This book explains everything that the user new to the concept of the "Hauptwerk virtual pipe organ" needs to know. This review is reprinted by courtesy of The Organists' Review journal. It appeared in the December 2016 issue, and was written by James McVinnie. Hauptwerk is a program which allows the playback or live performance of sound samples of real pipe organs. Kenneth A. Spencer's book All about Hauptwerk does exactly what it says 'on the tin'. This is a must-have book for all those who are thinking of building their own Virtual Pipe Organ at home, widely acknowledged as the next best thing to a real pipe organ. The author suggests that one should read the book 'rather like a novel' before attempting anything; it is indeed easy to read, detailed and informative and offers a comprehensive, step-by-step guide in layman's terms as to what the program is, how the program works and what you need to buy to make it all work. It's a persuasive read, too: you will find yourself eager to explore the possibilities of this powerful program, but the book also offers some thoughts of a more philosophical nature on the often thorny issue of where digital instruments stand in the realm of the real pipe organ. The book first offers an introduction to the pipe organ for those who may have come to the program without prior knowledge of how a real pipe organ is constructed. It then goes onto describe what Hauptwerk is, how it works and how you would obtain it (the program is a commercial product, but is also available with limited functionality for free), the hardware needed (computer capacity, MIDI keyboards and pedal-boards and how these talk to the program, audio playback requirements etc). It also goes into building your own console and how to voice your instrument for the room in which it is placed. The book also touches on how the instrument could be used in a studio context with Digital Audio Work stations such as Logic and ProTools. Thoroughly recommended. James McVinnie Hauptwerk is a unique piece of computer software which enables an organist to play pipe organs from all over the world, in their original acoustic, but in the home. This book explains just what a person using Hauptwerk in the creation of a virtual pipe organ needs to know. The book details how the Hauptwerk software can be obtained and installed, and how organ sample sets, which contain high quality recordings of each pipe in the organ, can be loaded and configured in the virtual pipe organ. It also explains how someone with minimal woodworking skills (like the author) can construct a wooden console in which the keyboards other components can be housed. Drawings for a diy pedalboard are also provided. The author advises on computer resources for Hauptwerk, and describes accessories to enable stops to be drawn and the organ controlled. Setting up high quality multiple channel audio and speakers is described, with details of software adjustments for voicing the installed virtual organs. For those who have arrived at the organ world through the medium of Hauptwerk, there is an explanation of the real pipe organ; how it is constructed and how it works and can be played. The place of Hauptwerk in the realm of organ-like instruments is clarified. New and existing users alike will thus find what they need to get the very best out of their virtual pipe organ. Kenneth A Spencer Kenneth Spencer started his career in Medical Imaging, when for 18 years he was the Head of a School of Radiography in the UK. In the 1970s and 1980s, computing became important in health care generally, but also in the new imaging modalities of computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. As he had gained experience in using, constructing, and writing computer program, Kenneth changed his career direction towards health service computing, and took on a role in health authority information systems, implementing important systems for a group of combined health authorities. By the 1990s, and having written a system for UK general practices, Kenneth started his own computer consultancy and software house, which he maintained until his recent retirement. Kenneth's experience in computing led to the writing of his book " All about your Computer ". Kenneth's other interest is music, especially the guitar, piano and organ. It was in 2007 that Kenneth became interested in software written earlier that decade by Martin Dyde, entitled Hauptwerk , and soon constructed an organ console to demonstrate the virtual pipe organ. Having helped many people to build and operate their organ consoles, Kenneth produced his book " All about Hauptwerk ". Kenneth lives in the south of England with his wife, and has two children and four grandchildren.