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RE: Hauptwerk SIX

Hi Jack!

I agree that there were certainly opportunities to improve communication. I, too, woke up to find a new version on Thursday morning, via a FB post.

First, to answer your question directly regarding samplesets:
There was a necessary and fundamental change to licencing in HW5. (This was due to the fact that the old dongle system was compromised and there was increasing piracy which was making the sampleset developers unhappy.) The iLok system was introduced which, honestly, has several advantages, most notably that it is all automated and no longer are we emailing licence files over and back and waiting days for a response :)

This licencing change means that
- unencrypted sets work across the HW lineup
- encrypted sets that previously required dongle activity, need to be re-downloaded from the producer and a licence update applied
- so in this sense HW5 and HW6 are the same.

Now, to how it looks/behaves:
- The biggest change in 5 was the new mixer which lets you do interesting things, but it is frightfully difficult to wrap your head around - the user interface has not been improved, so that is an opportunity for 7 :)
- The next biggest change in 6 is the ability to set up your pistons once for the software and then that maps at the global level down to the samplesets (so you don't have to set up your console from scratch every time - not perfect, but an improvement!)
- there are additional improvements to the internal audio system (96kHz audio) but this is, again, an incremental improvement.

In summary:
- if you are happy with how your HW4 system is working, and are not necessarily pining for some of the newer encrypted samplesets, I might sit tight for the moment
- if you enjoy tinkering (like me), then go ahead and jump!
- if there really is some upcoming, premium, and therefore encrypted, sampleset that you want, you may have to make the jump at some point.

Beware:
- there is no 'going back' - once you go to HW6 the process will erase your old dongle. So unlike other software updates, you will not be able to 'restore from backup'

I'm happy to chat further; I definitely recommend keep your eye on the forums and see what people are saying.

In the meantime - enjoy HW4 - it remains an incredible piece of software :)

Jerry

RE: Hauptwerk SIX

Thanks VERY much for the reply, Jerry.

Some of your points:

In summary:
- if you are happy with how your HW4 system is working, and are not necessarily pining for some of the newer encrypted samplesets, I might sit tight for the moment

---->>> I've been on that level ever since HW5 was launched. But now that "the market" has settled, there's clear evidence that several samplemakers continue to serve HW4 users with unencrypted samplesets - it remains to be 'evicenced' but I still have the impression that Milan has left MORE THAN 50% of its HW4 users behind - who did NOT upgrade to v5. If I'm correct, that tells samplemakers something!

- if there really is some upcoming, premium, and therefore encrypted, sampleset that you want, you may have to make the jump at some point.

---->>> I'm eagerly awaiting the next step from VOXUS, who have this year sampled the Amsterdam Westerkerk - a Dutch organ I'm keen to own and install. Will it again be an encrypted HW5 sampleset or will Voxus have more knowledge of the number of purchasers who use HW4 vs HW5 and act accordingly, responding to their potentially "double market"????

Beware:
- there is no 'going back' - once you go to HW6 the process will erase your old dongle. So unlike other software updates, you will not be able to 'restore from backup'

---->>> THIS WAS EXACTLY what has kept me from installing HW5 last year. At the same time I, with MANY, MANY Hauptwerk users, learnt about the brazenly arrogant and unhelpful PUSH to "almost enforce" an upgrade to HW5 by Hauptwerk clients worldwide.

That same impression is now also SCREAMING across the Hauptwerk community, including samplemakers and resellers, NONE OF WHOM, as I understand it, were 'consulted' or 'forewarned' about the new HW6 launch.

regards
Jack

RE: Hauptwerk SIX

I suspect the HW marketeers are reading this!!

I have just had an email inviting me to get HW 6 - This is in spite of never having gone beyond the free version 4.

I also get the impression that they have lost a large proportion of their users many of whom are quite happy to use GrandOrgue (which is free and to my mind works just as well or in some respects better).

csw900

RE: Hauptwerk SIX

Perhaps they lost some, but most of the organs available in Grand Orgue are definitely not on the same level as those offered in Hauptwerk. Only a few sample set makers make their organs for Hauptwerk also available for Grand Orgue.

RE: Hauptwerk SIX

Why all the complaining? HW5 was necessitated not by HW, but by pirates.

I am also a digital photographer and the software I use is always being upgraded and that cost money; nothing new here. R&D costs money; Martin Dyde and HW have to make a living, etc.

The way to go is forward, as far as I see it. $99 isn't that much to enjoy playing many organs from the comfort of home. I save tons of money this year, not going to restaurants, not traveling, printing scores from imlsp at much reduced costs over buying scores, etc.

Feel free not to upgrade, but why spread any negativity about HW6? I don't get it.

Let's stay positive.

RE: Hauptwerk SIX

It seems as if HW lost the user list after changing to the new website. I also stumbled upon mention of HW6 and went to the website to find out what it included. While there I registered for email 'News' and the next day an email arrived about HW6. I'm sure that I had been on the list before but since the new website nothing had arrived.

Many who have tried HW6 are very positive about the improved quality of audio. Personally I have stopped using mixtures and 2 & 1 foot ranks because they sound distorted to me. I expect that 96K will solve that issue. The other improvements in audio may not be as obvious and as jerrymartin mentioned, the mixer options are 'frightfully difficult to wrap your head around'.

The experience of changing to HW5 was difficult, but well worth it to me, so I'm going to put HW6 on my Christmas list, hoping that I don't find it beyond my capacity (mental and hardware). AND keeping in mind that HW is a small company with a fantastic product which provides more realistic sound than any of the others.

RE: Hauptwerk SIX

Actually, let's inject some truth here:

Sample producers were informed back in SEPTEMBER, we were told in advance. Obviously, we have non-disclosure agreements, so we could not share the news with anyone.

As a sample producer, I fully support the move to iLok... for a number of reasons

- encryption on the HASP was hacked, we can no longer protect our intellectual property
- with iLok, no longer do we have the complicated system to update the security device... I can get my customers activated within 24 hours
- I don't think this "brazen" by any means... think about it - if you were MDA and someone hacked your software, would you just ignore it and let them continue to steal from you?

Now... I will agree that the roll-out of 5 and 6 might have (should have) been done a bit more carefully.

RE: Hauptwerk SIX

I am loving Hauptwerk VI. There is a noticeable improvement in the audio. The upgrade from V to VI was pretty smooth. The move to V was very difficult as I use multi channel audio. And the move from the dongle to iLok was a bit tricky. But it is great to be free of the dongle. And it is really wonderful to have instant licensing on new sample sets you buy.

All free samples will work on V or VI. Your purchased samples move from V to VI seamlessly. If you are moving from a version less than Version 5, you have to download (free) and install new sample sets.

As for those who are complaining about the $99 upgrade... We are very lucky to have such solid,quality software. We are a niche market. No-one forces us to upgrade. If you are happy with the old version, you can stay there.

Many thank you's to Martin and Brett.