Frequently Asked Questions

These FAQs come directly from our support inbox.
Q.  How do I go about trialing this software? A.  Firstly, you must create a user account on this site. Once your account has been activated, you are able to download the Organist Edition base software and any organs without restriction. All software and organs will be in trial mode until registered, and all organs and software have a trial mode so they may be fully evaluated before purchase. Trial mode allows you full access to each organ's functionality, for a period of 10 minutes with short breaks in the audio, other than that all organs are otherwise unlimited and exactly as the licensed versions are.

For details of how to install and configure the software please refer to the quick start guide and for instructions on how to register and purchase software please follow this link: How to register the software
Q.  How do I license my trial software? A.  The most important thing you should do before attempting to make any purchases is to ensure that your 'Installation Code' has been updated on our website in the 'My Details' section. This makes our automated licensing system run efficiently, and without waiting for manual intervention, giving you your license key instantly!

Our licensing system cannot issue any licenses until the installation code from your computer has been entered. It will record all purchases but licenses cannot be issued for purchases without the installation code. Licenses are issued instantly on successful purchase and a valid installation code. The installation code can only be entered once and is shown in the base software. See : How to register the software

A license for Great Organ Organist edition applies to one computer. You may request us to reissue a license for transfer to another machine, but you cannot use the same license on two machines. Each computer must have its own license of Organists edition.

A purchase will always generate a license and will be fully recorded. If that license does not appear in your account instantly, or is in some way lost, do not fear as we will be able to manually reissue licenses in that unlikely event. Do not worry your purchase will not get lost!
Q.  What VST support does this software have? A.  At the time of writing, V3.0 has full VST support on Windows and Apple Mac platforms, which allows you to use the organ directly as a VST 2.4 instrument, with full access to the user interface via a web browser. The VST output is limited to stereo at this time but provides full 32 bit high definition output and full support for MIDI input / output via VST. VST support for Linux has been implemented but not widely tested.
Q.  Why do I need to make adjustments to individual organ audio to get the best results? A.  No two sound systems and environments are identical, therefore to get the sound intended by the authors some adjustment to reverb, EQ, rank volumes and overall divisions may be required. Whilst we have attempted to make setup as easy as possible, it is not possible to preset everything to work equally well and to individual taste on all systems out of the box.
Q.  Is this website secure and are my personal details protected? A.  This site, uses an SSL certificate to encrypt all traffic to and from the website, just like any large e-commerce company. We decided to accept payments only via PayPal at this time as it offers both parties some valuable protection, and as the site and the integration with PayPal is totally encrypted and secure, you can be assured that this website has done all it can to protect you.

Additionally to this, we store the absolute minimum data per user we can safely operate with, and our webservers are professionally managed and secured by one of the most reputable web hosting companies in the business. As with all professional web sites, we regularly use penetration testing to ensure that our site remains totally secure.

In line with our privacy policy, we simply DON'T share user details with anyone, ever, and users can be assured at all times that this site is safe and secure by ensuring the browser 'padlock' icon is showing a secure connection.

Our SSL certificate can be authenticated and verified by clicking on the small blue 'verified and secured' button in the bottom right of the footer in every page on the site.
Q.  I am concerned about the safety of this software and that it may contain malware or access my personal information A.  Malware attacks by 3rd parties on software is a very real headache for software developers so, as we also share these concerns, we have taken a considerable number of steps, that have been baked in from the start, to ensure that this application can be as safe as possible and resilient to attacks or intrusions.

Unfortunately, we occasionally see the odd article on certain forums which make all manner of claims about this software and our company which are written by people who have never even tried the software. Our software remains the safest and most secure virtual organ product currently available and unlike others, requires ZERO internet connectivity!

We obviously cannot go into the specifics of the protection the software has in general. However, you can be assured that if any component in the software is tampered with the application will know straight away, refuse to load and warn you instantly. This software has security and protection which parallels most banking applications!

Our build servers are scanned daily for viruses and malware. We scan everything also before upload our software to those servers. As a further measure, our server providers perform their own thorough scans independently of us. We are doing more than anybody else in this genre to ensure you can safely enjoy this software.
Q.  Why have you only supported Windows platforms until now? A.  The software development tools on other platforms used to be approximately 15 years behind those on the Windows platform, however recently Microsoft produced a number of astonishingly good technologies which allow us to bring very advanced software development techniques to platforms other than Windows.

This has allowed us to produce identical software for Windows, Mac and Linux without having to compromise on quality or performance as it would have been the case with the native software development tools for those platforms. It would also be too expensive to maintain three sets of code which would have been the case until recently. So now that we have one system which we can deploy to many platforms without compromise, it has become financially viable to support platforms other than Windows.
Q.  How do I get the best performance? A.  Firstly, use a dedicated desktop machine if you can, laptops use 'mobility hardware' meaning they will not perform anywhere near as well as the software relies on the rapid access of huge amounts of data loaded into memory. You should ensure your machine has been stripped of all consumer bloatware, and has no background running operations such as antivirus, windows defender, anti-malware etc. If possible, do not connect to the internet whilst you are playing so that no background downloads and no updates can take up any CPU time. If you must use such tools, perform scans manually and switch off dynamic scanning as most of these tools will significantly damage performance.

You do not need a hugely expensive desktop machine, dripping with RAM. A modest i5 6th Gen or above, with the fastest RAM the board will take (only 16Gb required!). The software will hugely benefit from being loaded from an SSD drive or better still an M2.SSD.

Having a fairly modest dedicated sound card will also make a noticeable difference. Again you do not need a hugely expensive sound card. We have found that the inexpensive SoundBlaster Z is more than up to the job. The software fully utilizes the hardware acceleration offered by such sound cards.

In v2.0 we have added the ability to suspend WIFI / network connection whilst the software is running (windows only). This is optional but will prevent any background processes or software from doing hidden updates, which do use the CPU and disk and in extreme cases can cause audio breakup.

This software does not work like or is architected like other VPOs.. It is doing a LOT more and thus many tens of thousands of tiny calculations are being performed every seconds. Some micro desktops machines are fitted with mobility hardware, or similar to what you might expect to find in a laptop. Always check the processor number and board type to ensure it is a full high speed desktop board and not a mobility based alternative. For Intel i Series processors, the letter U at the end of the processor number tells you it is ultralow power (and much lower performance although less so since 10th gen).

Keep your operating system up to date, but ensure YOU control the schedule of updates of ALL software on this machine and do not run anything you absolutely do not have to when this software is running. If it has to ask for a share of the processor too many times, you will hear audio breakup!

Q.  I hate touchscreens. Can this be used as a turnkey solution with no monitors? A.  Yes. There are a number of features that allow the system to be used in this way. The software can be configured to run as soon as the machine is switched on, and even pre-select a specific organ and load it right there on startup with the computer.

The system can also optionally safely close down the computer when the organist closes the organ disposition, and indeed you can capture pistons or midi buttons to allow a midi commanded shutdown of either just that running organ, or the whole computer.

Provided the console has sufficient hardware stops that can be captured to fully operate the on screen organ (inc control start/shudown) and they have been 'learned', then the monitor(s) can be switched off or removed.

Version 3.0 now has a dedicated screen for programming hardware stops, and allows full remote access to the user interface via network connection and a standard web browser.
Q.  Is this software free, or is there a free offering? A.  No. Whilst there are free VPO software offerings, they are free for a reason! Highly advanced software is extremely expensive to develop, and somebody needs to contribute to this, otherwise further development becomes very challenging! Free software is usually free because it is not of commercial quality, not commercially viable, or no longer being actively developed. We do provide free licenses to bone-fide young music students who are able to evidence their tuition and age, but there is no free version of this software for general use. You are able to download and trial the software before deciding whether to obtain a license.

There are a number of free organs, which will steadily increase in time, however the software itself must be purchased and licensed before any organs, free or otherwise can be registered to remove the trial mode.

The software is very competitively priced, and arguably too cheap for what it is, particularly given that it considerably outperforms more expensive rivals.
Q.  What kind of support and warranty do you offer? A.  We have taken the deliberate decision NOT to have a user forum, and to also close down the support forum we initially created. Organ forums can be negative and toxic places, and are no substitute for proper support, from the experts who created the software. Organ forums are often full of very inaccurate or completely incorrect advice, and indeed a lot of the received wisdom we have encountered in these places is factually and technically dubious

In our case, all support is dealt with by a human being via email to Support, often with the software developers themselves answering directly. We do not offer any service level agreement on support cases, but they are usually fully resolved within a week, often same day. We do not offer any warranty for the software's fitness for the purpose you intend to use it. It is up to you to ensure during trial mode that the software is fit for the purpose you intend to use it, however any faults, and defects which are found and accepted, WILL be fixed very quickly.

It is a matter of pride that over the last few years nobody has waited more than a few days after discovering an issue, for the resolution to arrive, and nobody else offers this level of service.

Support on our software is offered FREE OF CHARGE, unlike our competitors who now charge for support of their application, which is bordering on the outrageous.

We believe in hearing from our users personally and learning about their requirements and needs from the software. It is the only means by which we continually improve, so we value this feedback very highly.

We pride ourselves in continuing to offer the best technical support in the business, as our users are happy to testify!
Q.  I am worried about investing in a product which doesn't have as many organs as the rival software? A.  This software is here to stay and we have been in existence and being enjoyed by a large and growing number of users since 2015. It has continued to be improved and expanded all the time it has been on the market, and has the best record of any software in its class for continued reinvestment in technology, new features and taking advantage of the latest hardware and software technologies.

Whilst our nearest rival may have more organs available, this is purely a feature of them being around for much longer, and in any regard only a tiny handful of the organs on other platforms are actually approaching acceptable. This is because most of these instruments are produced by people who don't have a long and established commercial background in either audio engineering or software engineering.

We are constantly adding new organs and now have a large backlog of instruments we have been requested to sample and produce virtual versions of. We have enough instruments available to sample as things stand at the time of writing to keep us going for another five years, and we are being requested to virtualize more organs on a regular basis. If you prefer quality to quantity, then our software has a much more secure future than our rivals, and the company is sufficiently funded for the next decade already! We are here to stay!
Q.  I want to run Great Organ in surround sound. What do I need to do? A.  By default, Great Organ provides stereo output from your soundcard. If you want to enjoy the significantly better experience of enjoying the software in 5.1 surround sound, then you need to ensure you have a compatible dedicated soundcard, eg. SoundBlaster Z, and you will also need an amplifier capable of decoding a dolby digital surround sound signal. You will then need to go to the organ settings and change the 'Speaker settings', to 5.1 from stereo.

The software reconfigures for 6 channel output, and send these to the soundcard dolby encoder (which must be switched on). This can either be sent optically or coaxially to your surround sound amp, which must also be placed in the correct mode for receiving dolby surround.

Most high end home cinema systems have a Dolby 5.1 decoder built in, and usually exhibit a blue light when a dolby encoded surround signal is being received. If you are using such an amplifier, plug in the optical/coax connection on one of the DVD/Bluray inputs and select.

This will also support non-dolby soundcards with 6 separate outputs in analogue mode.

If you do not have the equipment, PLEASE DO NOT USE SURROUND MODE. It relies on the encode and decode elements to be handled by the soundcard and your amplifier, and without it, the audio will sound dire, if at all. Further details or questions can be sent to us at Support.

Only windows currently supports 5.1 output but we are adding this to the other plaforms shortly
Q.  I am a young organist, how do I apply for a free license of the software? A.  We have had a number of people trying to obtain free licenses who were not entitled to them, so we now require some photographic proof of age, and some evidence of organ tuition. These must be emailed to us at Support. We will assess them immediately and then in line with our privacy policy, delete the email and contents.

You must have entered your Installation Code (unique to your computer) on our website. If the application meets our criteria, then a license key can be electronically transferred, instantly.

This is a manual process and each case is assessed on its merits. Since ID was required, nobody has so far been refused, so if this software will be of use to you, and you qualify, do let us know!
Q.  I want to demonstrate, perform or use this software in a professional setting, is this covered by the license? A.  Provided you have a full license for the Organist Edition, unlike other VPO companies, we will allow you to use the software as you see fit for demonstrations, performances and general practice. No additional expensive licenses required.

For installations in a professional environment, eg a church, we require a small annual fee to be levied, largely to cover the priority support for that instrument, and the service level agreement in terms of response time etc. This fee does not apply to churches and establishments whom have received a custom built organ from us.

If you want to share your public performances with us, we will be happy to host these on our website for you!
Q.  I want to use my existing sample sets with your software, is this possible? A.  We can use and import ANY sample set from an existing VPO. That is the good news. The bad news is that most of the well known sample set producers refuse to allow this to happen in the license agreement you accepted, and some have even been told they cannot work with us if they want to continue to license their products on the rival platforms! Whilst there are a number of pieces of legislation preventing them from acting in this anti-competitive manner (anti-trust), sadly not all companies appear to be aware of this or have any respect for this consumer protection legislation!

The great news is that we have already formed some strategic partnerships with some new very highly skilled UK based sample set production companies (with Ripon Cathedral being the first of such collaborations), so there will be no shortage of sample sets and new organs, regardless of the considerable attempts of others to limit us to just our own sample sets! They want to limit your choice, but we are doing something about it! WATCH THIS SPACE!

Some sample set producers feel they cannot charge as much on our platform as we request that some of the proceeds are returned to the organ that the sample set sales profit from, and unfortunately most of the existing sample set producers wish to not only charge huge amounts for their efforts, but also pocket the lot! This goes against everything we stand for, and is very unsustainable short term thinking! We would prefer to do all we can to ensure the organ exists for future generations to enjoy
Q.  I want to build my own custom organ. Can I do this? A.  Absolutely! YES! However despite having the best tools in the business for creating high quality instruments in a fraction of the time required by our rivals, there is still a considerable amount of work that goes into the creation of a new organ.

We do offer a bespoke organ creation service, if you are not sufficiently experienced in sampling instruments, processing the samples and creating the user interface.

We can offer advice and support on this should you wish to embark on this process, and have very powerful easy to use tools to help you achieve this. We are the only VPO producer who is able to offer such a service, inexpensively.
Q.  I have pistons and other hardware buttons and stops on my console. Can I use these? A.  As you would expect, YES! Almost everything you see on the screen, even including the keyboard/manual switcher can be assigned to midi input triggers. Stops, couplers, pistons, midi recorder, music page turning, transposition, tremulants, piston sequencing etc. can all be controlled from external midi messages.

If you are also using the music viewer, you can take advantage of the ability to store stop registration sequences against each piece of music, for each organ. This like many other things can be hardware controlled, and has the added bonus of also setting the starting registration for you, just by opening the piece of music. Moving to the next stop registration change is either a single button or piston press!

We are constantly improving our support for a variety of new or additional hardware inputs. If we do not cover a requirement you have, do let uw know. If it is generic enough and would benefit others, we will consider adding it into the software development roadmap for inclusion and delivery.
Q.  Where is the user guide? A.  The development of this software continues to move at such an astonishing pace, repeated attempts to document how to use it have quickly become invalid and redundant! However a user guide and optimal audio setup guide is in production. These will more than likely be in the form of video guides rather than traditional text based documentation.
Q.  How do I know this is genuinely altruistic, and that these organ funds will receive the money ? A.  Whilst organists are naturally very cynical people and on occasions been more than keen on telling us this, we have been in business now for a number of years and we simply wouldn't be still here if we didn't keep our promises!

However, to ensure complete transparency, organ owners and sample set producers can monitor live license sales at any time, via their account on our website, and therefore how much we have raised on their behalf at will.

Some existing sample set producers claim to support the organs they profit from, but actually don't. We are the only company that are able to demonstrate we are as good as our word and allow the owners to see this transparently and for themselves!
Q.  Is there any limit on support? A.  No. Provided the support request genuinely pertains to the software or its usage, we will not cap support requests. We do not support 'how to use' requests. We reserve the right to refuse unreasonable/vexatious requests or give advice about general computer issues.

Support is dealt with via email. Remember, we are only as good as the information you provide us with. A support ticket saying 'it doesn't work', and nothing else will likely be disregarded or returned to the sender without resolution.

We need you to help us, help you. There are diagnostic logs, and all manner of ways we can try and assist you built into the software, but we have to have detailed information such as steps to reproduce the problem etc.

Q.  I am a bit concerned you may have connections with individuals/companies who have been known to use unlicensed samples? A.  Sadly this is a fabrication from those who don't wish for our business to succeed and provide competition. All of our samples can be verified and every single file traced back to source.

We are aware that a well known fraudster has made claims to have worked for us, but this is simply untrue, and we feel as equally appalled at his activities as other VPO companies are.

If you have any concerns or see any such claims online linking us with disreputable individuals or companies, do feel free to contact us and share any evidence or screenshots, so we are able to challenge this and leave the consumer with more choice. Such claims have always been made with the intent of damaging free market competition and are an indication that our rivals do not wish to see fair product comparison. We feel that if they were not genuinely worried about the superiority of our offerings, they would not feel the need to resort to such tactics to hamper fair competition!
Q.  Which organs are being sampled currently and/or planned for sampling? A.  We believe in keeping our customers well informed but unfortunately giving any indication of upcoming organ availability has historically been misused, again with the intent of damaging competition. We therefore only notify our users of new organs once the sampling has been completed and they are in production.
Q.  Isn't this just Grand Orgue or Hauptwerk with fancy user interface? A.  Absolutely NOT! Both of these products have serious fundemental flaws which we had no intention of repeating. This is an entirely brand new product with ZERO links or anything in common with existing VPO software. The technology used is around 15 years newer than other VPOs. This software has been written by organists who are also highly experienced software engineers with several decades of commercial software development experience, ably assisted by a highly regarded sound engineer, also with decades of experience.

The only thing this software has in common with any other VPO is that it is providing a VPO, but how it arrives at this is radically different from anything else out there, based on the actual physics of how the sound from a real organ travels through space.
Q.  Can I have or purchase the raw samples from your organs ? A.  No. Never. Absolutely not. We have to protect the income streams for the organs we support, and allowing the digital samples to fall into the hands of others, presents a significant risk to those organ funds.
Q.  Can I adjust individual pipe samples ? A.  Yes you can! Since version 3.5 you can adjust the pitch and tone of individual pipes, and it also now additionally supports multiple temperaments

If you have a question you would like to submit to this page and feel the answer would benefit other users, please send us an email with the subject FAQ, and we will do our best to answer it here.


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