Hauptwerk is a computer program from Milan Digital Audio that allows the playback or live performance of pipe organ music using MIDI and recorded sound samples.
[1] Hauptwerk was originally developed and launched in 2002 by Martin Dyde, who, starting 2006, continued to develop it under Crumhorn Labs Ltd.[2][3] In September 2008, Crumhorn Labs and Hauptwerk were acquired by Brett Milan of Milan Digital Audio LLC.
[9] The recorded samples of the original pipes are divided into three main sections: start (attack), middle (sustain), and end (release or echo).
Start, end, and release loop points are stored in the recorded sample file.
If multiple loop points are provided, in the sustain section of a sample, these are selected randomly.
[11] Beginning February 23, 2010, the Salisbury Cathedral pipe organ was temporarily unavailable, because of maintenance work scheduled to last one month.
During this time, a console based on Hauptwerk was used to provide organ music for cathedral services.
Examples include: Hauptwerk was copy protected using the HASP USB token (dongle) from Aladdin Knowledge Systems.