Hauptwerk survey - sample sets & hardware

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Note to the readers

This survey is a personal initiative from one of the Hauptwerk' forum member. It is in NO WAY associated with INSPIRED ACOUSTICS that is hosting this WIKI.


The reason the results are posted here is simply because it was the easiest and fastest way to do it for me... and also it is FREE! (something that hosting the survey wasn't!). I spent many hours during this last week-end compiling and editing this page for everyone to see and didn't have more time to build a custom webpage, website.


Since it is a WIKI, anyone can edit and post content to the pages hosted on this WIKI (except this one to make sure that the numbers aren't manipulated by anyone). Please take the time to browse some of the pages and correct and/or add content if you feel like it. I think that the more sources where you can learn about Hauptwerk and the more visibility it will have, the more we will ALL benefit from it popularity.


For me the Hauptwerk community is one BIG family and hope it is the same for all of you. Please, be sure to visit ALL the sample sets producers if you need detailed information about their different products

THE SURVEY

In March 2009, users of the Hauptwerk Community were asked to complete a survey to gather some demographic and technical information, and also to give the sample sets producers/VPO part resellers data to better guide in their business development and serve the Hauptwerk Community.

Far from being scientific, this survey was completed by 188 Hauptwerk users (or soon to be) and represent a very good response rate.

So without further ado here are the results:

Q1:Hauptwerk version I'm currently using?

Q2:If you own Hauptwerk, when did you buy it?

Q3:If you don't own Hauptwerk when are you planning to buy it?


Comments from that question:

  • I can't afford it. Both computer and hauptwerk.
  • Never upgraded as I do not want to spend so much money...

Q4:What kind of computer are you using to run Hauptwerk?

Q5:Operating system used?

Q6:Memory installed?

Q7:What is the MAXIMUM screen resolution of the monitor used to control Hauptwerk?

Q8:Touchscreen(s) used with Hauptwerk

Q9: Do you have access to high speed Internet so you could download sample sets (many gigabytes)?

Q10: If you can save on the product price, what is the largest download size you would take?

Q11: I'm located in

Q12: I'm ...

  • PRO GRAD= A professional organist, graduated from an academy or conservatory 15,0%
  • PRO STUDY= A professional currently studying, teaching or earning my living (or part of it) as an organist 6,4%
  • AMA Lessons= An amateur/hobbyist who took some lessons 48,1%
  • AMA= An amateur/hobbyist who loves pipe organ and self-trained 28,3%
  • HW RESELL= HW re-sellers and/or demonstrators/hardware sellers 2,1%

Q13: How old are you

-Q14: Which of the following sample set do you own / use / have?

Q15: Which set(s) do you plan to buy within the next year? (Only the sets with value>0 are listed)

Q16: Did you ever see a pirated sample set or a cracked Hauptwerk?

Q17: Does it matter to you if the sample set is encrypted&?

Q18: Are you using the CODM (or planning to use it)?

Q19: Does it matter to you that some sample sets support the real pipe organs financially?

Q20: When buying a new sample set I want mostly to:

  • Era/style = Complete my collection to have organs from different eras/style
  • Builder = Complete my collection to have organs from different builders for a given era/style
  • New = Buy it because I get used to the one I own and I am looking for something new
  • Other (please specify)
    • Im primarily interested in a fixed spec instrument, controlled by a real console with a set selection of stops and controls.
    • I want to obtain as close as I can, the sounds that I remember of the theater organs that I tuned and repaired !
    • I am primarily interested in Theatre Organ sample sets. If I had more time to play, I might be tempted to purchase a romantic / classical set, but it would not be for any of the reasons listed.
    • I listen to a lot of the demos and purchase what I like.
    • Collect dry pipe ranks
    • Besides to complete my collection to have organs from different eras/styles, I vant to support creation of high quality dry sample sets and to support the further devellopment of even better virtual organ models, and I think that is done best by continuing to buy the best of the best.
    • A better one for not too much money
    • Buy an organ that is the style I like, and is at a reasonable price
    • To get closer to my idea of 'the perfect organ' sound
    • Impulse
    • I'm looking for great sounding practice instruments from the romantic period. Not really interested in baroque instruments.
    • I like dutch organs with nice acoustics. For me era/style/builder is less important
    • See more theatre organ sets
    • Looking for particular sounds
    • I have a short shortlist for my complerte set (for now): Cavaille-Coll, Hill, Schnitger, English Cathedral.
    • I only buy those I enjoy listening to - mainly French.
    • Complete my gargantuan console.
    • Buy one organ big enough for my tinkering.
    • Bovenkerk Volume 2 and eventually 3, to complete the sample set.
    • Just the love of new sounds.
    • Not related to any collection wish or to being used to owned ones.
    • Wish fulfilment for last 50 years of frustration. I checked my entire wishlist for ext years' purchases. I probably ca't afford all of them. It is a race between release dates and my budget. The Kampen Hinsz is certain, then probably the Trost.
    • Have yet another great sounding organ
    • How well it blends with real pipework
    • reseller
    • waiting for even better sounding organs
    • Not quite satisfied with what I have now.
    • Have a variety of basic organ tones. Since I will be playing mostly church music, I tend towards organs sounds of typical 'church organs' a compleet organ, with a the best sound quality
    • Style of Organ / Cost
    • All of the above.
    • Have a good sound for a nice price. It's my hobby...

Q21: For next year, do you plan to buy new sample set(s) or sample set upgrade(s)?

Comments:

  • My organ is essentially complete to the spec I drew up even before Hauptwerk was at v1. I originally used other software synths and home-grown samples while waiting for "good" theatre organ samples. I may consider purchasing other sample sets, but I would want to be able to control them easily from my current console, or a new dedicated classical hauptwerk console. Those endeavours are not going to happen in the current economic climate, especially with bad exchange rates between US and Australia.
  • Depends if the SP C-C organ is released dry and unencrypted
  • Money!
  • My financial situation
  • Cost of sample set. Cost of hardware upgrade necessary for playing the set. Uncertainty about my ability to make it sound good.
  • The price :-)
  • Depends on how good the future samplesets will be...
  • Depends on what is available, and at what price.
  • Financial aspect. Happily, it seems that actually some producers make real efforts to make sets more affordable. If so, more chances to get new sample set(s) this year.
  • Excessive cost involved in new sets due to having to upgrade to HW3 as well, which offers no benefit to regular users.
  • I wait for the best hi quality/low price sample
  • I'm interested in some of the higher price sample sets such as the Metz, but for financial reasons I will delay these purchases.
  • Impulse
  • Depends on the quality of unreleased sets.
  • World crisis and samples sets to expensive for me
  • Need more money.
  • My main purpose for owning Hauptwerk is to develop my playing skills. The sample set is secondary.
  • Finances
  • Cost and possible redundancy (loss of job)
  • it depends on the quality and reasonable price/quality
  • Need a large dry set that supports CODM.
  • Still working on the console. No need for expensive sample set when the console is not complete.
  • Chances are yes, but money is limited and i already have lots of wonderful sets to play with.
  • Nothing's needed anymore, so it's a balance between available money and pleasure of new sounds."
  • They're too expensive! Organists, even of very large churches, usually don't get paid very much.
  • Economy
  • Depends on availability of additional theatre organ samples, enhancements to codm, and enhancements to hauptwerk (tremulant speed control)
  • Went with a Duo-core PC with 4GB RAM (1/3) the price of a Mac. (and I am an avid Mac user). However, Pristine Space (best convolution reverb software) is only available in 32-bit so I can not go past the 4GB wall. This limits purchasing larger/newer samples that require 5-12 GB. I have written Pristine Space....we'll see. P.S.--(Reaper + Pristine Space on a PC is really amazing.)
  • to expensive
  • Well, money probably or the lack of it more likely.
  • PRICE AND HOW GOOD THE SET IS
  • I'm planning to buy the compleet set of bovenkerk Kampen, but only if the organ can be extended from a high C (original) to a high F ore G
  • "Most interesting organs require 64 bit so a have compatibility problems with tehe common software
  • which I also want tu use. There should only exist 64 bit ."
  • Money
  • I am on a limited pension.
  • Money would be a big issue.
  • However, the two main organs I have meet my present needs."
  • Depends upon what I need to build a player of organ rolls.
  • Costs of sample sets are becoming much too high. The quality on many brand-name sets is poor because developers are usingaautomated tools to create their sample sets (e.g. some loops are terrible!). These sets are now encrypted so the user has no opportunity to make the corrections that are needed.
  • Money, and I'm not that far down the rod of playing ability
  • $$

Q22: How much did you spend on your entire Hauptwerk setup in the last 2 years, including software, sample sets, computer, console and accessories? (In US dollars)

Q23: For the next year, what is your budget for sample sets?

Q24: For the next year, what is your budget for hardware (computer, speakers, keyboards/organ console etc)

Q25: For the next year, what is your budget for software related to Hauptwerk but excluding Hauptwerk itself and sample sets (e.g. audio editing/recording software, midi software, utilities etc)

Q26: Considering that Hauptwerk 3.2 doesn’t have built-in convolution reverb I prefer?

Q27: If a future version of Hauptwerk included built-in convolution, I would prefer?

Q28: If you could buy a downloadable sample set, how much would you expect to pay less than the boxed version?

Q29: Importance: On a scale of 1 (not important) to 5 (very important), what are the factors you are considering when considering buying a sample set? (Each answer was weight and the average per category was calculated)

  • Quality = The sample set producer (quality)
  • Reliability = The sample set producer (reliability and support)
  • Organ builder = Organ builder of the sampled organ
  • Original = It is a historical organ in its original form
  • Restored = How well the organ is restored, if it is
  • Era = Era/style of the sampled organ
  • Features = Size and variety of the features in the organ
  • Price = Price

Q30: Most historical organ have limited keyboards/pedalboard compass, no pistons/presets and missing couplers. Would you be more interested in a second “extended” version offering extended compass, presets and additional couplers rather than the historical one?

Q31: What is keeping you from buying many more sample sets?

Q32: If technically possible, would you be interested to subscribe to have access to a collection of sample sets from a given developer so that you would pay a fixed annual amount of money to access a large or growing library of downloadable sample sets?

Q33: Would you be interested to have “remote technical support” (e.g. for a fee) to help you configure, upgrade and fine tune your Hauptwerk system?

Q34: For future owners or current owners of Hauptwerk who are planning a future hardware upgrade, would you be interested in a “plug and play” system; the computer would arrive pre-installed and pre-configured and ready to use?

Q35:Organ specific hardware is hard to find; would you buy hardware from a company doing business and shipping all over the world but located in a foreign country?

Comments:

  • the ones who are offering this now are asking absurd prices, when searching 1 hour on the internet you can save up to 5000 $ or more.... a good company would keep this in mind.
  • Don't do this much
  • I prefer to build my own
  • I am able to install and midify the components self.
  • No more hardware needed, 3 manuals installed, 4th in storage, self-build console
  • Only if i cannot find it within 600 km from my home.
  • The prices from folk like Classic Organ Works are simply crazy - can buy identical stuff for approximately a fifth of their price by looking around. No joke.
  • I am near Classic Organ so for hardware I'd go to them. And my computer builder is a few blocks away from Classic so I have no need to go elsewhere.
  • "I will qualify my answer. Whether or not I would buy from a supplier in a foreign country depends on many factors:
  • Language - I speak and read English only, unfortunately
  • Currency exchange rates
  • Shipping and export fees
  • I live in USA and have bought from Classic Organ Works in Canada. There were minor problems with the transaction and I ended up paying about $100 more than expected. I would deal with them in the future because they have a strong commitment to Hauptwerk and they are knowledgeable and helpful.
  • there are problems of: transport cost, local taxes,delay in the reception.
  • Only if they have a local dealer.
  • no can build my own for less money
  • Too expensive
  • Shipping Cost, Customs delays & problem resolution.
  • have my own organ system
  • I prefer local stores, because it supports the local community. The customs inspections and prices are a drawback, too.
  • it should adhere to organ standards
  • I have no need to do so. I am a professional pipe organ builder and have access to everything I need for Hauptwerk through US suppliers.
  • no, i will assemble the O\PC etc myself
  • Problems whit the Internet payment.
  • Not safe, and I don't have a credit card.
  • SHIPPING COSTS WOULD BE WAY TOO MUCH
  • NO - cost - shipping - back up service - hardware faults etc
  • The are always some smart companies, who know where the business is, in every country. Last year in the Netherlands there was one shop who knew a little bit about hauptwerk, and this year they are the No 1 store around here. and yes a prefere buying in my own country, even when it will be a bit more expancive
  • I would want local support.
  • Maybe - If I couldn't get it locally I would consider purchasing from a foreign company but that company would have to have a good track record of satisfied customers.
  • I don't trust payment with credit card on the Internet.
  • I buy only when I can pay with a bank remittance. And not in advance."
  • I like to figure it out on myself

Q36:Do you personally know potential new Hauptwerk or sample set buyers?

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