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Hauptwerk hackers, software thieves and vanishing samplemakers


This is my Forum entry where I ask for your help and input to discuss questions about hacking, and the seeming disappearance of several samplemakers.

The Voxus sampleset of the organ in the Grote or St Catherine church in Nijkerk in the Netherlands is almost ready for public release. I keep a keen eye on this sampleset, because Nijkerk is the town where I was born and lived for the first 20 years of my life - and as a youngster I played the organ many times. A few days ago the website messages relating to its release were edited. The page now includes the remark, in Dutch:

"De leveringsdatum was als gevolg van beveiligingsredenen uitgesteld".

Translated into English this means "as a result of security issues the release date has been delayed". Voxus also posted a new requisite: the Nijkerk sampleset will now ONLY work with the Advanced version of Hauptwerk.

Since my search for samplesets in the world of virtual organs began in December 2018, I've found traces of serious 'hacking' and 'software theft' during my extensive internet search for 'cheapies' and 'freebies' as a beginning Hauptwerk user.

I also noted that the "raw download files" for several samplesets (Sonus Paradisi, Voxus and Piotr Grabowski), downloaded to my Hauptwerk computer, "bluntly refuse" to be transferred to a USB Drive: even though I tried and tried, in my deliberate attempt to organise my filing system externally in an effort to pre-empt any PC catastrophies or any unplanned move of Hauptwerk and my sampleset downloads to a new computer -- if that would be needed. I'm convinced that "the lie" dished up by my computer ("file too large for this disk") reflects a deliberate attempt to stop me loading the file(s) to external drives (the first step of 'software thieves' and hackers!), and I have no ethical problem with these copyright protections imposed by the sample makers.

It has brought me ponder that several samplemakers seem to now have "vanished": I tried to contact several samplemakers by email -- but they all remained silent. I had no luck contacting "Akkerorgels", a Dutch samplemaker, when I became interested in some samples I discovered on the Contrebombarde website; I was unsuccesful in contacting the Australian samplemaker Nick Appleton, who sampled St. Augustine’s in Neutral Bay and St. Stephen’s in Penrith, both in New South Wales, and I had no response from Prospectum in Germany. Here's the list of Prospectum samplesets I was really interested in (even though I do all my building and exploring on a very tight shoe-string budget!) with the Contrebombarde page links:

G. Silbermann - Stadtkirche Zöblitz, 1742
https://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/organs/view_organ/148

Magnuskerk Anloo
https://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/organs/view_organ/62

G. Silbermann - St. Johannes Weinsberg
https://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/organs/view_organ/63

St. Peter und Paul Weissenau
https://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/organs/view_organ/200

My questions: is it true that these samplemakers have "vanished" or have gone out of business? What are your experiences with the issues I raised above?
by jacko
Mar 9, 2019 07:57 PM

Replies (9)

RE: Hauptwerk hackers, software thieves and vanishing samplemakers


Das Kopieren auf einen USB Stick scheitert an der Fat32 Formatierung. Du solltest den Stick im NTFS Format formatieren.
Prospectum überarbeitet momentan seine Webseite, sollte aber per E-Mail erreichbar sein. Zöblitz ist uneingeschränkt zu empfehlen!
by Klassikfreund
Mar 10, 2019 05:36 AM

RE: Hauptwerk hackers, software thieves and vanishing samplemakers

Klassikfreund wrote:

Das Kopieren auf einen USB Stick scheitert an der Fat32 Formatierung. Du solltest den Stick im NTFS Format formatieren.
Prospectum überarbeitet momentan seine Webseite, sollte aber per E-Mail erreichbar sein. Zöblitz ist uneingeschränkt zu empfehlen!

Thanks for the reply, Klassikfreund. I'll translate (using Google) because my German isn't good enough anymore:

"Copying to a USB stick fails on the Fat32 formatting. You should format the stick in NTFS format. Prospectum is currently redesigning its website, but should be accessible via e-mail. Zöblitz is unreservedly recommended!"

You've given me some insights here - thanks. I will need a seperate USB Drive for the 'problem files' that can't be transferred (thinking that burning them on a CD disk might be easier. Here's an article about FAT32 vs NTFS that will help others:

https://www.howtogeek.com/177529/htg-explains-why-are-removable-drives-still-using-fat32-instead-of-ntfs/

Re Prospectum - I did email them using the website front placeholder's info - no reply at all.

Jack

by jacko
Mar 10, 2019 06:45 AM

RE: Hauptwerk hackers, software thieves and vanishing samplemakers

jacko wrote:

This is my Forum entry where I ask for your help and input to discuss questions about hacking, and the seeming disappearance of several samplemakers.

The Voxus sampleset of the organ in the Grote or St Catherine church in Nijkerk in the Netherlands is almost ready for public release. I keep a keen eye on this sampleset, because Nijkerk is the town where I was born and lived for the first 20 years of my life - and as a youngster I played the organ many times. A few days ago the website messages relating to its release were edited. The page now includes the remark, in Dutch:

"De leveringsdatum was als gevolg van beveiligingsredenen uitgesteld".

Translated into English this means "as a result of security issues the release date has been delayed". Voxus also posted a new requisite: the Nijkerk sampleset will now ONLY work with the Advanced version of Hauptwerk.

Since my search for samplesets in the world of virtual organs began in December 2018, I've found traces of serious 'hacking' and 'software theft' during my extensive internet search for 'cheapies' and 'freebies' as a beginning Hauptwerk user.

I also noted that the "raw download files" for several samplesets (Sonus Paradisi, Voxus and Piotr Grabowski), downloaded to my Hauptwerk computer, "bluntly refuse" to be transferred to a USB Drive: even though I tried and tried, in my deliberate attempt to organise my filing system externally in an effort to pre-empt any PC catastrophies or any unplanned move of Hauptwerk and my sampleset downloads to a new computer -- if that would be needed. I'm convinced that "the lie" dished up by my computer ("file too large for this disk") reflects a deliberate attempt to stop me loading the file(s) to external drives (the first step of 'software thieves' and hackers!), and I have no ethical problem with these copyright protections imposed by the sample makers.

It has brought me ponder that several samplemakers seem to now have "vanished": I tried to contact several samplemakers by email -- but they all remained silent. I had no luck contacting "Akkerorgels", a Dutch samplemaker, when I became interested in some samples I discovered on the Contrebombarde website; I was unsuccesful in contacting the Australian samplemaker Nick Appleton, who sampled St. Augustine’s in Neutral Bay and St. Stephen’s in Penrith, both in New South Wales, and I had no response from Prospectum in Germany. Here's the list of Prospectum samplesets I was really interested in (even though I do all my building and exploring on a very tight shoe-string budget!) with the Contrebombarde page links:

G. Silbermann - Stadtkirche Zöblitz, 1742
https://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/organs/view_organ/148

Magnuskerk Anloo
https://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/organs/view_organ/62

G. Silbermann - St. Johannes Weinsberg
https://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/organs/view_organ/63

St. Peter und Paul Weissenau
https://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/organs/view_organ/200

My questions: is it true that these samplemakers have "vanished" or have gone out of business? What are your experiences with the issues I raised above?

Akkerorgels and Nick Appleton have already vanished a long time ago, as well as the guy who made a sample set of a Debain harmonium, as well as Exemplum Organum. Some are definitely less active. Some still sell their sample sets, but do not seem to make new ones, like Virtual Pipes, www.dirks-organs.de/, vanderwaalvandijk.nl/, and organ.etcetera.cc/.

While some have vanished, new ones have come on board, like ForestPipes.

Prospectum is still active for sure, but is in the midst of revamping his website by himself, as it costs way too much (like over 10,000 euros) to have that professionally done (he told me this himself very recently); so now worries there. Zoblitz is indeed a very nice small organ. You just have to contact him by email; he will respond.

Jeux d'orgues is still active as well.

So, all is well in Hauptwerk land. The new security measures are more than welcome to secure a solid future.

by adri
Mar 10, 2019 07:06 AM

RE: Hauptwerk hackers, software thieves and vanishing samplemakers


adri wrote:


“Prospectum is still active for sure, but is in the midst of revamping his website by himself, as it costs way too much (like over 10,000 euros) to have that professionally done (he told me this himself very recently); so now worries there.”


Thanks Adri - that's one important problem solved. You also gave me more options "dirks.de".
by jacko
Mar 10, 2019 08:30 AM

RE: Hauptwerk hackers, software thieves and vanishing samplemakers


Nick Appleton is on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/nickappleton

by Andrew Grahame
Mar 10, 2019 02:07 PM

RE: Hauptwerk hackers, software thieves and vanishing samplemakers


I see that many virtual organists are using Piotr Grawoski samples, they are free and very good. Some of them are even better than some comercial ones.
by rmanzanog
Mar 10, 2019 09:54 PM

RE: Hauptwerk hackers, software thieves and vanishing samplemakers

Andrew Grahame wrote:

Nick Appleton is on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/nickappleton

Thanks Andrew!

by jacko
Mar 11, 2019 04:35 AM

RE: Hauptwerk hackers, software thieves and vanishing samplemakers

rmanzanog wrote:

I see that many virtual organists are using Piotr Grawoski samples, they are free and very good. Some of them are even better than some comercial ones.

I agree - Piotr Grabowski's samples are made to an excellent standard. I understand from what he writes on his website, that he made one or more or several samplesets as part of his Doctoral studies -- as his main practical thesis requirement -- for Warsaw University. This might partially explain why they're "free" and available "by donation", because Warsaw university would have paid his expenses. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Mr Grabowski!

by jacko
Mar 11, 2019 04:42 AM

RE: Hauptwerk hackers, software thieves and vanishing samplemakers


I think it is reassuring that most of the original sample makers who set out seriously to continue have done just that - they are still releasing varied and interesting samples. Thanks to them.
by Erzahler
Mar 11, 2019 06:12 PM

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