Constructing VTPO

Theatre Pipe Organs And Me

Wurlitzer 235 Opus 493 1921 Console Virtual Theatre Pipe Organ

Constructing My Virtual Theatre Pipe Organ

Test Console

Constructing New Console

Audio Equipment

Computer / Software and
Hardware

My VTPO experience started around 2006 when I discovered MidiTzer and then Hauptwerks V2 software.

MidiTzer was a 2 or 3 manual theatre organ sampled software that sounded great at the time however it used the Windows audio driver which was very slow and not very efficient.

Hauptwerks on the other hand was professional software and was able to use the very efficient ASIO audio driver provided by professional audio card manufacturers. Unlike MidiTzer sound samples had to be purchased separately.

As you can today, you could download a trial version version complete with the St. Anne’s Moseley pipe organ samples to see if you could get it up and running on your equipment. As it happened it worked very well with my Creamware sound cards I had installed in my computer. I then purchased the software at around $1400 AUD at the time and is now today half that price.

Next I needed to purchase Masterworks 3-31 theatre organ sound set from Hauptwerks which was the only one available at that time. It was super expensive at the time just under$1900AUD. Currently available now for under $700AUD.

I then discovered Owen Jones' website. Owen was on the forefront of VTPO console building and his knowledge of equipment required was extensive. I made contact with him and arranged to meet him at his home. He blew my mind and planted in my mind what I wanted to do. Unfortunately life got in the way and my project was shelved for another 13 years.

Owen Jones' console as it was in 2007

I built this console in 2020 so that I could practice while building my VTPO

My Test Console

My test console was made because I needed something to practice with and play. I'd been waiting to use the software I paid lots of money for but hadn't used for years now. I also needed to build it quickly and not worry how it looked. I had over the years started to put together some of the parts like pistons, LCDs, MIDI input and output boards, toe pistons, launchpads, amplifiers, mixers, speakers and a dedicated computer.

I started with a gutted 70s electronic pipe organ. All I kept was the cabinet, 32 note pedalboard and the two swell pedals. I already owned a Kawai 61 note MIDI controller so bought three Ashton 61 note MIDI controllers. I bought the cheapest I could as they were only going to be used short term but this turned out to be a mistake as after 1 year of normal use they are breaking and falling to pieces.

The controller keyboards were taken out of their plastic container and mounted and arranged into a four keyboard stack. Piston mounting boards made, mounted between the keyboards and wired up.

A steel frame was welded up to hold the 6 launchpads and I also included a large music rack at the top. The Artisan uMidi boards and MOTU interface mounted on to the back of the cabinet. A power supply was also bought to power the uMIDI boards. All the pistons and the 32 note pedalboard were terminated to the uMIDI boards and MIDI cables ran to the MOTU interface.

I chose to keep the original two swell pedals including the potentiometers. Connections being converted to MIDI via AudioFront's expression USB pedal interface. This is a very smart device and can be used with any ohm value potentiometer and wired from the potentiometer in any order. Very easy to set up, mostly automatic and works like a charm.

This is an early recording made just after construction. Many changes have been made since and was recorded using two mics and not through Hauptwerks direct recording process. So you hear background noises. It was quickly made and no thought was put into the arrangements playing.

Console Equipment:
Lower Keyboard - Kawai midi not AGO and hard to play...
Top 3 keyboards - Ashton UMK61 feel good but are now breaking.
6 Novation Launchpad V1 with stick on labels.
4 #hwlcd-mini MIDI LCD panels from Midi Boutique.
Artisan µMIDI Control System for piston & pedalboard connections.
Audiofront MIDI expression USB pedal interface.
MOTU MIDI Express 128 interface.
Pistons engraved from Syndne.
11 Toe Pistons from Arndt Organ Supply Company.

Ashton UMK61 Broken Keys
after 1 year, disappointing....

Toe Pistons

On the right part of the Amp and mixer rack

6 Novation Launchpad V1 with stick on clear labels I printed myself and background skins from StyleFlip

MOTU MIDI Express 128 USB interface


#hwlcd-mini MIDI LCD panels	Audiofront MIDI expression USB pedal interface	Artisan µMIDI Control System

Flow Chart