Using Hauptwerk 4 with Sibelius 6.2 (UPDATED)

Hello.

I can put some experience from using Hauptwerk 4 with Sibelius 7 here. There are two crucial things not to forget:
1. Set sample rate in Sibelius Playback configuration to 48000 Hz for most Hauptwerk organs. Just some older organs use 44100 Hz. You can find this out in “Audio, MIDI and Performance” large floating bar. If Sibelius do uses other sample rate than Hauptwerk and you record your performance, the result is a file with other tempo and incorrectly tuned sounds.
2. Don’t use Export audio feature of Sibelius. It wouldn’t work correctly with Hauptwerk. It is exporting faster than real-time and Hauptwerk cannot handle this. The result is a file with strange nuances in tuning, tempo etc. Use Hauptwerk recording features instead.

I recently downloaded the 30 day trial version of Sibelius. I have been working with it for days trying to figure out how to work it. My MIDI keyboards ( 4 of them) and the pedals are all compatible with note input into the Sibelius music score. Unfortunately, the on-line users manual is useless. I'm not sure if it is just me, but doesn't 99% of all keyboard sheet music usually present the left hand input into a Bass Clef and the right hand input to a Treble Clef ? Instead I see right hand notes inputted as Treble clef notes with many many lines below the five line staff. This issue was lightly addressed, but not explained, in the users manual on page 74 pages. I actually had to call NYC Music Services to have a Mr. Rothman explain to me how to separate left and right hand input. Attempting to contact anyone at Sibelius (Avid) is not possible and there are no Youtube tutorials on MIDI keyboard input.
However, that being said, the notation is very professional looking. All I was interested in was some simple keyboard composition and possibly doing some improvisation. I was hoping that I could use a Hauptwerk organ as the sound source while using Sibelius to do some composition. Has anyone been able to do this ?
Antoni

[mdyde]

I was hoping that I could use a Hauptwerk organ as the sound source while using Sibelius to do some composition. Has anyone been able to do this ?

Hello Antoni,

You'd need to study the 'MIDI sequencing, the Hauptwerk AU/VST Link and applying real-time reverb' section in the main Hauptwerk user guide (pages 181-199 in the current v4.2.1 version), and the 'Composing pieces off-line from MIDI notation software' sub-section (pages 194-199) in particular. (It's quite technical though, and not something we'd be able to provide you detailed additional help with, I'm afraid.)

Hi Martin:
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I'm really not that interested in involving my self with something so technical considering my lack of knowledge in this area. Sibelius does offer some "sounds" but nothing to write home about. I was more interested in trying to get some help with Sibelius, just separating the left and right hand into the Bass and Treble Clef. I was able, by random trial and error, to discover that once the notes were applied to the score ( which usually looks like hodge-podge) that I could "re-notate" it. Bass notes that were way up in the Treble Clef were rearranged to the correct Clef ( most of the time).
However, I thank you for even considering to respond.
Antoni

Hi Martin:
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I'm really not that interested in involving my self with something so technical considering my lack of knowledge in this area. Sibelius does offer some "sounds" but nothing to write home about. I was more interested in trying to get some help with Sibelius, just separating the left and right hand into the Bass and Treble Clef. I was able, by random trial and error, to discover that once the notes were applied to the score ( which usually looks like hodge-podge) that I could "re-notate" it. Bass notes that were way up in the Treble Clef were rearranged to the correct Clef ( most of the time).
However, I thank you for even considering to respond.
Antoni

Sibelius does not make any assumptions about where notes are "supposed" to go. It doesn't know. You have to tell it. It will input any note you press on any active stave. Remember, that different rep has different points at which hands take certain notes. Transpose a piece up and octave and both hands are playing in the treble clef. Or think of the piano work Liebstraum... the melody is passed back and forth between hands. That's why Sibelius is not going to make that decision for you. You need to notate each hand separately on its own stave and not try and throw everything at the program at the same time and get upset that it doesn't know what you want it to do. Truthfully Sibelius is a notation/engraving program- not a "composing" program. That type of thing is best worked out by hand ahead of time, and then input into the program.

(Stated differently, you need to click into the stave you want and put the notes you want there. If you want certain notes in a different stave, click into the right measure on the right stave and input those notes there in stead.)

I had this working a few years ago.
Since then, my MOTU ultralite MK3 has died and I am now just running hauptwerk through my computer's built in soundcard.
Is there something obvious I need to change to get sibelius working again? Hauptwerk isnt seening any MIDI in signals. I'm thinking that maybe the VST was somehow connected to the MOTU that is no longer there.

[mdyde]

Hello b_physics_guy,

There is a section in the current (v4.2.1) version of the Hauptwerk user guide 'Composing pieces off-line from MIDI notation software' (pages 194-199) that has step-by-step instructions for the most common way to set up Hauptwerk for use with notation software, so if you follow that section exactly, including the 'Composing pieces off-line from a MIDI sequencer configured conventionally' section it references) then it should work.

It's a little different from the approach described in John Murdoch's tutorial (which I think was written before we had that section in the user guide). I don't have experience myself with John's method, but I would expect it still to work in principle, since nothing has changed within Hauptwerk since it was written that should be relevant. I would imagine that you probably just need to double-check the selected audio device and MIDI ports in both applications (Sibelius and Hauptwerk), given that you've changed your audio/MIDI interface.

b_physics_guy,

I wrote the tutorial for Sibelius version 6--if you are using Sibelius version 7 or later, how you configure Sibelius is slightly different. What version are you using?

I'm using version 7

Okay--

The difference between Sib 6.x and earlier, and Sib 7 and later, is how and where configuration data is stored. I've written some documentation for the difference for when people email me, and I think I covered it in another post here on the Hauptwerk forum.

I'm not at home, and don't have access to the documentation (and to Sib 7, so I can test everything again). But I'll be home this evening, and will respond then.

I should mention (to Martin's point) that at present I do not use the VST approach that I outlined for Sib 6.2. I have the Advanced version now, and use Sibelius to drive 8-channel audio using MIDI output from Sibelius, via LoopBe, to Hauptwerk. The big limitation of the VST approach I described is that output is produced from Sibelius--which can only output two channels. If you have the Advanced edition (and multi-channel output is a compelling reason to buy the Advanced edition) taking advantage of MIDI output makes extraordinary sense.

More later.

I would prefer not to send audio back to Sibelius. It seems like an unnecessary complication.

Okay--

The difference between Sib 6.x and earlier, and Sib 7 and later, is how and where configuration data is stored. I've written some documentation for the difference for when people email me, and I think I covered it in another post here on the Hauptwerk forum.

I'm not at home, and don't have access to the documentation (and to Sib 7, so I can test everything again). But I'll be home this evening, and will respond then.

I should mention (to Martin's point) that at present I do not use the VST approach that I outlined for Sib 6.2. I have the Advanced version now, and use Sibelius to drive 8-channel audio using MIDI output from Sibelius, via LoopBe, to Hauptwerk. The big limitation of the VST approach I described is that output is produced from Sibelius--which can only output two channels. If you have the Advanced edition (and multi-channel output is a compelling reason to buy the Advanced edition) taking advantage of MIDI output makes extraordinary sense.

More later.

I got sidetracked for a few years but am now interested in trying Sibelius 7 again. Does anyone have instructions on how to set this up? I vaguely remember that last time I tried, the tempo was erratic when I output midi to Hauptwerk, but the same score worked fine with the Sibelius sounds.