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Organtechnology pre-configured HW PCs

Buying or building computers for Hauptwerk, recommendations, troubleshooting computer hardware issues.
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Grant_Youngman

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Organtechnology pre-configured HW PCs

PostSun Oct 25, 2009 11:37 am

I had a call from Tom (http://www.organtechnology.com) last week about the possibility of checking out one his Hauptwerk PC models on my console and sound system. Appears his console is still in the construction phase (mine is, too, and one of these days I'll get a Round To-It and add another manual and wire up the toe studs).

Living in the same metropolitan area, when it's as spread out as the Dallas/Ft. Worth area is, isn't exactly like being next door neighbors. So I think Tom packed a sandwich and headed over here with what was essentially the entry level model OT-1 and an M-audio 410 firewire audio module.

I moved 4 stereo speaker channels (Behringer 2031A) including the sub channel to the 410 from my Audiofire 12. the PC was configured to have HW start up on boot, and we had St. Anne's playing in short order using some midi files that Tom had on the machine. Because of the location and cable lengths required to use the 410 for the console interface, we downloaded the drivers for my E-MU 0404 USB which sits at the console, and quickly configured HW to use the E-MU for console midi. We weren't using a screen with touch, but as a creature of habit I kept leaving fingerprints on the screen anyway :-)

The HW dongle for the OT-1 wasn't licensed for the Advanced version, so we used my key and had multi-channel audio and related features all working as expected. Tom had some other sets loaded besides the default St. Anne, and we also installed the Milan Cappel (using the license on my dongle), and played that one for a while - it's still one of my favorites.

Not surprisingly, the system proved to be trouble and glitch free, looked the part (small innocuous black box), and played well. No "fiddling" was needed to get it up and running and the Vista install had already been cleaned up to get rid of the gremlins. Now clearly, it might not be the box to run the Caen Surround in all of it's 24-bit glory, but appeared to have all the resources needed to run most of the more modest sample sets - which still includes much of what's in my own collection.

I believe the OT-1 is spec'd to ship with the E-MU 0404. We didn't try it with the E-MU audio, but I used that interface in my original HW setup with external amps and different speakers, and it's hard to find fault with it for use with a single stereo output environment or headphones. I also think Tom is planning to deliver the M-audio 610 rather than the 410 in the OT-2/3 versions.
Grant
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engrssc

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Re: Organtechnology pre-configured HW PCs

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Grant_Youngman

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Re: Organtechnology pre-configured HW PCs

PostSun Oct 25, 2009 3:24 pm

Interesting.

I'm actually not certain if the machine Tom brought over was a quad or a dual core test unit (the one on eBay in particular). In any case, the move to quad core will improve polyphony for sure, and increase (within MoBo memory caps) the range of sets that can be played.

The technology piece just keeps giving you more for less $$ (or at the worst, the same). In 1976 I was the proud owner of a Z-80 machine with 32K Ram and digital "random access" tape IO. It cost almost exactly what a Mac Pro Quad Core does today. It's almost scary how fast the cost/performance curve has changed -- even over just the last year ...

All I can say is that the system did what is advertised, and did it in such a way that a beginner could easily get it up and playing out of the box with no real technical knowledge beyond understanding how to plug cable A into port A (and I realize even that could be a challenge for some), and knowing where the power switch is :-)
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engrssc

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Re: Organtechnology pre-configured HW PCs

PostSun Oct 25, 2009 4:55 pm

Wouldn't it be interesting if we could lease the high tech stuff and exchange it every time a newer, better "one" came along without being "penalized"?

Regarding "out-of-the-box", more so in Europe, there are many totally complete organs (console, Hauptwerk computer) being created and sold. Haven't seen much in that way in the USA or elsewhere for that matter.

Rgds,
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tomg3usa

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Re: Organtechnology pre-configured HW PCs

PostSun Oct 25, 2009 10:07 pm

Yes, that is the machine that Grant and I put through its paces. Now that I know that dual core works so well I need to find it a happy home to make room for the quads. With HW v3.30 and a quad core, 8 GB machine, I am beginning to think you can play any organ that will load in the memory available. Kudos go to Martin for that.

My thanks to Grant for his valuable assistance.

Tom
http://www.organtechnology.com
Ready to play when you are.

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