There is something special about tubes, transistors, tone wheels etc. because they tend to adapt to your playing. There is an interaction going on where the organ takes on a new life with these real parts being electrified.
Any thoughts on developing Hauptwerk of the electronic theater organs of the 60's? They're still my choice in theater organs. I know it sounds like a misnomer, but as COMALiteJ said, ' ...each of them was a FAILED attempt to duplicate a sound which already existed...'
Sounds great! How do you look up with a MIDI keyboards and pedal board on your computer? The reason that I like Allen digital organs is that they do not limit their organs to being a real pipe organ, they also added professional features as sustain (Bell like fading away effect), transposer, additional MIDI voices and more. Can this software offers these items?
Can the tabs be changed with midi controllers? In other words can someone build their own theater organ from homemade switching/ tabs, stops etc. and use your virtual theater organ as the sound module?
Nothing like having one the best theatre organists in the world demonstrating a great product. The VTPO will hopefully facilitate a resurgence of interest in the theatre organ and its music.
Just FINE! ... ThankYOU. Please?: I'm really not dippy OR nuts OR (much)-behind the times... but I just do not know what?-IS this video? What IS a magnificent Wurlitzer organ "being played virtually" ...? What's going on? Thank you for your patience in educating Me-Rather-Empty-Head-Fellow. ... SIncerely. Can't wait for you to tell me! ... I am jonycuddlesgert. (PS: I had, not long ago, an in-law relative who had a full Wurlitzer IN his suburban home. O! wow!) -:)).
Just listened to this tune on high quality. Wonderful! I just can't get enough of those throaty-airy sweet sounds of theatre pipe organs. The quality of the reverb is excellent as well. Love the way this tune is played: true 20s 30s swing feel to go along with the fantastic sound.
I am very happy to know that organs (all kinds) are slowly regaining the status they deserve.
Actually, more the other way around: Hammond tried to make his new-fangled electronic tone wheel organs sound like Mighty Wurlitzer "Tibia" theatre pipe ranks.
This organ was sampled "dry" inside the pipe chambers - reverbs are more correctly recorded close up. The reverb on this demo was added. On the Milan website mp3 demo page, the last few samples show the difference in the dry, and the wet. True -- reverb is a matter of personal preference. I am also a classical organist, and I like lots of resonance.
It's not majorly impressive to record digital samples of a real instrument and play them back, even if the samples are modified by filters, etc. at playback time.
I wanna hear a real SYNTHESIS technology produce an organ sound this good.
But my main beef is more serious, namely, the loss to music itself:
You do realize that the Mighty Wurlitzer, Hammond B-3, Farfisa, and Fender Rhodes would never even have come into existence if reliable, affordable sampling technology existed then?
Each of those instruments spawned whole new genres of music. Each of them was a FAILED attempt to duplicate a sound which already existed, but in a cheaper and/or more portable form. Each was a happy ACCIDENT.
The theatre pipe organ itself was an attempt to duplicate a whole orchestra, the original means of providing in-theater music tracks for silent movies, but requiring only one musician instead of dozens — thus the name "unit orchestra."
You misunderstand my point. It's hard to say in 500-character chunks, but here goes:
What would Mr. Wurlitzer have sampled, if sampling existed back then? The same instruments that the pipe ranks attempted to duplicate: flutes, brass, and reed instruments, plus anything else needed to simulate a whole orchestra.
That's why they were called "Unit Orchestras."
The point is, in doing so, he would NOT have come up with the awesome THEATRE PIPE ORGAN SOUND *ITSELF*. THAT was UNINTENTIONAL!
As I just pointed out to pipeorganloverNJP, it started a chain of similar FAILED attempts to duplicate a previous sound in a smaller, less expensive, more portable form. Each led to the creation of a WHOLE NEW sound, NONE of which would EVER have existed had sampling existed back then.
Hammond tried to duplicate the Mighty Wurlitzer Tibias with his tone wheels and drawbars. Farfisa tried to duplicate the Hammond tone wheels with their solid-state electronics.
The Hammond didn't sound all that much like the Mighty Wurlitzer (even with the help of Leslie rotating speakers to try to simulate the "Tremulant" effect of the Wurlitzer). But it created a WHOLE NEW sound. That was NOT the INTENT, but the new sound became popular in its OWN right. Gospel music, for example, would not have existed as we know it without it.
Farfisa tried to duplicate the Hammond sound, and again, they failed, but in doing so they likewise UNINTENTIONALLY created a NEW sound that likewise became popular in its OWN right, and likewise helped boost or even create whole new GENRES of music. Try to imagine 1960s Surf music without the Farfisa sound, for instance.
The Fender Rhodes was a FAILED attempt duplicate the grand piano, but it likewise created a NEW sound that became popular in its OWN right. Imagine rock ballads without it.
In each of these cases, they were using mechanical and/or non-sampling electronic means to try to duplicate an existing sound in a more affordable and usually more portable form (the Wurlitzer being the exception in the "portability" aspect, but it was still less expensive in ongoing costs to pay one musician than dozens — thus "Unit Orchestra").
Sampling means there's no need for that. It means there will be no failures, and thus NO MORE HAPPY ACCIDENTS! These will NEVER happen again!
I think the last even partially "happy accident" was the Yamaha DX-7 FM synthesis technology of the 1970s. It was synthesis and allowed pretty close simulation of many instrument sounds, but not so close that they were indistinguishable. Moreover, it allowed much experimentation, and new sounds were created. But few of them were truly failed attempts to recreate an existing sound, with the possible exception of the "DX Piano" sound that enjoyed some popularity.
Note that any decent sample library, and even basic General MIDI Level 2 or GS or XG Level 1, has at least a partial implementation of ALL of the instruments I've mentioned so far: not only the real things (orchestral instruments, grand pianos) but the failed "happy accident" attempts to replicate them: theatre pipe, drawbar, and electronic organs, Fender Rhodes and other electronic pianos, and even samples of analog or FM synth versions of pianos and brass and strings, etc. etc. etc.
Exactly, that's my point - in case of the Korg M1 (I hated it). Anyway: the texhno, dupstep, whatnot dance-club remixers use a lot of software to create worse samples of past bad samples (like early digital drumboxes and those infamous orchestral hits)., It all has come full circle - often even more than once.
Has any echo been added during or after recording ? Or is this the sound you would always get from Hauptwerk ? Adding echo is the traditional method for disguising low quality samples. Probably this is also the trick that Hauptwerk uses ?
Would be nice to hear the same organ without any echo at all.
Yes, Hauptwerk is a software, more technicaly called 'virtual organ platform' that give life to the digital sounds recorded from original instruments by means of a computer and MIDI keyboards.
Great thanks for posting....but key of "c " arghhh the jazz mans curse.
MANTLEBERG 5 months ago
fantasic !!!!! cant stop tapping my feet !!!
kind regards
MrThespazman
MrThespazman 6 months ago
wait jelani eddington ive met him
allenlj5165 6 months ago
Jelani is the BEST! And the stop tab hanging from the key ring is just perfect!
virginiaorganbuilder 9 months ago
Very good!!
synthmix1 9 months ago
There is something special about tubes, transistors, tone wheels etc. because they tend to adapt to your playing. There is an interaction going on where the organ takes on a new life with these real parts being electrified.
Any thoughts on developing Hauptwerk of the electronic theater organs of the 60's? They're still my choice in theater organs. I know it sounds like a misnomer, but as COMALiteJ said, ' ...each of them was a FAILED attempt to duplicate a sound which already existed...'
paulj0557 11 months ago
sounds like he is playing the theme from the movie Gidget.
danielmkubacki 1 year ago
Sounds great! How do you look up with a MIDI keyboards and pedal board on your computer? The reason that I like Allen digital organs is that they do not limit their organs to being a real pipe organ, they also added professional features as sustain (Bell like fading away effect), transposer, additional MIDI voices and more. Can this software offers these items?
patsaxon 1 year ago
It's wonderful. Brilliant technology. Very nice to see a FREE edition which is not FREE for commercial use. Take notes.
13. HAUPTWERK FREE EDITION
13.1. The Hauptwerk Free Edition may be used for non-commercial, home personal use only.
emprock 1 year ago
It still, after all the years this set has been about for, sounds the best out of all the theatre organ sample sets.
3dwurli 1 year ago
Can the tabs be changed with midi controllers? In other words can someone build their own theater organ from homemade switching/ tabs, stops etc. and use your virtual theater organ as the sound module?
paulj0557 1 year ago
@paulj0557 yep.
3dwurli 1 year ago
Nothing like having one the best theatre organists in the world demonstrating a great product. The VTPO will hopefully facilitate a resurgence of interest in the theatre organ and its music.
greyantelope 1 year ago
@anglerfly hauptwerk
bmhall100 1 year ago
Just FINE! ... ThankYOU. Please?: I'm really not dippy OR nuts OR (much)-behind the times... but I just do not know what?-IS this video? What IS a magnificent Wurlitzer organ "being played virtually" ...? What's going on? Thank you for your patience in educating Me-Rather-Empty-Head-Fellow. ... SIncerely. Can't wait for you to tell me! ... I am jonycuddlesgert. (PS: I had, not long ago, an in-law relative who had a full Wurlitzer IN his suburban home. O! wow!) -:)).
jonycuddlesgert 1 year ago
Is this somewhat similar to MidiTzer?
tempetiger 2 years ago
@tempetiger similar, but hauptwerk uses proper samples of each pipe etc instead of soundfonts which miditzer uses.
bmhall100 1 year ago
what software is this?
beschier 2 years ago
@beschier Hauptwerk
bmhall100 2 years ago
Virginia Theatre organ
Chicagofan312 2 years ago
What fun! Thanks!
Larsky1010 2 years ago
Just listened to this tune on high quality. Wonderful! I just can't get enough of those throaty-airy sweet sounds of theatre pipe organs. The quality of the reverb is excellent as well. Love the way this tune is played: true 20s 30s swing feel to go along with the fantastic sound.
I am very happy to know that organs (all kinds) are slowly regaining the status they deserve.
aihoschema 2 years ago 3
@aihoschema I Quite Agree
Tonygoldwing 5 months ago
whats the name of the piece its great! =]
Theyoungorganist01 3 years ago
I may have missed someone else posting the name of this tune, but just in case it hasn't been answered, the tune is "Give Me The Simple Life".
It's an oldie (of course) and sounds great on the organ here.
PaulinaRena 3 years ago
its called "give me the simple life"
TrompenCham167 2 years ago
Actually, more the other way around: Hammond tried to make his new-fangled electronic tone wheel organs sound like Mighty Wurlitzer "Tibia" theatre pipe ranks.
COMALiteJ 3 years ago
I just notice in my post, I stated in error, "reverbs are more correctly recorded close up"; I meant trems instead of reverns.
bootchman5 3 years ago
This organ was sampled "dry" inside the pipe chambers - reverbs are more correctly recorded close up. The reverb on this demo was added. On the Milan website mp3 demo page, the last few samples show the difference in the dry, and the wet. True -- reverb is a matter of personal preference. I am also a classical organist, and I like lots of resonance.
bootchman5 3 years ago
It's not majorly impressive to record digital samples of a real instrument and play them back, even if the samples are modified by filters, etc. at playback time.
I wanna hear a real SYNTHESIS technology produce an organ sound this good.
But my main beef is more serious, namely, the loss to music itself:
You do realize that the Mighty Wurlitzer, Hammond B-3, Farfisa, and Fender Rhodes would never even have come into existence if reliable, affordable sampling technology existed then?
COMALiteJ 3 years ago
Innovation is a terrible thing, isn't it?
stefanussen 3 years ago
In this particular case, why, yes, yes it is.
Each of those instruments spawned whole new genres of music. Each of them was a FAILED attempt to duplicate a sound which already existed, but in a cheaper and/or more portable form. Each was a happy ACCIDENT.
The theatre pipe organ itself was an attempt to duplicate a whole orchestra, the original means of providing in-theater music tracks for silent movies, but requiring only one musician instead of dozens — thus the name "unit orchestra."
COMALiteJ 3 years ago 3
So if sampling had been available then, what would they have sampled? Why would synthesising a sound this good be better than sampling it?
procrustesuk 3 years ago
You misunderstand my point. It's hard to say in 500-character chunks, but here goes:
What would Mr. Wurlitzer have sampled, if sampling existed back then? The same instruments that the pipe ranks attempted to duplicate: flutes, brass, and reed instruments, plus anything else needed to simulate a whole orchestra.
That's why they were called "Unit Orchestras."
The point is, in doing so, he would NOT have come up with the awesome THEATRE PIPE ORGAN SOUND *ITSELF*. THAT was UNINTENTIONAL!
COMALiteJ 3 years ago
As I just pointed out to pipeorganloverNJP, it started a chain of similar FAILED attempts to duplicate a previous sound in a smaller, less expensive, more portable form. Each led to the creation of a WHOLE NEW sound, NONE of which would EVER have existed had sampling existed back then.
Hammond tried to duplicate the Mighty Wurlitzer Tibias with his tone wheels and drawbars. Farfisa tried to duplicate the Hammond tone wheels with their solid-state electronics.
COMALiteJ 3 years ago
The Hammond didn't sound all that much like the Mighty Wurlitzer (even with the help of Leslie rotating speakers to try to simulate the "Tremulant" effect of the Wurlitzer). But it created a WHOLE NEW sound. That was NOT the INTENT, but the new sound became popular in its OWN right. Gospel music, for example, would not have existed as we know it without it.
COMALiteJ 3 years ago
Farfisa tried to duplicate the Hammond sound, and again, they failed, but in doing so they likewise UNINTENTIONALLY created a NEW sound that likewise became popular in its OWN right, and likewise helped boost or even create whole new GENRES of music. Try to imagine 1960s Surf music without the Farfisa sound, for instance.
The Fender Rhodes was a FAILED attempt duplicate the grand piano, but it likewise created a NEW sound that became popular in its OWN right. Imagine rock ballads without it.
COMALiteJ 3 years ago
In each of these cases, they were using mechanical and/or non-sampling electronic means to try to duplicate an existing sound in a more affordable and usually more portable form (the Wurlitzer being the exception in the "portability" aspect, but it was still less expensive in ongoing costs to pay one musician than dozens — thus "Unit Orchestra").
Sampling means there's no need for that. It means there will be no failures, and thus NO MORE HAPPY ACCIDENTS! These will NEVER happen again!
COMALiteJ 3 years ago
I think the last even partially "happy accident" was the Yamaha DX-7 FM synthesis technology of the 1970s. It was synthesis and allowed pretty close simulation of many instrument sounds, but not so close that they were indistinguishable. Moreover, it allowed much experimentation, and new sounds were created. But few of them were truly failed attempts to recreate an existing sound, with the possible exception of the "DX Piano" sound that enjoyed some popularity.
COMALiteJ 3 years ago
Note that any decent sample library, and even basic General MIDI Level 2 or GS or XG Level 1, has at least a partial implementation of ALL of the instruments I've mentioned so far: not only the real things (orchestral instruments, grand pianos) but the failed "happy accident" attempts to replicate them: theatre pipe, drawbar, and electronic organs, Fender Rhodes and other electronic pianos, and even samples of analog or FM synth versions of pianos and brass and strings, etc. etc. etc.
COMALiteJ 3 years ago
Excellent points! May I add three things:
1) The Mellotron, a tape based early "sampler". The strings and brass didn't sound at all like the originals, but the resulting sound is a classic.
The Korg M1 with its bad samples. The piano and organ sample became staples of house-techno music.
3) Now we (almost) have come full circle as there are excellent software emulations of many of those happy accidents.
aihoschema 2 years ago
So now there are good samples of past bad samples? Interesting indeed!
COMALiteJ 2 years ago
Exactly, that's my point - in case of the Korg M1 (I hated it). Anyway: the texhno, dupstep, whatnot dance-club remixers use a lot of software to create worse samples of past bad samples (like early digital drumboxes and those infamous orchestral hits)., It all has come full circle - often even more than once.
aihoschema 2 years ago
Has any echo been added during or after recording ? Or is this the sound you would always get from Hauptwerk ? Adding echo is the traditional method for disguising low quality samples. Probably this is also the trick that Hauptwerk uses ?
Would be nice to hear the same organ without any echo at all.
stoppie999 3 years ago
haha yeh i find that with my orchestra samples
jamez123123 3 years ago
If only the real organ was as nice as the hauptwerk one.
ColNostro 3 years ago
hauptwerk?
issueagent 3 years ago
Yes, Hauptwerk is a software, more technicaly called 'virtual organ platform' that give life to the digital sounds recorded from original instruments by means of a computer and MIDI keyboards.
HumbertoMarquez 3 years ago