The Parts of a Virtual Pipe Organ

Organ Console (MIDI) >> Organtechnology Sound Engine >> Dante Audio System.

Organ Console (MIDI)

When the organist plays on the Organ Console equipped with MIDI, the information from the manuals, pedal board, pistons, toe studs and other switches connected to the MIDI electronics, is sent to the Virtual Pipe Organ (VPO) Sound Engine via MIDI cables from the MIDI output jacks of the console or keyboard arrangement to the Sound Engine. This signal contains all the notes from all the keys, pedals, pistons, touchscreens and the swell pedal information.

Organtechnology Sound Engine >>

In the Organtechnology Sound Engine, the Hauptwerk™ VPO software handles the job of ‘reconstructing’ the organ as the MIDI from the manuals and pedals arrives, such as would be heard while an organist is playing the manuals and pedals of the original pipe organ. The information,of what to reconstruct, resides in the ‘Sample Set’ Organ Definition File database loaded.  If the organist wants a Baroque organ sound, they would select a Baroque Sample Set for their VPO, if a romantic sound is wanted the a Romantic Organ Sample Set is loaded into the module.  Stops are pulled and pistons are set using the Organtechnology Touchstop™ monitor screens connected to the Sound Engine.

The Hauptwerk™ software uses all this information to create the digital audio signal which goes from the  Sound Engine to the Dante Digital to Analog Converters (DAC)  and the analog sound from the DAC goes to amplifiers and speakers to recreate the original organ sound. Organtechnology Sound Engines are built on an Intel i7, 64GB RAM, 1TB SSD platform in a sturdy cabinet from Cooler-Master. The operating system is Windows 10 IoT LTSC and the VPO software is Hauptwerk Version 5 latest build.

Dante Audio System >>

Hauptwerk™ has a minimum of 2-channel stereo output up to a maximum of 1024 channels available. All of the Pipes and ranks of pipes are directed to the proper channels for reproduction of their sound by the Hauptwerk™ program.  Digital audio is  sent to various Dante locations for changing to analog sound for the speakers. Dante 2-channel (AVIO) and 4-channel (uND4O) DACs are very popular but 8, 16, 32, 64 channel systems are available. Dante audio is very crisp and clear and once set up never needs to be accessed again until more amplifier/speaker combinations are added.  The sound engine has the innate capability of 64-channels even if you just use two to begin.