Virtual Pipe Organ Sound Modules (VPO)
For those who already have a console with MIDI capabilities, add the Organtechnology Hauptwerk™ Virtual Pipe Organ sound module to your instrument. Organtechnology modules provide an unmatched level of realism in pipe organ sound for any space. The only thing better is a good pipe organ.
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The VPO Sound Module is the heart of any VPO setup. A VPO Sound Module can be added as an expander to an existing system or it can be the sound engine for the entire system What is needed is MIDI keystroke and pedal control information from the console or MIDI setup to be sent to the module. The module then 'reassembles' the sound of each pipe of the real pipe organ into a sound field to provide as realistic a sound as can be heard, other than playing the original pipe organ in its space.
How do they do that? Sounds coming from a pipe organ are made by air moving through the pipes on the windchests across the 'flute' opening in the pipe or through a chamber in which the wind vibrates a reed. In a Virtual Pipe Organ (VPO) these sounds are recorded, on a pipe by pipe basis, and stored as digital data in the computer and played back, in real time, as the organist plays using the manuals (keyboards) equipped with MIDI.
The information from the manual stack and pedals or console is sent to the VPO Module via MIDI cables attached to the MIDI output jacks of the console or keyboard arrangement. This signal contains all the notes from all the pedals and the swell pedal information too. The Hauptwerk™ VPO software handles the job of 'reconstructing' the sound of the organ as the MIDI from the manuals and pedals, such as would be heard while playing the manuals and pedals of the original pipe organ. The information,of what to reconstruct, resides in the 'Sample Set' database chosen by the organist. 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. BTW, all Organtechnology modules can have up to 8 different organs loaded at one time.
Stops are pulled and pistons are set using the Organtechnology Touchstop™ monitor screen. Combination action is also controlled through this touchscreen monitor mounted conveniently near the organist. Combination action set is performed by touching the 'set' button image, touching the stops desired and then touching the combination piston number in the divisional or general combinations and finally touching the set button to turn off entry. The combination is then activated from pistons on the console. Thes combinations sets are then named and saved to combination memory for later recall.
The Hauptwerk™ software now uses all this information to create the audio signal which goes to the amplifiers and speakers to actually recreate the original sound. Hauptwerk™ has a minimum of 2-channel stereo output up to a maximum of 512 channels. Pipes and ranks of pipes are directed to the proper channels for reproduction of the sound by Hauptwerk™. 2-channel and 8-channel systems are very popular but 80-channel systems are not unheard of.