Thu May 10, 2018 5:31 pm
In that case it could be worthwile to check if all gains in your audio chain are properly set. I am using a pair of 180W speakers in a ~200' x 100' living room and can get a louder sound than I need without overloading issues.
Is there clipping in Hauptwerk (audio level meter going into red) or in your speakers?
One very important consideration is the acoustics of your room. Basically, there are two paradigms:
1)
* Recreate the sound of the original sampled organ, including the original acoustics as recorded at the recording position
* Use wet sample sets (containing the original reverb)
* Use a stereo pair of high-quality speakers (or possibly surround) or headphones
* Minimize the influence of the acoustics of your listening environment
* Optimize for a single listening position
2)
* Create your own custom "pipe" organ based on Hauptwerk samples
* Use dry sample sets (containing as little original reverb as possible)
* Use a large array of speakers
* Benefit from the acoustics of the room
* Optimize for a large listening area
Many people compromise between those two paradigms, sometimes unaware, and with mixed results. For example, using a dry sample set in a dry room won't sound good (in your face) and using a wet sample set in a reverberant room neither (muddled "reverb over reverb" sound).
The (dis)advantages of a stereo pair versus a large array of speakers are a more complicated and nuanced subject. But unless your room has excellent acoustic properties, I wouldn't go for paradigm 2. And once choosing for paradigm 1, there is (theoretically) nothing to gain in going for multichannel audio, provided that you have a stereo pair of excellent quality. Rather, by introducint extra speakers, you will potentially create all kinds of mismatches in phase, stereo image and influence of room acoustics.
The most important consideration in paradigm 1 is the need to suppress or compensate the negative influence of the acoustics of your room. In most rooms, this influence is dramatic: particular frequencies can be boosted by more than 12 db, while other frequencies can be eliminated almost completely. I think it is by far the biggest obstacle towards realism and listening pleasure that Hauptwerk users encounter. The solution is not to be found in going for multi-channel audio but rather
1) place the speakers as close as possible (~3')
2) Apply room treatment (anything that absorbs or diffuses sounds, including curtains, book shelves, sofa's, large paintings or pictures on canvas, etc)
3) Use room correction software (!)
So maybe this is a different type of advice than expected. Feel free to take any route you like, but it is best to be aware of these issues (and, frankly, many more).