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

[aMUSEd]

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.

Thread title is

Horrifically loud noise produced from Pro L2 out of nowhere

Pro L2 is Fabfilter's limiter plugin. So which limiter should I use to protect my hearing from problems with the Pro L2 limiter plugin?


And what if that has problems?

just put a chain of pro l2s.
i doubt theyd all fail at once...

It's Prol2s all the way down

[TheSynthScientist]

I came across a concerning issue on the FabFilter forums where Pro-L 2 produced a very loud noise burst for someone.

Been using Fabfilter plugins for years.
This has NEVER occurred.
Maybe it that "site" you mentioned that is the problem.

[MirkoVanHauten]

Did the thing OP should have done in the first place and just asked Fabfilter. This was the response that cleared all up:

Hi Mirko,

Thanks for getting in touch.

We have not built in a timebomb in our products specifically. However, the noise burst described can happen when the binary of a plug-in is altered. Typically, the binary gets altered to create a cracked version. The binary can not be changed when you use our official installers. Updating your OS will never change the binary.

If you have any more questions, just let us know!

Cheers

As others already described, using shitty cracked software that points to invalid memory addresses will cause noise bursts. That can happen in any plugin from any vendor.

It also confirms that no Windows update will suddenly cause noise bursts because no Windows update alters plugin binaries.

-paranoid bashing can be stopped now and case can be closed-

[volution]

I'll take their word for it in good faith.

For me the question that is left unanswered is why there are no reports of other plug-ins having this effect when the binary is changed. Plugins like U-he's have effects like a disappearing UI or something similar, TDR only shows a message. Only for FabFilter I've heard of this noise issue, so if anyone can find a similar report for non-FabFilter plugins, then I'd want to see it.

[Magnut]

User in here alone have already described such behaviour... Anyways we get it. You like to put dirt Fabfilter at any price. Good luck, god bless most users are smarter.

[audiot]

... -paranoid bashing can be stopped now and case can be closed-

Paranoid??? I have proof that the illuminatis are uploading modified pirated VST's, and that the noise burst is a psychoacoustical experiment to control people If they succeed this will be implemented in offical versions too ... so watch out

[BlueprintInc]

For me the question that is left unanswered is why there are no reports of other plug-ins having this effect when the binary is changed.

So you care about how good illegal software works? I think that alone should show this is a pure troll topic with the purpose of damaging FabFilter.

Plugins like U-he's have effects like a disappearing UI or something similar, TDR only shows a message. Only for FabFilter I've heard of this noise issue, so if anyone can find a similar report for non-FabFilter plugins, then I'd want to see it.

Let me give you some insights from the technical perspective.

Audio gets processed by reading/writing a buffer of data stored in memory. If you read outside the boundaries of such a buffer all you get is random data resulting in simple white noise. Such behavior has been reported countless times as bugs (yes a simple google search shows it happens in all kind of companies, plugins or DAWs) if a) the plugin doesn't check boundaries and moves read indexes ahead, b) memory gets used after it has already been freed, c) the memory gets corrupted because other processes have overwritten it due to leaking or d) memory addresses have been changed in an attempt to bypass certain processing. Bugs get fixed.

But: this has happend and will happen over and over again in illegal software too. It is either a sign of missing talent in a cracking group or a sign of complexity in a plugin.
It may even be the case that a plugin calculates a certain memory offset on the fly and if this method has been altered, false offsets will lead to the exact same results (IIRC similar method gets used in elicenser protection).

There are additional methods of "self checking" where the plugin finds out if it has been cracked and does something, like not showing a UI, popping up a message box, redirect you to a website or such. But you have to get to that point first. When you crash or burst already before because someone messed up all memory addesses there's no chance for that.

Just saw the topic is even from PPC times so I do not even now why to discuss this further.

[vurt]

I'll take their word for it in good faith.

For me the question that is left unanswered is why there are no reports of other plug-ins having this effect when the binary is changed. Plugins like U-he's have effects like a disappearing UI or something similar, TDR only shows a message. Only for FabFilter I've heard of this noise issue, so if anyone can find a similar report for non-FabFilter plugins, then I'd want to see it.

20200729_141836.jpg

yaaaah, #metoo!

[chk071]

Think I'll sue the owner next time I steal a car and it runs over my foot when I forgot to engage the handbrake.

[revvy]

For me the question that is left unanswered is why there are no reports of other plug-ins having this effect when the binary is changed.

We've only got your word for it, from that 'secret' website you know. The one where folks 'change binaries'.

[AKJ]

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.

I believe this is completely unethical and they should be sued.

[vurt]

my client illegally downloaded...

20200729_152938.jpg

gavel knocks. case closed.

[Freaqpeak]

I can only think of one legit reason something like this would be triggered:
User has a virus infected computer which alters any binaries. Quite uncommon of todays viruses to change the exe's or dll's of every program/plugin in your system. It can happen, but it would be most unusual.
Anyways, the user having this issue can send the exe or dll to Fabfilter and they can check what has been altered... I bet the user would not dare to do that....

[Unaspected]

Think I'll sue the owner next time I steal a car and it runs over my foot when I forgot to engage the handbrake.

Don't understand why your post had so many downvotes. I thought it was quite funny. Though it sadly reminds me of some real life cases. Still funny.

Anyway. Would have been more impressed if the protection either muted output or performed things subtractively. Don't see the need for adding, what has been suggested in this thread, as a very loud noise.

Better still would be to introduce barely audible whispering of various messages or names at random.

I am sure and I hope the intent was not to damage hearing. If your monitoring gear is turned up that loud then the fault is with the user.

General, meh, though. Never heard nor heard of this before now.

[Soundplex]

Think I'll sue the owner next time I steal a car and it runs over my foot when I forgot to engage the handbrake.

Anyway. Would have been more impressed if the protection either muted output or performed things subtractively. Don't see the need for adding, what has been suggested in this thread as a very loud noise.

Better still would be to introduce barely audible whispering of various messages or names at random.

I am sure and I hope the intent was not to damage hearing. If your monitoring gear is turned up that loud then the fault is with the user.

General, meh, though. Never heard nor heard of this before now.

It has already been clarified by fabfilter this is not a FabFilter copy protection mechanism. FabFilter plugins switch do demo if something strange happens.

Anyways if users of illegal software complain about non working plugins and the company gets blamed for it you know how f*cked up this industry and the users are.