HauptwerkTM Version 2.10 Release Notice

June 2006

© Crumhorn Labs Ltd 2006


The most current source of information about Hauptwerk, known bugs etc., is the Crumhorn Labs website, which should also be consulted when required.


Overview

Hauptwerk version 2 supersedes version 1, and is now owned and developed by Crumhorn Labs Ltd., under the direction of Martin Dyde.

Version 2 includes many, many major new features aimed at providing the most realistic and best-performing model of an organ possible on current computer hardware, and to provide a solid foundation for future development for years to come.

Version 2.10 is a maintenance release, applying to versions 2.00, 2.01 and 2.02, which includes some major new features, many major performance and usability enhancements, a lower-cost edition, the ability to import version 1 sample sets and various bug fixes.


Compatibility

All Hauptwerk version 2 and version 1 sample sets should now be compatible with Hauptwerk version 2. Version 2 now can perform better in every way than version 1, with much higher audio quality and more realism, and many more features, and version 1 is thus now considered obsolete and will no longer be available. A very affordable upgrade is available from version 1 to the new lower-cost Studio Edition of version 2.

From version 2.10 onwards a small hardware USB dongle is used to license Hauptwerk and some third-party sample sets for it. A dongle and new CD should have been sent to all users with a licence for Hauptwerk 2 versions prior to 2.10 at no charge. If you have not been contacted by email about this, please contact us. This dongle-based licence replaces the licence key files that were used prior to version 2.10.


Installation

We very strongly recommend that you read the User Guide for Hauptwerk, which includes important prerequisites and installation instructions, and is included on the Hauptwerk CD and on-line on the Crumhorn Labs website before attempting to install Hauptwerk.

In particular, please ensure that you have Microsoft Direct-X version 9.0 or above installed (included on the CD), and at least 1 GB of memory, otherwise Hauptwerk's installer may not function correctly. Please also note that, depending on the speed of your CD/DVD drive, it may take several minutes for the installer to open after double-clicking on it, or for the installer file to appear in Windows Explorer, due to its size. During this time the drive activity light will remain lit.

If you have received this version on CD and wish to upgrade an existing Hauptwerk version 2 installation, simply insert the new CD and follow the instructions in the installer. The installer should detect your existing installation and upgrade it automatically as necessary.

If you have received this version as a download 'hot-fix' patch, then please instead follow the instructions included with the download. A moderate level of computer proficiency may be required to apply such patches, and we recommend instead ordering the update on CD if you have any doubts about the process.


Testing

This release has primarily been developed and tested on the following systems: Additional beta testing has been carried out for versions 2.00 and 2.10 by third parties on many other systems, old and new.


Changes to Hauptwerk

Please note that enhancement and bug numbers refer to the corresponding pages on the website.


Changes in version 2.10

Version 2.10 includes some major new features, many major performance and usability enhancements, a lower-cost edition, the ability to import version 1 sample sets and various bug fixes.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000027: New per-rank option to disable multiple sample loops, saving memory.

Hauptwerk supports samples containing multiple loops, which it plays in a complex sequence to reduce repetition. A new option is available on the 'Organ | Load organ, adjusting rank audio output routing' screen which causes Hauptwerk only to load the loop that ends first in the sample, often saving a considerable amount of memory but at the expense of some realism. For best results it is recommended that this setting only be used if a sample set will not fit into available memory, and then preferentially on only the least frequently-used or least prominent ranks. Note the multiple sample loop playback can also be disabled globally using the 'General settings | General options' screen.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000028: New per-rank option to truncate releases to save memory and for 'dry' simulation.

A new option is available on the 'Organ | Load organ, adjusting rank audio output routing' screen, which causes Hauptwerk to truncate release samples artificially, using specially-shaped frequency-dependent decays, to simulate 'dry' samples (with no reverb). With very 'wet' sample sets, simulating dry samples in this way can save a considerable amount of memory. It can also allow such sample sets to be played in reverberant spaces and helps to reduce noticeable differences in acoustics when using sample sets containing samples drawn from several different sources. However, the results are never completely the same as using true dry-recorded samples, since a room acoustic also affects the attack and sustaining portions of the sound, which simple truncation of releases cannot model. True dry samples are thus highly preferable to using this option, and it is recommended that it only be used as a last resort. The licences for some sample sets do not allow modification of samples in this way, and this option is disabled for such sample sets.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000030: New per-rank option for loss-less memory compression.

A new option is available on the 'Organ | Load organ, adjusting rank audio output routing' screen, whereby you can select whether each rank should be compressed using a fast loss-less memory compression algorithm. Compressing the memory has no effect at all on audio quality and typically reduces the memory required for a rank by between 30 and 45 percent, depending on the contents of the samples. However, since processor overheads are increased slightly when compressed samples are played, the polyphony that can be achieved will be reduced a little; typically by about 10 to 15 percent. Hauptwerk's polyphony management algorithms automatically allow for this, so the polyphony limit should be set in the usual way (without compression). This new option is especially useful for very large sample sets that require more memory than can be installed in a given computer/motherboard or can be accessed with 32-bit Windows (which is limited to about 2.75 GB). In such circumstances, it is recommended that you enable it preferentially for ranks that place the least demands on polyphony, such as Pedal ranks, and then on lesser-used ranks. The option is also particularly useful for loading large 24-bit sample sets in standard desktop computers.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000060: Hauptwerk version 1 sample sets can now be used in version 2.

A new function has been added to the 'File' menu to enable any Hauptwerk version 1 sample set to be imported into Hauptwerk version 2. Once imported, the sample set will behave fully as a normal version 2 sample set, and can be loaded via the 'Organ' menu as with any other sample set. Note that Hauptwerk version 1 was a much less powerful and less realistic system than version 2, and its organ definition files contained only a tiny fraction of the information held in version 2 files. Because the information for many version 2 features (such as the shapes of tremulant waveforms for each pipe and the wind supply model parameters) was simply not available in version 1 sample sets, Hauptwerk can only use simple defaults when importing. Imported sample sets will look and function much as they did in version 1. They will sound much better because of the core improvements in audio quality and sample play-back inherent in version 2 and its new models, but they won't be nearly as functional or realistic as a native version 2 sample set. It is thus still highly preferable to obtain an official Hauptwerk 2 version upgrade of a sample set from its supplier to simply importing its Hauptwerk 1 version in this way. Since Hauptwerk version 2 now performs better in every way than version 1 (it can use less memory, can give a higher polyphony, has much higher audio quality, is much more realistic and is many times more powerful), is available in a low-cost edition, and can use version 1 sample sets, version 1 itself is now considered obsolete and will no longer be available.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000062: All main setting screens now accessible regardless of whether an organ is loaded or active.

It is no longer necessary to un-load or deactivate the current sample set to access the relevant settings screens. When necessary, deactivation and re-activation are automatic and now almost instantaneous.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000080: Sample set loading times massively reduced.

If a sample set has been loaded two or more times consecutively using the 'Organ | Load organ' or stand-by/recent options, its samples are read from a special fast sample cache rather than the original files. Various optimisation techniques have been used to speed up the loading of a sample set from that cache, typically increasing loading speed by a factor of about four times over previous Hauptwerk 2 versions, and by a factor of about six times over loading from the 'raw' (non-cached) samples.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000095: Per-pipe real-time voicing adjustments screen.

A new screen is available under the 'Organ settings' menu which allows graphical adjustment of many aspects of the sound of each pipe in real-time. (If a pipe is composed of several layered samples, then adjustments can be made for each layer separately.) The rank, layer and parameter are selected at the top of the screen, and sliders are then used to adjust the level of the selected parameter for each pipe in the rank (and layer), with additional 'short-cut' sliders to allow rapid shaping of the response across the rank as a whole. The resulting voicing settings are saved separately for each sample set. These voicing facilities are only available in the full Concert Edition of Hauptwerk. The licenses for some sample sets do not allow voicing to be adjusted, and the screen cannot be used with such sample sets.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000101: New lower-cost, reduced Hauptwerk edition available.

A new lower-cost edition of Hauptwerk is now available, named the Studio Edition, intended for home and practice use and also as a very affordable upgrade for users of Hauptwerk version 1 or newcomers to Hauptwerk. The full edition of Hauptwerk is now referred to as the Concert Edition. The new low-cost edition has its polyphony restricted to 1024 simultaneous voices (pipes), no multi-channel audio output facilities, no MIDI output, no user per-pipe real-time voicing facilities and no wind supply model, but in all other regards is identical to the Concert Edition.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000131: New option to disable audio engine interpolation, giving very high polyphony on older computer hardware (typically a much higher polyphony than even Hauptwerk version 1).

In order to allow the pitch of each pipe to vary constantly in real-time, Hauptwerk's audio engine uses a mathematical process known as 'interpolation'. A new option has been added to the 'General settings | General options' and 'Organ settings | General options' screens to allow this interpolation to be turned off, globally or for any given sample set. By selecting this option, Hauptwerk will only play samples at exactly the pitch at which they were recorded. This gives an enormous increase in the polyphony that can be achieved on given computer hardware, and is especially useful for older or lower-specification computers. This option typically allows a much higher polyphony to be achieved than even Hauptwerk version 1 could manage. For example, on a Pentium 4, 2.8 GHz processor using audio buffer sizes of about 20-23 milliseconds, Hauptwerk version 1 can manage a polyphony of about 1600 simultaneous pipes. With all features enabled, Hauptwerk version 2 can manage about 720 simultaneous pipes, but with interpolation, the per-pipe filters and multiple sample loops disabled, Hauptwerk version 2 can manage about 2160 simultaneous pipes on the same computer. However, the sound will be less realistic as a result of disabling interpolation (but still much better than Hauptwerk version 1). In particular, tremulants, the wind supply model and Hauptwerk's various models which impart life and movement to the sound will be less effective with interpolation disabled. It is recommended that you only select this option if the polyphony you can achieve with your computer hardware is not adequate. Note that some sample sets are not compatible with this option, and an error will be given if you attempt to load such a sample set. Hauptwerk's temperaments and adjustable tuning will also no longer work.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000150: Licence key replaced by USB dongle for Hauptwerk and sample sets.

In order to provide secure licensing and copy protection for Hauptwerk sample sets, which is a requirement for some existing and new sample set producers, Hauptwerk's licensing mechanism has been changed to use a USB dongle. A dongle-based licensing mechanism also makes it easier for third-parties who install or sell Hauptwerk as part of organ systems. A dongle and version 2.10 CD will be sent to all existing licensed version 2 users at no charge. Without the dongle attached, Hauptwerk will function as an evaluation copy. You will need a spare USB port to attach the dongle.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000151: Audio engine options now adjustable separately for each sample set.

Some users have a range of sample sets of different sizes, with smaller sets easily running on their computer hardware without needing to disable any audio engine features, whilst other, larger, sample sets may push the computer to its limits and need some processor-intensive audio engine features disabled. To accommodate this, the key audio engine options performance tuning options can now be adjusted for each sample set individually, as well as globally. These settings are: 'disable swell box filters', 'disable harmonic-shaping filters', 'disable interpolation', 'disable MIDI velocity sensitivity' (not strictly a performance option), 'disable main wind supply model' (for non-U.S. customers) and the polyphony limit. Using these options it is now possible to get the maximum possible realism from each sample set within the limits of the computer hardware available.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000156: Activation now almost instantaneous, reducing loading times.

Once a sample set has been loaded, it is 'activated' at which point Hauptwerk starts all of the necessary audio and MIDI devices and performs various other internal indexing to give maximum real-time performance. Previously this could take 10 to 20 seconds, depending on the size of the sample set and the speed of the computer. It has now been highly optimised and typically takes less than a second. Thus the overall sample set loading and activating time is reduced accordingly.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000160: Overall memory footprint reduced by about 400 MB.

A great deal of effort has been put into tuning Hauptwerk's background memory usage, without compromising its real-time performance. As a result, in use Hauptwerk typically now needs about 400 MB less with a sample set loaded overall than it did in previous Hauptwerk 2 versions. When Hauptwerk is running with no sample set loaded it now uses approximately 38 MB of memory (nearly 70 percent less even than Hauptwerk version 1). Although slight further tuning may be possible, it is unlikely that it could be reduced much further without an impact on performance. As a result of this reduction in memory requirements, substantially larger sample sets can now be loaded within a given amount of memory. For example, the St. Anne's, Moseley sample set can now easily be used in full (without memory compression) on computers with only 1 GB of memory. It is also now possible to use Hauptwerk effectively with smaller sample sets on computers with only 512 MB of memory, and the prerequisite minimum amount of computer memory required to use Hauptwerk has been reduced accordingly.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000162: Almost all options and settings can now be adjusted without re-loading a sample set.

Previously the 'General options', 'Audio output groups', 'Audio outputs' and 'Audio output channels' screens on the 'General settings' menu all required any sample set to be un-loaded before they could be accessed. All of the those screens can now be accessed regardless of whether a sample set is loaded or active, and almost all of their settings no longer require any currently-loaded sample set to be re-loaded. In particular, all except one of the settings on the 'General options' screen now take effect almost instantaneously, and the audio drivers, audio device channels and audio buffer size (latency) can all be changed with almost immediate effect, as can almost all of the performance tuning parameters, such as enabling/disabling audio engine features (e.g filters and interpolation) and adjusting the polyphony limit. The very few exceptions are clearly shown on the relevant screens.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000054: [VSTi only] Cakewalk Sonar 5 now supported as VST host.

Hauptwerk (32-bit) has now been made compatible with Cakewalk Sonar 5 as a VST host, and is fully tested and supported on that platform.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000057: Organ-specific settings saved when OK clicked on audio routing screen.

Previously, if some ranks were disabled using the 'Organ | Load organ, adjusting rank audio output routing' screen, and it then transpired that an insufficient number had been disabled to allow the (subset of the) sample set to load into the memory available, after the insufficient memory error had been displayed the selection of disabled ranks would not be saved, thus it was necessary to disable them again next time. With many ranks disabled, this could be time-consuming. Now the disabled rank selection is always saved at the point that OK is clicked on the screen, saving considerable time in such situations when memory is in short supply.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000067: MIDI expression pedal range can now be adjusted/mapped.

Some electronic organ consoles have MIDI expression pedals that do not produce the full 0-127 range of MIDI continuous control values. Previously when such pedals were used to control a virtual swell or crescendo pedal in Hauptwerk, either only part of the range of the virtual pedal would be accessible, or a third-party real-time MIDI message translation tool such as MIDI-OX would be required. However, MIDI-OX could have a significant detrimental impact on Hauptwerk's performance. Now on the 'General settings | Continuous control MIDI inputs' screen you can specify the minimum and maximum values that your pedal can transmit and Hauptwerk will map its range automatically, so that third-party tools are no longer necessary.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000111: [VSTi only] New native 64-bit VSTi build.

Now that the Steinberg VST specification supports native 64-bit VST plug-ins, a new 64-bit Hauptwerk VST plug-in is included with the 64-bit Hauptwerk installation option. Because the majority of VST hosts do not yet support native 64-bit plug-ins, both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the plug-in are installed with the 64-bit Hauptwerk installation option, so that the appropriate one can be used depending on the VST host under 64-bit Windows. Support for the 64-bit Hauptwerk plug-in should be considered beta for now, since it has not yet been possible to test it properly with any commercial VST hosts supporting native 64-bit plug-ins.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000125: [VSTi only] General compatibility with VST hosts significantly improved and support extended.

Various compatibility issues have been addressed, and the Hauptwerk VSTi edition plug-in should now be compatible with the vast majority of VST hosts. Although we cannot test on all hosts, as much as possible we will endeavour to support Hauptwerk on any current host provided that we can obtain a testing copy from the manufacturer and that any compatibility issues prove to be due to Hauptwerk and not the host itself. Note that SpinAudio Virtual Mixing Console is known not to work fully with Hauptwerk, which is under investigation.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000154: Memory required and loading time reduced for polyphony testing organ.

The polyphony testing organ is used to determine the appropriate setting for the polyphony limit, which controls Hauptwerk's polyphony management system and is described in the 'performance tuning' section of the user guide. Since realism is irrelevant for this organ, it has been changed to use Hauptwerk's release sample truncation feature and not to use multiple sample loops, thus saving memory for its release samples and reducing its loading time. Overall the free memory required to load the whole sample set is now only about 972 MB, including Hauptwerk itself, a large reduction. In all other respects it works exactly as before.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000173: NTFS file fragmentation reduced for faster loading.

We have found the Windows NTFS file system to be particularly prone to fragmentation (breaking files up into many small chunks), which was increasing loading times for Hauptwerk and sample sets significantly. By changing the file handling in Hauptwerk it has been possible to reduce significantly the likelihood and extent of file system fragmentation with NTFS, which has given a big additional reduction in loading times on Windows systems. In order for these changes to be fully effective, we strongly recommend defragmenting your hard-disk, as described in the 'upgrading' section of the latest version of the Hauptwerk user guide, either prior or shortly after upgrading to version 2.10.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000092: [VSTi only] Geniesoft Overture 4 now supported as VST host.

Hauptwerk (32-bit) has now been made compatible with Geniesoft Overture 4 as a VST host, and is fully tested and supported on that platform. Note that Overture does not currently support multiple audio outputs, so Hauptwerk can only be used with its output mixed to a single stereo output pair.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000110: [VSTi only] New VST 2.4 specification now supported.

Internally, the Hauptwerk VSTi edition has been updated to use the new Steinberg VST 2.4 specification, which allows for compatibility with additional host features and native 64-bit VST operation.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000121: [VSTi only] Emagic/Apple Logic 5.5 now supported as VST host on PC platforms.

Hauptwerk (32-bit) has now been made compatible with Emagic/Apple Logic 5.5.1 as a VST host, and is fully tested and supported on that platform. Note that Logic does not allow a plug-in to re-size its window, so the console may appear truncated, and Logic does not currently support multiple audio outputs with Hauptwerk, so Hauptwerk can only be used with its output mixed to a single stereo output pair.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000122: [VSTi only] Brainspawn Forte 1.5 now supported as VST host.

Hauptwerk (32-bit) has now been made compatible with Brainspawn Forte 1.5 as a VST host, and is fully tested and supported on that platform. Note that Forte does not allow a plug-in to re-size its window, so the console may sometimes appear truncated. After loading/unloading or activating/deactivating a sample set, close and re-open the plug-in's 'editor' window to force the host to display it at its new size, thus working around the problem. Note also that Forte does not currently support multiple audio outputs, so Hauptwerk can only be used with its output mixed to a single stereo output pair.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000123: [VSTi only] Image-Line FL Studio 6 now supported as VST host.

Hauptwerk (32-bit) has now been made compatible with Image-Line FL Studio 6 as a VST host, and is fully tested and supported on that platform. Note that FL Studio does not currently support multiple audio outputs with Hauptwerk, so Hauptwerk can only be used with its output mixed to a single stereo output pair.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000124: [VSTi only] Magix Samplitude 8 now supported as VST host.

Hauptwerk (32-bit) has now been made compatible with Magix Samplitude 8 as a VST host, and is fully tested and supported on that platform. Note that Samplitude does not allow a plug-in to re-size its window, so the console may sometimes appear truncated. After loading/unloading or activating/deactivating a sample set, close and re-open the plug-in's 'editor' window to force the host to display it at its new size, thus working around the problem.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000043: Component installer file browser now remembers last file location.

The file browser that appears when using 'File | Install organ, sample set, temperament or impulse response' now opens in the folder that you last used it for convenience.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000104: Processor type of build visible via Windows properties of Hauptwerk executable or VSTi DLL.

The processor type chosen during Hauptwerk's installation is now visible via the Windows properties of the Hauptwerk executable or VSTi DLL for diagnostic purposes.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000127: Show installed licence options in the About box and log file.

The installed licence type and options are now shown on the 'Help | About Hauptwerk' screen and in the log file for diagnostic purposes


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000142: Memory requirements reduced slightly when loading sample sets.

The memory required temporarily whilst Hauptwerk loads a sample set from disk has been reduced slightly.


BUG HW2-000147: Hauptwerk could occasionally crash on a few particular PCs if tremulants with particular parameters were left running for long periods of time.

Only a very small number of computers exhibited this problem, and only then with particular sample sets, notably the Milan Digital Audio Virginia Virtual WurliTzer. It was traced to a bug in Hauptwerk's tremulant synchronisation mechanism which was sensitive to the particular tremulant settings and timing of the computer, and has now been fixed.


BUG HW2-000091: [VSTi only] Selecting a sample set via the VST instrument program number/name in the VSTi edition of Hauptwerk could cause the sample set to be re-loaded unnecessarily when the host project was saved.

In the VSTi edition of Hauptwerk, a sample set can be specified by assigning it as a stand-by organ and then selecting the corresponding entry as the program property of the VST instrument in the VST host software. However, some hosts trigger a program selection when saving a project or at other times, which could cause Hauptwerk to re-load the specified sample set unnecessarily. Hauptwerk has been changed to ignore such selection messages if the corresponding program (stand-by sample set) is already selected. Please note that sequencer projects saved for use with versions of Hauptwerk prior to 2.10 may need to have their VST instrument program number (stand-by sample set) updated, since it has been necessary to re-number the programs to work around this problem.


BUG HW2-000109: [VSTi only] The VST plug-in 'program' numbers did not all correspond properly to the stand-by organ numbers.

In the VSTi edition of Hauptwerk, a sample set can be recalled by assigning it as a stand-by organ and then selecting the corresponding entry as the program property of the VST instrument in the VST host software. However, only the first of the eight VST 'program' entries were triggering stand-by organ entries, and then not the ones expected. This has now been corrected, and all eight stand-by organs can be recalled from VST 'programs'. Additionally, a VST program entry has been added which causes no organ to loaded. Please note that sequencer projects saved for use with versions of Hauptwerk prior to 2.10 may need to have their VST instrument program number (stand-by sample set) updated, since it has been necessary to re-number the programs to correct this problem.


BUG HW2-000116: [St. Anne's, Moseley organ sample set] The couplers were not being recalled by the crescendo action.

On the crescendo programmer page, the couplers were stored and recalled properly in combination files but did not actually affect the couplers when the pedal was operated.


BUG HW2-000081: Component installer incorrectly allowed a patch to be installed if a prerequisite version was not present.

When applying a patch to a sample set data package, the component installer did not prevent the patch being applied if an earlier prerequisite version of the package was not already installed and valid.


BUG HW2-000082: If a Windows display style (theme) other than 'Windows Classic' was used, the division headings on the Custom Organ Design Module console pages were not always visible.

Organs created with the Custom Organ Design Module show a black bar along the top of each console screen page with labels for the divisions. If the Windows display style (theme) was 'Windows XP' or another style other than 'Windows Classic' with wide window title bars, then the division headings were not always be visible.


BUG HW2-000086: If an aux-send audio output was deleted whilst a primary output was routed to it, a crash was possible.

On the 'General settings |Audio outputs' screen if an audio output was configured as an aux-send output, another (primary) output had that aux-send output specified as an aux-send destination, then the aux-send output was deleted and OK clicked on the screen without first having navigated to the referring primary output, Hauptwerk would crash.


BUG HW2-000087: Very occasionally a recorded audio output file was not be finalised properly when recording was stopped.

This circumstance was very unlikely unless many audio streams were recorded simultaneously, e.g. when using many audio output channels (multi-channel audio output) and recording them all separately, rather than mixing them down and recording just the mixed output.


BUG HW2-000112: Console screen area could vary slightly according to Windows style/theme.

If the Windows display style (theme) is 'Windows XP' or another style other than 'Windows Classic' with wide window title bars, then the top few pixels of a sample set's console window could be hidden by the page tab bar.


BUG HW2-000115: [Documentation] In the 'virtual console' section of the user guide the St. Anne's setter piston was incorrectly referred to as labelled 'S'.

The St. Anne's setter piston was incorrectly referenced in the user guide.


BUG HW2-000118: [VSTi only] An LCD panel object and MIDI output path were included in the default configuration even though the LCD system is disabled for the VSTi edition.

The VSTi edition of Hauptwerk does not allow the LCD panel system to be used since the VST specification does not support the required type of MIDI messages. However, an LCD panel entry and associated MIDI output path were included in the default configuration, and could not be deleted because the LCD panel screen is not available in the VSTi edition, thus preventing deletion of the spurious output path.


BUG HW2-000120: [Documentation] Trivial typing error in 'registration sequencer' section of user guide.

The example showing the frame number calculation by bank was incorrect.


BUG HW2-000129: Unlikely circumstance identified in which sample cache could be regenerated unnecessarily.

If a sample set has been loaded two or more times consecutively using the 'Organ | Load organ' or stand-by/recent options, its samples are read from a special fast sample cache rather than the original files. A very unlikely circumstance was found in which the cache could be regenerated unnecessarily, causing a longer than necessary loading time on rare occasions. Diagnostic messages have also been added to the log file to show the reason that the cache is regenerated each time to help diagnose such problems in the future.


BUG HW2-000138: Custom Organ Design Module works with short tremulant samples.

Previously the Custom Organ Design Module (CODM) required each tremulant waveform sample to have at least 100 milliseconds of data before the start of a loop to allow for its crossfade. Since this has caused problems with certain sample sets (notably the Milan Digital Audio Virginia Virtual WurliTzer), the length of the crossfade has been reduced to 10 milliseconds to improve compatibility. In particular, the CODM is now compatible with the Virgina WurliTzer sample set.


BUG HW2-000152: When console screen display is disabled the screen size was still checked.

When using Hauptwerk 'headless' (with no mouse, monitor or computer keyboard connected), the computer's display driver often sets the desktop screen size to a standard basic size (e.g. 1024 x 768 pixels). Hauptwerk's display can be disabled for such 'headless' use, but was still checking whether the resolution was sufficient when loading a sample set. This could prevent a sample set with a large screen display from loading if no monitor was connected.


BUG HW2-000185: Re-installing a patch with the component installer would un-install the component first.

If a sample set data component was installed, then patched, then the same patch applied a second time, the component would incorrectly be un-installed prior to re-applying the patch, which could leave it only partly installed.


BUG HW2-000186: Component installer would fail to clean up temporary files after installation if hidden files were included in a sample set.

Although a sample set should not contain hidden files, Hauptwerk has been changed to be resilient to their existence. Previously, if a sample set contained hidden files, the component installer would install the components properly but then give error 'ERR:1220 Could not empty Hauptwerk's temporary folder ...' after their installation.



Changes in version 2.02

Version 2.02 includes only bug-fixes and work-arounds for problems found with version 2.00, plus some minor enhancements. The following are included:


BUG HW2-000047: If there was insufficient memory to load one of Hauptwerk's internal images, an incorrect error message was shown.

If Hauptwerk could not load one of its internal images (e.g. MainBackgroundPage.png) due to insufficient memory or resources, then the error was reported as ERR:4404 or ERR:4405, whereas the message should have been more explicit. Very minor.


BUG HW2-000052: Certain samples (especially percussion) could consume excessive CPU resources, leading to audio break-up at low polyphony with certain stops.

This behaviour is processor-dependent and partly unavoidable on processors earlier than the Pentium 4 (C1 stepping), i.e. Pentium III, AMD Athlon XP and other pre-Pentium 4 processors, since it is caused by the floating point handling of the processor. However, on Pentium 4 (C1 stepping and above), AMD Athlon 64 and AMD Opteron processors, optimisations are available to avoid the problem. Alternative more limited optimisation techniques are possible for the Pentium III and Athlon XP. Although Hauptwerk 2 has always used the optimisations in the Pentium 4 and AMD 64-optimised builds (determined by the processor installation option), due to a compiler issue we have found that one of the optimisations was not being used in a key part of the audio engine. Although arguably not a bug in Hauptwerk itself, we have been able to produce a version that works around the problem for Pentium 4 and AMD 64 processors and, to a more limited extent, for Pentium III and Athlon XP processors. Note that no fix is possible for earlier processors. In particular, this problem caused the audio to break up on the percussion ranks of the Milan Digital Audio Virginia WurliTzer sample set.


BUG HW2-000064: Very occassionally could hang during deactivation or when closing Hauptwerk.

We found a further circumstance which could (very rarely) cause Hauptwerk to hang during deactivation of the audio system, such as when closing the program with a sample set loaded. Because the settings are saved on exit, this could prevent changes to the settings being saved.


BUG HW2-000065: If an audio device driver type (e.g. ASIO or DirectSound) was selected for which no drivers were installed on the computer, and then Hauptwerk was closed at that point, an error message was given preventing a different driver type being selected.

When the audio driver type is changed (either ASIO or DirectSound for stand-alone Windows configurations), Hauptwerk correctly raises an error if no drivers of that type are installed on the computer. However, if Hauptwerk was closed at that point then the message would be given whenever it was re-run, preventing the device driver type being changed back. To prevent that situation it now offers the option to restore the driver type back to its default for the platform (DirectSound on Windows) and then opens in maintenance mode.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000066: Additional optimised Hauptwerk executable for Pentium III and Athlon XP processors included.

Although not all of the optimisations available in the Pentium 4 Hauptwerk executable are possible with the Pentium III and Athlon XP processors, some additional processor features can be used to give significant performance benefits over the 'generic' Hauptwerk executable (as much as doubling the polyphony that can be achieved on them). An additional processor option has thus been added to Hauptwerk's installer to install a new executable specifically optimised for the Pentium III and Athlon XP. This change has have no effect on other types of processor.


BUG HW2-000068: If a MIDI device driver was broken and could be queried, it could prevent Hauptwerk from opening.

If one of the MIDI device drivers for a MIDI device that is or was installed on the computer was broken, and Hauptwerk was unable to query its name from the operating system, Hauptwerk raised an error on initialisation, preventing the program from being opened. Since it was possible that the device was not needed anyway for use with Hauptwerk, such a device is now simply labelled as invalid, rather than a blocking error being raised.


BUG HW2-000069: The fields on the Routing tab of the 'General settings | Audio outputs' screen were not always enabled and disabled correctly and the aux send look-ups sometimes misbehaved.

If the output type was changed on the Routing tab of the 'General settings | Audio outputs' screen, some of the fields on that tab correctly became enabled or disabled. However, if the selection in the left-hand browse list was changed, the status of those fields was not updated. Also the aux send fields sometimes allowed incorrect (primary) audio outputs to be selected, with their look-ups not always being updated properly if audio outputs were inserted or deleted without clicking OK.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000078: Processor type of build logged and shown on Help | About Hauptwerk screen.

The processor type chosen during Hauptwerk's installation is now recorded in the log file for diagnostic purpose, and also displayed on the Help | About Hauptwerk screen.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000079: Processor type installation option can be changed without completely de-installing.

Since it is currently sometimes the case that 64-bit driver issues make it necessary to use the 32-bit build of Hauptwerk with certain audio and MIDI hardware, the processor selection (build type) can now be changed by simply re-running the installer, without having to de-install Hauptwerk completely first, thus preventing any settings being lost.



Changes in version 2.01

Version 2.01 includes only bug-fixes and work-arounds for problems found with version 2.00. The following are included:


BUG HW2-000006: [Sample set developers only] Windows Notepad could corrupt Hauptwerk XML files, which crashed Hauptwerk.

If Windows Notepad is used to edit XML files, it can write two-byte 'byte order marker (BOM) codes' to the start of the files, which strictly renders them invalid as XML files. Although not themselves a bug in Hauptwerk, such invalid codes could cause Hauptwerk to crash, so Hauptwerk has been changed simply to ignore such codes.


BUG HW2-000010: Component installer packages needed to be copied to hard-drive for installation.

In version 2.00 the component installer would abort incorrectly with error code 1161 (no read privileges) if installing a component package (e.g. sample set) from non-writeable media, such as CD or DVD. The work-around was to copy the files to a hard-drive prior to installing them.


BUG HW2-000011: [Documentation] Incorrect link in user guide.

In version 1.00 of the user guide, on the 'MIDI Implementation' page, the 'MIDI organ consoles section' link on the 5th line pointed to the wrong page.


BUG HW2-000013: [Sample set developers only] first column in diagnostic log files had no comma.

Diagnostic logging is possible for various internal virtual organ objects to aid sample set developers. The first column in these log files should be terminated with a comma, but was not.


BUG HW2-000015: Original organ tuning option only worked when sample set loaded with 'Organ | Load organ, adjusting rank audio output routing'.

If a sample set has been loaded two or more times consecutively using the 'Organ | Load organ' or stand-by/recent options, its samples are read from a special fast sample cache rather than the original files. In such cases the 'Temperament | Original organ tuning' option could cause no audio output or a crash. The work-around was always to load a sample set with 'Organ | Load organ, adjusting rank audio output routing' if the original organ tuning option was to be used.


BUG HW2-000016: Could not insert/update with 'General settings | Audio output groups' screen.

Clicking OK on the 'General settings | Audio output groups' screen gave error 0813.


BUG HW2-000018: If an organ was left active for a long period of time, the audio may crash (usually only with DirectSound drivers).

In such circumstances the audio output could become silent or make a buzzing noise, and Hauptwerk would not close or deactivate properly. The problem was extremely unlikely to occur with ASIO drivers.


BUG HW2-000019: Shutting the computer down without first closing Hauptwerk could prevent settings changes being saved.

If the computer was shut down from the Windows Start menu or by pressing the computer's power-off button, Hauptwerk may not have closed cleanly, and any changes to its settings may not have been be saved. This problem did not affect the 'File | Shut computer down' or 'File | Re-start computer' menu items in Hauptwerk, which shut Hauptwerk down correctly before shutting the computer down. The work-arounds were to ensure that you used one of these options, or quit Hauptwerk before shutting the computer down.


BUG HW2-000020: [Sample set developers only] Samples larger than about 8 MB in 32-bit resolution could crash Hauptwerk.

If a sample was loaded in 32-bit resolution, and its size exceeded 8 MB after conversion to that resolution, then Hauptwerk could crash. 8 MB equates to a stereo 32-bit sample at 48 kHz of about 21 seconds in length, hence samples should not exceed that length. This is an intentional limit, and is only listed as a bug because Hauptwerk crashed in such circumstances, rather than reporting the error properly.


ENHANCEMENT HW2-000032: Allow St. Anne's organ sample set to be used with Creative Audigy ASIO driver.

The sample rate of the Creative Audigy ASIO driver is fixed at 48 kHz. Since the St. Anne's, Moseley organ sample set is recorded at 44.1 kHz, the main St. Anne's organ definition file cannot be used with the Audigy ASIO driver because it requires 44.1 kHz output. As a work-around, we have created a special version of the St. Anne's organ definition file which produces audio output at 48 kHz for compatibility with drivers whose sample rates are locked at 48 kHz, such as the Creative Audigy ASIO driver. Please note that audio quality is not increased as a result, since the samples used remain at 44.1 kHz, thus this special organ definition file should only be used with audio interfaces with sample rates locked at 48 kHz.


BUG HW2-000033: [Sample set developers only] tuning scheme deviation in definition file should always allow zero.

When creating a sample set, the organ definition file should allow zero to be specified for the Pipe_SoundEngine01.Pitch_Tempered_BaseTuningDeviation if the Pitch_Tempered_BaseTuningSchemeCode is an increment type.


BUG HW2-000035: [Documentation] Incorrect reference to organ ID range in CODM User Guide.

In version 1.00 of the Custom Organ Design Module User's Guide, page 13, fourth paragraph the range should read 800000 to 899999.


BUG HW2-000039: Occassionally hung during deactivation or when closing Hauptwerk.

We found a circumstance which could cause Hauptwerk to hang occassionally during deactivation of the audio system, such as when closing the program with a sample set loaded. Because the settings are saved on exit, this could prevent changes to the settings being saved.


BUG HW2-000040: Computer keyboard key codes greater than 255 could not be used for switch (MIDI) inputs.

The 'General settings | Switch (MIDI) inputs' screen allowed maximum values of 255 to be entered for the engaging and disengaging event numbers for 'Computer keyboard key pressed/released' event types. Special keys (function keys, etc.) have higher key codes and so the limit needed to be raised accordingly.


BUG HW2-000041: [Documentation] Computer keyboard key codes for switch (MIDI) inputs were not listed in the user guide.

Key codes needed to be listed in the user guide for 'Computer keyboard key pressed/released' event types for the 'General settings | Switch (MIDI) inputs' screen.



Changes in version 2.00

Changes between Hauptwerk version 1 and version 2 are not listed in this release notice, since they are so extensive. Hauptwerk version 2 is considered to be a completely new product which supersedes version 1. Please consult the list of features on the Crumhorn Labs website for information about new features in version 2.