Les' Friesach-Cracow Composite Organ

Hauptwerk community,

If you have been following my organ exploits you know that I purchased a 1995 custom Rodgers 4-manual organ during the pandemic. This has replaced my Rodgers 945 as my home Hauptwerk concert instrument. I have created several sample sets that fit this console - mostly starting with some fo the larger commercially-available sets.

I have just completed a composite sample set for this console that is made up almost entirely from two of Piotr Grabowski's excellent free Hauptwerk sets: His Friesach and Cracow organs. If you have not already obtained these two instruments, I highly recommend that you do as they are both high-quality, fairly large three manual organs that Piotr has offered to the community free of charge.

Before you can load and run my organ, you will need download and install both of these sample sets. You must, of course, abide by all the terms that Piotr has on his web site. All of this is explained on my web site including all the relevant links.

I have added a chime sample and a zimbelstern to these two sets and come up with a composite organ that matches the specifications of my 4-manual instrument almost exactly.



It will be much better for you to visit my web site to see these displays and the specifications - the font here is simply too small! I have created left and right jamb screens for those of you with multiple monitors.

The organ has six divisions - including a "floating" Positiv that is meant to play normally from the Choir. All is explained on my web site.

This is a very large and comprehensive instrument.

http://www.nightbloomingjazzmen.com/Les_Friesach-Cracov_Organ.html

I have used nearly all the ranks from the two Grabowski instruments and then performed a complete voicing to create a very workable and consistent instrument. As usual, I have also made my CODM file available (though this does not contain voicing information) so you can see exactly what I have done and perhaps use it to help you in your own projects.

I do not have sound samples yet for this instrument. I hope to post a few over the next week or so - when I can find some spare time. Things are busy in the space business right now!

Les

Thank you for this.
Very well done.
Steve

Looks like a great instrument. I am definitely interested in taking it for a test drive. No chance you could add a Tuba to it?

Les (and Piotr and Martin),

Thank you for all of your work to create this! I really appreciate it.

A while back, I had a thought about combining Friesach and Cracow into a composite set. But after playing them individually, I wondered if they might not blend as well. After installing this, I was pleasantly surprised that they do!

In your web page, I noticed that you recommended setting Hauptwerk's reverberation to 0. I tried this first, but my initial impression was that the clarity might be getting a bit clouded by the natural reverberation. I realize reverberation is a personal choice. I have to admit that my own reverb length preference has changed over time. But currently, I have found setting the Organ loading settings: Release Sample Truncation down to 2.5 seconds or less gives a nice balance between clarity and reverberation for this composite.

Thank you for providing the composite sample and thank you again Piotr, for providing the Friesach and Cracow sample sets (to make this even possible). And Martin, rest assured, Hauptwerk's virtualizing pipe organs is a wonderful world to play in. Thank you most of all.

Mark

TubaFan,

I can tell my your username that Tuba stops must be important to you. By the way, I am also a professional tuba player (the brass instrument, not the organ stop.)

The grand trumpet chorus in the Solo (16' Bombarde, 8' Trompette Harmonique, and 4' Clairon Harmonique) are voiced to play the role of a tuba chorus. Though a bit brighter than true English tubas, there are quite effective in this role.

If you want to get closer to a true tuba sound, you can rejoice them by reducing higher harmonics and compensating by increasing the volume.

Les

Thank you so much for this, Les - your contributions add so much to the community!

Unfortunately, after installing both organs, I get an error that Windows is not able to extract your modifications file, suggesting it may be corrupted. I have downloaded it 6 times, and none seem to work. I am running HW 4.2.1.003, however I do not use my organ computer online and so Windows 10 has not been upgraded for some time. Could this be the issue?

At installation, I receive a HW 4.2 error message about download corruption. I'm running W10 fully up to date.
Looking forward to hearing this generous gift!

I tried this composite organ on Win10 and HW7, no problems here, but lots of fun looking at the impressive console. But as Les stated, this organ needs some voicing. And sometimes more, sometimes less, you feel that the samples are coming from different organs.
Nevertheless I want to say a big thank you to Les!

I have heard from a couple people that my rar file is not downloading correctly. This is a possible concern because I have recently changed the software I use for generating these archive files. I will be investigating this tomorrow when I have some time.

You can still download the CODM file - but as others have pointed out, this does not give you the voicing which I did - and which is critical to the organ actually sounding right.

It will help me to hear if any of you were able to download the rar file successfully including loading it into Hauptwerk.

Les

I used to know how to apply a CODM but that was several years ago; would need to refresh my memory, which is not as agile as it once was!

I will wait until you have had a chance to look at the issue, as I know your voicing changes will be an immense improvement. I was able to download the rar file, the error came when trying to install it in HW.

No hurry on my part, I am grateful that you are willing to not only contribute a resource like this, but even to troubleshoot it!

Gary

It will help me to hear if any of you were able to download the rar file successfully including loading it into Hauptwerk.

I did. Worked fine. Win 7 pro
Steve

On Hauptwerk 6, on Windows 10, I had successfully installed.

Mark

Les,

As others have said, many thanks!

I know it's a lot of work but portrait screens would be a real treat for this organ. If I knew how to do it I would. Any chance of either 1) you making portrait screens, or 2) pointing me in the right direction to learn how?

Dave McCallister

For those of you who have been successful with the far file, please let me now the version of Hauptwerk you used. Perhaps this is an issue only in 4.2, for example. This can help me narrow the problem.

I will also look at how much work is required to create portrait side jamb displays.

Les

Les

You use Winrar V5 for making the installation file.
The RAR 5 format is not compatible with RAR 4.
And HW 4 uses Unrar.exe version 4.
That's the reason for the corruption faults.

Creating an installation file, you have to set Winrar to creating version 4 compatibility files: "Archive format RAR4" in the "Add to archive" right mouse menu.

Also see viewtopic.php?p=108724#p108724