GrandOrgue Version History & Changelog

What changed in each GrandOrgue release, distilled from the official GitHub release notes — plus the big milestones and honest advice on whether you should upgrade. Current stable: v3.17.3 (2026-08-10).

The 3.17 Series (Current)

v3.17.3 — 2026-08-10 (latest stable)

The headline feature is aimed at MIDI-file players: when you play back a MIDI file that has no GrandOrgue setup header, you now get a choice of MIDI channel mapping schemes — pedal first, pedal last, or by the organ’s MIDIInputNumber — via a per-load dialog and the MIDI Devices settings. Also fixed: MIDI REC resending external MIDI sends on recording start, divisionals that could not be selected in organs without a pedal, organ volume not being saved into organ settings, and a heap overflow with wrong channel metering in the audio output task. On the platform side: the .deb package now installs cleanly on Ubuntu with PipeWire, device names containing regex characters (like parentheses) match correctly, and Turkish-locale loading errors are fixed. macOS note: macOS 13 support was removed — this release supports macOS 14+ on arm64 and macOS 15 on Intel only.

v3.17.2

A maintenance release: fixes for MIDI and audio device names containing regex metacharacters, installing the .deb on Ubuntu with PipeWire, running GrandOrgueTool and GrandOrguePerfTest from the macOS app bundle, controlling organ elements while recording or playing MIDI, and organ-loading errors under the Turkish system locale.

v3.17.1

Combination-system fixes: the wrong .cmb group of division-sender MIDI settings, the wrong initial position of the Combination Setter, and listening to a SYSEX Johanus event in the MIDI event editor.

v3.17.0

New: enter a setter combination number directly with the new “N” MIDI button (#1237), a changeable metronome sound (#2258), and a –config command-line option to specify the config file path. Fixed: importing MIDI settings with “Any device”, convolution reverb switching off when the system is overloaded, an invalid user-defined temperament name shown in the Master Control panel, and saving a SYSEX ID.

Major Milestones

3.14.x — Apple Silicon and update checking

The 3.14 line brought native Apple Silicon builds (3.14.1+, requiring macOS 14 or newer) — the first GrandOrgue that runs natively fast on M-series Macs instead of through Rosetta. It also added automatic update checking at startup (configurable, plus a manual check in the Help menu), a “Couple Through” mode for virtual couplers, and the ability to load only GUI panels without audio samples via the -g command-line switch. macOS 11 support was dropped in 3.14.0.

3.13.x — tremulants and Hungarian fixes

Raised the maximum number of tremulants from 10 to 999 and fixed several crash-on-load scenarios (truncated wave files, unsuitable sample loops). A useful release if you play large romantic organs with many tremulants.

3.12 and earlier

The long road from the 0.3-era codebase to the modern 3.x line: the audio engine rewrite, convolution reverb support, the combination system overhaul, and per-pipe voicing in Organ Settings. If you are still on a 2.x or 0.3 build, virtually everything — stability, latency, and the user interface — has improved since.

Should You Upgrade?

  • On 3.16.x or older: yes. The 3.17 series fixes real bugs (MIDI recording, combination setter, device matching, PipeWire installs) and the upgrade is free. Back up your settings first — it takes ten seconds.
  • On macOS 13 or older: be careful. 3.17.3 requires macOS 14+ on Apple Silicon (macOS 15 on Intel). If your Mac cannot run macOS 14, stay on 3.16.x, which still supports older systems.
  • On Linux with an old distribution: 3.17 requires GLIBC 2.35+ (Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+, Fedora 36+). Older distros should stay on their packaged 3.16 or earlier.
  • Mid-project? If you are in the middle of recording or a church service season, finish the project first, then upgrade. New versions are stable, but your settings backup is your safety net.

How to Upgrade Safely

  1. Back up GrandOrgue’s settings files (your MIDI mappings, voicings, and combinations live there).
  2. Download the new version from the GrandOrgue download page.
  3. Install over the old version — your sample sets and their caches are untouched.
  4. Open your main organ, verify sound, MIDI, and combinations, and re-save.

FAQ: GrandOrgue Versions

Where are the official release notes?

On GitHub, at github.com/GrandOrgue/grandorgue/releases — every tag from 3.13 onward has detailed notes with linked issue numbers. This page is a curated summary of the highlights that matter to players.

Is GrandOrgue still actively developed?

Yes. The 3.17 series (2026) shows steady maintenance: MIDI file playback improvements, PipeWire packaging fixes, Apple Silicon support, and ongoing crash fixes. The project is volunteer-driven, so releases arrive when they are ready rather than on a fixed schedule.

Can I run two versions side by side?

On Linux, yes (separate install prefixes or the --config option to point at different settings). On Windows and macOS, installing a new version normally replaces the old one — keep the old installer file in case you want to roll back.

Keep exploring: download the latest GrandOrgue, check the system requirements before upgrading an old computer, and read the 30-minute quickstart tutorial if you are setting up for the first time.