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Virginia Wurlitzer Theatre Organ - Hauptwerk 2 Information



  Included with this Product:

  This product includes the virtual instrument on DVD-Rom containing the samples and organ definition files. Hauptwerk software is not included and must be purchased separately (may be purchased through our online shop.)

Hauptwerk 2 Display Pages:

 

 

Click Images For a Larger View

 

The Main Console Display Page

     The Hauptwerk 2 console is lifelike down to every last detail.  Each moveable switch on the organ can be controlled by either mouse clicks, MIDI messages and computer keyboard keys. This includes stop tabs, keys, pedals, pistons, animated swell pedal, foot levers, effect push buttons, toe studs, toggle switches and even the power key which activates the blower noise.

     The virtual organ includes enough pistons to perform with many registration changes at the push of a button. Included are 16 Generals (10 thumb pistons, 6 Toe Studs), and 10 divisionals for each manual (includes 1,2,3,4,5 and PP,P,MF,F,FF per manual). Each piston is fully configurable via the HW2 combination capture system.

     The virtual console is true to the original organ console with the exception of the Solo to Pedal and Accompaniment to Pedal couplers which may be found on the left keyboard cheeks as push buttons. An LED light illuminates above the push button to let the user know the coupler is active.

 

The Stop Control Display Page

     A simple yet effective larger layout was created to control the stops, pistons and effects. To accommodate a wide variety of users we created the Main Console page in a screen resolution of 1024x768. Due to the nature of the horseshoe layout the images can be slightly difficult to read.  The Stop Control page offers larger images if you are working with mouse clicks, or if you just need to set up combinations to memory. Any stop tabs or combinations which are set on the Stop Control page will link to those of the Main Console page and vice versa. 

     Due to space constraints and to keep the Main Console as authentic as possible we only included the 16,8,4 piano stops on the Stop Control display page. The included Steinway piano features a specially adapted version of  our Hamburg Steinway D located at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.  These include one layer of close miked MF piano samples recorded chromatically from 85 keys. The lowest 3 notes (A,A#,B) are not accessible from the organ. The approximate sample length of the Steinway is 8 seconds per note with decay and a short fade out.

 

The Chamber Display Page

     Unlike any other organ software samplers, Hauptwerk 2 allows you to enter into the pipe chamber. The Chamber display page features graphical interaction with the organ chamber. Features on this page include wind pressure monitoring via LED Peak meters (disabled in U.S.), motorized faders which control both Blower Noise amplitude adjustment (from full to off) and Viol Celeste fine tuning (Hear examples below). This Viol Celeste tuner can tune the entire rank in real time, and may even be controlled by a continuous controller to change tuning in between (or during!) pieces. Each example begins with the Viol Celeste by itself, then the second half adds the Viola D'Orchestra. Inside the chamber you may also witness regulator movement during activation of the tremulants for each respective division. (Yes, the regulators actually move!)


Computer Requirements:

     Users must be running Hauptwerk version 2.1 to load and play this sample set. Version 2 of the WurliTzer contains encrypted samples and organ files. Upon purchase a license for the Hauptwerk USB dongle key will be sent to you via email. The  samples are 24 bit 48KHz. The complete Wurlitzer virtual organ with the Steinway D piano samples loads into approximately 850 MB of RAM with samples loaded in 16 bit 48kHz and single loops enabled. Hauptwerk 2 allows the option to load samples in 32 bit 48kHz, however memory requirements will double with this setting enabled. All samples are multi-looped with some containing up to 8 loops which adds to the realism with avoiding repetition in the loops cycles. Disabling the multiple loops through Hauptwerk will save more memory. To load all stops, and all percussion and effects we recommend that you have at least 1.5 GB of RAM available to run Hauptwerk and the Wurlitzer organ at 16 bit 48kHz. The organ is heavily unified and due to the large amount of stops a fairly fast processor is required for running many stops at once. We recommend a processor speed of at least 2.8 GHz to 3.0 GHz for satisfactory performance of the organ. The new Intel and AMD dual core procesors are more than satisfactory to run this sample set. You may also disable any unused ranks through the Hauptwerk 2 rank output routing screen to save additional memory. Please read the Hauptwerk 2 documentation for assistance with this method.

Additional information:

We would like to thank the management of The Virginia Theatre and  the Virginia Theatre's organist  Warren York for helping realize this project. A very special thanks also to Martin Dyde of Crumhorn Labs and beta tester Jim Gallops and Co.  for their assistance in creating this virtual instrument and also many thanks to Jelani Eddington and Warren York for their performances on the Virginia Virtual Wurlitzer!