MakeMusic! Garritan Classic Pipe Organs

"I just purchased the Garritan Pipe organ sounds, and I have to echo the other one star reviewer here. And then some. If there were a half a star button, that's what I'd give this company's products. Granted, there is a need for good pipe organ sound databanks for music writing software (and good HARPSICHORD) software beyond the dainty little things that normally accompany music software programs (like a nice stout Hass recording, some modern harpsichords, pedal harpsichords, etc), but this definitely is not the company to do it."For $120.00 I received my disk today(at 8:30 PM!). It came in a plain paper envelope (no jewel case), and as far as I can tell, WITHOUT any manual - hardcopy or otherwise - on how to use it with any music writing software (FINALE, SIBELLIUS etc), and with NO activation code included in the paper envelope. This must all be done online jumping through a variety of hoops, and for those of us who don't speak computerese, this is even more of a disappointment. I feel utterly and completely GYPPED and SUCKERED. I don't care how good their sounds are, the surrounding product and lack of any sensitivity to customers - I for example work at night and cannot take their offers of phone calls to "walk through the process"... and why should I? I paid for a PRODUCT that should include a MANUAL on how to use it, that I can refer to at anytime, anywhere, and not be bothered with jumping through more hoops."So if you're looking for a good data base of sounds with easy to use instructions, I do NOT recommend any of this company's products. I am angry, and feel like I've wasted my money (and I have)."

I purchased this to use with Finale music writing software. The disk came properly packaged and shrink-wrapped. There is no mystery to its installation although Garritan does have a peculiar quirk as you have to go to the website and download a "card" that instantly authorizes the software. Protection against piracy, I gather.There are sounds of 6 different pipe organs. They all sound true to what an organ should sound like (including some stops that seem not to have been properly tuned.) However, it is difficult to FIND the stops one wants, as they are grouped according to the organ that they were sampled from and not in a helpful list form by stop length, nor the way they would appear on an organ. Also, one can't always choose the exact stops one wants. For example, many of the sounds are "bundled", so you can choose 8,4,2 principals as one "sound" or flutes 8 & 4, but not just flute 4, or flute 2. There are many combinations with mixtures, so if you want to write out the Widor "Toccata" you have an abundance of choices. Gary Garritan has done a massive job in creating these sounds, but my greatest criticism is that he, I guess, has never played an organ and does not have a clue of how organists use the stops. So in that respect, the sounds are limited and I have experienced quite some frustration trying to select the stops. It seems to be more work than I had hoped. Thus, I am a little disappointed in this collection. If you are considering purchasing it, head to the Garritan website where you can hear pieces that were created with these sounds and see a list of the stops available. They charge 99.95 for the downloaded version; I preferred having a disk so I bought it through Amazon.