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RE: Looking for a handy man

The way I set up my Hauptwerk Harpsichords (on my 3-manual Console) is as follows:

Upper Manual of the Harpsichord plays on the Upper Manual of the Console.

Lower Manual of the Harpsichord plays (at normal pitch) on the Second Manual of the Console.

Using "Input 2", the Lower Manual of the Harpsichord ALSO plays on the Lower Manual of the Console... transposed DOWN one Octave.

This allows the notes below "Low C" to be reached easily... for the primary Manual of the Harpsichord, which of course can also have the upper Manual of the Harpsichord coupled to it.

For a "quick and easy" Pedal Harpsichord, just assign your Pedals (using "Input 3") to ALSO play the lower Manual of the Harpsichord, also transposed DOWN one Octave so that all of the lower notes are within reach.

This assumes you are OK with keeping track of that transposed Octave... which I find comes pretty naturally after a while. (Easier than what I have to do to play all 88 Notes of a standard Grand Piano on the same Console!)

In one respect, the Pedal does not function exactly as might be desired. If the same note is struck by a manual and a pedal, it strikes only once (as an Organ Pedal would also do if asked to sound a Pipe which is already speaking). HOWEVER... whichever keyboard RELEASES the note first (generating that "Note Off" command), the Note stops playing right then. As opposed to an Organ Pedal on which a Pipe will continue sounding until released by BOTH the Manual and the Pedal.

To fix this (producing a truly independent Pedal) would require a bit of programming. But for "quick and easy" playable results... that may not even be necessary.

-- OrganoPleno

RE: Looking for a handy man

Interesting. I have the pedal version of Blanchet 1720 (HW1 compatible with HW4) but sound it is not so good as Mieke.