Should I stop worrying?

Given that you have v7 installed, you can actually compare v4.2-quality against v7-quality rather easily:

- On the "General settings | Audio device ..." screen, set the sample rate to 48 kHz (not 96 kHz, since v4 couldn't do 96 kHz).

- Load an organ.

- Go to the "Organ settings | Organ preferences | Audio engine" screen tab, and set the following two settings as follows:
--------- "Audio engine processing quality" = 'Lower'
--------- "Tremulant/wind supply/swell box/relay model quality" = 'Lower'
... then OK the screen. That will effectively give you v4.2-quality, since it uses the v4.2 audio engine quality, and v4.2 model quality. (Technically it's actually still slightly better than v4.2 could achieve, due to other minor quality/realism improvements.)

- Now go back to the "Organ settings | Organ preferences | Audio engine" screen tab again, and this time set the following two settings as follows:
--------- "Audio engine processing quality" = 'Higher'
--------- "Tremulant/wind supply/swell box/relay model quality" = 'Medium'
... then OK the screen. That will give you default v7-quality. (Technically, it's actually still slightly less than v7 can achieve, given that v7 can also use 96 kHz and the 'Higher' model quality.)

I think you'll find the quality difference between them is very noticeable.

Hello Martin:
Thank you for your helpful email. It sounds like what you are wrting is that I am still able to transfer all of my unencrypted sample sets from Version IV to Version VII but at V4.2 audio model quality, which would be acceptible to me. I suppose I should plug my external hard drive with the Version 4.2 backed up sample sets into my new computer USB drive and find the sample set I want to download.

Antoni

Not quite, you can install unencrypted v4.2 samplesets on v7, then run each organ at any quality between 4.2 lower and 7 higher. Quality settings are independent of encryption and whether the organ was made for v4 or v5+.

[mdyde]

Thanks, Antoni.

Yes -- to confirm Mark's reply -- you can simply install any unencrypted v4 sample sets directly in v7 ("File | Install ..."), and take full advantage of v7's improved quality/realism for them too.

[mdyde]

Only one version of the Sonus Paradisi Caen was transferrable. My earlier versions of Sonus Paradisi Caen (non surround) did not transfer. Also the two versions of the Sonus Paradisi Silberman (Direct and Diffuse) did not transfer. A different version transferred. Many of my custom organ sample sets (a 105 stop and a 240 stop custom organ) did not transfer. Several versions of the Forcalquier - extensions I had custom made for me and a custom version of the 4 manual Caen with a 40 rank Wanamaker-like string division did not transfer. The relevant producers have not made these sample sets transferrable.

Interesting. Caen Wet should still work, since it was unencrypted, but maybe it used the old dongle for licensing. It was replaced by Caen Surround, so Wet is no longer sold. Freiberg was encrypted so needs a 5+ version, and, like Caen, Jiri simplified the product line there, so there's only Surround and Dry. Freiberg Surround includes Direct, Diffuse, and Rear.

These, and defunct composites, are cases where the producer chose to discontinue support for some samplesets in favor of newer versions, not a loss caused by some imagined problem with the HW versions. In SP's case, you could ask whether there's any upgrade pricing from discontinued versions if you're still missing something.

Hello Antoni,

Re. the sample sets you mentioned:

- Since the v4 version of SP Caen that you had wasn't encrypted, you can just install and use that directly in v7.

- You do have a licence for the v5+ SP Freiberg Surround, which Mark mentioned contains the Direct and Diffuse perspectives anyway, so you haven't lost anything there either -- just download and install the v5+ version of the Freiberg Surround, if you haven't done so already.

- Any non-encrypted custom organ definitions that you had for v4 will be usable in v7 directly too.

- To my recollection Jake was the only person offering encrypted custom organ definitions, and his standard ones are available in v5+ format, so if he made some other custom ones specifically for you then if you contact him directly I imagine he'll be able to send you v5+ versions of them too.

Clearly I am out of my league here. All of the answers I am getting are starting to sound ambiguous. Too many inputs. All I wanted to do is to be able to load the old Version 4.2 unencrypted sample sets (with or without the improved Version VII audio) onto my new Version VII platform with or without the improved audio. It doesn't matter, at this point, if the older version 4.2 audio was not as good as Version VII. Frankly, the Version 4.2 audio wansn't that bad. Can I, or can't I, transfer the Version 4.2 unencrypted sample sets with the lower audio quality to Version VII platform ? Yes or no ? I think Martin said it could be done and explained how to do it. My concern is if I attempt to do this without expert help that I would mess something up that already works and get my self deeper into trouble.
Antoni

[mdyde]

Hello Antoni,

Can I, or can't I, transfer the Version 4.2 unencrypted sample sets with the lower audio quality to Version VII platform ? Yes or no ?

Yes. Just use "File | Install ..." in Hauptwerk v7 to install them (from their original installation media or saved downloads) on your new v7 computer, in the same way that you did when you originally installed them in v4.

(Once installed, they will default to v7's improved quality too, and take advantage of it.)

Hi Martin. I’ve also heard of two other sample sets that the user says were not migrated over to Hauptwerk V, the American Major 1 by Etcetera, and the Silver Octopus Fr. Willis 100. Do you know anything about those?

[mdyde]

Thanks, larason2.

I’ve also heard of two other sample sets that the user says were not migrated over to Hauptwerk V, ... and the Silver Octopus Fr. Willis 100.

I believe all v4-encrypted Silver Octopus Studios sample sets were re-encrypted for v5+, but I've asked Charles to confirm the status of that sample set here.

the American Major 1 by Etcetera

Based on a search of the forum, it does appear that the last status update on that one (from February 2021) was that Magne (the sample set creator) intended to release it in v5+ format, but hadn't yet had time to do it:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=18978
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=19486

I haven't heard anything from him since then (or directly since v5 was released), so I imagine that might still apply, in which case his sample set(s) might indeed not yet be available for v5+ (as with the two from Midi Pipe Organ in Italy), but hopefully he'll have a chance to get to it eventually.

All current Silver Octopus sets are compatible with HW versions from IV to VII.

The Father Willis 100 set in its final release (which was subsequently decrypted when HW V was released) is also compatible with HW IV and upwards but it is long discontinued. It has been replaced by the Concert 100 instrument which is modelled on Willis instruments and based on predominantly Father Willis samples. Many of the Concert series instruments do have additional non FW stops taking them far beyond anything that FW might have produced. However, it is worth noting that the Concert series currently still contain more unaltered original FW stops than any other sets on the market.

Likewise, the older Standard sets (from which the Studio series was created) are also compatible with all versions of HW from IV onwards.

The only instruments which were not compatible with HW V and later editions were the Studio series because we did not have access to the original files encrypted or otherwise. These were upgraded to the Concert series models either for free or for a sliding scale upgrade charge (dependent on the original price paid and when the sample set was purchased along with which size model was chosen to upgrade to).

The original V1 release Concert series models did not have photo graphics however, this has now been addressed. They also feature other additions such as a Crescendo pedal, Sustainers and Gt to Ped Combs Coupled.

To set the record straight, I'm not that concerned about losing certain sample sets that I had limited intererst in, although it would have been a consideration to have known, ahead of time, that I would have lost them prior to upgrading. How on earth did I know that a custom sample set would not transfer.
The Version VII upgrade is an improvement in audio quality, even if it is minimal. Whether it is worth the cost of upgrading (which in my case required a new and expensive computer and a new audio sound card plus two new touch screen monitors) is questionable and up to the Hauptwerk customer. Had I known what I know now, I probably would have not upgraded to Version VII. considering the inordinate cost, complexity and loss of previous sample sets. Version IV sounded pretty good by any standards, although Version VII does sound a tad better. My biggest concern is not having a backup system should my existing system fail.

Antoni

[mdyde]

Hello Antoni,

Which specific sample sets do you think you've lost? Each of the non-custom ones you mentioned previously (or the equivalent newer-version replacement, in the case case of the Caen Surround) are available for v5+ as free downloads to their existing users, as covered earlier in this thread.

If you're just referring to some custom ones that were made specifically for you, who were they made by? Are you sure they're encrypted? (As I mentioned, to my recollection, the only person who made encrypted custom sample sets was/is Jake, and I expect he could send you an updated version if you just contact him to ask. You can use non-encrypted v4 sample sets in v5+ directly anyway -- you just need to install them, since you're using a different computer now.)

Hello Martin:
Among the sample sets that I lost was an original Caen Non surround version as well as an earlier surround version. There was also a custom version made for me ( a four manual Caen with a custom string division added) that I lost. Same for the diffuse and direct versions of the Freiberg.
I think you mentiond that the original Version IV sample sets are still available (perhaps not with the VIII audio benefits) which would be acceptible to me. I'm not sure why Francois didn't mention that to me, or if he did I didn't understand what he said. I'm also not sure why they didn't transfer during the migration process from IV to VII. If they are available, I'm not sure what to ask.

Also, I lost a custom 200+stop sample set created by Jake. I know it wasn't encrypted because all of the sample stops used were from non encrypted sample sets and free download stops. I had already made a point to not purchase any more encrypted sample sets because of previous issues with getting them to work.

If I understand what you are saying, I think you stated that my previous Version IV sample sets are still available to me just for the asking and will install on Version VII. I think I was told already that they are not available for version IV.

Unless you've deleted your downloaded RAR installation files (or thrown away the DVDs or USB sticks they came to you on), why don't you install some of the old unencrypted organs on your new computer and see if they work? Did you try that?

License migration from HW 4 to 7 would not have installed any of the samplesets on a new computer -- it moves licenses, not installation files -- and neither would restoring a HW user settings backup. You have to re-install the samplesets whenever you move to a new computer, even if it's the same HW version instead of an upgrade.

If you've already done the necessary re-installs for your unencrypted HW 4 organs on your new HW 7 computer and they don't work, what error messages do you see?