Friesach Sample Set for GrandOrgue: The Free Symphonic Giant
The Friesach sample set is one of the most generous free gifts in the virtual organ world: a 44-stop, three-manual symphonic instrument sampled from the Eisenbarth organ in St. Bartholomäus Church, Friesach, Austria — and it costs nothing. This guide covers the honest specifications, the community extensions, and exactly how to get it playing in GrandOrgue.
If you have always wanted a large symphonic organ in GrandOrgue without spending a euro, start here. Friesach is a free sample set by Piotr Grabowski that captures the Eisenbarth organ built in 2000 for St. Bartholomäus parish church in Friesach, Austria. With three manuals, pedal, and 44 stops, it is big enough for Romantic repertoire, organ symphonies, and full congregational-style playing — and it is completely free to download.
What You Actually Get
The organ behind the samples is a modern three-manual instrument by Eisenbarth, installed in 2000. Modern tracker-style voicing, a generous acoustic, and a disposition that covers French symphonic colour as well as German Romantic weight. The samples were recorded, edited, and released for free by Piotr Grabowski, the Polish organist and sample producer behind many other free organs.
Honest Specifications
| Sample set | Friesach (Eisenbarth, 2000) |
| Church | St. Bartholomäus, Friesach, Austria |
| Manuals | 3 manuals + pedal |
| Stops | 44 |
| Producer | Piotr Grabowski |
| Price | Free (donations welcome) |
| GrandOrgue format | Distributed as a ready-to-load organ file |
A note on honesty: you may see the number 71 mentioned in older corners of the internet in connection with Friesach. The correct, verified specification from the producer is 44 stops. If a download claims otherwise, treat it with suspicion and stick to the sources linked below.
Community Extensions Worth Knowing About
Friesach has been popular long enough that the community has built on it. Two extensions are commonly mentioned:
- Les’ Friesach Extended — a community expansion that adds extra stops and couplers around the original disposition.
- Al Morse’s extension — another community reworking with additional colour and registrations.
Extensions are fan projects, not official releases. They usually expect you to have the base Friesach set installed first, and quality varies — try the original disposition before adding them.
How to Download and Load It
- Visit the producer’s page at piotrgrabowski.pl and find Friesach in the free downloads section.
- Download the GrandOrgue package. Modern distributions arrive as a single .orgue file; older ones may be a folder with an .organ XML definition file plus sample folders.
- In GrandOrgue, use File → Open and point it at the .orgue file (or the .organ file inside the folder).
- Wait for the samples to load — a large organ like this takes a while, especially the first time. See our sample set library for more free instruments while you wait.
If you get stuck, the GrandOrgue wiki’s Sample-Sets page on GitHub lists known sources and troubleshooting tips.
RAM and Performance: The One Thing to Know
Friesach is a large organ, and RAM requirements in GrandOrgue depend entirely on the size of the sample set you load. Plan for 16 GB of RAM or more if you want to load the full organ comfortably. An SSD is strongly recommended: on an NVMe drive, loading a 30 GB organ can drop from around five minutes to under thirty seconds. If your machine is more modest, see our guide to sample sets for low-RAM PCs instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Friesach sample set really free?
Yes. Piotr Grabowski releases it for free. He accepts donations, which is the polite way to say thank you if the organ earns a place in your practice routine.
How many stops does Friesach have?
44 stops across three manuals and pedal, per the producer’s specification. Ignore older pages claiming other numbers.
Does Friesach work on Mac and Linux?
The sample set itself is just data; it works in GrandOrgue on any platform GrandOrgue supports. The download, loading steps, and RAM requirements are the same everywhere.
Can I use Friesach for Romantic French repertoire?
That is exactly what it is good at. The Eisenbarth disposition leans symphonic, with the reeds and foundations you need for Franck, Widor, and Vierne.
Do I need the extensions?
No. Les’ extended version and Al Morse’s extension are optional community projects. Start with the original 44-stop disposition.