I have had to make Hymnsoft work with increasing adoption of Windows 7 x64 at Salem, and have come up with some workarounds for now.
If you just need to play the hymns, you can rename the .NDX files to be more useful. The files in the SRCHNDX directory are the four part harmonizations and the FNDNDX ones are the solo melody line. The hymns are the files that start with WRD. They are ordered alphabetically by tune names, although it is not perfect. I am attaching a spreadsheet showing the mapping of tunes to file IDs, which I extracted using the code posted earlier. If you want to do some programming, you can write a script to use the IDs to automatically rename all of the files. I would be happy to email people the converted files, except that I would probably get in trouble with NPH for it. If I ever write a utility to rename the files, I will post it (conversely, if someone else does, email me and I will link to it or host it).
I also created an Access database containing the remainder of the Hymnsoft data including titles, hymn numbers, tune names, scripture references, and lyrics. This was somewhat complex, using a modified form of the code posted earlier to create. I am pretty sure that sending people this file without certain proof of Hymnsoft ownership breaks all kinds of copyright laws, so don’t expect me to do so. The code to convert from the Hymnsoft database is posted on this blog. I modified it to create an XML file which I then imported into Access. I had to do an import, delete the data, change the data type of the lyrics field from string to memo, and reimport. I can post the modified code to create the XML file if someone wants it.
I haven’t done any work with the psalms or canticles yet as I have not needed them.
If anyone from NPH wants these files, shoot me an email (or comment) and I will send them to you. I have already done much of the work required to rewrite Hymnsoft, but as the database structure is weird, I would need permission to distribute a modified database. I would be interested in working with NPH to develop a new version of Hymnsoft that could be sold by NPH.
Another option for people using Windows 7 x64 Professional, Enterprise, or Ultimate is Windows XP Mode. This runs a copy of Windows XP in a Virtual PC emulator under Windows 7 and is free for those running the aforementioned editions of Windows. If you are running Windows 7 (or Vista) 32 bit, a previous post outlines the fixes required to make Hymnsoft work.
Mr. Johnston,
I am the Music and Worship at NPH and overseeing a redo of HymnSoft. After recently putting HymnSoft on a 32-bit PC with Windows 7, I was able to install the program, but the only thing that doesn’t work is getting the organ sound out of the Player module. The HymnSoft Helper that Pastor Arndt provides won’t work because W-7 dropped the MIDI-mapper function that is needed.
Has anyone found a fix for that?
Thank you for guarding your files. We should talk about some of the databases you have created. They might help in my work at NPH.
Carl Nolte
NPH
I installed Hymnsoft in Windows 7 as an administrator and then you set it to run as administrator and it works well.
I have had no problem using Hymnsoft on Windows 7. I just set the program to run in the XP SP3 Compatibility mode in the right click properties of the exe.
The program that I use for MIDI mapping is Midi-Ox. It can be found on the main page at http://www.midiox.com. Our church uses a Rodgers organ which requires the MIDI to come in on Ch 12-14 (3 Channels – swell, great and pedal).
This solution took some searching for, but I suspect it can provide the fix for just about any midi instrument. I use this instead of the HymnSoft helper.
In the Options menu of MidiOx, you have to set up a Data Map. In my case, I just said that all channels should map to 14.
This works great for our application.
I am really looking forward to the new release. Built in MIDI mapping would be a great feature.
I assume that you are using Windows 7 installed as a 32 bit application, in which case it works fine. The problem is when you try to install HymnSoft in a 64 bit installation of Windows 7 or Vista (or XP, but I have yet to see a real world installation of x64 XP).
thank you for the tips on your blog. We’ve been waiting for the new hymnsoft for years and years. We don’t have an organist. Any organist out there that would like to move to Alaska? Our music machine died last week been working on a new one this week.
Anyone heard a Date/Year of when new Hymnsoft coming out? We are really interested in using it.
Also in the most current public version… when playing is there a way to lessen the delay between verses? Sometimes it is slow going to next verse.
I had heard some unofficial release dates, but they have all passed.
If you are just playing them through a sound system and not using it to manipulate an organ, I would suggest exporting the midi files so that you can just create a playlist in Windows Media Player. That way you just add a midi file multiple times and click play.
I created a list of all of the file names and the tunes to which they correlate in another post.
The midi mapper function still exists in Windows 7, Microsoft just removed the ability for normal users to access it. I have the midi-mapper control panel that was ripped from a beta version of Windows 7 and made to work on x32 and x64. You can get it here: http://www.starofbethlehem-savoy.org/midi/