MIDI, Audio & Hardware

You’ll need a computer or laptop that meets the specifications listed on the system requirements page. You’ll also need an organ or keyboard with a MIDI output.

To connect your organ to your computer or laptop, you’ll need a USB-MIDI cable or an external audio interface that has a MIDI input.

An example of a suitable USB-MIDI cable is the Roland UM One MK2. Another option is an external audio interface with MIDI input, such as the
Presonus AudioBox USB 96 25th Anniversary Edition 2×2 audio interface, which is a good entry-level option and comes with an ASIO driver.

If you’re considering building a surround system in the future, it’s best to choose an audio interface with multiple output channels. This allows you to send different sounds to speakers in front of and behind you. You can find suitable options on this page.

To connect your organ or keyboard to your computer, you need a USB-MIDI cable or an external audio interface with a MIDI connection.

An example of a suitable USB-MIDI cable is the Roland UM-One MK2. Another option is an external audio interface with a MIDI connection, such as the Presonus AudioBox USB 96 25th Anniversary Edition 2×2 audio interface, which is a good entry-level option with an ASIO driver.

For a standard setup, a stereo audio interface with two outputs and an ASIO driver is usually sufficient. With that you can connect two active speakers, left and right. An entry-level model that often works well is the Presonus AudioBox USB 96 25th Anniversary Edition.

If you plan to build a surround system in the future, it is advisable to choose an audio interface with more output channels, so you can drive the front and rear speakers separately. This provides greater spatial depth, and allows you to better tailor the listening experience to your room. A good option for this is the Focusrite Scarlett 4i4. In addition to a headphone output, this interface allows you to connect up to four active speakers.

An open-back headphone often provides the most natural spatial reproduction. A commonly used and well-suited choice is the AKG K702. Sweelinq includes a dedicated EQ preset specifically for the AKG K702, allowing you to achieve a well-balanced sound with a single setting that matches this headphone well and delivers a highly realistic and spacious listening experience.

To use Sweelinq, two components need to be configured correctly: Audio and MIDI.

Audio

Set up the audio device: In Sweelinq, go to Menu > General > Audio device. Here you select the audio device to which your speakers and/or headphones are connected. Sometimes the same audio device appears multiple times in the list. In that case it is usually possible to use the device through different drivers. If you are using Windows, make sure to select the ASIO driver of your audio interface. Almost every (semi) professional audio interface comes with an ASIO driver. On macOS and Linux it is not necessary or possible to use an ASIO driver.

Set up the audio outputs: After selecting the correct audio device, go to Menu > General > Audio outputs. In the audio outputs settings you can configure specific outputs of your audio device. At least one audio output is required to use Sweelinq. For each audio output it is important that you select the correct channels so that the correct physical outputs of your audio device are used. After selecting the correct channels, you can use the ‘Test signal’ option to check whether the selected audio output works correctly. To play the test signal, an organ must be loaded in Sweelinq.

MIDI

Set up the MIDI ports: In Sweelinq, go to Menu > General > MIDI ports. MIDI-in ports are used to send the activity of manuals, pedal, stops, etc. from your organ console to Sweelinq. At least one working MIDI-in port is required to use Sweelinq. Select the MIDI port(s) through which your computer is connected to your organ console. It is not necessary to configure a MIDI out port.

Set up the MIDI keyboards: Go to Menu > General > MIDI keyboards. First set how many keyboards your organ console has. After that, select a manual from the list on the left and click ‘MIDI learn’. Press the lowest and highest key of the corresponding keyboard on your organ console and click OK. Repeat this for all remaining manuals. If it is not possible to click OK, the process has failed. Check whether your MIDI port settings are correct as described above. Be aware that on some organ consoles the MIDI functionality needs to be enabled first.

Set up the keyboard routing: Load an organ in Sweelinq and go to Menu > Organ settings > Keyboard routing. In this screen, check whether the MIDI keyboards are correctly connected to the loaded organ. Click ‘more information’ in the bottom right corner for additional explanation.

Good speakers are essential for the listening experience. A sampleset truly comes to life only when the playback is neutral, detailed, and sufficiently powerful. For this reason, we recommend active speakers, which have built-in amplification and are designed for accurate sound reproduction.

Using the built-in speakers of a digital organ is strongly discouraged, as the listening experience is usually far from optimal, often lacking detail, spatial depth, and a realistic reproduction.

Reliable brands include Genelec and Adam. For many home setups, models such as the Genelec 8030 or the Adam T7V are an excellent choice.

Practical tips:

• Placement: position the speakers to the left and right at ear height, forming roughly a triangle with your listening position.
• Connections: preferably balanced (XLR), which helps reduce hum and noise.
• Low-frequency reproduction: for better reproduction of low tones (bass), a larger model or a subwoofer can make a noticeable difference.

Yes, you can. If you are considering surround playback, choose a sound card with multiple outputs (e.g., 4, 6, or 8). This allows you to drive front and rear speakers separately.

In Sweelinq, you can easily create different outputs/perspectives for the various channels via Menu > General > Audio outputs.

In very simple terms: you don’t hear “more notes” just because it’s 96 kHz. The audible range stays the same. But by working at a higher sample rate, we can process the audible part of the sound more cleanly. Think of it like editing a photo in high resolution and then scaling it down, the details remain cleaner and the edges look smoother.

By using 96 kHz in a smart way, the sound gains more calmness, more precision, and more detail, especially in the higher registers and in the sense of space. You don’t always hear this immediately as “louder” or “different”, but rather as more natural and more refined.

To make this concrete, below are two examples to listen to:

• one recording made directly at 48 kHz.
• one recording made at 96 kHz and then converted to 48 kHz.

Apart from the sample rate, the recordings are completely identical.

Even when a recording is ultimately played back at 48 kHz, a recording made at 96 kHz can sound noticeably more spacious and detailed. This is because the audible part of the sound is processed more accurately at a higher sample rate.

How clearly this difference can be heard also depends on the audio equipment being used, the listening environment, and the listener. On a good system, the subtle differences in calmness and detail can come through more clearly. It’s also possible that you barely hear a difference at all, some people simply don’t perceive these kinds of nuances.