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

[imrae]

If a couple of seconds of full-scale noise will damage your hearing for life then your speakers/headphones are too loud.

Has there been any evidence that this is intentional behaviour, and not a bug introduced by crackers? Any incorrect binary data stream sent to the output would sound like loud noise so it is easy to see how this might happen accidentally. I don't see how a developer can prevent this except by making the software much easier to crack.

[standalone]

I was planning to invest heavily into FF

ha...ha...ha...

[aortan]

Has there been any evidence that this is intentional behaviour, and not a bug introduced by crackers? Any incorrect binary data stream sent to the output would sound like loud noise so it is easy to see how this might happen accidentally. I don't see how a developer can prevent this except by making the software much easier to crack.

Did you not see the video? The noise starts and then the website opens. There has been many reports. Or do you think it’s all some secret conspiracy to get free software?

Do you really think the only way to copy protect software is to blast noise?

[revvy]

Seems to be successful copy protection, no?

Anyway, welcome to the forum! Lots of folks joining today, FF really bringing in new users to KVR…

[gaggle of hermits]

well, well, well. two people joined today with this “problem”. yet all I’ve ever seen of this demoed is a noise well below FS.

what’s the game, new users? do you think ff are going to give you a free plug-in if you shut up or something? all because you’re too dumb to slap ice9 on the master when running cracks?

[Ploki]

As others have already mentioned, to include code that risk harming a persons hearing for life, is completely unacceptable. Stolen or not. You don’t get to beat or cripple someone who shoplift in your store. That is for the justice system to handle.

What if someone else is nearby? What if a nearby child with sensitive hearing is hurt? Any developer knows that software can behave in unpredictable ways in the real world.

I was planning to invest heavily into FF but this is a dealbreaker to me.

Ironically, there are plugins that break and emit noise blasts/dc offsets when not cracked, just poorly coded, and developers don't fix it and even worse don't even know how.

FabFilter otoh doesn't do that. Ever.
It gets timely updates.
Upgrade prices are cheap.

So maybe instead invest in a plugin that emits noise because it's broken instead, that will show those FabFilter guys!

Morally i'm on the fence here.
- you shouldn't crack shit, if you do, consequences are on you. Devs are not responsible if you play a haxoer at home. If you do so professionally (clients are near), YOU are responsible for your clients, NOT FABFILTER, because YOU are using cracks.

- i've nearly hurt my hearing with LEGITIMATE software. Limiters on the master bus don't work because NaN/divide with zero breaks the whole audio engine so the noise is blasted from the DAW output not THROUGH DAW output. This bugs me a lot more.
And Devs don t even take responsibility for that.

So while I agree that they could've just muted the output / make noise a bit quieter, it's f**king stupid that you think it's somehow their responsibility that you used cracked software.

edit: appears i'm not really that much on the fence.

[rasmusklump]

We get it, you're a fab filter fan....

[aortan]

well, well, well. two people joined today with this “problem”. yet all I’ve ever seen of this demoed is a noise well below FS.

what’s the game, new users? do you think ff are going to give you a free plug-in if you shut up or something? all because you’re too dumb to slap ice9 on the master when running cracks?

Never said I had the problem I just read about it here. I have at least 3 of their plugins on my wishlist.

It’s completely okey with noise but it doesn’t have to be loud AF. It will render the plugin useless either way, no need to risk peoples hearing. I have a lot of respect for the developer, but it’s impossible to develop software without bugs, especially when there are a lot of moving parts like OS, DAW, internet etc

[gaggle of hermits]

so you just read about it, didn’t check anything, created an account and posted. great job, well done.

[ampetrosillo]

In general user hostile copy protection is user hostile. There are so many better ways to make the plugin useless if pirated (silence, noise at -30dB, etc.).

[AdvancedFollower]

You should always gain-stage so that even at 0 dB on the master, nothing is loud enough to damage something or cause harm. I never trust digital volume control, limiters etc. There's always the possibility of bugs, overflow etc. or accidentally automating a control, causing loud bursts of noise. There should always be a physical volume control (analog potentiometer) somewhere at the end of the chain.

That said blasting the user with noise at 0dB seems to be a bit of a dick move, even if it's to "punish" pirates. You could end up actually causing hearing damage if someone is using headphones without proper gain staging. There's also always the possibility of false positives, no matter how thoroughly you test your code.

[vitocorleone123]

You should always gain-stage so that even at 0 dB on the master, nothing is loud enough to damage something or cause harm. I never trust digital volume control, limiters etc. There's always the possibility of bugs, overflow etc. or accidentally automating a control, causing loud bursts of noise. There should always be a physical volume control (analog potentiometer) somewhere at the end of the chain.

That said blasting the user with noise at 0dB seems to be a bit of a dick move, even if it's to "punish" pirates. You could end up actually causing hearing damage if someone is using headphones without proper gain staging. There's also always the possibility of false positives, no matter how thoroughly you test your code.

Should vs. would

When I'm just messing around, I don't really bother gain staging etc. (ie it's quiet) such that if a plugin like R4 or Nimbus glitch tf out, my headphone volume is turned up at the time. Didn't have Ice9 when it happened, so it hurt so bad it possibly/probably caused hearing damage.

Now those plugins are long-deleted (replaced with Liquidsonics suite) and Ice9 installed.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I don't know of any legit user of their plugin experiencing this firsthand. Or any human being anywhere having permanently injured their hearing as a result.

This is clearly a case of people on the internet pontificating and opining on crap they know nothing about and have no firsthand experience with. So basically: a day ending in y. It's a non-issue in reality.

[revvy]

“Won’t somebody think of the cra****s ears?”

[Amon1973]

Wasn't discussing cracked software not allowed on on KVR?

Just hoping it is not going to become like that Cloaca Maxima that is Audiosex (stomped on that while googling for info and was disgusted).