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A Rough Guide To Pricing

Because there are so many possibilities with different layouts and designs along with the choice of components such as keyboards and pistons etc., it is not possible to give a set list of console models and their complete prices. Each console is built according to the customer's wishes and these can differ considerably. Our guide below allows potential customers to get some idea as to how much a console might work out at and where the main costs actually lie.

Sample libraries are already priced on their relevant pages. To order, please refer to the individual page(s) relating to each sample set.

PRICE LIST

Please note that prices can change considerably depending on a number of different factors and the prices shown below are only a very rough guide. Whilst many of our products are UK sourced and manufactured, other products such as keyboards come from Italy and Germany, some electronic components and hardware may come from the U.S.A. or the Far East. Unfortunately none of us has a crystal ball and prices can change upwards or downwards depending on the world situation and exchange rates. In recent months, prices for timber in particular have almost doubled whilst other component prices have remained fairly stable however, it is unlikely that prices will come down in the forseeable future.

Console Frames and Chassis

Various different designs are available from the most basic "table" type to traditional styled consoles. The normal finish is in solid oak and selected veneers but more exotic woods are available. Finish and colour are matched to the customer's exact requirements. the more traditional style consoles have panelled ends and a plain back.

Prices start at £1750.00 for a simple basic design.

Compact drawstop / touch screen consoles

2 manual: from £5390.00

3 manual: from £5665.00

Drawstop panels fitted to the above: £765.00

Traditional full drawstop / touch screen consoles

3 manual: from £8998.33

4 manual: from £11660.00

Drawstop panels fitted to the above: £765.00

Touch screens fitted to the above: £577.50 (excludes cost of screens)

Additional Options

Roll top: from: £605.00

Folding doors + sliding lid: from £2552.50

Panelled back: from £797.50

Stop Controls

Syndyne (U.S.A.) design non motorised toggle unit with illuminated head including engraved head and wiring: £75.00

The above drawstops require a PSU which will drive up to 75 units: £82.50

Traditional solenoid drawstops various manufacturers: from £73.33 each.

The above drawstops require a PSU which will drive up to 45 units: £146.67

Drawstop Heads

Whilst the non solenoid units include a translucent head, the more traditional solenoid drawstops have a number of available options ranging from a simple plastic engraved head to a variety of wooden options including shanks and seating disks: from £23.33 each

Keyboards

Although various keyboard models from a number of manufacturers can be stripped down and fitted into traditional wooden key cheeks and frames with piston rails, the quality of touch, keyboard noise and overall player satisfaction usually leaves much to be desired.

The recommended choice from Fatar is the TP/60LF Ecclesiastical model which combines a "tracker touch" top resistance with good quality. The more expensive Fatar models with wooden key coverings and wooden cores are being discontinued.

The best organ keyboards are made by UHT and a number of different designs and key coverings are available. Other manufacturers include P&S and Lauckuff who offer a similar quality product to those from UHT.

Fatar TP/60LF keyboard. Includes solid oak keycheeks, base tray, blank piston rail and Midi interface board. Bubble style contacts.

From £665.83 per manual

UHT Series 40 keyboard: Wood core, velocity sensitive and fully adjustable for touch. Hall effect contacts. Solid oak cheeks, base tray, blank piston rail and Midi interface board. Standard finish:

From £2794.17 per manual

Pedalboards

Various radiating concave models are available in standard RCO or AGO dimensions with 30 or 32 note compasses. BDO models are available as straight concave or straight flat with 27 or 30 note compasses.

Radiating + Concave RCO standard 30 or 32 note. Oak frame, beech pedals heel sprung, straight front rail. Hall effect contact system.

From £2081.67

BDO 27 or 30 note. Oak frame, oak pedals.

From £1969.17

AGO standard pedalboards:

POA

No Midi interface is needed for these pedalboards providing there is an existing manual Midi interface.

Additional Options

Hardwood sharps in Rosewood, Wenge, Ebony or Blackwood. £412.50

Maple pedals instead of beech: £236.67

In console displays

Some customers like to have a small mounted facia LCD display to indicate different information about the organ in addition to what is available through the normal screen(s). HW software currently supports two units.

Single 2 x 16 LCD display

From £192.50

Registration Controls

Thumb pistons engraved and fitted:

From £15.00 each

Toe pistons: Various designs available inc. engraved label and fitted:

From £58.33 each

Benches

There are a many of different options available ranging from the simplest standard bench to benches with storage, adjustable benches and motorised adjustable benches.

From £571.50

Soundcards and audio Interfaces

Although the console itself should contain everything necessary to access pipes, HW software, hybrid pipe / digital systems or other system software, there is still the need for some sort of sound card or audio interface. On board computer sound cards are generally not suitable for HW applications due to compatibility issues, poor sound quality and latency (delay) problems.

The simplest devices suitable for home use with headphones or a couple of speakers start at around £50.00 Multi channel devices capable of handling up to 96 individual channels in series will cost considerably more depending on make and model chosen.

This is a rapidly changing market driven by both the computer manufacturers and the professional recording studios.

Please contact us for advice and availability of suitable equipment for each installation.

Computers

Even the most basic new computer will be capable of running HW to some extent. However, both HW and HW libraries tend to take advantage of the latest developments in computer technology so that the more basic specification models may not be capable of handling larger libraries and the more advanced HW features. The main factors to consider in any computer system relate to processor and RAM specifications. Since HW is based on accessing a pre loaded database of sounds, hard disk performance is more a case of convenience than necessity and graphics performance is a fairly minimal requirement. What is important is the amount of RAM and processor capability. Some of the larger libraries require very much larger amounts of RAM than would be needed in the vast majority of other applications and fast processor speed is essential for HW to handle all that might be required of it.

Please contact us for up to date advice and information on suppliers and requirements.

Sound Systems

There are numerous amplification and speaker products available ranging from the cheapest units up to those costing an arm and a leg. Likewise, there are many types of headphones available. Amplification, speaker and headphone models change on a very regular basis so please contact us for our latest recommendations and availability.

Sample Libraries

There is a constantly expanding choice of sample libraries for use with HW ranging from free or minimal cost instruments up to very sophisticated facsimile instruments. Many are "out of the box" instruments that require minimal set-up whilst others are considerably more flexible but may require a lot more adjustment of individual parameters to get them to sound at their best. Finally there are the custom libraries which are developed for individual installations.

N.B. Some libraries are restricted as to how they can be used in anything beyond a private home set-up.

Please contact us for up to date information on what is available.

For our own "in house" sample libraries, please see the separate price list or the individual library pages.

Hauptwerk Software

There are several editions of HW software available from the entry level version right up to the most advanced edition which offers all of the facilities that are currently available on the HW platform. The latest Versions V to VIII use the I-lok dongle system and there are a number of packages available including limited time versions on a regular subscription basis. Please note that some libraries will not work on the most basic edition because they do not have all of the facilities available that are needed and which are only found in the more advanced editions. A commercial licence is required for installations in churches or for public use. Latest prices and information can be found on the HW website.

Books and Instructions

There are one or two publications available provide information on how to build a HW organ from scratch and there are several YouTube presentations showing the steps needed to construct a HW instrument. The HW forum (on the official HW site) also contains much useful information along the same lines showing real life installations as well as discussing interfaces, sound cards, systems and some of the problems /solutions that users have encountered.

Beyond Hauptwerk

HW has been designed to offer a complete solution in terms of virtual organ technology and for many, this is all that will be required. However, the use of additional software can benefit the overall experience in many cases.

The latest HW editions offer in-built convolution reverberation facilities so additional reverberation either as hardware or software is no longer essential. However, the addition of some reverberation additions can be of great benefit to almost any sample set. This especially applies to dry (close recorded) or drier sample sets where the addition of extra reverberation is desirable or essential (unless the installation is in a reverberant building). Basic reverberation software can be obtained as a free application or there are some very capable applications available from about £50. At the other end of the scale, there are extremely sophisticated (and expensive) convolution software packages which can model the acoustics of any room together with the physical spacing and distancing of the sound source within the listening field.

HW does contain a basic Midi recording and playback feature but installations will often benefit from a more sophisticated application. Once again these range from fairly basic, free Midi sequencers up to fully featured score and performance packages such as Cubase or Sibelius.

For would be sample set developers and those wishing to get involved in closer editing of existing samples (where possible) there are a number of applications available such as Sound Forge etc.

Please contact us for further advice and guidance on any of the above.

* * * * *

Sample Sets

We have been involved with church organs for nearly five decades. Initially working with conventional pipe organs, we moved into the world of pipeless instruments during their rapid technological expansion in the last quarter of the twentieth century.

With over 30 years experience in creating sample sets for organs for other digital organ manufacturers and since 2003, for the Hauptwerk software platform, we are one of the longest established sample set producers.

In addition to our "off the shelf" sample sets of existing or composite instruments, we are also able to create custom instruments to suit individual requirements.

We have a library archive of many hundreds of stops to choose from sampled from instruments throughout the UK and elsewhere.

DISCOVERIES

This page has come into being as a result of some of my observations regarding YouTube in another earlier posting.

How often do we come across things which "open our eyes and ears" by accident or perhaps because someone has recommended something that we were previously unaware of. For me personally, during my lifetime, I have been introduced to many pieces of music etc. in passing which I would never have discovered if someone hadn't told me.

Therefore, the purpose of this page is to introduce visitors to all sorts of things that they might otherwise not have discovered. For the most part these "discoveries" are to do with music or performances of music but there may be some that are unrelated to music or organs in any way and are included because they are just interesting.

Of course, many who read my website pages will already be totally aware of some of the composers, pieces or performances that I intend to suggest but some will have a far wider knowledge of a particular composer or their pieces than I could ever hope to have. In other cases, my suggestions may be completely new. Some may have a note(s) attached, others not. Obviously, my leanings are towards the classical side and also towards the organ but I can be quite eclectic in my musical likes and dislikes so there will be other genres.

It is quite likely that as a result of this page, readers may suggest their own discoveries to me (via email), and some of these will be totally new to me. These may therefore warrant inclusion here.

One other aspect of this is that having been introduced to a composer or a performer, this may very well lead to the discovery of more of the works of a particular composer or performer by readers / listeners.

I will start the ball rolling with the following.............................

Jacob Collier: World O World:

I first discovered the remarkable Jacob Collier a year or so ago and was very impressed with his work. I can't say that I like everything he does but there are some things that he has done that are quite mind blowing. His 'a capella' multi-track singing certainly warranted the several Grammy awards that he has achieved but lately he has penned some highly original songs which are very pleasant. However, it is his World O World that is stunning in its emotional impact especially at the end. What an incredible choir and what an incredible sound.

Jacob Collier - World O World (Official Score Video)

Poulenc: Concerto for two pianos:

I have known this particular piece for many years along with his Concert Champetre, Aubade, Piano concerto (single) Organ Concerto and Les Biches to name just a few of his works. Obviously, I like Poulenc a lot however, this performance by the Jussen Brothers stands out particularly. The Jussen brothers are quite a phenomenon in themselves and it is worth listening to their other YouTube presentations. The whole concerto is very fine but I have chosen the second movement as being particularly excellent as an introduction.

Lucas & Arthur Jussen – Poulenc Concerto For Two Pianos | Second Movement (2017)

Just purely for fun, check out their Strauss Die Fledermaus encore as well.........

Rachmaninov: Piano concertos

The Rach. concertos are so very well known to almost everyone. Which one is anybody's favourite probably vies between No 2 and No. 3 with possibly No. 3 coming out on top. No 1 and No 4 tend to be performed rather less. There are of course that many performances and most of them are fairly excellent so it is difficult to single out individual performances.

I always liked the Earle Wild performances but thanks to YouTube, I have recently discovered several others. Sticking with Rach 3, I suppose the one that really comes out on top for me is the Alexander Gavrylyuk Proms performance conducted by Thomas Dausgaard. I find the Daniil Trifonov performance quite mesmerising because he is so completely manic and I quite like the Alexandеr Malofeev performance but it doesn't quite reach the emotional heights of the other two. However, what completely blows my mind is the SOLO performance (piano and orchestral transcription) by Christopher Falzone (very tragically no more) who has YouTube performances of both no 2 and No 3. There are a few others by other arrangers mostly Far Eastern performers but the Falzone performances take some beating.

Rachmaninoff-Falzone Concerto op. 30/3 (transcribed and performed by Christopher)

Nikolai Medtner: The 3 Piano Concertos

Rachmaninov and Tchaikowski are certainly the best known Russian composers of piano concertos and many people won't have heard of Medtner but there is more written about him in Groves than Rachmaninov. Rachmaninov is certainly very difficult to play but many consider that Medtner is even more difficult.

Undoubtedly, the second concerto is perhaps the most attractive but the launch of the first concerto is bold to say the least with its melodramatic theme. All three concertos are very fine but they weren't heard until relatively recently and it was only thanks to the Maharajah of Mysore that recordings of his works came to be heard in the first place.

There are several YouTube performances of many of Medtner's works now and his output was quite large. I prefer the (Chandos) recordings by Geoffrey Tozer given the choice. You can hear Medtner's own performance as well although it dates from 1947 and understandably lacks the clarity of later performances. As an introduction, I suggest No 2 which can be found at:

Nikolai Medtner : Concerto No. 2 in C minor for piano and orchestra Op. 50 (1926-27)

How shall I sing that Majesty

It was only fairly recently that I discovered this hymn written by Ken Naylor and it has certainly become one of my favourites and it seems I am not alone in this. It is also known as Coe Fen

However, in my search on YouTube I was accidentally led to something completely different which I find is quite magical.

Also titled How shall I sing that Majesty, it is an entirely different piece by Robert Prizeman and sung by a very beautiful sounding boy's choir called Libera (who I had never come across before either). There are several performances available but I rather like the one from the Washington Basilica which is very atmospheric.

Libera in America: How shall I sing

Hedwig's Theme transcribed for organ

I have long been a fan of John Williams who has composed so much memorable music for film and I certainly enjoyed watching the Harry Potter films. I came across this absolutely phenomenal organ transcription whilst searching for something else completely. This transcription is amazing and the filming is pretty creative too. I had not come across Esther Assuied before, but I certainly look forward to hearing a lot more from her.

Harry Potter - Hedwig's Theme on Pipe Organ - Esther Assuied

Hardware

We can supply everything that might be required for a pipeless organ installation from the basic console, amplification and speakers to the computers, software and audio interfaces needed.

The various components are sourced from a number of specialist established manufacturers and supply houses most of whom we have been involved with for many years.

In addition, we have a number of contacts who specialise in obtaining and converting former consoles for use with the Hauptwerk platform.

Contact Information

For further information, please email us at

E-mail:

charlesbraund@gmail.com

info@silveroctopus.co.uk

N.B. Some sample sets may not work with basic older versions of Hauptwerk or the entry level version of the new Hauptwerk V and above because these editions do not include some of the features that are necessary for our libraries to work fully on the Hauptwerk platform.

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A Rough Guide To Pricing