Technical FAQ

The current version of Hauptwerk is supported on the following operating systems:

• Windows XP/Vista/7 in both 32 and 64 bit
• Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, 10.5 Leopard, and 10.6 Snow Leopard 

(Only Leopard and Snow Leopard will support the 64 bit version of Hauptwerk)

In the very broadest of terms, you need a computer to run it that meets the minimum requirements. You also need a MIDI keyboard or MIDI organ console and an audio/MIDI interface for the computer. You will also need amplifiers and speakers (or headphones), and leads to connect everything together. You might also want one or more third-party instruments to use in Hauptwerk, although a basic 30-stop English organ sample set is included to get you started.

If you have plugged in your Hauptwerk license key and the LED does not light up or Hauptwerk continues to run in evaluation mode then you should download the latest drivers from Aladdin. To install the drivers first remove the Hauptwerk USB key, then install the drivers for your operating system. Reboot your computer then plug in the Hauptwerk license key. Now the LED should come on and Hauptwerk should launch in licensed mode.

Yes. You can move a Hauptwerk license between as many computers as you wish (Mac or PC), but you can only have one computer per license actually running Hauptwerk at any given moment, with the Hauptwerk USB key attached to that computer. In particular, the Hauptwerk USB key is not hardware-specific, so you can change your computer hardware as many times as you wish and your Hauptwerk license, and any instruments licensed on the Hauptwerk USB key, will still be valid and continue to work.

Since there are so many models of electronic/digital organs, and we concentrate on the software itself, we're sorry we're not in a position to be able to advise on compatibility with any particular make or model of electronic/digital organ. If your organ has MIDI then it will almost certainly be possible to play Hauptwerk's virtual keyboards from your MIDI organ's keyboards. However, the MIDI implementation used for stops, combination pistons/buttons and expression pedals varies widely between makes and models. We try to make Hauptwerk's MIDI implementation as flexible as possible to cater for most of them, but there are some cases in which it is not yet compatible. In particular, if your MIDI organ's stops and pistons are 'hard-wired' together, which is relatively common, then it is unlikely that you would be able to control Hauptwerk's stops and combination system independently. In order to determine compatibility, please look carefully at Hauptwerk's supported MIDI implementations, described in the MIDI implementation section of the user guide, and compare it to the technical documentation for your MIDI organ. You can also use a third-party utility such as MIDI-OX (Windows PCs) to determine what MIDI messages your MIDI organ is sending. If you have a computer that meets our prerequisites, please try the trial version of Hauptwerk so that you can determine compatibility for yourself before purchasing a license for Hauptwerk. Trial DVDs may be ordered from our on-line shop or you may download Hauptwerk for free from our downloads page. Many Hauptwerk users play Hauptwerk from their existing digital/electronic organs, so you might also be able to obtain specific advice about your make/model from other users via our forum.

Hauptwerk is available in Free, Basic, and Advanced Editions. You may read about these differences here to see which edition of Hauptwerk may be right for you.

No. The initial configuration is only a default. You can use the General settings | Switch (MIDI) inputs and General settings | MIDI input paths screens to allocate any type of MIDI message, MIDI port or channel for any of the virtual switches (draw-knobs, pistons, etc.). Please note also that the current version of Hauptwerk is fully backwardly-compatible with Hauptwerk version 1's more restrictive MIDI implementation.

(Advanced Edition only)  Use the General settings | MIDI output paths to make sure that no MIDI output is being sent by Hauptwerk to an external software or hardware synthesizer, such as a sound card's on-board synthesizer.

We recommend not using Windows System Restore after you have installed Hauptwek. System Restore habitually deletes or reverts some of Hauptwerk's essential files and not others, and can render Hauptwerk inoperable or prevent its installer being able to upgrade or repair it. This is not a bug in Hauptwerk because Hauptwerk has no control over System Restore's internal working.

In addition to the Quick-start: stand-alone and MIDI input sections in the user guide, have a look at the Tutorials page, which covers some of the the most common questions with step-by-step instructions. Also please see the following topics on the Hauptwerk forum which have useful information on these subjects.

Hauptwerk version 3.10 and later has native settings backup/restore/import/export functionality to do it for you. Please see the backups section in the user guide. For older Hauptwerk versions the procedure was as follows: 

1. Make a backup copy of your [Hauptwerk installation folder]/HauptwerkUserData folder to CD or DVD. 
2. Now set up or re-install your new hard-drive or computer ready for Hauptwerk, making sure that all current operating system and driver updates are applied and that it meets the prerequisites.
3. Install the latest version of Hauptwerk for which you have a license. You can find the latest versions for download here. There is no need to install old versions or re-apply old upgrades. All licenses are stored in the dongle itself, and so will automatically be valid on your new computer/hard-drive, with no need to re-apply any license updates.
4. Before launching Hauptwerk, replace the [Hauptwerk installation folder]/HauptwerkUserData folder on your new computer/hard-drive with your backup copy. Note that recent versions of Hauptwerk might install to different default locations to older versions. You must do this step when Hauptwerk is not running.
5. Launch Hauptwerk. Check that your previous settings are present. If not, the HauptwerkUserData folder hasn't been restored properly, e.g. it was copied to the wrong folder.
6. Select the correct audio and MIDI devices for all entries in the left-hand browse lists on the following screens on the General settings menu: Audio outputs, MIDI input paths and MIDI output paths (Advanced Edition). 
7. Test and set the polyphony and any other performance settings for your new computer, as described in the performance tuning section in the user guide.
8. Reinstall all of your sample sets using Hauptwerk's component installer (File | Install ... in Hauptwerk). Your previous sample set-specific settings should not be lost in the process.
9. Load the sample sets and check that everything is working as expected.

Hauptwerk can perform very well on Windows providing that you take some steps to optimize your computer and operating system for audio playback. We have assembled some of the most common reasons for experiencing audio glitches when running Windows. Please see the tutorials page for a list of steps to take.

Sorry, no. The version 1 registration details were not computer-specific and did not need any Internet-based activation. Your version 1 license had no time limit and so you can of course continue to use version 1 indefinitely provided that you have your original registration details (serial number and key). However, Hauptwerk version 1 is no longer supported in any way so we are sorry we cannot provide any assistance for it, including re-sending lost registration details. If you want to keep using version 1 you must make sure you don't lose your copy of the software or your registration details. If you need any help from us at all, and you are still using version 1, you must upgrade to the current version of Hauptwerk. Hauptwerk now can outperform version 1 on any given computer hardware, as well as giving enormously better quality, realism and features, providing that your computer meets the basic prerequisites.  If you have a valid license for version 1 then you are eligible to upgrade to the current version of Hauptwerk at special upgrade pricing. Don't worry if you have lost your original serial number and you want to order the upgrade - we should be able to identify whether you have a valid license.