FabFilter plugins include code that plays very loud noise if it thinks the copy is pirated

[volution]

I came across a concerning issue on the FabFilter forums where Pro-L 2 produced a very loud noise burst for someone. I was surprised to find however that this is not a bug, but one of FabFilter's copy protection measures.

I don't pirate software, but copy protection is not flawless and an intentional time bomb like this could very well be triggered by a false positive (as even their own FAQ suggests). Hearing damage is devastating for people in audio. Even if someone actually pirated the copy, I still don't think it's ethical to try to cause hearing damage to them.

From: FabFilter User Forum - Horrifically loud noise produced from Pro L2 out of nowhere

This has happened to me on numerous occasions.

I work on a project with pro L2 on the master and everything is working great. I then minimize ableton and to go work on something else for a while. Then, when returning to my ableton project and pressing play on my tune, I am subjected to the most horrifically loud and distorted noise imaginable. Truly ear bursting. I mean this sincerely. It really is dangerously loud, to the point where I believe if I had been wearing headphones at the time it could have damaged my hearing.
The issue persists until a restart of Ableton is performed.
I turned down the volume and went through all my plugins, to eventually find that Pro L2 is in fact the culprit.

Has this happened to anyone else?

This is not a mistake, it is an intensional time bomb for using cracked L2.

Here is a FabFilter FAQ entry that confirms it: I'm getting noise bursts and I'm being redirected to your website with a message about piracy. What's wrong?

I would've wanted to know this myself, so that's why I'm sharing this piece of information with you. You can make your own decision about if you're comfortable with this. I'll personally be waiting for them to remove this.

[revvy]

Both your links take me to one sonitus' post, not a FF FAQ.

[volution]

Both your links take me to one sonitus' post, not a FF FAQ.

Fixed, thanks!

[whyterabbyt]

A lot of plugin demos etc have noise bursts. And technically 'noise burst' even describes what an analog drum machine emulation does.
So a 'noise burst' isnt necessarily the same thing as an earbusting 'most horrifically loud and distorted noise imaginable' so I'd question if what's being described is actually the noise burst FF incorporated. Especially since there's no mention of the explanatory text and redirect to the website that are also supposed to be part of the FF piracy detection behaviour, and which would have clued the user in without needing to post describing the behaviour.

[volution]

So a 'noise burst' isnt necessarily the same thing as an earbusting 'most horrifically loud and distorted noise imaginable' so I'd question if what's being described is actually the noise burst FF incorporated.

It doesn't seem to be a gentle noise like you would find in a demo.

This is from a forum that I won't link:

i can confirm pro q 3 timebombs on mac, closing the daw and re-opening the session reset the time bomb tho

also, not only it timebombs, its also playing a very loud white noise - be careful bois lol

FabFilter seems to scream white noise at me after 5-10 minutes of playing music from a project that has the plugin used.

[revvy]

So this thread is a warning for people who use snide FF plugins...?

[HSum]

So use a legit version then!? Never happened here that any of he FabFilter plugins "thought" it was pirated... The chance it does this by accident is incredibly low. Usually guys outed themself as being pirates even if it was just 1 of all of their FF plugins.

[volution]

Do you possibly use tools like lipo or Monoligual to strip the PowerPC binary from the plug-ins? Or any other tool that might alter the binary? This will trigger the piracy warning...

The binary could be altered just by your hard drive or SSD corrupting itself slightly.

It's fine if you're comfortable with this being in the code. Everyone can make up their mind for themselves, but at least now you know and you can take it into consideration.

[Teksonik]

One of the semi-annual Windows 10 updates broke the copy protection on a few of my plugins. Not FF plugins but from some other developers.

Imagine if a Win10 update somehow broke the copy protection of FF plugins. Now that may never happen but it's good to know that FF plugins have the capability to create such a noise in the unlikely event they get borked during an update.

I hate pirates as much as anyone but is permanent hearing damage a fair punishment for the crime of piracy ? That's certainly up to debate.

[chk071]

I hate pirates as much as anyone but is permanent hearing damage a fair punishment for the crime of piracy ? That's certainly up to debate.

I highly doubt that it's that loud.

BTW, ANY plugin can destroy your ears if the developer wasn't careful enough. That's why it's absolutely careless not to use a limiter, or have speakers which don't have a built in limiter.

I had some really loud noise burst due to bugs using Cakewalk Z3TA+ (version 1.5.3), for example, and also with Terratec Komplexer using jBridge. Seriously, beware people, this is not something to be taken lightly...

[KenjiDeVries]

Do you possibly use tools like lipo or Monoligual to strip the PowerPC binary from the plug-ins? Or any other tool that might alter the binary? This will trigger the piracy warning...

The binary could be altered just by your hard drive or SSD corrupting itself slightly.

It's fine if you're comfortable with this being in the code. Everyone can make up their mind for themselves, but at least now you know and you can take it into consideration.

No that's not true. If the binary gets altered it cannot be loaded anymore. Besides that it also changes the signature which is another thing that keeps it from loading. The times of PowerPC (where that might have been possible, don't know) are long over Buy your stuff, it's that easy.

Also the hardest noise bursts are pure random data in the audio stream that can occur by bugs. And even those are not that loud to produce hearing damage unless you monitor at such high volumes.

[Teksonik]

I highly doubt that it's that loud.

I am subjected to the most horrifically loud and distorted noise imaginable. Truly ear bursting. I mean this sincerely. It really is dangerously loud, to the point where I believe if I had been wearing headphones at the time it could have damaged my hearing.

I tell you what chk071 why don't you give it a try ? Go find a cracked version of a FF plugin and see just how loud it is.......

There is a huge difference between accidental noises caused by plugins and a noise that is intentionally programmed into the code.

In two decade of using plugins I could probably count on my fingers the number of times I've experienced unintentional noise bursts of any significant volume.

It's so rare that I frequently don't bother to have a limiter on the master unless it's a new plugin from an unknown developer and even then the limiter is very rarely needed.

[chk071]

Ok, so the sound is "the most horrifically loud and distorted noise imaginable. Truly ear bursting." just because someone says so. That's some truly factualy stuff right there.

And, no, I won't download pirated plugins just to try this out. It's simply common sense that software developer won't implement a time bomb which renders people deaf. Nothing will stop you believing some person who just registered here today, and whose motives are completely unknown, of course.

[whyterabbyt]

There is a huge difference between accidental noises caused by plugins and a noise that is intentionally programmed into the code.

Yeah, the intentional ones will be far more controlled.

[Soundplex]

I think you're somewhat mistaken. Nowhere does it say "we have build loud noise bursts as time bombs into the plugins". The FAQ you're refering to was just a scenario (which obviously many have tried else it wouldn't be in a FAQ) from the old days for very specific binaries. It does not say the plugin produced this on purpose or something, it only explains why there is a piracy warning popping up. I've rather experienced that the plugin goes back to demo mode if something unusual is going on (happened e.g. on Mac due to sandboxing).