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Ready to take the plunge - Need advice

PostPosted: Thu May 01, 2008 6:28 am
by micdev
Hi all,

After weeks (months!?!) of reading the forum, searching the web and testing the trial version of Hauptwerk, I'm ready to take the plunge, but I need your advice for "my main" sample set.

I do have some variables to take into consideration:

- Windows XP 32 bits with 4 gigs of memory (2.7 usable by Hauptwerk ?)
- Dell Vostro 400 with Core duo E8400 (3.0Ghz)
- M-Audio 1010LT with 8 speakers and subwoofer
- No external reverb unit, no software to add reverb while playing (not sure I want to use one... latency?!?)
- Have a preference for symphonic organs (Cavaillé Coll à la St-Sulpice!)

I read and searched the forums about samples sets, reverb, memory etc... but now I'm "overloaded" with informations.

For those of you, Hw Experts, what would be your recommandation ?

Thanks for your help
François

PostPosted: Thu May 01, 2008 7:43 am
by mdyde
Hello François,

I'll leave sample set recommendations to others, but:

- Windows XP 32 bits with 4 gigs of memory (2.7 usable by Hauptwerk ?)


Correct. Why not buy a copy of 64-bit XP or 64-bit Vista? Then you could use all 4 GB of memory. The M-Audio 1010LT has beta 64-bit drivers, which work fine with up to 4 GB of memory.

- No external reverb unit, no software to add reverb while playing (not sure I want to use one... latency?!?)


The latency depends on the unit. Check the manufacturer's specs. if you do decide to go the dry + reverb / convolution route. Probably some units have an adjustment for the latency as well (generally speaking, lower latency => higher CPU load in the reverb unit => less simultaneous channels possible).

PostPosted: Thu May 01, 2008 8:05 am
by mdyde
The M-Audio 1010LT has beta 64-bit drivers, which work fine with up to 4 GB of memory.


P.S. Sorry - correction - the current M-Audio beta driver for 64-bit Vista isn't yet available publicly. However, the previous beta driver for 64-bit XP allow Hauptwerk 32-bit to be used with up to 4 GB of memory on 64-bit XP.

PostPosted: Thu May 01, 2008 9:58 am
by imcg110
Easy!!

First choice - Notre Dame de Metz
Second choice - Notre Dame de Metz
Third Choice - Notre Dame de Metz

All three available from Brett Milan.

It is by far the most thrilling set I own. IMHO nothing else available comes close in the romantic field. There are other good sets out there, but this organ sets the hairs on the back of the neck on end like no other - something that cannot be defined by physical data written on a page.

You should stick with the original (un-extended) version, compressed files, 16 bit, with most on single loops. Load all the clunks and bangs at 14 bit mono you should just get it to fit.

It should sound great with your speaker set up.

PostPosted: Thu May 01, 2008 10:05 am
by micdev
Hi Martin,

If I understand you correctly,

However, the previous beta driver for 64-bit XP allow Hauptwerk 32-bit to be used with up to 4 GB of memory on 64-bit XP


I could use Hauptwerk 32 on XP64 with my 1010LT and the first version of the beta driver (dated 2005??? wonder if it's stable). And have close to 4Gb (minus windows overhead) to load my sample set.

Thanks for clarifying.

François

PostPosted: Thu May 01, 2008 10:06 am
by Stefanussen
what imgcg110 said

PostPosted: Thu May 01, 2008 10:19 am
by mdyde
I could use Hauptwerk 32 on XP64 with my 1010LT and the first version of the beta driver (dated 2005??? wonder if it's stable). And have close to 4Gb (minus windows overhead) to load my sample set.


Correct. Nobody has ever reported any stability problems with it to my knowledge and lots of Hauptwerk users use it in that way.

PostPosted: Thu May 01, 2008 7:15 pm
by adri
My 2 cents:

You could try first the Laeken free trial version, see if you find it too limiting, as many stops are combined, and then perhaps shell out the money for the Metz set, which is about double the price.

The OrganArt media set of Ducrotet-C-Coll is another option, but what I can hear is a very different organ. Also different price? (depends where you live, USA or Europe, etc.)

At any rate, several free organs exist, some are with single sampling, but still not bad for freebies, and they expand your library of available organs, as well as harpsichords.

PostPosted: Fri May 02, 2008 11:59 am
by micdev
Thanks all for your suggestions,

I took the plunge and bought a bundle - Hw + Metz + Express delivery (I'm so anxious to try it :D )

About Laeken, I had the version for Gigastudio and found it a bit limiting. The Gigastudio version was very noisy (I know that the Hw version have been reworked) but after many hours of denoising with Adobe Audition I was able to get good samples.

Btw, the support by Brett and Martin is incredible, great communication, fast answer. I'm anticipating some great moments with my new software+sample!

François

PostPosted: Fri May 02, 2008 2:57 pm
by mdyde
Thanks, François.

Hope you enjoy it.

PostPosted: Sun May 04, 2008 1:27 pm
by BarryG
I'm running the Metz on a similar configuration, though with a quad core Q6600 processor -- 4GB, XP 32-bit home version, no reverb. I use the /3GB switch. Am able to run the extended Metz with all ranks loaded, 16-bit, compression, stereo, multiple releases all samples. All ranks with the memory-saving settings on attack/sustain and loops, and mono for most 16-foot ranks. Also running with multi-channel output through eight speakers and a subwoofer, though with different sound card than yours. Task Manager shows Physical Memory Total about 3,275,000 and Available about 323,000 when loaded. Memory shown for processes running shows Hauptwerk at about 2,688,000.

I don't know what all the settings mean, but picked as I did from reading others' posts on the forum. In any case, it sounds great -- lot of presence, natural-sounding reverberation and acoustics from a much bigger space than my living room. I still plan to upgrade to Vista 64 and 8GB of memory "soon", to be able to load with more settings that provide more "realism", but I'm a very happy camper with the way it currently works.

(FWIW, I can load the Skinner sample with all ranks 16-bit, stereo, compression, but all other settings for "realism" versus less memory, and the corresponding Physical Memory Available per Task Manager is about 505,000, and Hauptwerk process at about 2,461,000.)

Polyphony testing on my configuration runs in the 5500 neighborhood, and I've not seemed to push against it with the extended Metz sample, even with lots of stops open.

Barry Gerken

PostPosted: Sun May 04, 2008 3:24 pm
by micdev
Barry,

This is great news for me. I should get my dongle and sample this week, then I'll have to learn all those "compression, single/multiple release stuff".

François

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2008 10:27 am
by micdev
Yahooo.... I received at my office my dongle + Metz sample.... :D That's the good news!

The bad news is that tonight I have a board of director meeting (for my golf club since the season opens saturday) and I'll be on a business trip tomorrow :(

I'm really looking forward to play with my new toys... hope it rains this weekend :D

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2008 11:03 am
by imcg110
Enjoy!!!!!!