Two manual sample sets on 3 manual Hauptwerk

Hello everyone.

I have a 3 manual setup. To play my two-manual sample sets I set up the lowest manual as the Great and the middle manual as the Brustwerk, swell, whatever. Then last Fall I had a note that was not working on the lowest manual so I routed the keyboards to use the upper two keyboards. Now that the note is fixed I tried going back to my original setup but found that I had gotten used to having the middle and upper manuals in service for those 2 manual sample sets.

Both setups have advantages and drawbacks. I have shoulder problems and find I can't play on the top manual for extended periods. I also have short arms and legs so playing trio sonatas is very clumsy on the two upper manuals. On the other hand it feels strange using the lowest manual as the main manual.

Are there any rules about these things or does it depend on ergonomics and one's physical setup and body build? It's nice to be able to change the disposition but I feel I should determine a setup and settle into it.

What do people think?

PS: I created my setup according to the printed AGO specifications.

I suggest you keep the Great on the 2d keyboard and the other division on both the 1st and the 3rd keyboards. Hauptwerk allows 2 keyboards for the same division.

You could also use the lowest manual as a "coupler" manual (like at Magdalen College, Oxford).

I have problems holding my arms up too long, so I do as ludu suggested, duplicating the upper division on the bottom manual when the sampleset is Great and Swell only.