Hauptwerk Free Edition coming very soon

[sutherland]

Will it be possible to run this alongside a licensed earlier version of Hauptwerk?

It's only possible to have one version of Hauptwerk installed on a computer (operating system disk partition) at a time, so you'd only be able to do that if you ran it on a separate computer or partition.

So if I understand this correctly, I'd be better to stick with my old 2.2 than go to the freeware 3.23 because I could not use the Cappel set on the free version and 2.2 gives me more polyphony?

[mdyde]

So if I understand this correctly, I'd be better to stick with my old 2.2 than go to the freeware 3.23 because I could not use the Cappel set on the free version and 2.2 gives me more polyphony?

Correct - the Cappel sample set is licensed via the USB key so can't be used with the Free Edition. Licensed editions of Hauptwerk have higher polyphony than the Free Edition. That said, of course Hauptwerk v2 is no longer a supported product, so if you need any help from us then we'd really need you to upgrade to v3.

Many thanks.

[sutherland]

I'm afraid you've made version 2.2 so reliable that I never need any support. It never crashes, hangs up, or fails to work. Funds permitting, I hope to buy the advanced edition when your next major release appears, but I'm reluctant to upgrade twice and increase overall upgrade costs at this late stage. I take it the USB key for Cappel is somewhat unique if part of the purpose of this is to wean users away from old version of HW?

One thing I've wondered about is whether or not an organ like Cappel sounds in any way better in version 3. I vaguely remember someone saying that somewhere on this forum, but couldn't find it again.

[mdyde]

Thanks, Philip.

I take it the USB key for Cappel is somewhat unique if part of the purpose of this is to wean users away from old version of HW?

No - any sample set that's licensed via the USB key just has the licence for the sample set stored in the USB key itself (to prevent pirate copies of the sample set being made). Many of the higher-end sample sets from Milan Digital Audio, OrganART Media, etc. are licensed via the USB key in that way. Once a licence is installed in the USB key (whether for Hauptwerk or a sample set) it will work indefinitely, and sample sets will always work with all future versions.

See also the licensing section in the Hauptwerk user guide for more details:

http://www.hauptwerk.com/documentation

The USB key and Hauptwerk licensing don't force you to upgrade. It's only if you want to buy a new sample set and that requires a particular version of Hauptwerk as a minimum prerequisite, then of course you need to be using at least that version. Hauptwerk's sample set format is of course continually being extended and improved so that better and more realistic virtual organs are possible, and it's up to sample set producers to decide whether they want to take advantage of those improvements.

[wurlitzerwilly]

I'm afraid you've made version 2.2 so reliable that I never need any support. It never crashes, hangs up, or fails to work. Funds permitting, I hope to buy the advanced edition when your next major release appears, but I'm reluctant to upgrade twice and increase overall upgrade costs at this late stage. I take it the USB key for Cappel is somewhat unique if part of the purpose of this is to wean users away from old version of HW?

One thing I've wondered about is whether or not an organ like Cappel sounds in any way better in version 3. I vaguely remember someone saying that somewhere on this forum, but couldn't find it again.

The licence for Cappel would only be unique in that it has to be available in your licence key. It won't in itself do anything to wean people from one version of HW to another.
When writing ODFs for sample sets, the option is given to specify a minimum version for Hauptwerk, so your Cappel key must have a minimum going back to at least HW2.2 and will therefore run on a later version of HW, as long as you've bought a licence key for it.
The minimum option is very useful where a new facility is introduced and the ODF specifically written to use it. Obviously if that ODF was run on an older HW version without the new facility, it would fail. Your version of Cappel doesn't need to use any HW enhancements after v2.2, so runs on all versions from v2.2 forwards.
For instance, one of the HW3.x versions has an enhancement which allows for splitting of ranks with tremmed and non-tremmed parts in one definition. We used to have to write convoluted workarounds to achieve this on older versions and those ODFs would work on all previous version of HW. Now I've simplified my code, it will only run on versions including the 'trem enhancement', so I set a minimum version of HW to that point or later.

[engrssc]

I can easily see Martin's point of maintaining at least sme amount of control to insure the end result. I answered countless emails for MidiTzer back when I was active there from folks who "did it all wrong" and then complained. Like the saying goes, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

The word FREE has a strange effect on some people.

Rgds,
Ed

[sutherland]

Perhaps I could have expressed myself more clearly. What I meant was that in light of Brett Milan's initial comment that 'a significant proportion of Hauptwerk's users are still using old versions of Hauptwerk, and we want everybody to be on the latest, best, most reliable, and easiest-to-use version', I assumed that not many sample sets use the USB key because those of us who are using 2.2 licensed will not want to switch to 3.23 freeware if we cannot use the sets we purchased. Does that make sense?

There are features and sample sets I'd like to use that will need the newer version, but first I need to upgrade my hardware--a work in progress.

[kaspencer]

I think it is very good that a free edition of Hauptwerk will be made available. However, without wishing to sound churlish or uncharitable, the availability of a free edition does in some ways reduce the value of the paid-for editions.

It seems to me that the main advantage of the basic edition over the free edition is an additional 750 (approx.) pipes of polyphony. Therefore I would like to ask Martin and Brett to consider increasing the polyphony or the audio channelling (or both) that can be provided for in the basic edition, just to restore the differential.

I do take the point that there is a certain nobility in recognising that some people find it difficult to afford a licensed version of Hauptwerk and in providing a cut-down version for them, and I wouldnl;t wish to detract from it. But similarly there are many of us who would like the advanced version but cannot [yet] afford it. And many of us put up with the triangle until we could afford even the basic edition.

Many thanks anyway for your consideration!

Ken.

[wurlitzerwilly]

Perhaps I could have expressed myself more clearly. What I meant was that in light of Brett Milan's initial comment that 'a significant proportion of Hauptwerk's users are still using old versions of Hauptwerk, and we want everybody to be on the latest, best, most reliable, and easiest-to-use version', I assumed that not many sample sets use the USB key because those of us who are using 2.2 licensed will not want to switch to 3.23 freeware if we cannot use the sets we purchased. Does that make sense?

There are features and sample sets I'd like to use that will need the newer version, but first I need to upgrade my hardware--a work in progress.

Hmm. I'm still not fully sure I understand.
The purpose of the USB key for sample sets is to make them encryptable, so that everyone who uses one has to pay for it. It has nothing to do with the Hauptwerk version and AFAIK there are no free TO sample sets and possibly no Classical ones either. Given that it takes a lot of work to make a sample set and the ODF to go with it, I can see why most folks would be reluctant to give them away.
The fact that Hauptwerk (the program, not the sample set) uses a USB key per major version is necessary, but coincidental to the sample set. It's just convenient to have them on the same key.

You're right that it would not make sense to change to a free version of 3.23 to run commercial sample sets as they will not work, but then in your case, you don't need to as your purchased v2.2 already does all you need.
From what I'm reading, you'd have to put the free version on a different PC to the purchased version, but you could run non-licenseable/non-commercial sample sets using either.

[engrssc]

From what I'm reading, you'd have to put the free version on a different PC to the purchased version, but you could run non-licenseable/non-commercial sample sets using either.

Assume one could place the Free Edition and appropriate sample sets in a separate partition on the same computer's hard drive, yes?

Rgds,
Ed

[B. Milan]

Hello Ed,

Please see Martin's post on page 1 of this thread.

Will it be possible to run this alongside a licensed earlier version of Hauptwerk?

It's only possible to have one version of Hauptwerk installed on a computer (operating system disk partition) at a time, so you'd only be able to do that if you ran it on a separate computer or partition.

Hi Ken,

I think it is very good that a free edition of Hauptwerk will be made available. However, without wishing to sound churlish or uncharitable, the availability of a free edition does in some ways reduce the value of the paid-for editions.

I have to disagree with you there. The Basic Edition is priced accordingly for the features it offers and to help cover tech support. The differences between the Free Edition and Basic Edition are enough that the Basic Edition is still worth obtaining for the features it offers over the Free Edition. We do not plan on changing the polyphony limit or any other feature for the Basic Edition. Sorry!

[engrssc]

My only thought was, in being able to run the Free Edition on a separate partition, would be to be able to demo it. No advantage to having it for anyone, like myself, who has the Advanced version already. I may have misunderstood what Martin said regarding running it on a separate partition (or another computer).

Rgds,
Ed

[gingercat]

It seems to me that the main advantage of the basic edition over the free edition is an additional 750 (approx.) pipes of polyphony. Therefore I would like to ask Martin and Brett to consider increasing the polyphony or the audio channelling (or both) that can be provided for in the basic edition, just to restore the differential.

The basic edition has a whopping 4 times more polyphony than the free edition, which is already a huge differential. The ability to run dongled sample sets in the basic edition is also a huge difference. Don't forget also that should features be extended in the basic edition, it then reduces the differential to the advanced edition = can of worms opened.

[kaspencer]

We do not plan on changing the polyphony limit or any other feature for the Basic Edition. Sorry!

Thanks Brett - I was only trying|

Ken

[mdyde]

Hello Philip,

What I meant was that in light of Brett Milan's initial comment that 'a significant proportion of Hauptwerk's users are still using old versions of Hauptwerk, and we want everybody to be on the latest, best, most reliable, and easiest-to-use version', I assumed that not many sample sets use the USB key because those of us who are using 2.2 licensed will not want to switch to 3.23 freeware if we cannot use the sets we purchased. Does that make sense?

We mainly had remaining Hauptwerk v1 users in mind there because Hauptwerk v1 and its sample sets were much more basic, and generally correspondingly cheaper, and also because remaining Hauptwerk v1 users wouldn't have a USB key so wouldn't currently have (or be able to use) copy-protected sample sets anyway.

We'd thought that most people who'd been able to afford a high-end sample set or a Hauptwerk v2 licence would probably want to upgrade to the current licensed version of Hauptwerk. I hadn't really imagined that people would want to 'upgrade' from a licensed Hauptwerk v2 edition to the v3 Free Edition because they would be losing features (especially polyphony and usable memory).

However, if you or other people do want to do that, then I don't see any reason why we couldn't make the Free Edition allow USB key-licensed sample sets to work in the special case that somebody wants to upgrade from a v2 Studio/Concert Edition to the v3 Free Edition, and thus already has a USB key from the older Hauptwerk version with sample sets licensed on it. Hence we'll make it do that for you, which will allow you to use your Cappel sample set with the v3 Free Edition. [P.S. I've edited Brett's original post to add a footnote to that effect.]

Of course you would still have the other functional and licensing restrictions of the Free Edition (and we can't offer support for it).