Native Instruments Pro-53 is back as an open-source project (Cmajor port)

[MillerSam]

Hey

In case you didn't know. Cmajor is a new open-source C-family language designed specially for writing DSP signal processing. It has recently become open-source and is available under a dual GPLv3/Commercial licensing scheme.

They have various examples on their website. The latest is a port of the long-discontinued Native Instruments Pro-53 Synthesizer. The port is based on a never-released internal C++ port of the original synth, including all the 500+ patches of the original plugin.

Screenshot 2024-03-14 at 15.43.52.jpg

The code is available open-source on GitHub and you can play the synth "Pro-54" in your browser

Official website: https://cmajor.dev/docs/Examples/Pro54/

Article about the project
https://synthanatomy.com/2024/03/native ... -back.html

[audiojunkie]

Cool!

[Teksonik]

This legality of this project seems a bit suspect. Did N.I. relinquish the IP rights for the Pro 53 code?

As someone who still owns a Pro-52 license which of course can't be installed or authorized any longer because....Native Instruments....I wouldn't mind giving it a play again but will steer clear until the legality is addressed.

[Examigan]

Nice! But it's browser based?

[chk071]

This legality of this project seems a bit suspect.

Yep. I really can't imagine that they got the OK from NI to take part of the code and base their soft synth on that.

Unfortunately, this is something I notice more and more: Developers giving a crap about others I.P.

[Greenstorm33]

Very strange. How did they get the source code? NI doesn't seem like they'd give stuff away like that. Also why only release a web version? Their spiel on their website makes it sound like you can create VST-by-JUCE and CLAP plugins from the same codebase, but they've apparently only built the (arguably) useless web version.

[MillerSam]

Very strange. How did they get the source code? NI doesn't seem like they'd give stuff away like that. Also why only release a web version? Their spiel on their website makes it sound like you can create VST-by-JUCE and CLAP plugins from the same codebase, but they've apparently only built the (arguably) useless web version.

The code is on GitHub

[Teksonik]

Nice! But it's browser based?

It seems like at this point it's not possible to compile it to a plugin:

"On Windows/arm64, building the plugin is not supported for now, and this can be disabled by specifying -DBUILD_PLUGIN=OFF"

However:

"How can Cmajor be used?
Exporting a Cmajor patch as a native VST/AU/AAX plugin

When you have a finished Cmajor patch, you can use our tools to convert it to a native C++ JUCE project, which you can compile into whatever audio plugin format you like, and distributed like any other audio plugin".

I know absolutely nothing about compiling or GPL but it would seem to me any use including a browser based synth (which would be pretty useless no?) would be a violation of the typical EULA.

Native Instruments is one of the compaines in this business that's large enough to take legal action if they cared to do so.

But again I don't have a clue so maybe it's allowed. I'll keep an eye on the story to see how it develops.

I'd love to see them resurrect some of the old plugins like Linplug Spectral and so on but I would want it to be legal and moral.

[whyterabbyt]

Very strange. How did they get the source code? NI doesn't seem like they'd give stuff away like that. Also why only release a web version? Their spiel on their website makes it sound like you can create VST-by-JUCE and CLAP plugins from the same codebase, but they've apparently only built the (arguably) useless web version.

The code is on GitHub

NI's Pro-53 code is on GitHub legitimately? Where?

[Teksonik]

Very strange. How did they get the source code? NI doesn't seem like they'd give stuff away like that. Also why only release a web version? Their spiel on their website makes it sound like you can create VST-by-JUCE and CLAP plugins from the same codebase, but they've apparently only built the (arguably) useless web version.

The code is on GitHub

The internet is full of Intellectual Property right violations so availability does not equal legality.

[MillerSam]

Very strange. How did they get the source code? NI doesn't seem like they'd give stuff away like that. Also why only release a web version? Their spiel on their website makes it sound like you can create VST-by-JUCE and CLAP plugins from the same codebase, but they've apparently only built the (arguably) useless web version.

The code is on GitHub

NI's Pro-53 code is on GitHub legitimately? Where?

I mean the Pro-54 Cmajor patch is on Github which can be taken further
https://github.com/cmajor-lang/cmajor/t ... ches/Pro54

Legally or not, I can't say whether this happened with Native's agreement. I also said it in the article that is not written.

[FigBug]

Very strange. How did they get the source code? NI doesn't seem like they'd give stuff away like that. Also why only release a web version? Their spiel on their website makes it sound like you can create VST-by-JUCE and CLAP plugins from the same codebase, but they've apparently only built the (arguably) useless web version.

Soundwide owns Native Instruments, Plugin Alliance, Brainworx, and Sound Stacks. Sound Stacks created cmajor. Sound Stacks now appears to be spun off as its own thing and is now called Cmajor Software Dev, independent of Soundwide. Not sure of how all that went down, but at one point they were the same company, which is how they got the code.

[MillerSam]

Very strange. How did they get the source code? NI doesn't seem like they'd give stuff away like that. Also why only release a web version? Their spiel on their website makes it sound like you can create VST-by-JUCE and CLAP plugins from the same codebase, but they've apparently only built the (arguably) useless web version.

Soundwide owns Native Instruments, Plugin Alliance, Brainworx, and Sound Stacks. Sound Stacks created cmajor. Sound Stacks now appears to be spun off as its own thing and is now called Cmajor Software Dev, independent of Soundwide. Not sure of how all that went down, but at one point they were the same company, which is how they got the code.

And Soundwide is also history. The group is now called Native Instruments. For example it's now iZotope by Native Instruments

[Teksonik]

Looks like the CMajor project has been around for almost two years. On Cesare Ferrari's LinkedIn page he likes a post that mentions Evil Dragon so I suppose he would be someone that either knows or can find out if this project is legit. I hope it's legit but I don't want to see anyone get in legal hot water.

[Greenstorm33]

Very strange. How did they get the source code? NI doesn't seem like they'd give stuff away like that. Also why only release a web version? Their spiel on their website makes it sound like you can create VST-by-JUCE and CLAP plugins from the same codebase, but they've apparently only built the (arguably) useless web version.

Soundwide owns Native Instruments, Plugin Alliance, Brainworx, and Sound Stacks. Sound Stacks created cmajor. Sound Stacks now appears to be spun off as its own thing and is now called Cmajor Software Dev, independent of Soundwide. Not sure of how all that went down, but at one point they were the same company, which is how they got the code.

That's, uh...alrighty then. That at least explains how they got it but I still find it hard to believe NI is on board with this since they refuse to even release unlocked versions of their discontinued stuff to people who payed for them.

Edit: Reading their about us, sounds like they work pretty closely with NI. Also isn't Jules the JUCE guy? Maybe it is legit