment. Need I get a more sophisticated audio interface to do that or will a E-MU usb interface be enough? While we are at it, should i go for a unit with FireWire? Several on the "Requirements" list have that in the title. I need some understanding here.


Modern audio interfaces are now USB or Thunderbolt. Years ago, FireWire was the only viable option as USB-1 was too slow. USB-2 (and now USB-3) offers the bandwidth and speed that meets or surpasses FireWire so this standard (IEEE 1394) is kind of being phased out. Some interfaces still offer that port for backwards compatibility. Many Macs had a FireWire port as standard for years.

Keep in mind that audio interfaces are marketed for the home studio or professional recording studio market. Their specifications and details explain how they work with live recording & playback and the quality of their inputs. With HW we are only concerned with "output" quality and number of output ports or potential number of output channels. The advice here is to search the forum for "audio interface" and read past discussions, take note of makes and models and comments. If you are looking to be 'future proof' then I'd recommend a unit with at least 8 to 10 channels. Before making a purchase, read the owner's manual and focus on the true number of "independent" output channels. A couple of models piggy back the the main channels or channels 3 & 4 to the headphone jack. If you never intent to use headphones then this point is moot. If you do, its nice to know that the headphone jack is independent of any output channels.

Danny B.


Hi Danny,
The UNO has insufficient buffer memory and does not work well in today's VPOs
The Roland UM-ONE is no longer made but may still be available and works well.
The MIO seems to work in most cases using a desktop but is flaky with laptops.
The chines version of the UNO is suspect due to it being Chinese :)

Just my 2-cents

Thomas
Complete Hauptwerk™ systems using real wood consoles, PC Sound Engines, Dante Audio for Home or Church. info (at) organtechnology.com http://www.organtechnology.com
Authorized Hauptwerk; Milan Digital Audio and Lavender Audio reseller.
USA and Canada shipments only.
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Antoni Scott

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Re: Another Newbie needs help

PostSun Aug 12, 2018 7:43 am

Hello Player 1:
I re-read your post and wanted to add to the list of constructive responses. My personal experience with Hauptwerk help has been mixed since there is so much to absorb. The least help was from Apple itself. The general opinion is that Mac computers " out of the box" are the best. I have to agree with this since I tried to go "cheap" with a HP computer and just frustrated myself. The problems were with the audio system. Glitches and dropouts were terrible. If you don't know how to "configure" a PC, stick with a Mac. There is a good reason why they are more expensive.

When I became more familiar with Hauptwerk and computers,I experimented with building a custom Hauptwerk organ. In my previous life I was very knowledgeable about how a pipe organ worked having built and re-built many , but this new computer organ had me baffled. After my experience with PC's I ended up with a 2011 MacMini, a gem of a computer, which back then was upgradable (today Mac's are not upgradable as before). The one I had was a quad-core with 16 GB RAM and powered an organ, the Zwolle, with 66 stops, although it was not in Surround).

Jon, from I Build Macs, built me a 2008 MacPro dual quad core, which I used as a back-up, for just $800, after a very negative experience with Apple (they wouldn't look at my computer because it was over five years old, but were falling over themselves to sell me a new one for $12,000). My backup had minimal memory and one hard drive. I could easily switch the 32 GB and four hard drives from my original MacPro, if need be.

If you do decide to use a PC based computer I would strongly suggest going with OrganTechnology or Francois Ratte in Canada. Don't risk anything else. They basically offer a Hauptwerk ready "plug 'n play" computer for novices like us.

If you decide to build one for yourself, Classic Midi in Canada will offer digital Fatar keyboards and a 32 note pedalboard. Its a quick way, but expensive, to get an organ. I started with three keyboards. I already had a 32 note pedalboard which I had converted to MIDI in a previous keyboard setup by using a scanning board from Wersi. It was easier than I thought.
Later on I decided to retrofit a real pipe organ console because the original set up looked very crude but 100% functional. I was able to locate a pipe organ console for $400.

For more information I created a Youtube video which explains how I created my Hauptwerk organ. If you are interested you can go to Youtube and type in, Hauptwerk Organ Pipe Organ Retrofit. Hope it helps.

Antoni
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player1

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Re: Another Newbie needs help

PostSun Aug 12, 2018 6:37 pm

Antoni,

Thankyou for coming back with additional comments. If I can, let me tell you where I am with figuring this all out. First of all, I am familiar with your You Tube video and have viewed it a few times but only using my computer speaker which I can't hear real well. I have acquired some headphones and will go back and watch it again when I can hear it better. I came to the conclusion and In my first post stated that I was ONLY going to consider using a MAC for the reasons you outlined. I also have a large Johannus 3 manual organ Rembrandt 3000 (2000 model) so I won't need keyboards or speakers. I have located a Roland UM-One Mk2 USM Midi unit at Fry's Electronics so this week will probably pick one up and do the free download to my PC Laptop as suggested above and see what I can do.

I have not yet contacted I Build Computers but might in the future if I can't settle on one on eBay of which there are many. I am listening through my headphones to Contrabombarde and really like the sound of stereo so I might not go with multiple channels to start. Like most here, I need to use my funds towards the most efficient way to go. The Summer Sale currently running will be a big help and I will certainly use that for Advanced HW and the CC Notre Dame Metz sample set.

Everyone here has been most helpful and big thanks to all who have contributed. I have lined up two HW installations to visit within the next two weeks so I am sure to learn from seeing those.

I will be back with more questions I am sure.

Player1
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va3ets

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Re: Another Newbie needs help

PostMon Sep 10, 2018 10:54 am

Hi Player1, I'd definitely go with a Mac. I think you'll have a much smoother experience getting things to work. Macs are generally better for doing audio related stuff. In terms of audio/midi interfaces, the Presonus audiobox USB is a good one, like a previous poster had said they were using. I'm using that here as well. Firewire, is really a dead, old out-of-date technology now adays, but I guess if you wanted to, you could get a firewire interface, but then you'd have to get an adapter that would go USB to firewire. I wouldn't though, , since there are USB/thunderbolt interfaces out there now adays. Hope this helps. Dan
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Re: Another Newbie needs help

PostMon Dec 10, 2018 11:31 am

I have not done much on this H hookup operation the last few months but I will update what I have done since last posting. I was able to visit seh52 to see and play his Johannus installation which was very impressive! After consulting with him, I decided to purchase a used DELL laptop Win 7, 6MB, a Roland UM-ONE MIDI Interface along with cables to hookup audio between the computer and organ with the intent to download several FREE sample sets. As recommended previously by Danny B, I will experiment with those and gradually work up to a larger computer for running the H advanced software. I did purchase the Advanced version while they were on sale last August.

Over the weekend, I connected the computer audio to the Johannus Rembrandt 3000 Audio In/Out. I have the Roland (selector switch is set for computer (vs. iPad)) connected to MIDI In and MIDI Sequencer per the Hauptwerk page 129 or so in the installation manual. I have the sample set St Anne's downloaded and get "organ ready". I can put the cursor on the Great after drawing the Large Diapason and by left clicking, I can heard the pipe sounding on the organ speaker (not sure how many speakers yet).

When I try to go to the "Auto-Detect" function which is the next step in the manual, I can see that the computer seems to understand that I have selected the Great but when I do the "Auto-Detect" 4 steps on the keyboard that seh52 showed me how to do on his J "Sweelinck", I can't get a successful detection; the DONE button does not illuminate. I have read the Forum Technical section on "Auto-detect" issues so now will try to download MIDI-OX and see what I can do with that. I have tried to auto-detect the Swell without results either. With the cursor, I can play the Sw, Gt. and Pd. individual notes coming through the organ speakers.

If anyone who reads this can make suggestions, I am open to them.

Player1
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magnaton

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Re: Another Newbie needs help

PostMon Dec 10, 2018 12:07 pm

Sounds like your MIDI connections aren't correct. Fortunately the Roland UM-ONE has status lights to show data going in and out. You obviously have audio from the computer (Hauptwerk) to your organ console. It might be a little confusing but you need to take MIDI "out" from the organ and have it go "in" to the computer. Thus the connection should be:
Organ MIDI OUT port connected to the Roland's MIDI IN plug. Pressing the keys or stops you should see the "MIDI IN" light flash on the Roland UM-ONE.

Danny B.
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player1

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Re: Another Newbie needs help

PostSun Feb 10, 2019 10:38 pm

Danny B,

More progress being made -

Indeed, I had the cables reversed. Another kind HW user came by and got me set up with the St Annes, Mosley. I find that two of my remote mid-sized speakers are active with the HW playing through my organ. I am not sure how to proceed in getting any of the rest producing sound. I would really like to get the sub-woofer running. I figure I will have to contact the Johannus factory for these questions. If anyone lerking here has some answers to this, I would be most happy to listen and learn.

I am still using the 6MG? Dell laptop for my experimenting but recently successfully installed the Advanced Version of HW. I have downloaded the FREE P. Grabowski Szczcenik (sp.?) sample and having great fun with it. Tonight I tried downloading from HW the trial of the Madeleine C. Coll from Pipeloops but ran into "cannot connect to this page". So that leaves me scratching my head. I tried it several times without success.

Now I start my search for a larger Apple computer.

Player1
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orcoaffamato

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Re: Another Newbie needs help

PostMon Feb 11, 2019 5:51 am

player1 wrote:Danny B,
Tonight I tried downloading from HW the trial of the Madeleine C. Coll from Pipeloops but ran into "cannot connect to this page". So that leaves me scratching my head. I tried it several times without success.


http://www.pipeloops.com//assets/Pipeloops_CC_Madeleine_Trial_2.1.CompPkg.Hauptwerk.rar
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terryfarrow

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Re: Another Newbie needs help

PostSun Mar 10, 2019 6:39 pm

Run don't walk to Francois Ratte in Canada. He is the best. I got my system from someone else and it was supposed to be set up and ready to work (NOT). His consoles are beautiful (much nicer than the one I have) and he recommended an amazing sound system for me. If you're in the US, it's actually cheaper to buy from him. Even if it wasn't cheaper it would be worth it.
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player1

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Re: Another Newbie needs help

PostTue Oct 08, 2019 11:07 am

All,

Here is an update to my Hauptwerk quest. I got both the St. Annes and P. Grabowski Szczcenik samples running on my temporary DELL 6MB laptop and have had so much fun, time has passed until now when I am finally getting back to making more progress.

A few questions-
- I now have the Advanced License and purchased the Notre Dame de Metz sample. All is good with the Advanced License. I went through the License Upgrade Request which was returned by email from Milan. I downloaded that to the dongle (I think). Now I don't understand what to do next. Where is the Metz sample? I can't "see" it in a file anywhere. I have tried to "Load Organ" but only find the Szczcenik there. I am assuming downloading the Metz on to my 6GB DELL just to have stored somewhere before I get my Apple computer will not hurt anything. I don't intend to play it there.
- I note HW lists a iMac model or a Mac Pro for using HW. Does anyone use an iMac? It seems you eliminate needing a separate screen with a iMac. Is one better than the other?
- I am hoping to find a used APPLE computer on eBay for $600 or so but I am also reading in the HW "Technical Datasheet: background technical information" under Computer hardware lifespan, evolution and maintenance that technical advances come so fast, that one should purchase the latest computer and be prepared to replace it every three to five years. Am I making a huge mistake buying a 2011 or so Apple (which fits my budget)? If money is not a problem then fine, what HW says makes sense. I don't have unlimited $$ nor the time to use the HW ( I am 71) for the next 30 years.

Any feedback is appreciated.

player1
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magnaton

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Re: Another Newbie needs help

PostTue Oct 08, 2019 10:01 pm

player1 wrote:I downloaded that to the dongle (I think). Now I don't understand what to do next.

If your upgrade was successful, then Hauptwerk should launch at start up and not ask you to choose a version (Demo, Basic, or Advanced).

player1 wrote:Where is the Metz sample? I can't "see" it in a file anywhere. I have tried to "Load Organ" but only find the Szczcenik there. I am assuming downloading the Metz on to my 6GB DELL just to have stored somewhere before I get my Apple computer will not hurt anything. I don't intend to play it there.

You should have received some downloading instructions for the Metz. Sample sets are contained in multiple RAR files that are very large. You then have to actually install this organ (or any other) before it appears on the "Load Organ" list. The install is basically unpacking the RAR files and placing the contents (voices & notes) in the respective Hauptwerk folders. Refer to page 66 in the 4.2.1 manual.

Danny B.
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player1

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Re: Another Newbie needs help

PostThu Oct 10, 2019 6:35 am

Danny B,

Thank you for your quick response. What I got in the email from Milan follows -

The license update for your order is included as an email attachment.
Follow the steps below to apply your license update.
Save the attached file to your desktop (do not unzip or rename this file).
Attach the Hauptwerk USB key to your computer and launch Hauptwerk.
Click "File | Apply a license update file..."
Select the license update file from your desktop then click OPEN.
Restart Hauptwerk and your license will be applied.

MDA Team

I would think there is more information than that. I am not sure how to contact MDA to figure this out. Any thoughts?

Player1
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magnaton

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Re: Another Newbie needs help

PostThu Oct 10, 2019 11:38 pm

What you described is about applying the advanced license. You may want to validate that the order placement for the Metz organ was successful by way on an invoice, email from MDA, or credit card statement.

Here is the email address that came with my order years ago:
orders@milandigitalaudio.com

Use that address and or info@milandigitalaudio.com to inquire about your order.

Danny B.
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player1

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Re: Another Newbie needs help

PostWed Oct 16, 2019 2:44 pm

Danny B,

I will contact them by that email address. There does seem to be a disconnect somewhere.

player1
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