I repurposed a vintage Home Organ as a Hauptwerk Virtual Pipe Organ
Features included:
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iPad touch screen Midi controller
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Multiple Switchable layouts
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Up/Down/Repeat Stepper/Sequencer
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SW & Hardware stepper control
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Organ or iPad registration setup
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Layouts mirror specific organ set
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Dual iPad (Left/Right Jamb) control
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Swell/Crescendo Interface (via Keyboard)
About my organ
My full time profession is in Electronic/System Engineering. I was a part-time church organist in Michigan, Maryland and Arizona during my early years and gave it up many years ago. I had a Yamaha Electone organ for practice. I sold that organ when I moved back to Michigan. Several years ago I decided to go back to playing the organ. I found out about Hauptwerk, purchased a keyboard and connected it to my computer. Then I decided to build my own organ.
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Building my organ
Several years ago I purchased a used Baldwin Organ listed on Craigslist. See picture above on left (bench was included). My goal was to Midify it to use with Hauptwerk. I stripped it out. I added commercial keyboards, speakers, amplifier, and expression pedals. I midified the pedalboard using Reed Switches. Finally I added an iPad to my MacBook Pro to provide touchscreen settings, control, and custom functions not available in Hauptwerk.
Tradeoffs/Options
Over the years, I improved my initial implementation for certain features. Also reading what other companies and organists have done, I see the tradeoffs I made and options available if cost were not a limitation.
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For example, AGO vs non-AGO implementation. Many vintage organs in the 60's and 70's with full keyboards used a 27 note flat pedalboard.
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Likewise I modified commercial keyboards rather that attempt to midify the existing keys or purchase a more expensive keyboard or midi encoder.
iPad Controller (Midi Designer Pro)
MIDI Designer Pro is a programmable Midi Controller application for the iPad available on the App Store. It is mainly focused on music production hardware and software, but is readily adapted to controlling a Hauptwerk or GrandOrgue organ or other VPOs. I have created custom designs that control Stops, Tabs, Couplers, and Pistons, including registration stepper settings for several different organ sets directly from an iPad.
Example iPad Screenshots
