Hauptwerk Basics

What is Hauptwerk?

Hauptwerk is a computer-based pipe organ simulation program. This makes it possible for everyone to make the sounds of many well-known pipe organs audible and, above all, playable at home. The "Hauptwerk" software was released in 2003 by the Englishman Martin Dyde with his then company Crumhorn Labs and is currently being further developed and distributed by the company Milan Digital Audio. There are already numerous so-called sample sets of original pipe organs that are offered by different set manufacturers.

There is also a free version of Hauptwerk, which allows you to use smaller sample sets with limited functionality. You can familiarize yourself with the functionality of the program at home and later switch to the basic version with an extended range of functions, which is subject to a fee, or to the advanced version with an unlimited range of functions.

There is now also a free program called GrandOrgue, which has a similar range of functions as Hauptwerk in the advanced version and is even available in German.

Where can I get Hauptwerk?

Hauptwerk is available for the operating systems Microsoft Windows and also for Apple MAC OS X!

Click here for the website of the Hauptwerk manufacturer Milan Digital Audio

Where can I get sample sets for Hauptwerk?

Sample sets are available directly from the manufacturer Milan Digital Audio, but also from numerous other sample set manufacturers worldwide. Many organs, some of them very famous, have already been sampled for Hauptwerk.

A large part of the sample sets and their manufacturers are already included in our forum. From there you can access the various manufacturers via the relevant links:

Click here for the website of the Hauptwerk manufacturer Milan Digital Audio

Click here for the Samplesets sub-forum of the MPS organ site

to be continued