Viper｜1.2.2 update with bugfixes and new skin

[adamszabo]

Edit: apparently I have to remove the synth from the project and reload for this to work.

Yes, the synth scans through the files upon loading. It cannot scan for new files the whole time that would be meaningless and waste of resources.

If I add a new preset to my bank and save the bank, is there not a simple one-click save? Currently I have to type in the name of the bank again in the explorer window that pops up and then click yes when it says 'My Bank.fxp already exists, do you want to replace it?' which feels clunky (it automatically fills the file name as 'Viper Soundset'). If I make a typo it'll create another bank.

And is there no correlation between the name of .fxp and the name that appears in the display? When I create a new .fxp and load it into a bank no name appears in the display and I can give it a name that's different to the .fxp.

The files saving is handled by windows, I dont know if I can make saving banks without asking. If it could be done, then I will also get complaints that they saved and overwritten their bank. But you dont have to write "My Bank.fxb" again, you just click on your existing bank, and it will ask if you want to overwrite it, and it will do so.

There is indeed a correlation between the .fxp name and that appears on the display. I would need to see a video of whats happening if its a bug, you can PM me.

[adamszabo]

I'm afraid that deciphering the way Virus interpets the infromation contained the .mid files (which would be required for any kind of Virus-Viper preset conversion) may be classified as a sort of reverse-engineering the Access software/firmware.

I guess it would be indeed better to ask a lawyer specialized in such cases.

Yes, I was afraid of that, thats why I wanted to ask them first.

[Vortifex]

Edited

[adamszabo]

Ok thanks. So if I want to save a simple adjustment to a preset in a bank what's the quickest way of doing it? Save bank?

Yes. Lets say you have your bank on the desktop "My Bank.fxb". You make an adjustment to a preset, then go to Save Bank, click on your "My Bank.fxb", then save, and it will ask if you want to overwrite and click yes. That was like 3 mouse clicks?

[goldenanalog]

Adam, you’re 100% correct: you need a lawyer to consult on this; find out specifically what you legally can and can’t do.

So: The Virus TI is an abandoned product/Access doesn’t care?

Nope. I wouldn’t f*ck with this; not w/o legal consultation, Adam.

[chk071]

Well.. Adam already mentioned the easiest way to find out: Ask Access Music.

[recursive one]

So: The Virus TI is an abandoned product/Access doesn’t care?

Apparently they do care but Virus TI pretty much seems an abandoned product

Luckily we have Viper

[adamszabo]

Well.. Adam already mentioned the easiest way to find out: Ask Access Music.

Yes, I already asked and they said no. To be honest I can sort of understand their position. They dont have a problem with 3rd party Virus controller Vst plugins which can read .mid files because you STILL need to buy the Virus hardware to use them, otherwise those controllers are useless. So Access will get their money either way. But if I make a virus import, then we completely bypass their product and we would open banks that were needed to have a Virus, with another product. So yeah, I guess that makes sense. Too bad for us

[vertibration]

That sucks.....

[chk071]

Ah... that's a shame. But, somehow understandable from their position.

[vertibration]

Adam, maybe propose a partnership? Maybe there can be a mutually beneficial arrangement that can be made, you would get resources, further develop using their support, work out arrangements with profits, and in turn, it could really boost sales for both parties? I mean, you would sort of work for them as a Dev. Its a dying product, they literally have nothing to lose, and a ton to gain

[plrdmus]

"but to use THEIR CONTENT with a different synthesizer is not" is the key legal phrase here. They created the presets in the virus, they own those presets as surely as if they were software.
To allow your Viper to import presets would be fine, but you cannot use the word "Virus" or supply "their" presets.
So no "Virus" preset import button or menu dropdown, or even using the word "Virus" to advertise that it imports virus presets.
It is a problem that you have asked and they refused, probably would have been better just to have added the function, but hindsight is always twenty twenty.

Exactly what I've been saying. You shouldn't mention their product or provide their patches, as they own the rights of those.

Nevertheless, Viper is still a different product, that runs on completely different hardware but achieves the same results. Asking a lawyer would still be recommendable, just to be sure.

In the CAD world, the ruling protects software companies mimicking the actions of competitors, such as BricsCAD and ARES of AutoCAD.

The ruling goes further, because the court said that programming languages and data formats cannot be covered by copyright. This means that reverse engineers can use the same programming language and data formats as the program they are copying -- even when copying these from a free version of the competitor's software!

Furthermore, the court said that reverse engineers do not need the permission of software owners, and can ignore terms of the license agreements that might prohibit reverse engineering.

https://www.worldcadaccess.com/blog/201 ... tware.html

Accordingly, developing and using a program that has the same or similar functionality and operational interfaces of another computer program would not of itself usually amount to copyright infringement, but copying the underlying source (or object) code would.

https://www.bclplaw.com/en-US/insights/ ... rmats.html

But also... Is still "reverse engineering", if they provide all info themselves on their user manuals?

And what if someone releases an external converter and hosts it somewhere else? It's, at least, a grey area.

[goldenanalog]

So: The Virus TI is an abandoned product/Access doesn’t care?

Apparently they do care but Virus TI pretty much seems an abandoned product

Luckily we have Viper

- pointing out the oft absurdity of speculation: just because the current product’s iteration may exist on soon-to-be obsolete hardware, doesn’t mean that the platform itself is dead, per se (just the current product, likely) - Access may simply be waiting for the right time; the right people; the right platform to port the code; and re-engineer.

Or:

Access as an asset - including all of its ip - might be sold to Roland/Yamaha/Korg maybe even NI - which could be extremely good for a music hardware builder.

Remember Creamware: I have a Plugiator; but I would have preferred that their ip had gone in a different direction.

[plrdmus]

- pointing out the oft absurdity of speculation: just because the current product’s iteration may exist on soon-to-be obsolete hardware, doesn’t mean that the product is dead, per se - Access may simply be waiting for the right time; the right people; the right platform to port the coding.

They stated that stuff that stopped working on Mac (like Virus Control Center) will never get an update again.

Meanwhile Kemper Amps products get updated frequently.

That says something.

Unless they're secretly making a Virus Ti3, rewriting all the code for a newer chipset.

[chk071]

So: The Virus TI is an abandoned product/Access doesn’t care?

Apparently they do care but Virus TI pretty much seems an abandoned product

Luckily we have Viper

- pointing out the oft absurdity of speculation: just because the current product’s iteration may exist on soon-to-be obsolete hardware, doesn’t mean that the platform itself is dead, per se (just the current product, likely) - Access may simply be waiting for the right time; the right people; the right platform to port the code; and re-engineer.

Or:

Access as an asset - including all of its ip - might be sold to Roland/Yamaha/Korg maybe even NI - which could be extremely good for a music hardware builder.

Remember Creamware: I have a Plugiator; but I would have preferred that their ip had gone in a different direction.

Thanks, I wanted to point out the same a couple of times, but never found the right words.